halfpastsix's reviews
76 reviews

Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon

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

3.0

I didn't love the novel itself. But the afterword is a masterpiece! 
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis

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

4.0

Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

clark kent is an alien. he's just a kid. he's scared. he's a wild horse. he's an artist. he's a curious boy. he's a lover. he's just a rumor. he is the sun. 
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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

4.0

This slaps so hard. The difference between broke and poor is status and connections. Status and connections is why some people will never be punished for their actions. Tyranny is terrible for anyone who's not in the one percent of the one percent. The struggle is the same as it was and the same as it will be, that's no coincidence : the struggle is passed down. This bad boy can fit so many important political ideas. 
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon

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dark funny fast-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

3.0

I always have an "ah-ha" moment at some point through a Michael Chabon novel, at some point I finally "get" it. For this one it happened at the very end, pretty much right before the washed-up main character got it himself. So maybe that's why I didn't like this one so much, too much of a toll on my ego. 

From the get go, the overornate style and that one character that aged very poorly set my course : I was reluctant. Nothing really changed my mind throughout. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I didn't LOVE any of it.

This one is overrated. I wish K&C had been turned into a movie instead. 

I would recommend another Chabon before this one any day, but I don't regret reading Wonder Boys. It's still Chabon and I'm still a Chabonhead. 
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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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

4.25

Soft and brutal and quaint and tragic. Loved it. I didn't expect it to speak to my experience as a minority, but it did. 

"There are people out there [...], who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you--of how you were brought into this world and why--and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs." 
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Master of Reality by John Darnielle

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dark emotional fast-paced

4.5

Maybe that younger person died when he became this older person, and now when I think I'm feeling his emotions and sharing his rage, I'm really just mourning his death. If that's true, I don't know how I can stand it. I'm 26, but I'm not ready for my 16-year-old-self to be dead.

My heart has been broken by John Darnielle once again. 
Dune by Frank Herbert

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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? Yes
We don't talk about that depressing ending enough. This is coming-of-age gone terribly wrong. Very well written, it made me feel really bad (that's a compliment).
Devil House by John Darnielle

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

4.5

This book goes hard. I see why some might find the pacing unsettling but I really liked it. Cried and gasped multiple times. This is for sword-and-sorcery kids and true crime haters, both of which I am.
Bad Twin by Laurence Shames, Gary Troup

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

1.0

I knew it was gonna be so bad that it'd make me want to throw this book into a fire... but still, it was really bad. 
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