Scan barcode
salimah's reviews
959 reviews
The Social Climber by Amanda Pellegrino
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.25
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
This thriller is tightly constructed and smartly written.
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
While this is not the fault of the writing, the narrators were all wrong for this.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Piglet by Lottie Hazell
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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
I am not sure what this book's thesis is. Is it that a woman in a larger body, who is identified solely by the size of that body (and her love of consumption)--to the point that her actual name isn't given until the very end of the story--only has one reaction to devastation, which is to consume to the point of unraveling?
Is it that the characteristic of gluttony, foisted on her by a set of circumstances in which she was protecting/enabling someone else's disordered eating, is so ingrained, so indelible, that another person's actions cause her to regress to the most cliched version of self-sabotage?
I don't know. . . it's not that this kind of thing could never happen or does not happen. I just feel like we've all read/seen this oversimplified version of this story before and nothing new has been brought to the table, so to speak.
And is food the the villain of this story or its hero or both?
And why, why, why not detail the betrayal that sets off this chain reaction of binging and stuffing and public humiliation? The author does not serve her story by holding it back as it could only realistically be one thing (or one-thing adjacent). Rather self-indulgent, no pun intended.
Is it that the characteristic of gluttony, foisted on her by a set of circumstances in which she was protecting/enabling someone else's disordered eating, is so ingrained, so indelible, that another person's actions cause her to regress to the most cliched version of self-sabotage?
I don't know. . . it's not that this kind of thing could never happen or does not happen. I just feel like we've all read/seen this oversimplified version of this story before and nothing new has been brought to the table, so to speak.
And is food the the villain of this story or its hero or both?
And why, why, why not detail the betrayal that sets off this chain reaction of binging and stuffing and public humiliation? The author does not serve her story by holding it back as it could only realistically be one thing (or one-thing adjacent). Rather self-indulgent, no pun intended.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Truly enjoyable-- a fresh take on the mystery/spy novel.
My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
3.25
The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0