redlocqueen_'s reviews
69 reviews

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

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emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

4.0

BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN! The raw emotion coming from Rachel (FMC) in this story gave me goosebumps! Her determination and resilience speaks volumes! I love when I'm able to finish a book and I feel so moved and motivated. I can't wait to see the movie adaptation and the author's next book. She's been added to my instant buy list! :D
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A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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adventurous dark 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

4.0

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

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adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

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adventurous dark emotional 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

Babel by R.F. Kuang

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emotional 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

5.0

WOW! Such a phenomenal read! Kuang has beautiful writing and you can tell she took her time with this book. I love how she put in notes and explanations. It really added to the story without crowding it. I honestly feel like this book should be taught in schools. Kuang was able to tie so many important themes and historical issues within this fictional story, it's baffling in a good way! The biggest themes in this read were colonialism and oppression, which of course in today's time this is important to know. She was able to make me critically think on my life and what's happening in the now. I loved loved loved this book! The character development and plot was *CHEF'S KISS*!!! I really fell in love with all the characters (except Letty lol). This was my first Kuang read and I can't wait to read her other books. If you're deciding on reading this or not....GET IT! You won't be disappointed!
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Ajeemah and His Son by James Berry

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dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Very nice short read! At times, the dialogue was hard to follow but after rereading a couple times I was able understand. I loved how in this african diaspora historical read that the main characters were really fighting to get back to their homeland rather than conceding. 
The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir by Michele Harper

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Truly reflective and delightful to get a inside look into the author's experiences! Not only did she tell us her experiences throughout her career but she gave you a inside look on how to overcome and cope in the best way. My career field is veterinary medicine and being African American, I was able to really connect to her story. It gave me confidence to keep pushing through my day to day life. Awesome read! Thank you Dr. Harper!
It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Confusing POVs and characters. The book didn’t keep me engaged. 
Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield

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inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing read! I couldn't put this book down. I love how the author portrayed the FMes different lifestyles with their POls. While also tying in the political climate during that time period. Very well written. The audiobook was even better and very well narrated! Most definitely a top read for me this year