madsmacmath's reviews
233 reviews

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

It felt overdone, with the adjectives and the high-brow references. The Halloween aesthetic was on point, but that was about it for me.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

For a book that’s 500 pages long, it’s a quick read. The POVs are short and the cliff-hanger plot twists keep you engaged. The northeast, summer camp in the Adirondacks is also a true, aesthetic, unsettling vibe.

I wouldn’t say I was surprised by the plot twists but there were definitely a lot of options for the theories that she plays with as you’re reading.

If you’re looking for a really engaging literary thriller, this one meets the mark.

All Fours by Miranda July

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emotional reflective fast-paced

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

2.75

I love an unhinged main character. I love a stream-of-consciousness journey of self-discovery. I love messy characters who need to find themselves.

And while I didn’t hate it, this just didn’t do it for me. I’m happy there is midlife, menopause representation and I see how readers could find themselves in this book.

I felt like our girl just needed a therapist and someone to explain ethical non-monogamy to her. She annoyed me early on and the writing style couldn’t quite pull me out of that.

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Sometimes Adjei-Brenyah’s writing can be hard to follow; there are a lot of dystopian descriptions, characters, and strange character names. It’s not always my favorite and it can feel a little clunky at times.

But holy shit, which is the same feeling I had while reading Friday Black. You read his footnotes and suddenly the line between fiction and reality is alarmingly blurry. It leaves you screaming and it damn-well should.

Committed: On Meaning and Madwomen by Suzanne Scanlon

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Good book; great new TBR.

The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

Queer coded, not a queer love story. Don’t let them deceive you.

I wonder what Oscar Wilde would think of a world where boys can kiss boys and twenty year olds get botox.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

I finished it a few hours ago and I can’t stop thinking about Sidney and Henry.

My favorite genre of book (sad, gay, character-based stories in history) and this one earned its place in the collection.

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

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dark emotional funny inspiring sad fast-paced