michaelapr's reviews
78 reviews

Never by Jessa Hastings
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

I may come back to this later because I like the premise but honestly I'm not a fan of the writing style and I hate seeing a so called "strong independent woman" constantly questioning herself because of a man child.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

This one is full of red herrings that tricked me until the very end. A very good read!

In the Woods by Tana French

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This was such a disappointment. It started off really good - you have two intriguing mysteries, a troubled detective with a fun partner who he has a great, fun relationship with. It was a slower pace than I'd like and the story stalled multiple times because of that but still. It had my interest. But in the last maybe 40% of the book the main character turns into this ultimate jerk that ruins the entire dynamic and then the story stalls out into an unsatisfying ending. So in the end I just feel really bummed in the worst way wondering: "What was the point in the way this book ended?!?" 

Paper Towns by John Green

adventurous funny hopeful 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

3.75

Paper Towns is one of those books that are misunderstood in the most ironic way. I've seen many people criticize it as book about a manic pixie dream girl - which I can understand to a certain extent. The reason why this is ironic is that at the beginning of the book Quentin and everyone else DOES think of Margo Roth Spiegelman as a not real person, a manic pixie dream girl but then as the book goes on Quentin realizes what a mistake this was and he tried to understand who she truly is as he tries to find her - and ultimately fails. Because you can't know a person fully but you can at least try. In the process he also realizes this about his friends and himself, which is the part I like the best.
The book itself is a fun read. The characters are funny and endearing with their teenage antics. Does the book sometimes go into long spiels about life that can't seem a bit much for a supposed 18-year old - yes. But I don't mind because it all fit in with the story itself. Do I wish we had a more tidy ending? Yes. But then it still fits with the story itself: there is a future that is hopeful but we can't guess what it looks like even if we can try, just like Quentin's quest.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

adventurous dark mysterious 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? N/A

3.75

This was definitely an enjoyable read. It has an interesting premise: What happens to children who went into different worlds, like Narnia, but then came back? How do they readjust to the "real world"? Is that even possible? The author does a good job of answering these questions through a variety of likeable, and unlikeable, characters. In some ways I wish that this story had been more fleshed out so that we could have gotten to know the worlds and characters more. But I still enjoyed it overall and found its ending pretty satisfying.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 2 by Kōhei Horikoshi

adventurous funny 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? It's complicated

4.75

Preacher, Volume 2: Until the End of the World by Garth Ennis

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Maybe not as good as the first one but still a solid good time, particularly in the beginning and the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse and Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

Beloved by Toni Morrison

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Beloved is one of those books that everyone seems to say you have to read at some point in your life. I was supposed to read it in college but didn't manage it. So this is my first ever read of it and probably my last.

Beloved is not meant to be enjoyed in the traditional sense. I think going into reading this book or reviewing it in terms of entertainment or enjoyment is misguided. Toni Morrison wrote this book to show the effects of slavery and the need to grapple with this history because if we do not it will continue to harm us all. Morrison shows this not only through her characters but her language. Like most postmodern authors, Morrison's writing is layered, often not going in a linear fashion, switching perspectives at will, and an indirect approach to telling parts of character's stories - replacing direct storytelling for poetry. This is not everyone's cup of tea - and that's okay. But Morrison does these things on purpose, she isn't just writing for the sake of writing or putting words willy nilly on paper, every word is purposefully set and even if certain details are unclear to me the bigger picture still makes sense - and it's a hard picture to look at.

This is why I say that Morrison did not mean for Beloved to be entertaining or enjoyable in a traditional sense. Instead she wants you to think and ponder and analyze the story, to take something from it. This could be the need to grapple with the past or the past will continue to haunt and torture - as seen through Beloved but also Sethe and Paul D. It could also be the need to build a community as seen through both Baby Suggs and Denver but in different directions. There are many take aways from this book - but pure enjoyment isn't one of them.

So I read this book and got something out of it. Probably more than my exhausted college self would have to be honest. And for that, for the hopeful ending, the writing, and the impact this work has had on the literary world this book gets a 4 out of 5 stars from me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

adventurous lighthearted medium-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

4.0

A great story with beautiful illustrations.

No Peeking at Presents by Alastair Heim

funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

I liked the illustrations of this one a lot, possibly more than the text lol