liamliayaum's reviews
216 reviews

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

There are multiple POVs and the novel is split between the Sand Creek Massacre and present day. A meandering story of violence, of erasure, of trauma (both original and inherited), and addiction.

I don't quite grasp what I have read. Be warned that this book does tackle some heavy topics so check out content warnings! It was also a slow read for me, which I think was do to the long, verbose, and wandering sentences.

If you are a fan of more plot, this book may not be for you, as it's more character driven with a tangential plot.

Content Warnings

Dances by Nicole Cuffy

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emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

If you aren't familiar with ballet or dance terms, it will be difficult to see the true beauty of the words. I only know a handful. The writing is lyrical and the book is split into what I'm assuming are the parts of a ballet. Cece is a Black ballerina with a heavy weight on her shoulders, dealing with family and relationship issues.

The writing was however a bit disjointed and it felt like it ended in the middle of a thought. All in all, a slow burn read that focuses on a Black ballerina.

Content Warnings

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

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emotional inspiring 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

4.5

Content Warnings

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

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emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

Fun romance with a modern day You've Got Mail spin. Books about books/publishing.

Content Warnings

The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel

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challenging emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

Too many characters with varying levels of page time. The main plot point from the summary (here have a baby!) didn't occur until over halfway through. The book was unnecessarily long. I wanted more from so many characters as most had some interesting tidbits but we get the most from a character (Melinda) who is consumed by an unnerving level of rage. I almost DNF'ed.

Content Warnings