theshelvesofschae's reviews
197 reviews

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

I thought the timeline jumping, while using her mother's cancer journey as an anchor, really worked. Very thoughtfully written. Michelle Zauner is excellent at capturing the emotions of a moment.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-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

5.0

Just phenomenal. Time travel stories can sometimes become convoluted but this was well thought out, emotional, and truly genius. It makes me emotional even thinking about it!

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I'm slowly losing interest in the series I think :( The dialogue was really bad in this one and there were continuity errors :( 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

dark 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? Yes

4.0

I can't remember the last prequel I enjoyed this much. Just incredible! Brilliant subtle references to the trilogy without being too in your face. Amazing world building and a great sense of haunted foreboding atmosphere that settles over the entire plot. 

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Interesting reading experience since I had seen the film first, where it is drastically different. There's a really fascinating blend of crime and what I would call 'leisure' that I really enjoyed as the story became more and more tense.

Other People's Clothes by Calla Henkel

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Slow start, seemed facetious and surface-level but I ended up devouring it!

True Biz by Sara Nović

emotional informative inspiring 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

5.0

So glad this book exists. Sara Nović creates three very strong stories and weaves them together masterfully. 

Mrs. March by Virginia Feito

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely incredible. Maybe too early to say, but best book I read all year? Claustrophobic, creepy, glamorous, haunting, chilling. Gosh I wish I could read this for the first time again. 

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

Very straightforward and vanilla, at points way too predictable. I was reading it just to read it... not a total challenge but also not groundbreaking.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Despite my annoyance with some repetitive elements (teeth clicking omg...), I still found this to be a clever YA sci-fi story. I'm interested enough for book 2.