rpweber15's reviews
273 reviews

Polybius by Collin Armstrong
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.

DNF at 19%: This book sounded like the exact type of horror book I’d liked but sadly, the author spends the whole time telling instead of showing and introducing too many characters without giving them any depth whatsoever…I just couldn’t connect with the book at all.

Things Left Unsaid: A Novel by Sara Jafari

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

A description of this book said that if you loved Maame (by Jessica George), which I did (you should read it), you'd enjoy this book. That was a VERY accurate description. I may be a white woman in her 40s, but there is something about reading coming of age (in one's 20s) stories centered around Black, Asian, Indigenous, or people of other racial and ethnic identities that really capture my attention and my heart. These are the stories that help build empathy toward others, open our eyes to other's experiences, and hopefully push people out of their comfortable bubbles of privilege. 

As the author said in her acknowledgements, this is a book about friendship. It's also about finding courage within ourselves, fighting back against a world that others people constantly, and forging open lines of communication. There were difficult conversations throughout this book. While I'm glad they occurred, it felt like the author was a bit too intent on building up the tension ahead of those conversations. The big event that happened in secondary school between Shirin and Kian wasn't really explained until a long way into the book and in some ways, it was a little anti-climactic. All of the hard conversations ended well (which is certainly not always the case). The book ended in February 2020 and while it was set in the UK, it would have been really interesting to see how the characters managed the pandemic (and associated global politics). 

I found the very blatant criticism of the publishing industry to be excellent, but also a bit hollow. St. Martin's Press, this books' publisher, was under fire last year for Islamophobia perpetuated by one of their employees. There was a boycott and it took SMP a very long time to do anything about it. I was disappointed in how they handled the situation and wasn't particularly impressed with the statements they made. It's a little ironic that the publishing industry is under fire in this particular book. Again, things worked out just fine for Shirin, but the publisher in the book wasn't exactly held accountable. Then again, this book is really about Shirin's character growth, so giving the publisher any more page time isn't really the point.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.

The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi

4.0

I wouldn't say the story line is very original, but the characters are great and I really love the house!

Greedy: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much by Jen Winston

fast-paced

3.0

I was hoping for a deeper and more nuanced set of notes on bisexuality. Instead I got a memoir that felt a bit manic, didn’t really go deep into a whole lot, and seemed to miss the mark on the topic of bisexuality (or, at least, skirt the issue of being bi). I’m also older than the author by about a decade and couldn’t relate to her at all, both because of generational differences but also because I didn’t have anywhere near the kinds of experiences she had (in life, in general).  The book felt like a way to seek attention, in the most privileged way possible. 

That said, there were still some nice thoughts on gender, the patriarchy, sex, etc. I’m not sure anything was fresh or unique, but the book was well-written and entertaining enough to finish.

Tilt by Emma Pattee

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I live in Portland and could follow Annie through her travels from Ikea to downtown to outer SE. That made the book more interesting, but harder to read. I've only lived here a few years, but I try to not think about the "Big One" or I'd go crazy.

This is a book about resiliency and motherhood.

The ending is pretty unsatisfying, nonetheless. 

This book might sit with me awhile. I'm feeling a little at a loss for words at the moment. 

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I just read. This story is very well-written and the plot twist is one I didn’t see coming. This was truly one of the more haunting and quietly tense books I’ve ever read; it’s an excellent debut!

The Between by Tananarive Due

4.5

I will read whatever Tananarive writes.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

5.0

This is my first and only 5-star read of 2025 so far. It packs a serious, gut-wrenching punch. Despite that, and how uncomfortable I felt at times, I was also comforted by the fact that I am not alone in my feelings. 

Free Palestine.

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

challenging emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This was a very slow read for me. The plot was simple and didn’t involve too many interactions, which is why it felt like it took me forever to read. The writing is decent and the premise is fantastic but the execution wasn’t great. The author did strike the right cord when it came to the dangers of water…it’s the only time I felt tense through the book, mostly because so much was predictable. 

I love apocalyptic books…and find climate fiction really interesting….but I hated Station Eleven (the show, which I DNFed) and didn’t love Sea of Tranquility (the book, which I did read). With all the comparisons to Emily St John Mandel, I should have maybe skipped this one?

Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The sharp and witty writing pulls you into this Thelma & Louise thriller. The requirement to suspend disbelief becomes almost too much until things take a turn and you realize you're totally invested in the story and these two antiheroes. The big reveal is somewhat predictable so I urge readers to just go along on the wide ride without trying to solve the mystery. This is a really great debut from Hannah Deitch. Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced digital ARC of this adventurous tale!