greatdistractions's reviews
53 reviews

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Rape, and Car accident

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo: The Road to Epoli by James Parks, Ben Costa

4.0

Frankenstein Mary Shelly: 1831 text by Mary Shelley, Mary Shelley

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holy crap, this book was so good. There were so many scathing critiques of the culture Shelley lived in that haven't survived in adaption. People largely talk about Frankenstein as a story about hubris, which it definitely is, but it also has a lot to say about family dynamics, nature vs nurture, who gets viewed as pitiable vs who gets viewed as abominable, unreliable narrators... I'm already looking forward to rereading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Stalking

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Terminal illness, and Medical content

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

It feels like a crime to rate Tolkien anything less than 5 stars, but I really struggled with some of the pacing in this book.

Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater

fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction

Moonstruck, Vol. 1: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis

funny lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Suicide, and War

Minor: Child abuse

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

This is my go-to comfort book right now! The romance is charming and healthy, the disability representation makes me feel seen, and the worldbuilding is intriguing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.25

I gasped out loud while reading the ending!