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nadiajohnsonbooks's reviews
767 reviews
Zero Days by Ruth Ware
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lying Game by Ruth Ware
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
When I say that folks are missing out if they don't make an effort to read diversely, books like this are what I'm thinking about.
This book could never have come from a Western imagination, and I'm grateful that Onoh's work has found the international acclaim it deserves.
Set in southern Nigeria in 1977, it follows Bata, the ten year old daughter of a prominent shopkeeper and his first wife. For most of her childhood, she was plagues by nightmares that spill over in a life-changing way on the eve of her cousin's wedding.
Bata manifests unprecedented powers, emerging as the only force that can defend living brides from the jealous Ghost-Brides that want to take their place
Parts of the novel have the storytelling quality of a folktale while others have the turbulent ring of a preteen girl's inner monologue
Bata is a Chosen One, but one who is terrified, reluctant, and believable
Onoh has been lauded as the Queen of African Horror and is the recipient of a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, and she damn sure deserves her laurels. I can't wait to read the rest of her work
This book could never have come from a Western imagination, and I'm grateful that Onoh's work has found the international acclaim it deserves.
Set in southern Nigeria in 1977, it follows Bata, the ten year old daughter of a prominent shopkeeper and his first wife. For most of her childhood, she was plagues by nightmares that spill over in a life-changing way on the eve of her cousin's wedding.
Bata manifests unprecedented powers, emerging as the only force that can defend living brides from the jealous Ghost-Brides that want to take their place
Parts of the novel have the storytelling quality of a folktale while others have the turbulent ring of a preteen girl's inner monologue
Bata is a Chosen One, but one who is terrified, reluctant, and believable
Onoh has been lauded as the Queen of African Horror and is the recipient of a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, and she damn sure deserves her laurels. I can't wait to read the rest of her work
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Suicide, and Car accident
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Cherry and Dante had the cutest (occasionally unhinged) banter and I loved every second of it. Hoping to see more of Yala the orc and Alexis the talking sword!
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail