sonyareadsbooks's reviews
107 reviews

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Second You're Single by Cara Tanamachi

fast-paced

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

1.5

Oof. Reads like it wasn’t edited nearly enough as it should have been. Unfortunately, what little charm may have been initially present is overshadowed by obvious redundancies, poor plotting, and flat side characters. Lots of telling rather than showing, and I found the characters perplexing, grating, and so odd in their choices and behaviors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Stalking, Death of parent

The First Bad Man by Miranda July

emotional funny hopeful reflective

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Ever After Always by Chloe Liese
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.

I really tried to stick it out but I just couldn’t. The pacing feels slow, I don’t really care about the characters, and the constant evocation of Adrian’s sob story childhood just didn’t do it for me. Feels like a shallow and poorly conceived play on tired stereotypes. On to the next!

Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

decidedly mid. stars off for corporate propaganda.

On Palestine by Ilan Pappé, Noam Chomsky
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

need a physical copy instead of audio 

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.

writing is way too on the nose and packed with clichés - very pink brain blue brain vibes which I could not deal with, and super predictable. I also didn’t care about the characters. Disappointed because I loved the hating game so much but this one is simply not for me. Next!

Who Owns the Clouds? by Mario Brassard

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective

5.0

at the risk of sounding reductive: Her Mind!! Always in awe of Bechdel’s work and her ability to weave complex connections and family lore into a seamless and sprawling introspective dreamscape. Feels like reading theory and an academic paper and a graphic novel all at the same time (and that is a compliment).

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

occasionally weird intonation for Gaby’s chapters, and this author loves to say “his eyes shot wide” literally all the time (take a shot every time you hear it for a fun drinking game), but otherwise a fun and cute time.