lochnessvhs's reviews
817 reviews

The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family by Jesselyn Cook

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challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

An absolutely incredible read, but a tough one. Perhaps one of the most upsetting books I’ve ever read. Cook shows how the absolute perfect storm of events funneled people down this cult pipeline and it’s heartbreaking to think that perhaps if only one of the major events in the last 10 years hadn’t happened, so many people would have been saved.
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The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night by Steven Banbury

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

An utterly enchanting and adorable tale. Not just for kids - any fellow spooky ghouls or autumn girlies will love this story just as much as your tween will. 
Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre

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

3.5

We Do Not Part by Han Kang

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dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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? No

4.0

Heavy and haunting.
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The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

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

3.0

This short story is dancing on the edge of something I could fall in love with, but it doesn't quite get there. I truly think that given another 50 pages (and by that I mean the types of pages shown here, which sometimes only have a dozen words per page), I could have connected more with the story and it's deeper themes. I got more out of Clarke's afterward than I did the story itself.

The illustrations by Victoria Sawdon are absolutely exquisite.
The Stand by Stephen King

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

My 3rd time reading the Stand, but the first time reading the "Uncut" version. And honestly, it should have stayed cut. 
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Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis

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

4.5

I accidentally read the second book in this trilogy before this one, but I don't think it really affected my perception of the story as a whole. What's funny is that, even though I knew how sneakysneaky Ada is from book 2, I still didn't see her plan for what it was in this one.
Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu

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adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this much more than the first in the series (sorry Sage!) I don’t read much str8 romance, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. NOT because of the romance (the male MC is awful and manipulative imo) but because of the highlight of Latine culture and the representation of bipolar disorder. You don’t NEED to read the 1st to enjoy this one, but you might be confused by all the references of the youngest sister being a ghost for 8 years. 
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The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein

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challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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