literaryrambles's reviews
84 reviews

Breathless by Amy McCulloch

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

No Exit by Taylor Adams

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

2.5

i could not connect with the characters for the life of me. kenna and ledgers relationship was the epitome of insta love, and then the ending (as well as a few of the other plot points) just seemed super unrealistic to me. i don’t think this book is objectively *bad* it just managed to include all of my unfavorite tropes as well as characters i couldn’t personally connect to. i think if this book would’ve been 100 pages longer, with a more fleshed out ending, i’d have a different opinion 

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous challenging emotional 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

5.0

“I want to meet you in every place I ever loved. Listen to me. I am your echo. I would rather break the world than lose you.” 

There are no words in the english language that accurately describe how profoundly moving this book is. It’s the sapphic pining, star-crossed lovers my heart has always longed for. 

Confess by Colleen Hoover

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

dark mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

definitely recommend rereading “we were liars” before reading this one 

Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

challenging emotional hopeful fast-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

5.0

“It’s unknown how many students’ lives librarians have saved by welcoming loners at lunch.” 

Starfish is an amazing middle grade book that everyone should read. Cannot praise this one enough! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Medical trauma

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

Such an interesting, intimate take on motherhood. It’s satirical and absurd in the best of ways. Very Metamorphosis meets unhinged women genre. I’m obsessed!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0