shaanll's reviews
129 reviews

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton

challenging emotional funny inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.75

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

slow-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? No

4.5

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

North Woods by Daniel Mason

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A Court of Mist and Fury (Parts 1 & 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

3.75

Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.75

While there are some aspects of the novel I enjoyed- the protagonist, the unique appropriation and modernisation of R&J, Tybalt’s characterisation- there was far too much plagiarism (Shakespeare’s words, Juliet’s words used by Rosaline to Tybalt), inconsistencies in language and drawn out descriptions which did not build tension or mood. If the author was one of my students I would have told her to “show, not tell!” 

Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden [A Baking Book] by Nichole Accettola

4.0

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0