river69rat's reviews
56 reviews

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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adventurous hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I loved the beginning and middle section but the ending felt so rushed. It really felt like we had a whole book of build up but it built up to nothing. A shame really, I think it should've stayed focused on gender relations and religion instead of trying to do a big fantasy fight. Still a good book and worth reading despite me personally leaving disappointed.
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

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dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The female autistic experience but with more blood sucking
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Salem's Lot by Stephen King

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

My first Stephen King! Absolutely sped through this, writing style is so digestible and I really like the majority of the characters, but also the way King tells the story of the town and the people who live there. It made the creep to the events of the book more disturbing. Saying that... I didn't find this very scary, I perhaps hyped it up as a scary book too much after my mum saying it gave her nightmares, but I just found the vampire thing goofy. I think it's still good horror writing but it did not scare me in the way horror films/games do where I am easily scared, so I am thinking maybe books just don't scare me in the same way.

Oh also, the epilogue after wrapping up the story of the main characters could've stopped there. I got no enjoyment reading about additional characters from past and future.

Anyway, very good, very readable book and I will definitely pick up more Stephen King in the future!
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Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens

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emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One of those 5* books based purely on the immaculate vibes, just beautiful and fantastic
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Bunny by Mona Awad

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challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

The first half and a bit more of this book is incredible, the final quarter just got a bit too chaotic for me personally, I know it's an insane story but I wish it were just a bit more grounded. Still loved this book however, it's so visceral and I know the exact feeling of having great friends yet still wanting to fit in, to lose the label of outcast. Just loved it.
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A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

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dark funny tense medium-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

4.25

I was feeling my toes dipping into a reading slump and this book dragged me right out of it. The narrative voice gets insufferable at points but the pacing and story telling methods is fantastic.
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Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

One of those books that can be read a thousand different ways, but conjures up so many emotions that are so hard to try and explain.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

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challenging dark 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? No

2.5

I've heard so many good things about this book but it really just disappointed me. Had brilliant ideas but the writing is clunky (this may just be a poor translation, but I've not heard many complaints about the writing) and the characters just don't feel believable. The plot itself was very predictable also. Better writing and deeper dive into character relations would've saved this book because the actual idea is really interesting. Just a frustrating read honestly.
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Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

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challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

About to watch Dune 2 again and this book has me so excited for the Dune Messiah movie that hasn't even been announced yet 
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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

4.75

Dostoevsky manages to produce dialogue and concepts that is so emotional and relevant 140 years later, it is genuinely remarkable. Extremely challenging and I could never claim to truly understand this book, but I never thought I could cry at a Dostoevsky novel, yet here I am.
Forever my favourite author no matter how pretentious that is.