robyncoleman's reviews
117 reviews

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

challenging emotional 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

This book deserves all the praise it has gotten! 5 stars across the board.

Everything feels tangible and real in this book (even the video games); the characters, the emotions, the relationships, the up and downs of life. It was heart healing and heartbreaking at the same time. If you’re a fan of video games and contemporary emotional/reflective stories tinged with melancholia - then this is the book for you!

Tucking this book into a corner of my heart.

Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

A book that explores themes such as immigration, memory, family and difficult relationships. I started this randomly because I had a free trial of kindle unlimited, safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. The Latinx to US immigrant struggle is something I’m not very educated on so this was wonderful to get that perspective of. I liked the characters and the story was well told, very reflective and emotional. 3.75 stars

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

slow-paced

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

1.5

Not going to lie, this book got me into a tad reading slump. I’m slowly learning to stop trusting booktok recommendations.

I found the dialogue in this super cringey and cheesy. I might have enjoyed it a lot more when I was 16, but it really was hard to read. The characters felt a bit flat… I didn’t really feel like they had much chemistry/connection until like the last quarter of the book. And even then, it just felt like it happened exponentially. I just didn’t really care for them (sorry I might just be heartless).

This was set in New York, and honestly for the first 20% of the book there was no indication that it was happening there. I got no New York vibes at all, except the occasional signpost “Central Park” or other “New York location” mentioned. It really felt like a void surrounded the characters… not sure if it was intentional and meant to highlight the relationships but I just didn’t vibe with it.

Overall it was like a 1.5 stars for my reading experience.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

adventurous slow-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

3.5

 This was very long! Can I say I loved it? No. But I liked it! And that's enough. I listened to the audiobook, which was really entertaining as the narrator had quite a repertoire of accents for different characters, which spiced things up every now and then. I would compare this book to a RPG open world fantasy video game (think Zelda BOTW). There's a main quest, but sometimes one can get carried away with the side quests. This book was an origin story full of side quests. The narrative was lore heavy, windy and rambling. We meet loads of characters throughout the plot, lots of obstacles to overcome and a vague over arching plot which we dip in and out of. I would recommend this book if you're a fan of getting lost in a fantasy adventure. 3.5 stars for my reading experience. 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

adventurous funny 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? Yes

5.0

Adored this!! Hear me out, I’ve been such a huge fan of Spy kids 3 since I was little. And this book just encapsulated that video game VR experience into book form with loveable characters, amazing 80’s cultural references and a wild adventure. It’s not a book for everyone but it sure was my cup of tea. 5 stars!!! The world building and explaining is on the heavy side, so if you’re not a fan of that I wouldn’t recommend. 

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

2.75

An uncomfortable reading experience, disgusted and intrigued at the same time. The men in this book are so horrible!! 2.5 stars maybe 3. I found the husbands’ POV’s really unbearable. But the book also kept me reading. If you like challenging, emotional and dark/sad writing then I would recommend.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

This was a reread. I had it in my head this was a 5 star book but upon reflection, it is definitely a solid 3. I vaguely remembered the plot and characters. They really didn’t blow me away this time for some reason. Very subtle energy to the book, nice cosy cafe vibes.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

A wonderfully written book, about such an important yet harrowing topic. The characters felt so real (which is the point) and the author’s note in the back really made me quite emotional. Such gorgeous writing on a personal level. The strong families and love in this book only mirrors that of what one would hope to have, to support a person in this situation.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.0

I have mixed thoughts on this book. Overall I would say it’s a beautifully told story. I loved the short chapter format with great titles to each chapter (really gave some context and helped with the plot). Characters are mostly loveable, and you get to see many sides to each character.

However my criticism would definitely come in when it comes to the portrayal of suicide or mental illness. This book definitely gives a hopeful (and dare I say, Pinterest inspo approach) to someone who literally is suffering with their mental health. It’s the crux of the story… so I definitely think it’s an important aspect to consider.

But this book also has potential to inspire and help people who are perhaps facing difficult times. So for that I’ll praise it.

My reading experience garners it a 4 star book, but I can see this book may not be for everybody.

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

Laid out in a simple 4 step process of how to build up positive habits while fight the bad habits existing in your life. Really was fond of the layout of this book, everything was clear and I delighted in the sentiment a lot. 4 stars, will probably read again at some point.