garlinds's reviews
124 reviews

Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

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informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg

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adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild by Gale Straub

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

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adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was a book that I really struggled to stick with, then about two-thirds of the way in something clicked and I couldn't put it down.

Mysteries aren't a genre that I pick up very often, but the unique plot of this book intrigued me enough to give it a go. The main character has one day to solve the murder of an heiress, however he relives that same day eight times, each time waking in the body of a different witness (or host).

I think that this book was a near DNF for me because the ever-changing hosts kept me from connecting with the protagonist. Over time it was my devotion to the puzzle that kept me going, and the last 150 pages became absolute page turners with plenty of twists and turns as the characters pieced everything together.

TW: Aside from the typical violence that you find in a murder mystery, this book has some fat-shaming that was a major put-off.

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