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kauliflower's reviews
109 reviews
Five Survive by Holly Jackson
the plot of this book was severely underwhelming - the 'plot twist' reveals felt cartoonish and convoluted, springing out of no where with pretty much no way for the reader to discern what really happened without it being spelled out to them. certain characters felt infuriating and completely senseless, making decisions that wouldn't even have a chance of working when faced with a traumatizing situation like the one they're in, it was easy to tell that these subplots were just created for the 'wow factor'. unfortunately, those moments really pulled me out of the story and made it so so hard for me to actually care about any of the characters or what was going on.
despite that, i did enjoy holly jacksons writing. it was fast-paced and definitely tense at times, the descriptions of grief were beautiful and not what i expected out of this book. these discussions were genuinely heart-wrenching and i found myself near to tears at the end of the book (those who know.. know) so thats increased the rating dramatically. i loved the idea of this book but the cartoonish actions of the threat and the unexplained stupidity of the mc's threw me off way too much, because of this i can't give this book higher than a 2.5.
edit; 97% of the reveals were also extremely predictable, i guessed the main-ish one in the first couple chapters.. woops.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
“..she took apart the walkie-talkie. Piece by piece, wire by wire, but she never did find her mom’s voice hiding inside.”
the plot of this book was severely underwhelming - the 'plot twist' reveals felt cartoonish and convoluted, springing out of no where with pretty much no way for the reader to discern what really happened without it being spelled out to them. certain characters felt infuriating and completely senseless, making decisions that wouldn't even have a chance of working when faced with a traumatizing situation like the one they're in, it was easy to tell that these subplots were just created for the 'wow factor'. unfortunately, those moments really pulled me out of the story and made it so so hard for me to actually care about any of the characters or what was going on.
despite that, i did enjoy holly jacksons writing. it was fast-paced and definitely tense at times, the descriptions of grief were beautiful and not what i expected out of this book. these discussions were genuinely heart-wrenching and i found myself near to tears at the end of the book (those who know.. know) so thats increased the rating dramatically. i loved the idea of this book but the cartoonish actions of the threat and the unexplained stupidity of the mc's threw me off way too much, because of this i can't give this book higher than a 2.5.
edit; 97% of the reveals were also extremely predictable, i guessed the main-ish one in the first couple chapters.. woops.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Gun violence
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
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
1.0
put me in a month (almost two) long reading slump.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
The Kill Order by James Dashner
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.25
wow. just wow. the ending? i gasped so loud. i love james dashners writing and the maze runner world so much, i'm glad that this book didn't fall short - it's a great insight to the beginning of the end.
Thin Air: A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
oddly relatable at times.