rhi_xo's reviews
122 reviews

Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

at some point I just had to surrender to not fully understanding what vandermeer is trying to relay. I kind of started to think of it as long-form poetry & in that way it became a more enjoyable reading experience. chapter 9 from the fox's perspective was definitely my favorite. I just wish I knew what exactly vandermeer was picturing in his mind for this book!!

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

emotional sad fast-paced

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

2.0

this might be the only book that has made me cry & I still didn’t like it lol. I really tried to like Tully but she was so selfish & immature that I just couldn’t take it anymore by the end of it. I genuinely wanted Kate to rip her a new one lol. I think the only thing that really kept me reading was how sympathetic I was for Kate’s character. she put everyone’s feelings before her own & I felt so bad for her that her “best friend” & daughter never really appreciated it. other than that I felt like the book moved very fast. things you think will be part of a larger arc end up getting resolved in literally the next chapter. but even the major events/conflicts seem to be completely forgotten about in later chapters. I understand what the author was going for here, but I just wasn’t buying into this friendship. :/

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

sally rooney’s mind…👁️👄👁️

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

this was such a fun mystery read!! I love reading books like these every once in a while where it’s fast-paced & has different twists & turns. I would definitely read more from this author again.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

challenging dark tense fast-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

0.0

erm… what the flip?🤨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Incest

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

it’s really hard to write a review of this book without just explaining every character & every piece of the plot so I’m just going to say if you love classics & have ever considered reading russian lit, you’ve gotta read this at some point in your life. yes, it’s long & I did almost fall asleep at one point (hence only 4 stars lol), but I already know that I will be thinking about the ideas in this book for years to come & I’m so glad that I pushed myself to read it. here’s what you can take away from my review: dostoevsky absolutely cooked in the pro and contra part of this book & with Ivan’s character in general; basically the point is there will always be a longstanding battle of whether you want to believe that love and faith stand a chance against the grief & horrors humans inflict on each other everyday; and finally, maybe god is the friends we made along the way :) okay gotta go learn russian now, byee🏃🏻‍♀️

edit: changed it to 5 stars because I honestly cannot stop thinking about this book <3

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing fast-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

4.0

I’m not much of a sci-fi person but this book was surprisingly accessible & profound. I felt like the humanity of Gaspery’s character & his love for his sister was the real overarching narrative of the book. I highlighted a few moments in the book that stuck with me regarding how we respond to illness, to impending doom, & what we consider to be “real.” will likely read more by her.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

1.0

there was just something really missing in this story for me. I usually really enjoy books about sisters or even books that are historical fiction but I just could not connect at all to the characters in this book. the dialogue read very strange to me & the whole book felt way too fast-paced. the constant time jumping I think worked against the overall story & I really believe it would have been better told chronologically. I HATED the reveal at the end. I thought it was so silly & it actually made me laugh at loud. towards the end I just kinda kept rolling my eyes. also who the hell would leave their child sister by a river you yourself know is dangerous?? such a strange book..

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

this was surprisingly so poetic & emotional. I actually teared up at certain parts relating to the protagonist & his father’s relationship. I will say though that at times I felt like it was a little hard to picture exactly what was happening during jay’s struggles inside the whale so I really feel like this story is better suited on the big screen. sometimes the very short & kind of incomplete sentences that marks the style of this book worked against the overall storytelling & I would start to lose interest, but then I would just get hit with such a gut-wrenching memory of jay & his dad & was just brought right back in. overall a very sweet & heroic story.