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laurenrussell's reviews
66 reviews
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 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.
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
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++++
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
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.
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.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
-fast paced but felt like the ending was rushed
-i enjoyed the plot and characters
-overall good book and good plot, but the ending was rushed
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
-fast paced but felt like the ending was rushed
-i enjoyed the plot and characters
-overall good book and good plot, but the ending was rushed
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4.0
-what a unique read! i loved it quite a bit
-the writing is so beautiful and i felt like i was on the coast with her observing the beautiful nature
-i think the writing was my fav part
-plot was interesting and i was curious to see what happened
-i liked how the two time periods converged it made it more exciting
-i didn’t like the writing in some parts, and it certain chapters felt out of place or rushed
-like sometimes it would be great writing and then it would suddenly change to very cliche romance which was jarring ig
-also some parts were hard to believe but overall it’s a fiction book so who cares
-tate was a horrible person idk why ppl like him but jumpin was my fav
-the writing is so beautiful and i felt like i was on the coast with her observing the beautiful nature
-i think the writing was my fav part
-plot was interesting and i was curious to see what happened
-i liked how the two time periods converged it made it more exciting
-i didn’t like the writing in some parts, and it certain chapters felt out of place or rushed
-like sometimes it would be great writing and then it would suddenly change to very cliche romance which was jarring ig
-also some parts were hard to believe but overall it’s a fiction book so who cares
-tate was a horrible person idk why ppl like him but jumpin was my fav
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
5.0
-literally so wonderful
-love the writing, it’s interesting and hilarious idk i just really enjoy how annoying and dumb she makes it all sound
-enjoy how it’s like a story and then a self reflection that was so fun and unique
-obsessed w piecing apart her diagnosis and debating whether it’s real or not — so much is relatable and like she points out, is prevalent even in “non crazy” ppl
-what makes or who defines acceptable reality and behavior
-love the historical time too it’s interesting to see how “crazy” women thought and interacted w each other + were treated especially by other women
-love the writing, it’s interesting and hilarious idk i just really enjoy how annoying and dumb she makes it all sound
-enjoy how it’s like a story and then a self reflection that was so fun and unique
-obsessed w piecing apart her diagnosis and debating whether it’s real or not — so much is relatable and like she points out, is prevalent even in “non crazy” ppl
-what makes or who defines acceptable reality and behavior
-love the historical time too it’s interesting to see how “crazy” women thought and interacted w each other + were treated especially by other women
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
-this is just a good classic thriller book and i loved every moment
-the film allusions were cool ig but i didn’t know what they meant—just added dimension to the narrator
-the twists were so good! right when i was starting to get bored/unsure if the book was going to fall apart, a new tidbit of info was given that kept me on my seat
-v unique story, i wasn’t expecting the psychopath son it really came out of nowhere and i believed it was the mom/dad
-i liked the pacing, a lot of thriller books just drop the plot twist 2 pages before the end of the book which is annoying. this was revealed at the perfect time with excellent resolution
-i liked the cats role lol
-we love a good unreliable narrator—the fact her family was dead threw me for a loop and then i wasn’t sure if anyone was real
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
-the film allusions were cool ig but i didn’t know what they meant—just added dimension to the narrator
-the twists were so good! right when i was starting to get bored/unsure if the book was going to fall apart, a new tidbit of info was given that kept me on my seat
-v unique story, i wasn’t expecting the psychopath son it really came out of nowhere and i believed it was the mom/dad
-i liked the pacing, a lot of thriller books just drop the plot twist 2 pages before the end of the book which is annoying. this was revealed at the perfect time with excellent resolution
-i liked the cats role lol
-we love a good unreliable narrator—the fact her family was dead threw me for a loop and then i wasn’t sure if anyone was real
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What can I even say…gorgeous gorgeous writing, beautiful main character, and an immersive story. Warning ! This will indeed make you depressed ! It was also slightly comforting to read because it shows how mental illnesses are nothing new and all of us have been going through it forever 😍
I didn’t know she would live in the end so that was honestly such a lovely surprise. It did leave off on a hopeful ending BUT still extremely sad because I’m sure she was not able to follow her passions, and instead got married and had children.
There’s some amazing quotes in here, and it’s crazy to see how reflective and critical Plath was of society and her emotions given the time period.
This might be a weird take, but I genuinely thought there were some hilarious moments to this book. Esther could be very nonchalant about serious topics, or complain about the most mundane things in such a ridiculous way it would make me laugh. Also she just has a sense of humor too which I enjoyed—she’s not a static/flat character. The first half of the book I’d say is funny but then it just plummets into a depressive nightmare. I like the balance!
There’s some amazing quotes in here, and it’s crazy to see how reflective and critical Plath was of society and her emotions given the time period.
This might be a weird take, but I genuinely thought there were some hilarious moments to this book. Esther could be very nonchalant about serious topics, or complain about the most mundane things in such a ridiculous way it would make me laugh. Also she just has a sense of humor too which I enjoyed—she’s not a static/flat character. The first half of the book I’d say is funny but then it just plummets into a depressive nightmare. I like the balance!