hevlav's reviews
89 reviews

Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

This book is so absorbed in the breakdown of Mickey’s relationship it completely lost the plot. 

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? No

3.25

A nice adventure novel, but a product of its time. 

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.

While I did enjoy some of the more reflective pieces of this, these characters are awful and unloveable. Yes, entirely human, but insufferable in a novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I love this book as an exploration into young queer love and navigating your true self. Minus one star

because on no planet should Collie and Sonia worked out.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Violence

Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher

emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny medium-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

4.5

Listening to this as an audiobook enhanced the experience of this novel so much. 

Haynes breaks gods down to petulant squabblers in the best of ways. She humanizes “monsters” and monster-izes humans. 

While the book does linger a touch to long here or there on some points, I felt it was overall well paced and a great telling of the story of Medusa and the world around her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is a devastating exploration in aging, deterioration, and loss.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

Incredibly solemn yet surprisingly hilarious. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but Roach did a wonderful job of balancing the sad and gory with reflection and fun. I’m glad I already don’t eat meat, because there’s no way I would after the many many comparisons between cadavers and lunch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Murder

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

Okay, maybe romance plots just aren’t for me. Mix that with heavy world building (that continues on, in detail, throughout the book) and it’s almost a wash. 

I did love the characters, and did hope for the best, but all too often I felt we lost the forest for the trees on this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence