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tiiiger35's reviews
35 reviews
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I can see why, when published in 1979 ‘Flowers in the attic’ had shock value. It certainly makes for uncomfortable reading with its dark topics, including the underlying theme of incest.
I assumed a story about four children locked in an attic for years on end, would offer dull & lethargic pacing but V.C Andrews writing was compelling. I’d never read anything quite like it before.
Taboo subjects aside, there’s betrayal, tragedy, tension & constant twists and turns. I was enthralled by the mother, how she turned from damsel in distress to villain. Poisoned by greed, her powers of manipulation & guilt were truly horrific. The Grandmother was evil incarnated, with her extreme religious views, her demonic, callous nature & sadistic tendencies for brutality, she made the ultimate evil sidekick.
As is natures way, where there is dark, there is light to be found. The creativity of the children was magical, they turned that dingy attic in to a safe place full of colour and play. Their determination to survive despite their daily horror, gave them a sense of purpose.
I wondered if Cathy & Chris were pushed in to a scenario that would never have occurred if they weren’t prisoners? or if their parents relationship & the shared bloodline, made it inevitable they were doomed to repeat family history?
I’m definitely reading the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
The Unknown Mongol by Scott "Junior" Ereckson, Scott "Junior" Ereckson
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
fast-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
4.75
Fast paced & exciting! A rare first hand insight to the MC world & the ‘Mongols’. Junior has given his entire life to the club. He sacrificed everyone & anything else he cared about, to be part of a system of brotherhood he truly believed in. Since his first glimpse of a Mongol biker as a child, it seems he was destined for the outlaw life & irrevocably drawn to the idea of being part of a motorcycle club. He became the youngest member ever to join the organisation, continuously being promoted until, he was voted as National President at the age of 28.
Although he was permitted to write this book,in order to abide by club law & regulations, these words are his alone. He doesn’t tell any other members stories and a lot of the dirtier details are omitted, along with affiliations & profiteering of the club.
Junior appears honest in his flaws & mistakes, showing even the toughest guy in the room can experience fears & anxieties. One surprising observation I made, was his inability to maintain stability without a woman in his life. It seemed that when his relationships broke down, he in turn became unstable & lost.
I really enjoyed Juniors story, managing to fly through the book in 2 days.
For anyone who was fascinated by ‘Sons of anarchy’ or ