rachturtlebaum's reviews
926 reviews

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

But what was the truth?!?!??

Content Warnings

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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

3.75

This was such a delight to read!

Content Warnings

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

men don’t deserve rights

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

When I started reading this book, I felt myself fall back in love with what I felt when reading as a kid. It’s the same thing I feel now when I play a video game or watch a movie or start a new tv show. I think I got my English degree because I love stories and how we tell them. I told all of my friends before I was even halfway through they needed to read this book and described it as a story between two friends who grow up together and the complexities that come with that as they start making video games together; it’s a love letter to immersive storytelling both through text and with video games.

I finished reading this novel on the one year anniversary of my grandfather’s death. I’ve done a lot of reflecting in that time and found different ways to grieve and process all my emotions. Crying as a mourned certain plot points at the same time my clock hit midnight and officially turned to the one year anniversary let me feel a catharsis I haven’t felt in a year. I don’t know if any of this makes sense. I’m still crying now after finishing the book. I’m just so happy to live in a world where books like this exist and we have stories that can be experienced in a variety of mediums.

Bunny by Mona Awad

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challenging dark 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? Yes

3.75

Oh bunny this was a wild ride

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

I’m not rating this book because I don’t want to rate the grief we feel when we lose someone we love. This was a beautiful read that hurt me deeply and gave word to feelings I’ve felt for so long.

For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

I won’t leave a review of everything I didn’t like but wow this wasn’t for me.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very spicy and very good!

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i loved this!!! so cute and i loved the representation