nucleardubs's reviews
7 reviews

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I went into this book not expecting anything special; I had gotten it at a yard sale last summer, and had simply glanced over the premise. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that I not only enjoyed the writing, but the plot was genuinely incredible and all of the characters were so intricately thought out. I found myself voicing my own opinions on matters in the plot out loud because this book was full of passion and fire. ABSOLUTELY a suggested read! 
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Boy Girl Boy by Ronald Koertge

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adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

2.5

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

So good! I absolutely LOVED not only the infusion of politics, but also how it was accurate and still interesting. I adored the plot and character development and how it wasn't too fast paced or rushed, but it was very slow in some parts. Otherwise, a lovely read!
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.75

OH I LOVED THIS BOOK. I had read one of Klune's other books this year, too, and my friend strongly suggested I read this one, so I lent it from her... BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE. Genuinely one of my favorite books; the writing was so strong, all of the main characters were likeable and unique while being relatable and imperfect, and also GHOSTS!!! I am such a huge fan of paranormal stuff already, but this sort of idea about the afterlife is so original and I absolutely loved it. My only complaint was Wallace and Hugo's relationship seemed sort of rushed into, but it played itself out well, especially towards the end. I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS!
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Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman

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adventurous dark funny hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Yes, I did read this because I watched the series. I did like the book! I thought the writing was great; it was certainly different than what I was used to. The humor was definitely a driving force for me! I think, however, it was slow throughout many parts, and hard to read sometimes due to wordiness. That, and I expected the book to be more character driven, but those were my own expectations, no fault to the writers.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

Lovely book! I really liked the symbolism in this one, and the main character was very likeable. The plot and characters also came off as very cartoonish, which was what made me enjoy reading this so much. The 4.5 stars is because it could be quite slow at times, and also, the humor sometimes did not hit. Overall, a lovely read with well-developed characters and an interesting plot and story! 
The Odds of Lightning by Jocelyn Davies

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-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

2.0

This book was arguably one of the most infuriating books I've read in a while. Without spoilers, the book is very interesting, plot wise. It's set up as an end of the world scenario, which is why I picked it up in the first place. However, one of the four main characters was unlikable throughout the whole book; he was rude before and during his development (which involved an identity crisis) and even after, it was hard to like him solely because he was weird to his love interest. With spoilers,
let's get my main gripe out of the way: why the HELL does a college freshman kiss a high school freshman??? Why is it written off as NORMAL and ROMANTIC? The only reason I didn't put the book down immediately afterwards is because less than a page later, he gets hit by a car. I cannot believe that this book had the gall to say this character felt not seen or heard after this adult man consistently flirted with her when she was a preteen becoming a teen. And oh my god, don't even get me started on the ending. They go through all this development, and they decide not to end this massive storm with their discovered "fix" and instead want to live with their issues and try and cope with them. However, at the last moment, lighting strikes and, I shit you not, they lose ALL their memories from that night and go take their SAT like normal, no one's thoughts or specific actions being shared after that. The book ends with that.
Overall, I give it two stars for a very cool plot and mostly likeable characters on a base level, but poor writing and weird character traits outweigh the good in this one.
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