tarini's reviews
103 reviews

First Kill by V.E. Schwab

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

4.0

so excited to see calliope and juliette in first kill, even though this was just a short story im already obsessed! 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

yes i'm 5 years late to reading this, and it being banned in places is very telling of how important the plot is. in the writing aspect, this was really good but just felt slightly surface level at times. i also loved how complex the characters were!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

dark medium-paced

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

2.75

i really wanted to like this, but it felt rushed and under developed. it had so much potential but the open ending seemed more incomplete than “up to imagination”. i feel like this would’ve worked much better as in a visual art form, because the horror aspects were well thought out and implemented. i found myself skimming a lot as well, maybe if the ending was more conclusive or this was a duology i wouldv’e liked it more. 

The Girls by Emma Cline

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

incredibly written and so intense! this had its flaws - for example, i wish evie's adult life as well as the backgrounds of the other girls at the ranch had been expanded on more, but it was such a great book overall. i understood evie's character so well and even found myself relating with her struggle with male validation. i loved how realistic the interactions between young girls were, and this is definitely a new coming-of-age favourite.

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

emotional hopeful relaxing 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

4.25

wow - i was not expecting this to become so heavy in such a short span of time and for the issues brought up to be so realistic! alice oseman's storytelling is very engaging and i finished all 4 volumes in the same day without even realizing where time went. i love this volume in particular and hope that the consistency shown in the past few books continues into future ones as well!

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

sped through so quickly! i love all the characters and i hope we get to see their dynamics with each other more in future volumes or the show. very very very fun

Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman

hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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 so cute! i'm glad the newly introduced characters get more of a role later because i love them

Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

hopeful inspiring 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? No

3.5

very cute, i really admire how alice oseman made the characters likable and relatable from the very start while also showing their insecurities and flaws!

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

honestly, i wasn’t as blown away as i hoped but the vision just got clearer and clearer after a certain point! i love all the characters so much and i can’t wait to read the sequel.
 
i didn’t love the writing but the plot was well thought out and i’m excited to see more from chloe gong!

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

“you sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.”
an account of grief with an insight into what motherhood meant to the author as well. this was my first joan didion and it was so beautifully written!