thespicylemon's reviews
282 reviews

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Well that was sad. A moving, poignant, beautiful book about a Korean family living in exile in Japan. Sunja to me was the most dynamic character so her perspective was my favourite. The last 100 pages weren't the best to me. I didn't think the perspectives of Hana and other characters not directly related to the family were necessary.

Savage Wilder by Veronica Eden

dark emotional medium-paced

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

Honestly this book doesn’t hold a lot of artistic or literary value. The writing is mediocre, the plot is flimsy, characterization is a mess, and the relationship is a toxic and abusive one. I read this as pure mindless entertainment and it served its purpose. 

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez

informative medium-paced

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Nobody gets me like her

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

slow-paced

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

emotional lighthearted slow-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

4.0

Into The Forest And All The Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo

emotional sad tense

4.0

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.0

This book could have been five stars  if it wasn’t for one big thing 

In the very first chapter, Kenny is a kid and escapes from the Indian School after his friend Howie is taken to the hospital after a terrible beating. I assumed because that’s what the writing made it seem like, that Kenny escaped before Howie came back to the dorms. But later on when Howie’s story is being told it’s says that Kenny helped him escape.

 

This is a pretty big error in the timeline and normally I would rate a book way lower for such a thing. However, when a piece of writing makes you feel pangs in your chest as you’re reading it, it deserves a high rating.

Shut Up You're Pretty by Téa Mutonji

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. It was fairly short and was a collection of short stories that flowed together in chronological order. The major theme throughout the stories was about womanhood and the female body. Also, how our bodies determine so many of our experiences as women and how we are treated by men and society. Some of the stories had very uncomfortable and disturbing scenes. It is not the greatest book I've ever read but it is a collection that makes you think.

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

challenging informative reflective slow-paced