sometimes_samantha_reads's reviews
244 reviews

The Giver by Lois Lowry

challenging emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

Very cute! I honestly wish there was ust a little bit more book at the end for some more closure but I likes it. I'll be reading Elissa Sussman again

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

I enjoyed listening to this collection of essays and book recommendations. It'll help grow my tbr!

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

The Thursday Murder Club was a delightful read! I don't typically read mysteries but I just had to know about this ragtag group of elderly people solving crimes. I will admit, I was surprised by the ending! I smugly though I'd figured it out, but I didn't. It's interesting how everything connected. I feel some things were a little bit too neat which is why it's 4 stars and not 5. But I think I will be reading the other books in the series!

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Check 👏🏽 the 👏🏽 trigger 👏🏽 warnings 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

A good read for someone not shy about vulgar and dark humor. I think it was a bit much for me so u won't be following up on the sequel but it was a unique enough story! I've never heard anything like it before. 

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

5.0

Alice Oseman never misses.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous 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

4.0

The Red Pencil by Shane W. Evans, Andrea Davis Pinkney

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

My 5th grade students are doing mini-book-club novel studies in March for Reas Across America. Students will be doing projects at the end of month. My students are in pairs reading a wide variety of books. Two of them chose The Red Pencil from the school library. I had not read it before and wanted to read it in order to help them throughout the month. 

It was a deep and reflective book. Sad at many times but glimmers of hopefulness and childhood throughout. I think my students will appreciate and learn from this more serious and "grown up" book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Blood, Animal death, Violence, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was such an enjoyable read! 4 stars because there were a considerable number of times where I was confused about HOW things were happening and they weren't really resolved for me to follow what happened. Everything straightened itself out to be understood overall but I want to know the mechanics to understand the world better.