teachertroitsky's reviews
340 reviews

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Science fiction meets friendship and love in the greatest of ways. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture

Hotel by Arthur Hailey

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

History, relationships, humanity 

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

Fun murder mystery 

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Brilliant and devastating 

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 A group of teens at a home for pregnant girls face adversity, shame and more until a book of witchcraft changes everything for them. Triumphant and terrifying, you won't put this one down. Many, many trigger warnings!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Forced institutionalization

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

Delightful and insightful. Perfect fit for young teen and older preteen. A type of book that should be shared and discussed with family. 

Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps by Tommy Vietor, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

American Democracy is worth saving.

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Knowing the difference between being polite and being kind might save your life. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Sun Down Motel is a story that makes significant use of the supernatural, but don’t let that put you off. Simone St. James is an expert at blending the earthly with the otherworldly, and I found the supernatural elements of The Sun Down Motel truly irresistible. The Sun Down Motel is a genuinely creepy story, one that had my heart racing at more than one moment. This is a true murder mystery-meets-ghost story, and both facets are given equal playing time here. Yes, this story will ultimately have a logical, earthly conclusion, but that doesn’t make the ghosts less real.

Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Dahlia Lithwick, one of the nation’s foremost legal commentators, tells the gripping and heroic story of the women lawyers who fought the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency—and won. The fight is not over. Everyone of us must come together and continue the battle for humanity lest we fall into permanent darkness.