raro6511's reviews
62 reviews

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Overall a really good book. Had some creepy stuff going on, but I think the scariest thing about this book was finding a comfortable way to hold it while reading. 

Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts) by Serj Tankian

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

I was hoping for more SOAD content, but the history he gave about the Armenian Genocide was a good thing to learn about. Also gave me more insight into his solo projects which I’ll now look into. 

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was honestly better than I expected it to be. The original trilogy was so good I didn’t think it would be possible to add a prequel that could stand up to them, but this definitely did. It was interesting to see the games in their development and getting it from Snow’s point of view made for an interesting angle. As the book progresses my disdain for Snow only grew and we start to his actions and thoughts become more selfish and deranged. 

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

I thought this memoir started off slow, but once the pace picked up, I couldn’t put  it down. It was written in an interesting way, and some of the subject matter was tough to read. Machado does a good job shedding some light on domestic violence in queer relationships. 

Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Absolutely heartbreaking to read. McCurdy has had it rough to say the least. I thought she managed to write this memoir in a way that had me understanding how someone could easily be manipulated by a family member.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a collection of three of Eric LaRocca’s stories. “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke” definitely had me cringing and repeating “wtf” almost the whole time. His other two stories were strong as well “The Enchantment” I thought being better of the two. Worth a read. 

Coming Home to Her by Emily Juniper

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Nice collection of poems. Overall a little cliche, but there were some quotes that really stuck. Quick and easy read, so while it’s not a collection of groundbreaking poems, it’s still worth a read. 

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

funny lighthearted medium-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

3.0

Decent but not worth the hype I’ve seen around this book. Cute. Has its funny moments. And will probably use the line “no country for old shit boots” because it was the only line in the book that got any sort of reaction from me.