hanrutmoe's reviews
176 reviews

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

slow-paced

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

2.0

This started out ok but I gradually lost interest in the story. It didn’t feel like the detective sci-fi I thought I was signing up for; it started off-shooting into too many directions that didn’t seem related to the mystery, and introduced so many characters that I started losing track. It was drag getting through the second half and took much longer than I’d have liked. 

MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Close Calls by Avery Shawler

adventurous emotional informative tense fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

adventurous medium-paced

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

1.0

I had high hopes for this book, having read that Blake Crouch was a great alternative for fans of Andy Weir. Unfortunately aside from being a sci-fi (strong on the science) it lacked all of the charisma and character building I’ve loved in Weir’s books. I was bored out of my mind reading Upgrade, the characters felt flat and had no redeeming features, so much that I just didn’t care about the plot. Found myself skimming the last 30% just to get it over with. 

Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad

adventurous funny informative inspiring relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media by James Acaster

funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

adventurous 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? It's complicated

2.0

I started out liking this book, but about 40% through the  protagonist became supremely unlikable. It read like the starting of an incel with zero respect of the boundaries of others and incredibly self-centered. Whilst it’s fine to have different types of characters in books, this was written in a way that I felt was trying to portray him as likeable and romantic character, which really put me off. The extreme random referencing of geek culture was ok at first but did start to drag. Unlikely to continue on to book 2. 

Qualify by Vera Nazarian

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.0

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0