strawberrysky's reviews
241 reviews

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

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adventurous hopeful reflective fast-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

edmund pevensie i love you.....
Carrie by Stephen King

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sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

me when the famously tense and horrifying book gets abruptly tense and horrifying in the third act 
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

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adventurous tense 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

i love CHARACTER DYNAMICS! 
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This one is so underrated. Diggory and Polly are so charming and compelling as a duo, and Uncle Andrew is so interesting to have in the story. The first villain of Narnia isn't the evil witch, it's the totally mundane arrogant, selfish, cowardly, mean old man.
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

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informative sad medium-paced

4.0

I need an updated edition so I can hear how the cod and the fishermen are doing
The Chamber by Will Dean

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

why would you make me think you were doing something interesting at the end and then back away from it at the last second.......................
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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dark tense 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

4.0

Ms Bardugo made a dynamic between Darlington and Alex that compelled me TOO much and meant I spent half the book pissed off that he was
in hell
instead of hanging out. The entire ending sequence was tense and had some awesome action, but the onion of twists had one too many layers for me.  That said, the ideas and the heart of this book are very good, and I really did LOVE Alex, Dawes, and Darlington. I will be reading the next book for them. 
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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dark 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

4.5

Expected not to like this and instead I read it faster than I've read anything in ages and had fun the entire time. Wanders a little in the middle--disappointing after the breakneck and gripping beginning--but pulls itself back together for an ending that was cleverer and more satisfying than I thought possible. I think people are maybe trying too hard to make this book an especially profound or groundbreaking treatise on racism when it's not really trying to be. Or I don't know, maybe it's trying to be and failing, it does ring a little hollow at times. But what it definitely is is smart and DAMN fun to read. Like watching a video essay on a scandal or reading a salacious Vox article. I'm shocked that it has as broad appeal as it does, since the main thing that's sticking with me was the portrayal of certain aspects of being a writer, and especially being a writer who is friends with other writers. But I guess maybe the ugly fucked up cocktail of emotions isn't as unique as I think it is.