littlecitycorner's reviews
630 reviews

El viento conoce mi nombre by Isabel Allende

challenging dark informative sad tense 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? No

4.25

Mira que yo soy más fan de sus novelas que detallan eventos de la historia. Pero esta me ha tocado muchísimo y me ha parecido absolutamente impresionante como ha enlazado dos historias de inmigración y de encontrar una familia. Los personajes forman un buen conjunto y la historia es muy fluida y emotiva, llena de momentos íntimos. 

 

Involucrarse a uno mismo en la vida de los demás de una manera tan intensa e importante es precioso, especialmente cuando lleva a intentar crear un mundo mejor. 

 

Allende, como siempre, habla de un mundo complejo a la vez que incomprensible. Y también cuenta la realidad la inmigración de hoy y de cómo la historia se repite y como el racismo, la xenofobia y el miedo lleva a que familias estén separadas.

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

The characters recked of privilege and overall sucked. He is controlling and has so many problematic elements (including but not limited to being condescending and being blurry with consent). It's a no from me.

A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

2.0

The writing in this book is one of the cringiest things I've ever experienced, and I do want to emphasize "experienced." The over-the-top, constant, unnecessary, and terrible references to literally every single buzz topic that could fit in the novel ruined the story.

I tried to be immersed in the story, but it was extremely hard with the berating inner thoughts and dialogue. The premise sounded extremely interesting, and it wasn’t badly executed. However, it was forgotten among the myriad of issues within the story, such as the Anti-semitism comments, mental illness dismissal, and sexist undertones, all of which the main character tells us she rejects before we’re shown the opposite.

I will flowers when they’re deserved, though, because I really liked the portrayal of the main character’s Irian-American culture.

Business Not as Usual by Sharon C. Cooper

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

My issues with this romance were that there was a lot of tell and not enough show, the romance was flat and unrealistic, the dialogue was stiff and artificial and the mentions of class were overwhelming. While I understand that the plot hinges on the class difference between the two main characters, the constant inner and outer dialogue on classism made it hard to form my own opinions on the characters (who weren’t developed well). I wanted much more emotion and angst from the characters, as well as more realistic tension and believable interpersonal struggle; everything worked out too swiftly for what the beginning of the story promised. I’m sad to say, I was bored reading this.

You Shouldn't Worry About the Frogs by Eliza Marley

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense

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

5.0

 This is magical realism done exceptionally well. 

In this short story collection, Eliza Marley indulges in dark and contemplating magical realism in every single one of the brooding tales. She travels through perspectives, different character traits, and unique Midwestern settings. Each of these stories follows a desire or a mystery that moves the plot along. Those mysteries are never fully solved but left for the reader’s contemplation and interpretation, which I found to be really compelling, as each story has an open ending and left me wondering where the characters are headed. I really liked the different elements that are brought into each account, not following a singular aspect of magical realism or scene style. I was surprised by each story and character and I found it ingenious how well-crafted they are, especially how poignant and understanding the development and dialogue are.

This book is available at Barnes & Noble!

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

This book is a compilation of some themes and elements that I love reading and pondering on: being in your twenties and feeling a deep longing in your heart, finding the way back home at your own pace, meant-to-be romance and encounters that change your life, grief and loss, summer love, and living by a lake.

I found Fern and Will to live a beautiful story. I read a lot of reviews calling it unrealistic or even talking about emotional cheating. But have you all ever been a teen or someone living in your twenties and feeling so much you’re not sure it fits in your body? Because I have, and I thought this story portrayed that and the romance really well. They are two people who try to find their way back to each other and stay true to themselves. They are fun and have great chemistry.

I also appreciated how grief, familial love and anxiety are treated in the story and included in the characters’ decision-making.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

3.75

This is an astounding collection that reflects on cultural themes in both general and specific terms. The author draws extensively from her experience and uses it as a jumping-off point to connect to broader sociological concerns. I appreciated how her writing style afforded room to think through the themes she explored and still had a level of entertainment and engagement. I loved her analyses on the internet and marriage most of all because they touched upon the fear and expectation surrounding both. The cultural criticism was amazingly well-done and researched and I would love to read another collection reflecting on the same post-pandemic topics.

A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal by Preslaysa Williams
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

Narration wasn't appealing at all, very bland. Romance has no tension and it's flat. Plot is too packed.

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

funny hopeful medium-paced

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

2.0

My favorite part of this book was the title and that isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy any aspect of the novel. But rather that the story itself was very underwhelming and the narration was very poor.

For starters, the characters are one-dimensional, lacking any sense of personality, conflict, or desire besides the one attribute or goal they’re assigned as soon as we meet them. I also didn’t feel anything for the romance, it didn’t develop with the promised tension and fell flat at the end. I think historical romance has so much potential to play off the underlying nervousness and this story didn’t do that well.

Happy Place by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

I’m going to try to find the words to describe how much I love this book, though I’m not Emily Henry so my use of literary devices isn’t as incredibly earth-shattering. Before I do, however, I need to claim that after I finished the physical version in a puddle of snot and tears, I listened to the audiobook. Because I just couldn’t get enough. 

As soon as I read the first chapter and got introduced to the friendship between Harriet (the main character), Cleo, and Sabrina, I knew I would deeply connect to the intense nostalgia and longing for home portrayed in this book. Off the get-go, they three, along with Wyn (the love interest), Parth, and Kimmy are seen as real people with such unique and distinct personalities just getting to know them made my heart hurt in the best way. I understood the community they built and how they share a “happy place” so well that it felt like the story had been pulled out of my heart directly onto the page. I can’t pick a favorite element of this novel, but their kinship forged throughout the years and the comradery they share are definitely towards the top of that non-existent list.

Getting to know Harriet and Wyn was as wonderful as it was pure overwhelmedness because I saw so much of me in them, especially in Harriet’s deep-rooted insecurities, yearning to please and be loved by the people she loves, and desire always to be part of something and someone who sees her and loves her. Their romance flourished in the past memories and re-flourished in the present-day story with intense heightened tension and a love so solid I could paint a picture with it and see it reflected in my own relationship with the love of my life. They embody the real human experience of what it means to love so deeply that you miss your person even when they’re just on the other side of the wall.

As always, Emily’s use of prose, metaphors, dialogue, and descriptions took my breath away, sometimes leaving me too stunned to continue reading and definitely making me wish I could pour out words in the same way that she does. Her understanding of what it means to feel is reflected so well in the way she crafts her scenes, those taking place inside Harriet’s own head and the ones in which relationships and the plot are developed. I sobbed multiple times while grappling with the emotions she so beautifully describes, especially when she details grief, desolation, and joy.

No other romance novel will ever come close to any single one of Emily’s for me. And no other place will ever be my favorite as my own happy place is, which is wherever her work takes me, which is always a Taylor Swift song.