safsaf118's reviews
227 reviews

Some Shall Break by Ellie Marney

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS? I am not normally a fan of sequels but I have wanted more ever since I first read None Shall Break. The entire concept and characters and their backstories are just delicious. This was hard to put down. I was on the edge of my seat and am entirely obsessed with the implications of what happened in this book...dare I hope for a third book? 

Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo

funny mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

Interesting, strange, a bit weird. For some reason, I was under the impression that Anne would be in college, not a grown woman so it threw me off a bit. It kind of felt like we spent a lot of time just reading about how she lounged about her hotel room and thought about her ex-husband and worried about her daughter. The glimpses into her father's journal was super interesting, and I loved the concept but I felt like there was something missing. 

Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown

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

4.0

Brianna, why are you the way that you are? I'm not a judgemental person (lol) but she really needs to stop having children, it's incredibly irresponsible. There was a lot going on here, and I enjoyed watching the tensions rise and bubble to the surface (and occasionally explode). The negative energy was a lot from Elizabeth and I found her chapters really hard to read. Ginger was also so bitter for no reason. I really loved Tabitha and felt like she was the only character who was really complex - we can see how hard she's trying to build a loving family on her own terms but how it keeps backfiring. The letters from the prospective adoptive families in between chapters were so touching. 

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

adventurous hopeful tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

 This one was a bit of a roller coaster. At first, I was mostly engrossed and interested in what was happening, but I got bored about halfway through and had to force myself to keep reading. I’m really glad I did, because I loved the ending and the final act of resistance. I think I mostly felt like this was half-finished. It almost felt like there wasn't enough world-building in the beginning so I had a really hard time pinpointing what was happening and what Bird's life looked like. The flashbacks of Bird's mother and her life before her arrest were definitely a strong part of the book. 

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I needed to sit for a few days and let this one sink in. What hurts the most about this story and how true it is - this genuinely could pass for a non-fiction story. The deeply entrenched anti-immigration sentiment that has spread and risen through Europe and Arab countries, the lack of justice and human rights that refugees deal with, and the death and loss that comes with searching for safety and a new home. It took everything in me to keep reading, because I kept wanting to put it down. The ending completely broke me.

I know there are different interpretations of the ending, and I go back and forth between two sides of it: first, the idea that the ending of the story is what would have happened if no one stepped in and helped. OR the other way around, where the entire story imagines an alternate ending if only someone had helped - throughout the journey we only saw people take advantage of Amir and his family, but Vanna's acts of kindness show that there is an alternative, if only she had acted.

Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

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? It's complicated

2.0

Another Anne Tyler book that let me down. I don't even know what was going on with this book. It just felt weird and disjointed, like it was leading down a certain path -- but the message got lost along the way. Not for me. 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

Wow. I was not expecting that. This reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove and had similar themes. This felt really fulfilling to read and such a good mix of hope and grief and love. 

The Anthill by Julianne Pachico

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

 Sorry, what did I just read? I’m actually conflicted because I really liked the first half but I didn’t fully understand the premise of the story and I still have a few questions. But it did a good job of making me feel unsettled and I couldn’t put it down at first. Would like this more if I understood the ending, I think. I couldn't put it down, but I also was just hoping for more resolution than what we were given.  

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

dark funny tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I don't even have the words to describe this. I genuinely enjoyed Dial A for Aunties so I had high hopes for this and it did not disappoint. Is Vera completely unhinged and suffering from a lack of boundaries? Yes, absolutely. But she was also iconic. This actually got a little bit dark at times but still was funny and entertaining and kept me hooked. 

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

Always a huge fan of retellings of The Taming of the Schrew. I really liked the idea of this but it felt like something was missing. Honestly, it felt pretty rushed and way too short. We never really got to see a genuine development of the relationship between Kate and Pyotr, which kind of ruins the whole point of the story? That really ruined it for me. The other characters also didn't feel flushed out at all, which is pretty disappointing. Again, it felt like this was the first draft and could have benefitted from lots of revision. It was sweet and funny though, like I see the vision but we just needed to get there.