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lynseyreads_'s reviews
412 reviews
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
2.0
\\edit: I lowered my rating from 4 to 2 stars. I grappled over whether this story was just meant to focus on white and Italian Immigrants, and if that was ~okay~. I still felt the ick and have continued feeling the ick as I picked up my second KH book. Bottom line, this is a whitewashed history that compares her white characters’ conditions/plight to Black enslavement. Let’s talk about it.
//end edit
I liked the characters, appreciated learning more about this era, and yep I cried. Some repetition was annoying—like the repeated disgust of, “this is America!” Or “this is unAmerican!” Thinking that this was sarcasm after reading her authors note though.
Heads up: This book definitely put me in a funk—it’s not a light read.
//end edit
I liked the characters, appreciated learning more about this era, and yep I cried. Some repetition was annoying—like the repeated disgust of, “this is America!” Or “this is unAmerican!” Thinking that this was sarcasm after reading her authors note though.
Heads up: This book definitely put me in a funk—it’s not a light read.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
1.0
Almost a DNF for me, but it wasn’t so here ya go:
The REALLY bad: White-centered historical fiction + tons (TONS!) of domestic violence. “Natives” only mentioned as quirky and minor setting descriptions. The main white man colonizing the area (depicted as one of the most noble and trustworthy men in the book. A leader! A savior!) marries a “native,” but there is zero reflection on how his actions to create an adventure lodge, electricity, etc. have impacted the indigenous community or land.
After reading Four Winds and this white-washed ish, this will be the last Kristin Hannah book for me.
The okay: Complicated characters and relationships, forbidden love trope, innocent childhood sweethearts trope. Alaska itself. More of a “happy” ending than seems typical for KH.
TLDR; there’s better, more nuanced and accurate historical fiction out there.
The REALLY bad: White-centered historical fiction + tons (TONS!) of domestic violence. “Natives” only mentioned as quirky and minor setting descriptions. The main white man colonizing the area (depicted as one of the most noble and trustworthy men in the book. A leader! A savior!) marries a “native,” but there is zero reflection on how his actions to create an adventure lodge, electricity, etc. have impacted the indigenous community or land.
After reading Four Winds and this white-washed ish, this will be the last Kristin Hannah book for me.
The okay: Complicated characters and relationships, forbidden love trope, innocent childhood sweethearts trope. Alaska itself. More of a “happy” ending than seems typical for KH.
TLDR; there’s better, more nuanced and accurate historical fiction out there.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
3.0
Super cute romcom. Like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” but for grown folks.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
3.0
It was fine. I didn’t love the privileged prep kid setting, but the back end of the book gets more dynamic.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4.0
Charlie is likable and frustrating, as sometimes our good friends can be when we really care about them and can see the decisions they’re making aren’t the best ones. He is a really cool representation of a male character with feelings. He cries! He is vulnerable! He cries when his people are hurt, and he let’s his gay friend kiss him because Charlie just feels that’s what his friend needed at the time. Then we get to the last hour or so of the book and Charlie has a revelation that wrecks him and consequently wrecked me!
Check the content warnings before reading, but whew, trauma is complicated, and this book is important.
Check the content warnings before reading, but whew, trauma is complicated, and this book is important.
The Maid by Nita Prose
2.0
2.5 stars.
*mild spoilers ahead*
Molly is too inconsistent for me; her character development did not build a foundation that I needed for her nuanced choices to be creditable. She is also written as having social cognition differences, and it’s unclear if these are due to physical or environmental circumstances. The reader does take some detours on the way to figuring out “who done it,” and ultimately the answer wasn’t really satisfying for me.
*mild spoilers ahead*
Molly is too inconsistent for me; her character development did not build a foundation that I needed for her nuanced choices to be creditable. She is also written as having social cognition differences, and it’s unclear if these are due to physical or environmental circumstances. The reader does take some detours on the way to figuring out “who done it,” and ultimately the answer wasn’t really satisfying for me.
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
4.0
Deaf rep, thoughtful historical fic, acknowledgement of indigenous land and how the MC ancestors made violent choices for land.
High quality YA historical fiction. More nuanced and interesting than Kristin Hannah.
High quality YA historical fiction. More nuanced and interesting than Kristin Hannah.
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
5.0
Loved Volume 1 and had to keep myself from diving right in to volume 2 because I have other things to do…… orrr maybe I’ll just do those things later