laurenrussell's reviews
61 reviews

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Anyone who says this book is a modern classic is INSANE. It’s a good book with absolutely amazingggggg writing and imagery. That’s the best part, you really feel like you’re there and experiencing the weather and mood. 

BUT…this book was lowkey boring. Especially in the middle. I think more could’ve been added to spice it up a bit because there were some parts I could barely make it through, especially because so much time was spent on describing the environment. However, the slow descent into literal madness was interesting. They’re truly some weird and evil characters which I love. Ethics and morals is a big part, and I can see why all the dark academia girlies eat this book up. 

There’s some really thought provoking questions this book raises, and of course the lovely unreliable narrator thing makes you question everything that happened.

I think the murder of the farmer is the most interesting aspect of the book, because we have 0 clue on what actually happened to him and the little posse that night.

Overall, pretty good. Definitely not my favorite, and definitely not one of the best books of all time. Donna Tart is a talented writer though. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Need to reread this because I think a lot
of deep stuff flew over my head but I really enjoyed the whole thing. I was gobsmacked at the ending because I didn’t realize there would be a damn cliffhanger ! 

I honestly like the cliffhanger, I think it encourages you to think and consider the precariousness of Offreds future. Even though she WAS an idiot for risking it all on some crusty man who wouldn’t tell her shit‼️ But of course she’s desperate for intimacy so I guess it makes it understandable. Loved Moria even though her story was sad. Not sure if I’ll read the 2nd book, as I do like the open ending. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

adventurous mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

I used to hate this but I have really grown to appreciate it. Love the writing, unreliable narrator, and just how insane Gatsby is. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Such a beautiful book. Very complex and nuanced, and I loved the historical backdrop of the book. I will say it’s extremely sad and it’s the first book that has ever made me cry and made me feel empty at the end! Still very worth it though, because it makes you reflect on emotions, connections, and social rules. Very touching, and maybe even a bit hopeful. 

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

4.0

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

4.0

Great book and story !! However, when I read it I had absolutely no idea what it was about. Did not expect THAT at all…grossed me out and honestly made me ill for a bit. 

The Push by Ashley Audrain

3.0

-i literally could not STAND the way this book was written! it was very jarring figuring out who “you” was every single chapter and then the messy time changes were extremely confusing
-the writing is also very simple which makes it a v quick read 
-i liked the nature/nurture and unreliable narrator 
-i HATED the last line. like it ruined the whole thing honestly. how are u going to write an okay book but then give it the most cliche “plot twist” of all time? like it wasn’t even a plot twist with the way things were written. zero surprises. it would’ve been so much better if it was written more creatively rather than saying that dumb line in the end 
-overall it’s fine but definitely not my fav it’s also distressing with the topics but that doesn’t affect my rating 
-honestly the more i think about this book the more i hate it lol

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Wow! I don’t normally read informational books but I loved every page of this. Great insight into the science and culture around trauma—I think everyone should read it. Learning about the different therapies taught me a lot, and I feel like there’s a lot said in here that could be implemented into anyone’s life. However, he does come off as arrogant and has a very strange difference in the way he talks about veterans and sexual assault victims. Like your really going to be sympathetic to men who have committed war crimes but think rape victims are odd????? Okay. 

I haven’t look too much into his sources but he claims psychiatric meds are a scam. Most scholarly journals state they are effective for severe depression/anxiety/ptsd and not mild/moderate; they are a mixed bag for tons of people. He never really specifies this, so I do think some bias permeates into the evidence for his claims. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Everyone loves this book but it literally pales in comparison to Gone Girl. The crimes committed were definitely attention grabbing and kept me hooked but the ending was predictable and honestly didn’t make sense to me. What does the mother’s obsession with poison have to do with anything??

The way the ending was written was very confusing to me as well, and I had to reread it multiple times. I still don’t really understand why the sister did what she did. It gives off the nature vs nurture trope, but it could’ve been written in much better. I think exploring how and why the sister killed them for a few chapters rather than having that twist on like the last 2 pages would’ve been more interesting and concise.

edit: i must be dumb as rocks bc thinking back i’ve truly do love this book. neeeed to reread! i will say i wish there was more context to the ending but ig that’s what makes it so shocking. the ending isn’t predictable idfk what i was saying and my most sincere apologies to miss flynn bc she is a mastermind. love the southern town setting, and the tv series is also a++++

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Not to be like every other bitch but like…loveee. I got this right when it started to get mildly popular so I had no idea what it was about. What a lovely surprise! Definitely a gem of a book, but I wouldn’t say it’s some modern classic like the tiktok girlies claim. 

You definitely get sucked in from the very first page and it’s always interesting. So sad though! Besides Kite Runner, this is the only other book that’s made me cry a bit. But it’s a good sadness I’d say, encourages you to reflect on love and what we do for it. There’s some good quotes and the storytelling is excellent which is what makes the book so great. 

The plot twist highlights how people are quite complex and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think based on it I couldn’t say I love Evelyn but I wouldn’t say I hate her either.