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gossamer_lens's reviews
1383 reviews
The Heir's Secret by Time Princess
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-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? No
2.5
I was really expecting more from this story considering how much I loved the main story, Kingdom of Beasts. Oh well. It was okay and fun enough. Just not what I hoped for.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
So so dark. Read it right after Cormac McCarthy's The Road... And this felt like such a slap in the face. I actually enjoyed the read more then I enjoyed my read of The Road but I'm rating it less because there were some sex scenes that just really gave me the ick and one of them didn't serve any point narratively in my opinion and just really threw me off. ... But overall I liked this books and there were some interesting themes being discussed that were aided by the darkness of the subject matter and telling of it.
Closer Baby Closer by Savannah Brown
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Listened to this whole book while on a drive with my husband. Absolutely loved every moment. Savahana Brown reading her own work just drips with cadence, thought, beauty, and pure emotion. I could listen to her words on every drive. I will have to revisit in physical form to savor more at some point. But I loved this work.
Sweetdark by Savannah Brown
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Listened to this whole book while on a drive with my husband. Absolutely loved every moment. Savahana Brown reading her own work just drips with cadence, thought, beauty, and pure emotion. I could listen to her words on every drive. I will have to revisit in physical form to savor more at some point. But I loved this work.
From the Roots Up by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Informative and leans into that with a bit more guesto then the first book did which I appreciate. It also goes into more history then the first did which I appreciated.
Surviving the City by Natasha Donovan, Tasha Spillett
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
3.25
Solid and insightful. A bit young for my tastes and leaning into the informative a lot. But for what it is it is good and thoughtful.
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
4.75
Very good. Love the alternative history/world aspect. Unlike some books that feel sorta odd "power fantasy" while feeling like they disparage the plight of people of the time... This book felt sci-fi and abstract enough to be a clear critic of a system and not the real impactes people of our world. The shortness of the work aids the message being given and I would highly recommend this book.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I enjoyed this book. It was clearly well researched and I enjoyed the themes surrounding motherhood, sisterhood, being a daughter, etc. It was fascinating to learn about such an interesting culture and to learn more about the impact world wars have had on a place I'm not very familiar with.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It was dark and slow and very literary. I enjoyed the technical writing of it a lot and found one of the characters quite endearing. It was dark in a sort of blurred and in the periphery way which I quite liked.
It was a pleasure to read this as a buddy read with my bestie so I could have a companion in exploring this book. I think it's a modern day classic for a reason. I've spent a few weeks now trying to pinpoint the things I loved and the things I hated... And I guess I just cannot express it better than this. In the end the things I liked won over the things that grated and I couldn't place. And I just keep thinking about it so here we are with a higher rating then I could have imagined giving it after initially finishing.
It was a pleasure to read this as a buddy read with my bestie so I could have a companion in exploring this book. I think it's a modern day classic for a reason. I've spent a few weeks now trying to pinpoint the things I loved and the things I hated... And I guess I just cannot express it better than this. In the end the things I liked won over the things that grated and I couldn't place. And I just keep thinking about it so here we are with a higher rating then I could have imagined giving it after initially finishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death and Child death