leannj's reviews
2112 reviews

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

4.5

I liked Warrior Girl Unearthed even more than Firekeeper's Daughter. While I enjoyed Boulley's debut, I had a couple of critiques about some of the technical aspects of the writing. With this book, it feels like the author was able to improve those aspects of her writing while still weaving the themes and message expertly into the story. Reading from Perry's perspective was a delight. 

Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

I think I'm going to leave this collection unrated. Every story felt distinct, with an immersive writing style and nuanced and fleshed out characters. At the end of each story I felt like I had the rug pulled out from under me, and it gave me a lot to reflect on.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

Just So You Know by Sarah Hogle

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

It was great to read about these characters again- it didn't feel like time has passed at all since I read You Deserve Each Other. Super adorable and touching.

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Very accessible and serves as a great introduction to the topics discussed if this is your first time reading about them. As many of the essays are taken from speeches the author made, it can come across as repetitive if you try to read this all in one go. That didn't bother me personally as I was reading this a few pages at a time, and in general I don't mind if the nonfiction I'm reading repeats its topics as I feel its easier for the those topics to really sink in.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Elizabeth Acevedo never disappoints; this was a moving multi-generational story that was also very unfiltered. I think I understand why some were disappointed or taken aback by certain aspects of the story but I personally thought it worked for the story the author is trying to tell. As always, the writing is beautiful and all the characters are fully fleshed out. Definitely a bittersweet but also satisfying read.

I Had That Same Dream Again: The Complete Manga Collection by Yoru Sumino

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.25

The "twist" is pretty easy to predict, but it didn't take away from the story's message for me. Touches on some darker topics while still remaining hopeful.

The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.75

The story itself took a while to set things up in the first half, but thankfully things started really happening in the second half and had an emotional impact. It did feel like author couldn't commit between writing short but impactful short story or a fleshed-out novel centered around characters living in the same area of Alaska, and so in the end did neither.