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kghunter's reviews
22 reviews
The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Fun quick read, fairly predictable and quite short but enjoyable nonetheless.
I will admit I was a bit let down as I had high hopes upon reading the summary on the back of the book at the library. It’s a great idea for a story and the author shows promise as it’s only her first published book I believe, but her writing as displayed here leave much to be desired to say the least.
I will admit I was a bit let down as I had high hopes upon reading the summary on the back of the book at the library. It’s a great idea for a story and the author shows promise as it’s only her first published book I believe, but her writing as displayed here leave much to be desired to say the least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
A fun short read, silly. I grew up liking westerns because I always saw my Papa watching them so it was really nice to see queer characters depicted in a western. That being said, most western cowboys/cowgirls are defined by their rugged, undying loyalty to a certain concept, person, place, etc. and the authors ability to tell a believable western could have seriously benefited from them brushing up on even just the basics of such western tropes and themes.
I mostly found this book hard to take seriously and even someone demeaning as a queer person because it starts with the protagonists life-long childhood love being fuckin’ publicly killed in front of her so she runs off to join the “librarians” and literally immediately falls for/spends the rest of the book pining after a queer, NB librarian as if she hadn’t just run away because her closeted lifelong partner was executed in front of her??? like it’s so unserious it’s laughable which is why it was still just a silly quick read, but I do feel that upon reflection it is a bit dehumanizing to make a book about a queer character who is portrayed as being so frivolous and aimlessly driven by desire that something that big is just breezed past as a casual intro to a short story about her lusting after a traveling butch library cowboy lol
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Tartt’s writing is magnificent, I blew through this book not as much because of the story itself, even though it was great, but more so because of her writing style itself.
Her character development methods are really powerful in their ability to convey the complexity of the human experience. Tartt’s storytelling in this novel provides refreshing observations from a multitude of angles on the impacts and outcomes of both compassion and trauma to a persons psyche, worldview, and ultimately their capacity for connection, intimacy, and introspection.
Lastly, I very much enjoyed the ending. I don’t normally enjoy a book this much and also feel total resolution in its completion but to me the ending felt perfectly executed. I lent it out to a coworker of mine who had previously mentioned he likes art history as soon as I finished it (which is another way of saying I gave it away because one must never lend out books without comfort in the knowledge that it will likely never be returned) because I immediately wanted more people to experience the joy of reading this book!
Her character development methods are really powerful in their ability to convey the complexity of the human experience. Tartt’s storytelling in this novel provides refreshing observations from a multitude of angles on the impacts and outcomes of both compassion and trauma to a persons psyche, worldview, and ultimately their capacity for connection, intimacy, and introspection.
Lastly, I very much enjoyed the ending. I don’t normally enjoy a book this much and also feel total resolution in its completion but to me the ending felt perfectly executed. I lent it out to a coworker of mine who had previously mentioned he likes art history as soon as I finished it (which is another way of saying I gave it away because one must never lend out books without comfort in the knowledge that it will likely never be returned) because I immediately wanted more people to experience the joy of reading this book!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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? No
4.5
This YA novel vividly depicts the life and inner monologue of the young protagonist and is devastatingly rooted in the present. Thomas’ prose is fresh and earnest, and the voice of the audio book, Turpin, is a phenomenal voice actor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Interesting, fun read that kept me locked in till the end. I like how Hendrix really commits to the perspective of the protagonist in his novels, drastically shifting the protagonist’s positionality between stories and yet it always seems as though he is so familiar with that particular life experience that it is his own. It speaks to his deep familiarity with the region and timeframe (SC in the 80s/90s) in which he sets his books. He’s also, as always, extraordinary at creating a captivating nostalgic world of the pre-Y2K southeastern United States.
One critique I have of this book is how one dimensional the only POC character is. I know there’s intention to properly depict the social reality of the white, middle-aged protagonist in this setting, but the one Black character is given this random bizarre character trait that is left unexplored unlike the traits of the other white women in the book. Throughout the novel I felt she was left as a glaringly one dimensional character in contrast to all the other well fleshed out white characters. Which again could’ve been an intentional immersive tactic on behalf of the author in order to truly convey how the protagonist’s worldview does not allow for BIPOC to be seen as more than one dimensional, but if that were the case I feel the author could’ve done a better job of conveying that throughout the course of the story opposed to simply reproducing the age old racist trope of the 1 dimensional Black character amidst a strong cast of complex white characters.
