theatrenerd_'s reviews
17 reviews

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
I really liked the start of this book, and thought it was going to be a 5-star read. However by about page 200 I started to feel that the plot was incredibly slow, if not nonexistent. I'd like to finish it because I love the concept but decided to turn my attention to books I was more excited to read.
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle

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

4.25

I preferred this to A Study in Scarlet, although it followed a similar structure. Loved this and the appearance of the Mary Morstan plotline! 
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

WHAT! Plot twist after plot twist after frickin plot twist.

I originally only got halfway through this. I restarted it and read it in a day. SO GOOD. What else needs to be said?
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The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman

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

3.0

Really wanted to love this but I just found it really hard to maintain enthusiasm about reading it. Felt unexplained and overwritten.
Sherlock: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Very interesting read. Loved the last chapter particularly where Holmes explains his thought processes to Watson — proving how well thought-out the entire book was. 

The second part of this book dragged and is the reason why I considered putting the pace as “medium” — the first half moves incredibly quickly, aided by the fact that this is a short novel anyway. The second part gives the criminal’s backstory but for me it went on too long.

I read this after finishing the BBC adaptation. It was interesting to find the links between the source material and the adaptation, as well as being able to visualise how they televised a mystery solved solely through someone’s in depth thought processes. 

I’ve been wanting to read the Sherlock Holmes books for a while and watching the series spurred me on. I’m glad I started this and look forward to reading on.
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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.5

Very well written book; Reid’s writing style is very immersive, and I loved that this was laid out like a script, and how the older versions of the characters were able to look back at and discuss their younger selves.

I wasn’t expecting Julia to be the author, but I liked that element.
Some of the characters annoyed me slightly, but in the next chapter I felt as if their actions were reasonable after seeing their point of view — an interesting way of understanding how different people react to situations.
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Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

Impressed by the fact that the last word of this book was a plot twist. The last 100 pages had a few plot twists, but the rest of it moved slightly slower, although not to the point it was an annoyance. I haven’t read These Violent Delights but I want to now.
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Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

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challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

It’s very long, although that’s kinda of a given. Complicated but good.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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emotional informative inspiring fast-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

3.75

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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

5.0

Amazing. I was averaging a part (about 100 pages) per day because I just couldn’t stop reading. Awesome characters, great relationships within the group, and a brilliant plotline too.

I read Shadow and Bone first, and I think this worked well. I imagine that if you didn’t you might get slightly confused.