gidgetdraws's reviews
84 reviews

Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Bread and Circus by Airea D. Matthews

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

Weyward by Emilia Hart

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book consumed me from the inside out. Greedily, without mercy, and lit a fire in my veins.

Readers who enjoyed The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner and/or Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese will enjoy this work and vice versa.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Alcohol

The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Love Flushed by Evie Mitchell

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

Infamous by Lex Croucher

challenging emotional lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did. The main character, Eddie, was deeply unlikeable with little character development.

I had to remind myself constantly that Eddie was 22 and not younger for the way she thought and acted, which could be chalked up to being sheltered and naive, but for her age it truly went far beyond any reasonable parameter. Which also gave me a strong ick for Nash I couldn’t shake. I wasn’t convinced of him as a love interest from the beginning, being married aside. His behaviorisms would be considered grooming and predatory as he takes full advantage of the power dynamic between himself and Eddie, which in the end was the whole reason of his character and very predictable—without going into too much detail—and I was not shocked at all by the ending considering the emotional, sexual, and drug abuse he inflicted upon Eddie continuously.

Lastly, I strongly suggest a trigger warning for themes of Sexual Assault, Emotional Abuse, and Drug Abuse be added to this book, and I’m deeply disappointed there isn’t already. I like to think I’m hard to shake despite my life experiences but I was deeply unsettled by these themes and how nonchalantly they were written out and shrugged off. These are very accurate and real depictions without any sort of warning to prospective readers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

The Last Beekeeper by Julie Carrick Dalton

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-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