kindasleepy's reviews
54 reviews

Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I read this one in one sitting, which I hadn’t done since I was a kid, and that was a really nice experience. Sáenz’s writing flows really well in this, and you’re very easily captivated by the stories of these two boys trying to figure themselves out in the world. I did found the writing way too simplistic at times, but I’m guessing that’s because the author wanted the narrative to be accessible and fun for middle grade schoolers. 
Aside from that, Sáenz doesn’t shy away from writing complex characters dealing with complex emotions in this, which I appreciate  - it’s rare to see teenagers being portrayed as people and not just stupid kids; i’m sure i would’ve appreciated this even more if i read this as a teen. The portrayal of the protagonist, specially, carried so many real emotions and such beautiful character development, it was a delight to see him grow; also, we get to see such an interesting interpretation of boyhood, expressed in such introspective detail, it almost seemed like a secret we’re being told. I’d recommend this to any teenager, and anyone who’d like to feel nostalgic about their teens and when it felt like the entire world was just your family, your house, and your best friend. 

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

why do people like this so much. are you guys okay

I hope we can move away soon from this trend of feminist narratives that are just  “women are bound to suffer and be controlled by men at all times and then suffer some more and die”. I’m not saying it is wrong or unrealistic, but it’s starting to get repetitive amongst contemporary feminist writing, and I wish we could just look beyond other aspects of gender beyond what this book achieves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Vomit

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

lighthearted reflective relaxing tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Memorial by Bryan Washington

4.5

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.75

ok i loved this one. SO addicting to read. to be honest, i couldn’t put myself to care about american politics so those parts went right over my head, but the romance and the writing were everything. the letters!!!!!! made me go crazy. some might say it was a little too long for a ya novel, but i liked how the author makes an effort to explore each characters’ stories and their dynamics with each other, how you can clearly see she created this more hopeful reality in the midst of the crisis that were the years following 2016 for the us, and how she ties everything into a little bow at the end. honestly i barely noticed the length, it was so good i read this in two days. honestly i’m tired of books about trauma and depressing analogies to our society and how we’re doomed or have so much to learn or whatever when our reality is already so heavy. here’s to more books about just people being gay and human and happy at the end. 

Carol by Patricia Highsmith

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

emotional funny lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

so funny, so entertaining, great building of narrative and character development; my only complaint is that the ending felt way too abrupt, like i was written in a hurry. also a bit depressing, which, although it was very real, felt a little bit off with the overall tone of the story. i look forward to other novels by kiley reid!!