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libbyslibrary's reviews
335 reviews
Just Our Luck by Denise Williams
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was sweet but I struggled to connect with it. I liked their banter, Sybil is so funny, I just didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Kieran was so hot and cold at times, I struggled to connect with his character. The ending was a bit of a mess for me too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? No
5.0
A beautifully written story about how forgetting our past puts us at risk of repeating it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports by Michael Waters
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Incredibly informative and important read. Trans people have always existed and will continue to do so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Homophobia, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia
Honor by Danielle Baker
emotional
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
3.0
I will never get of the “Mama” stuff 🤢 gave me the ick and took me out of the story which is a bummer because it was really sweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy
Protect by Paisley Hope
emotional
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? No
3.0
This one was fine, didn’t capture the magic of the first book but wasn’t bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury
This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Hooo boy I did not like this at all. Let me just get this out of the way before I get to the important stuff: Jane’s obsession with her dad’s legacy was absolutely bananas to me. He died of natural causes girl chill! She needed therapy, not Reddit.
I picked this up naively hoping it’d hold a mirror up to issues with the true crime world. Police on average only solve like 36% of violent crimes. Obviously, victims deserve justice so I understand armchair sleuths can have a positive impact- we wouldn’t have caught the Golden State Killer without them. But too often, the “search for justice” is exploited for views and ad revenue. I’m guilty of taking part, I listened to all of the true crime podcasts in the 2010s.
While the book spends a little time talking about this toxic side of the true crime community, it undid any positive work by basing the rest of the plot line on an actual, real life case (the 2022 University of Idaho Massacre). I wish I would’ve DNF’d when I realized what the author was doing. It felt beyond icky.
The one positive I will give the book is the discussion regarding the disparity between how cases involving white woman/girls are treated vs cases involving women/girls of color, specifically Black, Indigenous and Trans women/girls. That should always be called out when we’re talking about true crime.
I picked this up naively hoping it’d hold a mirror up to issues with the true crime world. Police on average only solve like 36% of violent crimes. Obviously, victims deserve justice so I understand armchair sleuths can have a positive impact- we wouldn’t have caught the Golden State Killer without them. But too often, the “search for justice” is exploited for views and ad revenue. I’m guilty of taking part, I listened to all of the true crime podcasts in the 2010s.
While the book spends a little time talking about this toxic side of the true crime community, it undid any positive work by basing the rest of the plot line on an actual, real life case (the 2022 University of Idaho Massacre). I wish I would’ve DNF’d when I realized what the author was doing. It felt beyond icky.
The one positive I will give the book is the discussion regarding the disparity between how cases involving white woman/girls are treated vs cases involving women/girls of color, specifically Black, Indigenous and Trans women/girls. That should always be called out when we’re talking about true crime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Animal death
Fight by Sloane St. James
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a sweet (and spicy) little romp! I am going to inhale the rest of this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Religious bigotry
The Words by A. Jade
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
😑 This was truly the dumbest book I’ve ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment
A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
This was sweet but I really struggled to get into it. The pacing was slow and it felt repetitive at times. The insta-love almost made me DNF. The FMC just regained consciousness from a head wound and is already in love. There were also too many side characters, I get we’re setting up a series but I don’t need to meet every single character in the first book. I did love the ending but I won’t be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Such fun, quick reads. Do you have to suspend your disbelief a bit? Yes but who cares, the series is delightful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Infidelity