mr_cain's reviews
108 reviews

True Biz by Sara Nović

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Only a 4 because of the uneven pacing. Really good book, would recommend to anyone with a limited knowledge of the Deaf community AND for those who ARE acquainted looking for more stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

4.75

All too real. Rips your heart in two and forces you to confront how you exist in the world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, and Eating disorder

The Overstory by Richard Powers
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

Too many stories. I wish he had spent more time on a few stories because the numerous are too short to have any character growth. It feels like a slap job of different story ideas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Beowulf by Neil Gaiman, Caitlín R. Kiernan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

Not interested enough 

Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.

Incoherent.

After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.

boring as fuck

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater

fast-paced

2.0

Poorly written as all get out.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

I love the fig tree as a narrator!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism and Torture

The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America, with a New Preface by Khalil Gibran Muhammad

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

Relatively easy to read and digest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism