marley_james's reviews
164 reviews

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I Hope This Finds You Well: Poems by Kate Baer

funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Normal People by Sally Rooney

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I was unable to put this gem down with its gentle flow and fast pace coupled with a stunning and unique writing style that I found quite comforting. 

I believe that all readers can connect with this story, told through a unique perspective and voice- familiar, raw and heartbreaking. 

This one made me feel all the emotions, but I particularly felt that it portrayed anxiety exceptionally well. It took all the confusing thoughts in my head and spilled them onto paper in a way that made sense. I both felt bad for the characters and myself anytime I could relate, seeing how wrong that was. 

This is the story of two broken people who find each other over and over in the most accurate depiction of soulmates. With an ending that shows the true beauty of growth and human connections, Sally Rooney truly understands the meaning of one’s “person”.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

dark emotional informative 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? Yes

4.5

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

funny lighthearted 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? Yes

3.5

I have mixed and very unpopular feelings about this one. I was kind of struggling with giving it more than three stars until about 85% in for a few reasons. This mainly centres around the writing style and my personal taste. I found that it was a lot of run on sentences with so many jokes and facts thrown at you that it was really stressful. The romance felt incredibly repetitive and stretched out as I was not a fan of the time jumps. While I found this one incredibly relatable with stunning imagery, I wanted more plot. Near the end however, it got super lighthearted and much faster paced. I ADORED the ending. It was absolutely beautiful and makes your heart just burst with happiness. The last chapter alone got 1.5 stars. All I can hope is to one day have a love like that. All in all, while I’m normally an Emily Henry fan, this one just wasn’t for me.

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75