sarahmaxwell's reviews
5 reviews

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really liked it, I think I was just expecting…. more. Sharp Objects worked so well for me in a way that this book just couldn’t. But Gillian Flynn’s prose and her ability to keep you enraptured will always be impressive to me. In this novel, she can keep you hooked until you actually begin to uncover the truth, and it all sort of… falls apart. The ending is what we are all searching for, the climax, the answers to all of our questions. But she doesn’t give us a chance to absorb it, let it linger, or consider all of the consequences of this deep string of lies.

It’s immediately resolved—Ben is freed, and Aunt Diane forgives her.

I want to soak in the moment we are able to piece everything together. I want to feel the moment deeply, but we aren’t given the chance.

But while the ending may have felt rushed, the journey there was anything but. Every little clue means something, and every page points to something deeper. Flynn gives us the information little by little; she doles it out in tiny doses, dangling the answers in front of us like a seasoned expert. She knows where to push, and where to pull back. I find myself impressed by this at the end of every chapter, and I think I’ll keep this awe throughout the rest of her novels.

I may need to sit with this novel a bit longer. I don’t know how much i skimmed over or haven’t absorbed fully, but I trust that there’s more to this novel than its initial read-through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

emotional funny 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

3.0

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

One of the most beautifully written, charming, funny and warm romance books I’ve read in a long time. When writing a queer romance about two young men in “royal” positions, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of some harmful and outdated clichés. But Casey McQuinston manages to avoid these pitfalls masterfully, skirting past any hatred of women or the dreaded dumb-misunderstanding-turned-forced-conflict. They fight, they miscommunicate and they aren’t perfect, but it’s all written with such sincerity that it’s hard to be pessimistic. It’s realistic but doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s lighthearted and fun but not dismissive. This is a beautifully written book, and I would recommend it to anyone with a pulse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Outing

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Cancer, Incest, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment