lolajoan's reviews
860 reviews

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

Tries too hard to be clever and isn't; overly wordy and repetitive. There is some real raw emotion and interesting scenes, but I skimmed a lot of this book which really isn't something I do.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Wonderful. Beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, sad, funny, touching. 

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

Very fun, not a slog at all. Glad i finally gave it a shot.

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Wow, it's no wonder this had so many accolades. It's gripping and heartwrenching and so incredibly sad but also one of the most fascination narrative structures I've read in a long time. Time, causality, and free will are deeply questioned in this complex metafiction. Absolutely amazing.

Skellig by David Almond

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely beautiful. Heart wrenching, thoughtful, poetic, wonderful.

Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Another wonderful installment. No complaints.

Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi

emotional hopeful tense slow-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

A beautiful story about strength, resilience, growing up, and found family. Made me laugh and cry a few times, and in  some places it's grippin and tense but some parts are slow. It's true YA - some fear and violence, zero sex, and not an adult to be seen. I am curious where all those adults are, though... What a strange social system.

The Giant Collection of the Continental Op by Julie M. Rivett, Richard Layman, Dashiell Hammett

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to this trilogy but it's fantastic.

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

If this were a movie it would be directed by Jordan Peele. It's a thoughtful examination of human motives and beliefs, with seriously creepy stuff and incredibly sad and tragic stuff and beautiful descriptions. It had me gripped from the start. There was a point about a quarter of the way through where the tension was building so much I didn't know if I could keep going but then that dam burst and the resolution was incredibly satisfying.