One critique I have of this book is how one dimensional the only POC character is. I know there’s intention to properly depict the social reality of the white, middle-aged protagonist in this setting, but the one Black character is given this random bizarre character trait that is left unexplored unlike the traits of the other white women in the book. Throughout the novel I felt she was left as a glaringly one dimensional character in contrast to all the other well fleshed out white characters. Which again could’ve been an intentional immersive tactic on behalf of the author in order to truly convey how the protagonist’s worldview does not allow for BIPOC to be seen as more than one dimensional, but if that were the case I feel the author could’ve done a better job of conveying that throughout the course of the story opposed to simply reproducing the age old racist trope of the 1 dimensional Black character amidst a strong cast of complex white characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Stalking
Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Hogarth is an exceptional writer, her characters are complex and the protagonist in this novel is truly thought provoking. I didn’t necessarily like the main character, Dani, all that much, but that was part of her charm for me. Her internal dialogue throughout the novel encouraged me to further examine what traits typically make women protagonists likable to me.
I also very much appreciated the rich and at times surprising use of verbs. The authors writing style is fresh, her unique prose and brilliant thoughts scattered about the book is what kept me invested despite the slow pace of the book.
Although I could endlessly praise the authors witty and truly unique writing, the ending of the novel felt wildly rushed, which is why I’d give it a moderate rating. It felt almost as if the author got so wrapped up in the philosophical internal dialogue of the main character that she lost track of the plot and had to quickly to piece together the conclusion. The “ah-ha” moment that essentially concludes the novel felt rushed compared to the rest of the novel, leaving me with a strange sense of disillusionment. And to be completely honest it was not only rushed but entirely nonsensical, like I audibly asking “…what?” when I got to the end.
That being said I really liked the novel overall, I took my time enjoying its delightfully nuanced and refreshingly messy characters. A very, very human read.
I also very much appreciated the rich and at times surprising use of verbs. The authors writing style is fresh, her unique prose and brilliant thoughts scattered about the book is what kept me invested despite the slow pace of the book.
Although I could endlessly praise the authors witty and truly unique writing, the ending of the novel felt wildly rushed, which is why I’d give it a moderate rating. It felt almost as if the author got so wrapped up in the philosophical internal dialogue of the main character that she lost track of the plot and had to quickly to piece together the conclusion. The “ah-ha” moment that essentially concludes the novel felt rushed compared to the rest of the novel, leaving me with a strange sense of disillusionment. And to be completely honest it was not only rushed but entirely nonsensical, like I audibly asking “…what?” when I got to the end.
That being said I really liked the novel overall, I took my time enjoying its delightfully nuanced and refreshingly messy characters. A very, very human read.
The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain by Steven R. Gundry
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
It’s mostly just him droning on endlessly about all of his professional accomplishments, prefacing every single minute statement made by bragging about what he believes qualifies him to make said statement. I didn’t last long because his writing style was so bizarre and obnoxious, it was very much giving “sales pitch”.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Lovely autobiography, definitely interesting. That being said it didn’t offer me anything I haven’t read or heard before. Nothing groundbreaking but a good read nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Dysphoria
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-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
5.0
This is the first book I’ve ever read that’s based where I grew up (not exact but in the N.C. OBX). It is now one of my favorite books ever, a heartbreaking but marvelous read. The ecological and environmental imagery is magnificent. My only critique as a born and raised local is that if you know the area you know the author, Owens, isn’t from here because she stays talking about Asheville like it’s a day trip. All I have to say to that is—sweet heart, dear darling Delia, I wish you’d of looked at the map just a beat longer when writing this because that kept breaking my immersion lol. But, the Greenville references were a solid addition so the occasional eastern to western N.C. space time continuum jumps were made up for in part.
Update: I’ve gone back and forth on my rating for this, hesitating to give it a full 5 stars bc i felt it didn’t objectively measure up to the quality of the other books I’ve given 5 stars on this app so far. But ya know what, fuck that sound (if you didn’t understand this marsh adjacent pun then you ain’t my people and i need you to stop reading my reviews rn. like actually, i’m being so serious, please collect your belongings and vacate my account immediately thnkugudbye) because I love this book so much I considered buying my own copy to make a custom cover for it (I book bind as a hobby) and mailing to the authors P.o. box just as a thank you for writing it because I’m a massive dweeb.
There were so many times reading this book that I cried, that I smiled until my cheeks hurt, that my pulse quickened in suspense. I love this book so dearly and I hope one day I find the time to make a custom copy for the author.
Update: I’ve gone back and forth on my rating for this, hesitating to give it a full 5 stars bc i felt it didn’t objectively measure up to the quality of the other books I’ve given 5 stars on this app so far. But ya know what, fuck that sound (if you didn’t understand this marsh adjacent pun then you ain’t my people and i need you to stop reading my reviews rn. like actually, i’m being so serious, please collect your belongings and vacate my account immediately thnkugudbye) because I love this book so much I considered buying my own copy to make a custom cover for it (I book bind as a hobby) and mailing to the authors P.o. box just as a thank you for writing it because I’m a massive dweeb.
There were so many times reading this book that I cried, that I smiled until my cheeks hurt, that my pulse quickened in suspense. I love this book so dearly and I hope one day I find the time to make a custom copy for the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts