moth_meg's reviews
155 reviews

The Address by Fiona Davis

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

adventurous 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? It's complicated

2.0

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

The One by Kiera Cass

medium-paced

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

2.25

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous mysterious medium-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? No

4.0

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous medium-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

3.0

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? No

4.0

The Stranger by Albert Camus

fast-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

3.0

"But everybody knows life isn’t worth living"

The Stranger was not what I expected. This philosophical case study provides an effective critique of nihilism and a dose of absurdist comedy. The short novel follows a man through a downward spiral in the aftermath of the death of his mother. Contrary to my expectations, the main character is detached and void of empathy. Rather than grief being the catalyst for his implosion, he dooms himself through his lack of emotion.

"I didn’t feel anything except that he was beginning to annoy me."

Camus provides commentary on how perceived morality (or lack thereof) can become more important than action. He also touches on other abstract topics including atheism, guilt, and fate.

"What did other people’s deaths or a mother’s love matter to me; what did his God or the lives people choose or the fate they think they elect matter to me when we’re all elected by the same fate, me and billions of privileged people like him who also called themselves my brothers?"

I didn’t have much sympathy for our leading man, but I did find myself drawn in by the writing, which is vivid and engaging. This book works for me due to its brevity and steady pacing. Camus knows when to introduce a new idea, and trusts the reader enough to avoid lingering on any moment for too long.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging 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

3.0

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

dark funny slow-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

3.0