mediocremae's reviews
121 reviews

Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine

mysterious medium-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 found this book intriguing from the beginning, and that is part of why I picked it up (not going to lie, the other part was how small it was, reading long books is hard these days!) but it lost it's intrigue through the readtime. I think the intention from the author was to not waste time on explanations, but it eventually got old and I wanted to understand more of why the main character was so INSANE?! she was crazy!! and she kept doing awful things to people that cared about her. I never felt like she learned her lesson, and she was borderline sociopathic in her behaviors. 
Sometimes I love a book where very little happens and it's a slice of life, a peek into someone's everyday craziness. this is not one of those times

Home Time, Vol. 1: Under the River by Campbell Whyte

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

I really enjoyed this art style, and it was easy to get in to, but if I'm honestly the characterization of some of the kids kind of bled together for me? I felt like they were all very similar (in character, not looks) and I had trouble remembering which one said which thing in previous chapters (like which ones were hesitant, and which ones were bold about the new world they entered). Definitely left on a cliffhanger, which is not my favorite ending to a book, but I'll just have to check out the sequel

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.25

this book was quite possibly the darkest book I've ever read, and yet it was incredibly fascinating the entire way through, it was like I couldn't put it down. I found the writing style the most enticing piece of it, and I would be interested to read more books by this author with maybe more light? humor? I'm not entirely sure if that's something this author has in their catalog, but the writing style was so incredible to me, I stuck it out through the dark and the sad and the depressing.

Nights with a Cat, Vol. 1 by Kyuryu Z

funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.75

so cute and enjoyable, I'm going to find the second volume :)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I found this book interesting, and I read through it pretty quickly. I cannot say that I liked it as much as I liked <i> Sharp Objects </i> by the same author, but it was still an interesting read. I think there were some passages that felt weirdly phrased and out of place, although I can't recall a super specific example. I think the story was captivating (obviously to a lot of audiences, based on the general ratings) but I think the ending was lackluster and didn't give me what I wanted out of the book. It felt like a letdown because the author didn't know what to do with the corner she had written herself into. 
Time to watch the film, so I can carefully compare and contrast, just like I did with <i> Sharp Objects </i>

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders

reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

an interesting allegory/metaphor, and pretty great writing! I've never read anything by george saunders before, but I think I would again. If I were to change anything, there were just a few lines about how the ... creatures? humans? looked, that I would get rid of. They were just confusing to me, not helpful to the story overall.

Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition by Junji Ito

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

really spooky and I honestly kind of regret reading it, because I definitely have more detailed nightmares now, but the art was really incredible, and the stories were interesting but SPOOKY man! I'm SPOOKED!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

dark reflective medium-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? Yes

3.25

Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In by Henry Eliot

adventurous informative slow-paced

2.75

picked it up from the library because the formatting intrigued me (there are pages that are turned upside down, to the side, etc, and this bright red thread leading through every page) and I didn't quite believe that it belonged in nonfiction. however, I now think that categorization was correct! I think I would have enjoyed an audiobook version of this, or a video version, far more than the book-ish edition, it's something, a topic, that I would've watched a video essay about (my obsession with hour+ youtube videos has re-surged) and felt more engaged with. But I felt in book form that the storyline was clunky, and it was difficult for me to go back and forth from general maze-talk to more mythology/Greek talk, with no real parameters. perhaps my rating was also affected by my current ability to focus, sinus pressure and multi-day migraines really do tear ya down, what can I say. 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

challenging emotional medium-paced

3.75

i think I would've enjoyed this book more overall if I watched iCarly or Sam & Cat a lot when I was a kid. I think I would've understood more references to specific episodes or situations, that I just purely didn't understand because my family was decidedly NOT a nickelodeon family. Either way though, I found the book an intriguing look into the rough childhood of McCurdy, and the writing in many of the chapters was incredible at conveying difficult feelings and situations. This wasn't always true, some phrases seemed clunky or overly catchphrase-y, but for the most part I thought it was a good book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder