pascalispapi's Reviews (45)

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror

Joe Vallese

4.0

informative reflective medium-paced

Content Warnings

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead

Olga Tokarczuk

DID NOT FINISH: 40%

Slowwwww and introspective. Not the current mood. Good though.

Daddy

Victor LaValle

4.0

dark tense fast-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

Content Warnings

LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority

Marie Arana

4.75

dark informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Content Warnings

The Strain

Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South

Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers

4.75

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

Content Warnings

The Ballad of Black Tom

Victor LaValle

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

A great twist on Lovecraftian horror. Tense and thought provoking, flipping Lovecraft’s racism on its head. I just wish it were a bit longer.. Some moments felt a bit rushed. Still great for horror fans who like their scares with substance.

The Bad Muslim Discount

Syed M. Masood

4.0

dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-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

The bad Muslim Discount is that rare book that makes you laugh out loud one minute and clutch your heart the next. Anvar’s sarcastic charm and Azza’s tough yet fragile resilience are perfection. They feel so real, you’ll forget they’re fictional. And the side characters are absolute gems, they pop off the page with depth and warmth.

The dialogue is chef's kiss. Each character has a unique, clear personality. A few plot points could’ve used more room to breathe, but who cares when the characters are this vibrant? Equal parts sharp satire and tender humanity, this book is a celebration of messy, beautiful lives. Loved it.

The Ash-Born Boy

V.E. Schwab

2.0

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

The Near Witch

V.E. Schwab

2.75

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

As a first-time V.E. Schwab reader, I was excited to dive into this especially with all the hype around her books. Unfortunately, this one didn’t win me over.

The concept was intriguing, but the story felt too short and unfinished—like it needed more room to breathe. The main character had potential, but I didn’t get enough depth to really care. I was ultimately too distracted by the "friend-zoned man" behavior and giving in to it to enjoy the story. Not a fan of the message in this part of the storyline.

Maybe her full-length novels are better, but this didn’t leave me eager to read more.

Content Warnings

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