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mr_cain's reviews
108 reviews
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
I only docked .25 of a star because the pacing was so slow in the exposition. I understand she's establishing a whole host of characters and I do appreciate it, but it's a book you have to power through the first part of.
This book genuinely kept me guessing. I did suspect the real culprit several times, but I waffled often. Hawkins does a great job supplying motive and details for each of the suspects without it feeling like a painfully deliberate red herring.
Hawkins also makes the characters each their own and her style is distinct for each chapter in a different POV (i.e. Helen, Jules, + Sean's chapters all feel genuine vs. the same style with different names as many POV switching books seem to do). She provides a cast of characters who are complex and feel so real. Not every character is deeply complicated but they all have their own established psyches which I loved.
I can easily call myself a Paula Hawkins fan after this.
This book genuinely kept me guessing. I did suspect the real culprit several times, but I waffled often. Hawkins does a great job supplying motive and details for each of the suspects without it feeling like a painfully deliberate red herring.
Hawkins also makes the characters each their own and her style is distinct for each chapter in a different POV (i.e. Helen, Jules, + Sean's chapters all feel genuine vs. the same style with different names as many POV switching books seem to do). She provides a cast of characters who are complex and feel so real. Not every character is deeply complicated but they all have their own established psyches which I loved.
I can easily call myself a Paula Hawkins fan after this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Vomit
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The twist at the end really ran me ragged. Books that divide your life into a before and after.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit
Minor: Animal death
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Death, Racism, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Violence, and Deportation
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.75
One of the reasons I docked .25 of a star is because I'm unsure of why this was a long book with stories told in pieces rather than three separate books in a trilogy or a novella collection. The format is a little confusing to me. Not to read, just in a way where I feel like if it had been all three in order, I would've enjoyed it more. However, having the plots dispensed in measured increments is nice. I feel I often gorge myself on books and tear through them. However, Kingsolver, by her formatting, forces you to read steadily and drink in every word she writes.
The second reason I docked .25 of a star was because of Lusa's romantic subplot with Rickie. The incestuous/pedophilic nature coupled with its borderline irrelevancy to the rest of the plot put me out.
I must say this is absolutely one of my favorite books. Ms. Kingsolver's longer books are always such a treat to invest time in. This book took me a while to finish, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. Initially, I was put off by the slow pace, but it grows on you. It's more of a walk in the woods in terms of pace rather than a story with a definite finish line. I love how the town/woods and the animals are characters in themselves both literally and metaphorically.
I loved all three plot lines so much. I was initially put off by Garnett and his views and I was unsure of where his story was going, but I learned to love him too. I even learned about pestecides and crop management! From a fiction book! What?!
I also loved how she ended the book. Leaving some ends frayed solidifies the feeling that you are peering through a window into other lives. When there are loose ends, it fleshes out the characters subtlely; it implies that they keep living beyond the duration of those pages which is very wonderful.
I could not recommend this book enough. I did not consider myself any kind of hardline environmentmentalist: I didn't know much and agriculture was not ever on my mind. This book opened up a world to me I'd never spend time in and it was wonderful. I loved it.
The second reason I docked .25 of a star was
I must say this is absolutely one of my favorite books. Ms. Kingsolver's longer books are always such a treat to invest time in. This book took me a while to finish, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. Initially, I was put off by the slow pace, but it grows on you. It's more of a walk in the woods in terms of pace rather than a story with a definite finish line. I love how the town/woods and the animals are characters in themselves both literally and metaphorically.
I loved all three plot lines so much. I was initially put off by Garnett and his views and I was unsure of where his story was going, but I learned to love him too. I even learned about pestecides and crop management! From a fiction book! What?!
I also loved how she ended the book.
I could not recommend this book enough. I did not consider myself any kind of hardline environmentmentalist: I didn't know much and agriculture was not ever on my mind. This book opened up a world to me I'd never spend time in and it was wonderful. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Incest, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Weird racist + cringe story on page 48. Overall, didn't enjoy the writing or the way the story was told. The writing treated you like an idiot, it explained too much. There were too many words for the amount of plot conveyed. Characters are embarrassingly 1-dimensional and bland.
Barkskins by Annie Proulx
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Genuinely interesting content, but so slowly paced I couldn't get through it.
Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
I just couldn't stand the pacing + writing style