rhi_xo's reviews
122 reviews

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would considering I’m not a huge fan of urban fantasy & alternate worlds. I really love how dark this world is & there were a lot of cool story elements in here. but I did start to lose interest the more I read it. I guess I just wasn’t totally understanding everyone’s abilities in the book & I felt like there some things that were kind of glossed over. but I think I’ll still read the rest of the trilogy!

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

this was a really sweet book with some lovable characters in it (especially Dickon). I really liked the message of how you can expel bad thoughts with good ones & the positive effects of using your body & being outdoors. the story itself was different than what I expected it to be & I don’t know how I feel about the focus shifting from Mary to Colin. It would have been cool to get a glimpse into the kids’ futures to see how they turned out, but all in all it was a very sweet story.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

4.0

this is the first jane austen book I’ve read without already knowing how the story goes. I’ve read pride & prejudice & emma & I already knew how both stories ended before reading them because of having watched the movies. it was so enjoyable to read this & not know who ends up with who!! it had it all: classic jane austen sarcasm, pining, gossip, & pretty much a story about nothing lol I loved it! however I felt like the leading men were not pining ENOUGH hence the 4 stars. sadly, nothing can top “if I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” *sigh*

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous 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? No

3.0

has some cool ideas buy way overhyped. 800 pages & I wasn’t attached to a single character. I just felt like something was missing!!

Circe by Madeline Miller

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

wow. just wow. this book absolutely deserves all of the hype. circe just felt so real & sympathetic. the dialogue in this book was so heartbreaking at times. every sentence delivered such profound emotion. I’m so so glad I read this.

Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

first collection of short stories that I've read in a while & I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the short stories in here I had already read for a Vampire Literature course in college (it's the "Black Corfu" one)! unfortunately it ended up being the best story in the collection so the rest went downhill from there :/ there were some shining moments in some of the other short stories like "The Gondoliers," but some of the others were just a little too weird for my taste.

Sex and Rage by Eve Babitz

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

1.0

I had pretty high hopes for this book because I've heard a lot of good things about this writer, but this just really did not impress me. I was not invested at all in Jacaranda or any of the other characters. I don't understand her relationship with Max & the dialogue just read really weird to me at times. Also I kinda hate books that talk a lot about NYC or LA or any other major city because I just don't think they're as interesting as residents of those cities like to think... sorry! All in all, not enough sex & not enough rage. :(

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

informative reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

I found this to be a very relaxing read. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I liked how the way the book is written really coincides with how Manod lives her life: there's clearly not a lot of activity or flashy customs but there's still a lot of heart, & I think the way the book is written reflects that. I think that this book can speak a lot to the kinds of microaggressions & exploitation that a lot of people who have been pushed off their homes or exoticized can relate to. & I can appreciate that my Welsh name was mentioned in the book!

Matrix by Lauren Groff

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

took a while for me to get into the style of this book because it moves pretty fast & almost reads as stream of consciousness, but by the end of it I was happy I picked it up. it’s just a really cool story about some complex & cool women. will read more from this author.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional funny 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

enjoyed the first half but wasn’t quite understanding the hype. the second half really started to make the whole book come together for me & made this a five star read. the characters & their dynamics felt very real & the story was just so well done. I get it now lol