slightlylostwriter's reviews
123 reviews

A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I. Lin

adventurous 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

4.5

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Nobody Knows But You by Anica Mrose Rissi

mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.25

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Christmas Eve by Emma Smith

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this festive novella; it was sweet, heartfelt, and Christmasy. I liked almost all of the main players, even Toby, though I think we should’ve spent some more time on him to fully develop him and his relationships. But of course, this was a novella with only so many words the author could write, and it was still a nice and complete story. The romance felt realistic, and Nanny was my favorite character by far, with Eve being a close second!

I feel the fact that I wanted more of Toby can also be seen as a good thing, as it meant the story had my interest.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

medium-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

1.0

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

I audibly gasped when I saw that my local library had gotten this book! 🍄🐀

If We Were Villains is one of my favourite books, so I knew I had to read M.L Rio's new novella. I spent an evening with this twisted story, which at its core is about sleep and being deprived of it. 

The characters were the kind I wish I'd got to spend more time with, although the story itself didn't grasp me the same way If We Were Villains did. I think the highlight of the entire book was the essay written by the author. 

Even if you don't feel this is your kind of book, reading Rio's essay feels like something any fan of dark academia should. She brings up some of the dangerous sides of academia and the complexities of how If We Were Villains became a known part of the genre that now is Dark Academia.

Overall, it was a nice read, but it left me wanting more. Not in the way of interest but disappointment. It feels like more could've been done here, and perhaps it was the sort of story that should've been longer. 

Either way, I think M.L. Rio deserves some rest and CAN wait for her next work if it means she gets it ♥️