slightlylostwriter's reviews
98 reviews

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

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emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.75

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

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emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I love slasher movies, so I was super excited to read this book. It definitely had a lot of the tropes I am used to from the genre and that I enjoy. It was when it started deviating from what I'm used to in the classical slashers that I was the least interested in the plot.

There were many twists, some that I saw coming and others that surprised me. The final one was the one I least expected. The hints were there and I did notice them, but I stupidly thought they were just red herrings.

The main cast of characters, especially Charity and Bezi, were likeable and they were easy to care for. I was anxious to see how they would survive the night and hoped that all of them would do so.

Overall, I thought the beginning half of the book was more enjoyable, but the last chapter, in particular, was the absolute best part.

If you like slashers, I'd say you should give this book a chance!

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

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lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

3.75

I liked this book quite a lot! It had an interesting plot and a main character I could sympathize with (although she sometimes felt a bit judgemental towards her classmates).

I didn't feel all that attached to the love interest and therefore felt nothing in particular towards their relationship. I did not actively dislike them but wish we could've gotten to know him a bit more. He was a nice guy, though, and I felt bad for how oblivious Alice was to his opinion of her.

I also wish we would've gotten to see more of the 'ghost' tasks. I was quite sad that there were only two or three tasks that we got to see throughout the book, as that plot point was the very thing that made me want to read the book in the first place.

The ending was the best part of the book; everything was tied together satisfactorily, with some commentary on how people are treated differently based on finical status and class.

All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

This story had everything I love; well-developed relationships, angst and two protagonists that were worth rooting for from the very beginning.

Both Andrew and Jamie could stand on their own as characters. They both had equally intersting backstories, inner struggles and reactions to the new world they found themselves in. Had the book been about only one of them, I would still gladly have read it. As wonderful as their relationship was, they were just as great as individuals.

I was surprised at how naturally their relationship developed. It really felt like they were friends before anything else, and best friends at that. Their trust in one another made me smile and want to cry at the same time. I could really feel how much they cared about each other, and it never once felt like it was a one-sided relationship or unequal. The developments and moments, big and small alike, they had together always felt earned and came at the exact right time.

The narrators really brought life into these characters and fit them so well that I am going to struggle to listen to them in other books without thinking of Andrew and Jamie.

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.75

This book made me feel weirdly nostalgic. There was something about the simplicity of the plot and characters that reminded me of the books I used to love when I was younger - It was very much a YA fantasy book...This is by no means a bad thing. I love YA fantasy, even though I've been reading less of it this year, and this book had so many of the tropes I'm used to.

The best part for me was the powers and worldbuilding, and I wish we would've spent more time getting to know the world and magic, but the glimpses were had were wonderful. I also wish the monsters felt more monstrous and less like "humans who have supernatural abilities", but I liked the morality of the powers and how they used them.

Overall it was a quick and easy read, although it was a bit slow for the first sixty pages.

My Heart in Braille by Joris Chamblain, Anne-Lise Nalin

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emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

3.75

This was a delightful little graphic novel. I am always happy to see disability representation in stories, especially when they're targeted towards younger readers.

I wish the story and characters (and their relationships) were a bit more fleshed out, but it was still a perfectly lovely story. I also wish Marie had gotten to know Victor a bit better, more specifically when it came to his musical interests, which felt like they were skipped over and forgotten about.

The art was the best part, and each frame was absolutely stunning. It's also very short, so I recommend reading it if the synopsis is of any interest to you! It won't be a waste of your time!

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced