lizetteratura's reviews
194 reviews

The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 9 by Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

4.5

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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

My Death by Lisa Tuttle

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 3 by Natsu Hyuuga

adventurous funny mysterious 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? No

4.25

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

3.25

Strange Pictures by Uketsu

dark mysterious tense fast-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

talk about things coming full circle 

Strange Pictures is a horror mystery novel centred around a collection of unsettling drawings. The story opens with a professor with experience as a practicing psychologist presenting a picture created by a young girl who was a victim of her mother's domestic abuse. The subsequent tales in the novel delve into the hidden truths surrounding hand-drawn images. The first stroy tells of five sketches made by a woman shortly before her death during childbirth. The second story centres around a boy and an unusual kindergarten picture he draws as a Mother's Day present. The third recounts the final artwork produced by a high school art teacher prior to his murder. The last story uncovers the reality behind the picture presented by the professor at the start of the novel and offers a new look into the drawing with chilling conclusions. All of these stories are intertwined, in the end leading to one singular character.

While you can say some circumstances are a bit far-fetched, I still enjoyed this novel; it was really fun to read, to play detective, and to have my jaw drop every once in a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

5.0

love Chivalric literature and love its parodies as well, but dont read too much it'll make you go insane

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

one of my dearer Shakespearean tragedies…on that note I absolutely hated everyone my favourite part is when they all die :)

Wildcat Dome: A Novel by Yuko Tsushima

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Honestly, I was a bit reluctant to start this because so far I haven't read anything from Yuko Tsushima that really grabbed my attention, but this novel is my turning point. This is the first Yuko Tsushima novel that had me gripped from the start to the finish. Going back from the past to the present, over the course of 60 years, the novel explores the themes of guilt, loss, grief, shame, and discrimination within the post-war to modern Japanese society through multiple character POVs. All of the topics are well explored and expressed through the lives of the characters, making it a very compelling story.

All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

challenging funny lighthearted 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

4.25

this was actually so good