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lizflynn's reviews
774 reviews
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
3.5
Some parts did not age well. Yikes. It’s slow, but the end really picks up.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is such a good read. The writing is magnificent and the themes explored will break your heart. It gave me nostalgia for a life I’ve never even lived. It was a tad bit overly dramatic and maudlin for me. Like, some parts were written for the sole purpose of making the reader cry. Other than that, I loved it and will remember this book for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Okaaay Ashley Flowers! This is a pretty solid, fast-paced thriller that had lots of great red herring moments. The ending was very abrupt and I saw the “twist” but it’s overall a propulsive read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Death
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Something about Harrow’s writing distracts me constantly, but I overall enjoyed this book. It’s a little slow to start but then picks up and becomes a really satisfying alternative history. There’s a lot of badass f-yeah moments that will have you cheering on Juniper, Bella, and Agnes.
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I LOVED this. It’s sad, slightly unhinged, and just the right amount of creepy. Knowing Lydia’s true nature while the other characters don’t also makes parts of the story absurdly funny, too.
The exploration of identity through body and food is so well done. Lydia is half vampire and half Japanese half Malaysian. She constantly feels disconnected from a part of herself because she never met her human dad, nor can she connect to food in a meaningful way. Kohda uses the vampire trope as a metaphor for cultural identity and the feeling of not belonging or being “good enough” that I think a lot of people who have mixed cultural backgrounds feel (I know I do).
CW: disordered eating, descriptions of food, SA in the workplace, light body horror of the vampire variety
The exploration of identity through body and food is so well done. Lydia is half vampire and half Japanese half Malaysian. She constantly feels disconnected from a part of herself because she never met her human dad, nor can she connect to food in a meaningful way. Kohda uses the vampire trope as a metaphor for cultural identity and the feeling of not belonging or being “good enough” that I think a lot of people who have mixed cultural backgrounds feel (I know I do).
CW: disordered eating, descriptions of food, SA in the workplace, light body horror of the vampire variety
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual harassment, and Eating disorder
A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria
Did not finish book. Stopped at 64%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 64%.
I just wasn’t feeling this one. The chemistry between our two main characters felt forced, even though they had known each other as kids. And the plot devices to move the story along were so contrived and didn’t make any logical sense. Not my thing.
The Between by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Racism