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jesselynn's reviews
174 reviews
So Late In The Day by Claire Keegan
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain
reflective
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
3.5
A moving little story that begins with fifteen-year-old Marianne and her obsession with eighteen-year-old Simon Hurst - her very first love - who she becomes entangled with in 1950s England. The novella follows her into the 60s, and explores how her longing for him haunts her throughout her life, far into the years after they first met.
Absolutely & Forever is about yearning, but also perspective. We are in Marianne's head, we see the world and those in her life through her eyes: but with subtext, the added nuance of her best friend Pet and revelations concerning her upbringing, we come to know Marianne in a way she is unable to see herself. Tremain has such an excellent sense of time and place in her novels, and she brings historical environments to life with wonderful verve. 60s England is vivid and rich here, and I found myself entirely transported back in time.
This is a character piece, with elegant and at times profound prose that was easy to read and quick to get through. I blitzed through this in a day - I found Marianne's story entirely enthralling. A perfect gift book, as it's literary yet accessible, moving and reflective.
Thank you Vintage for the reading copy!
Absolutely & Forever is about yearning, but also perspective. We are in Marianne's head, we see the world and those in her life through her eyes: but with subtext, the added nuance of her best friend Pet and revelations concerning her upbringing, we come to know Marianne in a way she is unable to see herself. Tremain has such an excellent sense of time and place in her novels, and she brings historical environments to life with wonderful verve. 60s England is vivid and rich here, and I found myself entirely transported back in time.
This is a character piece, with elegant and at times profound prose that was easy to read and quick to get through. I blitzed through this in a day - I found Marianne's story entirely enthralling. A perfect gift book, as it's literary yet accessible, moving and reflective.
Thank you Vintage for the reading copy!
North Woods by Daniel Mason
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rapturous, moving and eternal.
An incredible book. It is a true epic of life, death, nature, history, succession and reclamation. Told in many voices and styles, we follow hundreds of years of history revolving around a house deep in the woods of Massachusetts. This book haunts its reader with the voices of the past, rallies the timeless human and non-human experiences that are held in a perpetual clandestine shroud between walls, branches and soil. It is sweeping and vibrant and rich in longing and grief and nature. A truly fascinating literary joy and stellar achievement by Daniel Mason.
Thank you to John Murray Press/Hachette for the advanced reader copy.
Thank you to John Murray Press/Hachette for the advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, War, Ableism, Car accident, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Murder, Gore, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, and Dementia
Minor: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Suicide, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Slavery
Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.5
A truly lovely novel that is perfect for anyone in need of a heartwarming and uplifting read. Yours From The Tower follows the lives of three young women as they start their adult lives in late Victorian England: Polly working in Liverpool at an orphanage, Sophia traversing the Season in London and Tirzah as an unpaid companion for her Grandmother. The story is told via a series of letters, which is immersive and incredibly fun, and so well executed. All of the characters are vastly different but equally endearing, from the main three girls to their families, suitors and employers. I got through this very quickly, and felt very happy and content once I had finished.
It's a really joyous exploration of female friendship, and so well presents the special bonds that connect young women, how as friends we support and care for each other, how that sisterly love has existed between women throughout time. It's also an ideal read for young people learning about class and women's rights in this period of history.
This historical young adult novel is rich with warmth, wit and charm. Very special, and one that I would highly recommend.
Thanks to Andersen Press for the advance reader copy!
It's a really joyous exploration of female friendship, and so well presents the special bonds that connect young women, how as friends we support and care for each other, how that sisterly love has existed between women throughout time. It's also an ideal read for young people learning about class and women's rights in this period of history.
This historical young adult novel is rich with warmth, wit and charm. Very special, and one that I would highly recommend.
Thanks to Andersen Press for the advance reader copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
One of the sweetest endings to a book. So lovely.
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a debut! I am so impressed. I adored this book, and it is definitely a new favourite of mine.
Lucky Red is a sapphic western adventure set in 1877, that is narrated from the perspective of Bridget, a young woman who finds herself working in a whorehouse in Dodge City, Kansas after the death of her father.
I do not usually enjoy first person narratives, however the first person narration in Lucky Red is an exception: it is utterly captivating and the story could not be told any other way. Bridget’s voice is fascinating, and we read her perspective of her life since the death of her father, as she navigates her new life alone, as she becomes a whore, and as she forms relationships with her tricks and other workers. As she meets the mysterious Spartan Lee, a female bounty hunter that sweeps Bridget off her feet. We see all sides of the young and naive teenager, how she is easily swayed, how she can be entitled and how she unintentionally wreaks havoc on those around her for her own selfish reasons. Bridget is a wonderful heroine, but all the side characters are just as brilliant. Lila and Constance were standouts to me and I would love to read their life stories! And of course, Spartan Lee was a dreamboat. What a woman!
Unsurprisingly, themes of luck and fate are very prominent and are very successfully explored here. The novel asks questions about luck and fortune, about the place of women amongst men in history, about sex work and women’s bodies, and about the intensity of queer infatuation.
The plot twists are well written and the pacing is fantastic, the events are the perfect mix of believable yet dramatic. This story is entirely immersive and Cravens paints a very detailed picture with her words, the writing style has such strength in both identity, environment and atmosphere. It’s rich and exquisite and spectacular.
I cannot stop thinking about this book. It could easily be expanded upon as a series, with perspectives and stories of all the different characters, and I would eat it up. But it also works perfectly as a stand-alone. If you like sapphic stories or historical fiction or westerns or women’s fiction, I would highly recommend this book to you.
10/10, five stars, absolutely perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Blood, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy and Abortion
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"WHERE LIFE IS PRECIOUS, LIFE IS PRECIOUS."
Harrowing, electric, violent and vibrant, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a stellar and explosively dark dystopia that explores the inherent brutality of the US penal system. With great pacing, amazing characters (I fell in love with Thurwar and Staxxx) and impressive world-building, it’s easy to rip through the novel and I finished it really quickly. The ending was breath-taking, I reread the last page five times and I am still recovering from it. I can't express how amazing this book is. I loved it, and would highly recommend it!
Chain-Gang is a perfect dystopia that examines the intrinsic connection between capitalism and incarceration, and how inhumane and violent the current justice system is. Amazing.
Harrowing, electric, violent and vibrant, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a stellar and explosively dark dystopia that explores the inherent brutality of the US penal system. With great pacing, amazing characters (I fell in love with Thurwar and Staxxx) and impressive world-building, it’s easy to rip through the novel and I finished it really quickly. The ending was breath-taking, I reread the last page five times and I am still recovering from it. I can't express how amazing this book is. I loved it, and would highly recommend it!
Chain-Gang is a perfect dystopia that examines the intrinsic connection between capitalism and incarceration, and how inhumane and violent the current justice system is. Amazing.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
This stand-alone high fantasy novel is a monumental achievement from an already established Brandon Sanderson, and is without a doubt one of my favourite books he has ever written! Yumi and The Nightmare Painter, also known as Secret Project #3, is a total triumph in the genre of both fantasy and romance, and I was immensely impressed and hooked from the first few pages. It is a detailed and gorgeously woven story that explores themes of art, the value and necessity of human creation as well as connection and identity. Through his enthralling magic systems, high stakes plot points and such real and believable characters, Sanderson takes us on an escapist adventure that is all at once thrilling, tense and heart-warming.
Sanderson’s impeccable world-building is once again distinctive and astounding in Yumi, with aesthetic inspiration pulled from both historical Korea and modern Japan, which pair well in a tasteful dichotomy. The two environments and magic systems are equally intelligent and riveting, with both perspectives as interesting as each other, so the book is very easy to get through. The plot is everything that I love about Sanderson: detailed, unique and clever, with twists and turns that are thematic and purposeful. This novel is also a romance as well as a fantasy, and the romance adds such a warmth and tenderness to the story which makes it all the more charming and endearing. I loved reading this book and would do anything to be able to read it again for the first time.
Though Yumi and The Nightmare Painter is a stand-alone fantasy novel, I will note that it will be most enjoyed and appreciated if the reader already has a sound understanding of Sanderson’s previous works and his fictional universe the Cosmere. Approaching the novel without any experience of Sanderson’s previous works may leave you unsatisfied or confused! If you have an awareness of the Cosmere, Yumi and The Nightmare Painter is a MUST read for you!
Sanderson’s impeccable world-building is once again distinctive and astounding in Yumi, with aesthetic inspiration pulled from both historical Korea and modern Japan, which pair well in a tasteful dichotomy. The two environments and magic systems are equally intelligent and riveting, with both perspectives as interesting as each other, so the book is very easy to get through. The plot is everything that I love about Sanderson: detailed, unique and clever, with twists and turns that are thematic and purposeful. This novel is also a romance as well as a fantasy, and the romance adds such a warmth and tenderness to the story which makes it all the more charming and endearing. I loved reading this book and would do anything to be able to read it again for the first time.
Though Yumi and The Nightmare Painter is a stand-alone fantasy novel, I will note that it will be most enjoyed and appreciated if the reader already has a sound understanding of Sanderson’s previous works and his fictional universe the Cosmere. Approaching the novel without any experience of Sanderson’s previous works may leave you unsatisfied or confused! If you have an awareness of the Cosmere, Yumi and The Nightmare Painter is a MUST read for you!
Bone China by Laura Purcell
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5