katiedubielak's reviews
196 reviews

The Girls by Emma Cline

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dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Interesting look into why a young girl might fall victim to a cult, we all want to fit in and that thought is especially clear for young girls. The family dynamics were almost too real, and descriptions of the cult and activities kept me turning the pages. 
The Only One Left by Riley Sager

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Very easy mystery read, flew through it. A little cheesy at times, but engaging and had me guessing until the end. 
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

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dark informative mysterious relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

love love love! such a wonderfully descriptive book, flowery language. super interesting to learn about these real people, the author makes history fun and intriguing.  
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

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3.0

The Unit definitely had an interesting premise, but I think it could have been more fully explored. The most interesting aspect was examining humanity's attachment to being needed and taken care of. There was much more to explore of that aspect, but the book gave me the seeds to start contemplating human desires and how this is showing up in our world now, not only in the dystopian version laid out here. I would have liked the author to go into more detail about some aspects of the system though, most prominently the psychological tactics used to ensure the dispensables didn't look for an escape. Would like a prequel, or a sequel, exploring the unit from the perspective of a different role.