joannemae's reviews
206 reviews

Chlorine by Jade Song

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challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

Horrific and gruesome (affectionate).

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

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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? It's complicated

1.5

It took the author seven years to write a book that stole seven days of my life.

Did I read the same book that everyone else read? Because I was fighting a losing battle against boredom to finish this book.

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

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dark sad fast-paced

3.0

It's icky to rate memoirs. Who am I to say Shari's story is only worth 3 stars?

Very important, harrowing, and intense. I think this story would hit so much harder if it was written maybe ten years later, more removed from the situation and with better writing. Regardless, it was a good read.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

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reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I can appreciate it as a feminist piece of literature and the story it tells but it was a drag to read. There's no denying it's importance, but I don't care much for Chopin's writing style.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

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reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I genuinely can't tell if I liked or hated this book. As queen Charli once said, girl, SO confusing!

The problem with writing about real life and creating incredibly realistic characters is that real life is so boring. I appreciate a slice-of-life, lit fic-- it's my preferred genre-- but this was too much. It has all the makings of a book I normally would love (who DOESN'T love a book centered around fraught, complex girlhood friendships... again, girl, SOOOO confusing!!!).

I waited and waited and waited and waited for it to get good enough to warrant the #1 spot on the NYT 100 Books list and, while it did get there (eventually) it didn't make up for the agony the first 80% of the book put me through.

The last 20% was wonderful to read. It was devastating to see the girlies step into adulthood and lose their future as reality steps all over them in Italian leather shoes. In fact, the last couple of lines were so good, I'm genuinely considering reading the second book.

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

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emotional sad 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

4.5

Absolutely stunning, heartbreaking, and compelling. A must read for everyone living in Chicago.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

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emotional 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? Yes

4.0

This book tackles a lot of heavy hitting subjects, but I'm not 100% sure if it does any of them perfectly. Instead, it provides a surface-level reflection on plot points that deserves so much more, which leads me to feel a little disappointed. Despite this, it's a book with so much heart and is so quietly devastating, it was a treasure to have experienced.

The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced