megan_bbender's reviews
92 reviews

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

Growing up, I was not a fan of Jennette McCurdy as I never watched any Nickelodeon. However, when this book first came out and I heard some of the reviews, I knew I had to read this book for myself. It's painful to know that someone went through these experiences throughout their life. 

I'm so appreciative of the truthfulness and the bravery that it would have taken to write this book. Jennette writes and describes things in such a way that is simple but still powerful. I applaud her for speaking out and sharing her story!
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LVOE by Atticus

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inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

I sat down and read the first few poems, then I read the next few, and then I ended up reading the whole book at once. I really liked some of these poems but others I found weird or didn't get the humour. 

These poems were simple, they didn't cause me to see a new perspective but they were simple reminders about how life can still be beautiful. 
Here at Dawn by Beau Taplin

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.5

Some of these are really amazing and I don't have the talent to put into words how much some of these poems were able to open my eyes. There were some that just stood out and that I was really able to connect with. 

Some of the metaphors and comparisons in this book are simply just brilliant. I really enjoyed going through them.

One of my favourite poems out of this book is Hostels and Homes.
A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really only enjoyed this book after I read Chapter 15 and onwards. I thought it was pretty slow starting off but I didn't mind the ending at all. The plot eventually got exciting. I loved all the characters and thought the attention to detail was great. 

With that being said, I felt like there could have been more in the background. Things like what was happening with the war throughout that time? 

I can't really explain why I can't give this book a higher rating. It just feels very in the middle, it wasn't bad but it doesn't at all compare to my favourite books. 
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Wildfire by Carrie Mac

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adventurous emotional funny sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked this story, it was super easy to get in to and I couldn't stop reading. I finished this book in about one sitting. The writing is super simple, but I didn't mind it at all. I thought that the plot was good and there was never a boring moment. I love books that bring out emotion, this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat and crying towards the end. 

"Just don't let go. don't let go of life."

However, one thing that I noticed towards the end was that Annie's reflections of Pete were things from her own life. I know they were really close, but I wish we got to see as much of Pete as we did Annie. I wish Pete had his own talisman's.


"See you later, Unicorn Pete. I love you."

"By doing the worst thing, I will save the best thing."

If you enjoyed this book, I highly recommend Mosquitoland by David Arnold. 
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They: A Sequence of Unease by Kay Dick

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

This is a good book for a super quick and easy read. It was a bit disturbing at some parts but nothing goes into detail. To be honest, I never really understood what was going on because the writing is so simple. This concept is super interesting but I feel like there definitely could have been more done, I don't feel anything towards the plot or characters due to the lack of world-building. 
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Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia Nagoski, Emily Nagoski

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informative reflective slow-paced

2.5

I really appreciate the effort that went in to creating this book. However, it just wasn't for me. I found it to be really slow and repetitive. There were certain parts when I didn't even know what I was reading about, or the point of it. When I was finished reading, I really didn't feel like I had learned anything. With that being said, I think this could potentially be a great tool for others. 
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Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire

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challenging dark inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Although I cannot relate first hand to some of the topics spoken about in this book, Warsan Shire has given me a new perspective and new knowledge about many different important issues.

I really enjoyed going through these poems. Every single one of them was thought-provoking. My personal favourite out of the poems in this book is Midnight In The Foreign Food Aisle. It is obvious that Warsan Shire writes from the heart. 

Many of these poems were so deep and held so much meaning that I didn't even have thoughts about them, I just sat with them after reading them.
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Animal Farm by George Orwell

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

4.0

As of today, this has been one of the only classic's that I have really enjoyed. I thought that the story and writing was great. This book is able to teach a lot and has a great message. 

I read this book in one sitting, I definitely recommend it to others because it is a quick and easy read that can provide some insight and perspective. 
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As Close As Sisters by Colleen Faulkner

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was on the blind date with a book shelf, when I unwrapped it I can unfortunately say that I judged this book by its cover. The cover looks like a typical, cheesy, high school, identity discovering, friend group but it is so much more than that.  

I was not prepared for how much I would love the characters and for how many emotions I would feel while reading this book. I laughed with them, felt angry with them, cried with them, and celebrated with them. Colleen Faulkner did a great job at creating a picture perfect friend group but not forgetting to portray the ups and downs as well. 

When I first started reading, I got stuck on page 5, when I finally pushed past I dove into this book so quickly that I could not stop reading it. It was on my mind 24/7. It is such an easy read and I really enjoyed the writing. The writing style just felt so natural and real, like a genuine conversation. I always felt like I was there with the characters.

There were definitely parts in this book that were repetitive but I enjoyed nonetheless. I feel like I enjoyed this book so much because parts of it reminds me of my own life. I definitely recommend this book to others. There is a character that everyone can relate to and a story that everyone can enjoy. 
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