maevekilcarr's reviews
282 reviews

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous relaxing slow-paced

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

4.0

We love and support all things Samwise in this household 

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

[redacted] can catch these hands. Respect your partner’s boundaries and quick acting like you’re entitled to their shit!!

Be Not Far from Me by Mindy McGinnis

adventurous dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

There are simply no worse people on this earth than this dammed family 

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The writing was so atmospheric and poetic. I felt simply entranced and immersed through the descriptions of the school grounds and the characters interactions. These aspects elevate this book beyond most other entries in the thriller genre. Compelling narrative, clever storytelling and symbolism, and ambiguity to top it all off!

The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott

adventurous 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? No

2.5

Generally fun adventure if you’re into Indiana Jones type stories. I just thought the last third dropped the ball after the villain reveal was too ridiculous even for a “suspend your disbelief” mindset 

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account Of The Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

3.5

I am totally content not being outdoorsy or adventurous 

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

When you’ve read a lot of mysteries, you definitely learn to appreciate good writing and strong characters lol. I do think there was more to this story that could have been explored further. 

William by Mason Coile

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Thank you Putnam for sending me a copy of William! 

Unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me. I am a character-driven girl and this novella just didn’t have dynamic characters. Paige in particular wasn’t worth including. 

While I enjoyed the concept and it does get creepy and eerie, I didn’t get anything from the characters or the subtext. I would definitely recommend this for those looking for a quick, thrilling read. Perhaps fans of the movie The Collector would like this. 

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Emily always has super interesting concepts but sometimes it gets really bogged down in her trying to write as whimsical and larger-than-life as possible ya know