safsaf118's reviews
227 reviews

Junie by Chelene Knight

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Okay, I'm not sure how I felt about this one. I'm still on the fence, but I always enjoy a good coming-of-age story. This was set in Vancouver in the 1930s, so a part of history that I'm not really familiar with but always love a Canadian moment. There were aspects of this that I liked - the complicated relationship between Junie and her mom, and the class commentary seen within her classroom and with her friends, for example. But I feel like it ultimately fell flat for me, and I vividly remember at some point just wanting to put the book down and not finish it. 

China Room by Sunjeev Sahota

emotional hopeful tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Grabbed this book off the shelf at the library on a whim and honestly was pretty impressed. I actually still think about this every now and then, the story really stuck with me - especially the flashbacks. It was pretty tense in the second half, I was gripping the book ferociously. The modern story didn't stick with me as much, and I found myself just wanting to get through his chapters and back to the more interesting flashbacks. I've had bad experiences with some of the Booker Prize books but this one might have just redeemed that...

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

Yeah, the hype is worth it. Like why am I so invested in all of these characters in a small hockey town? This does such a good job of getting us fully immersed into the lives of all the characters and the stifling/suffocating nature of the town. Then WHAM it really gets into it. Honestly, the only reason why this isn't a five star for me is that I was so stressed out the whole time - and I did find it pretty slow in the beginning like it took a while to actually get into what was on the back of the book. But it's equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved, loved it. 

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.25

I was so invested in this story and just on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so interesting to see the story through the perspective of someone who is a little bit lost on what's actually happening, and then try to piece together from between the lines. This is such a genuinely gripping read, and I recommend it so often. 

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

A really good take on telling a family tragedy through the eyes of a younger sibling. It's such a heart-warming story and I really loved how the small-town attitude was reflected in the changing narratives. Despite the pretty tense backdrop, it's actually really sweet. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Wow, this is pretty much exactly what I thought it would be but was also somehow so much better than I could have anticipated. You can feel the sheer resentment through the pages and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I'm a little bit stressed about reading the next book and the conflicts that will likely arrive I think I'll leave it for now.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I genuinely was so blown away by this book - there was so much about the Brock Turner case that I didn’t know about, and to hear it from Chanel firsthand was super powerful. The anger and frustration that I felt is hard to describe. But it was also so inspiring to read about all the people who supported her along the way — starting with the Swedes who stepped in. Everybody should read this. 

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

Finally we have some more Helene up in here. Elias and Laia are being idiots as per usual, but plot wise I really liked this and was on the edge of my seat a couple of times. I’ll eventually get around to the third one!! 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

It’s super interesting to get a look behind the world of Nickelodeon and child fame but the main focus of the book is really on the relationship between Jeanette and her mom. It was a really interesting read — but also super sad at times. You can feel the desperation and the pressure, but it’s also funny and sweet. 

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

Hated every second of it. Just too depressing and graphic and weird. The bullying they experience is traumatizing and it just got tiring hearing about it over and over.