rlpietraszek's reviews
130 reviews

The Newcomer: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews

dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

Wild and unbelievable plot, full of holes, with a romance shoe-horned in. Love interest comes off as stalker-ish and pushy. Main character makes choices that make absolutely no sense. Many awkward turns of phrase and plot twists. Left a lot to be desired as a beach read.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

3.0

The way it was written was really not for me, but it’s a fun plot/premise.

The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-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

4.0

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.5

Fantastic writing style, you root for the characters even when they’re behaving badly

If I Told You Once by Judy Budnitz

adventurous emotional reflective tense 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

4.5

A beautifully written folklore novel

The Guest by Emma Cline

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.5

How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

A fun read, the point gets lost in over-analysis of the character motivations, and there’s a little **too** much detail around the physics. However, enjoyable none the less

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

Just don’t love this sort of retelling, didn’t find the premise compelling