helendipietro's reviews
240 reviews

Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict by Elizabeth Day

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

The Maid by Nita Prose
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.

Started for a book club I was going to be running but then plans changed and I wasn’t feeling it. 

Mamo #1 by Sas Milledge

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

3.5

Loved the artwork in this! The characters are good but the story felt like it dragged you along for ages then wrapped up too quickly! Not sure if I’d read it again but I did enjoy the experience 😊

Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

adventurous lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.0

Enjoyed this one! Love the message of hope and adventure whilst conveying that you will face difficulties along the way! 

Otter Chaos by Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Full of drama, excitement and of course some silliness, the first book in Reeve and McIntyre’s rodent adventures did not disappoint! I loved this adventure tale and the illustrations are so detailed and captivating! Perfect for 5-8 year olds but enjoyed, I’m sure, by all ages!👌

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

challenging emotional informative reflective sad

3.5

Read this for our book club and general consensus was that it was well written but not particularly enjoyable to read! I found it slow and depressing but that reflected the time and place well. Davy was my favourite. The relationship between Cushla and Michael was pretty dead and I didn’t love the one-sidedness of it. However this is a book that has stayed with me and I’m sure I’ll remember it. I made myself learn more about The Troubles which is always good!

I Am Oliver the Otter: A Tale from Our Wild and Wonderful Riverbanks by Pam Ayres

informative reflective relaxing

4.0

The Awakening Storm by Jaimal Yogis

adventurous inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I loved this! 

The Girl Who Reads on the Métro by Christine Féret-Fleury

slow-paced

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

3.0

I read this in Paris during moments on the metro and it was enjoyable but for me lacked warmth and detail. I was expecting to LOVE this book but it fell a bit flat. 

Fine: A Comic About Gender by Rhea Ewing

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Non-fiction graphic novel exploring gender. This was really interesting and felt well researched and raw. I loved the art work; the characters convey so much emotion! I love a reflective read and the style of this graphic novel was captivating!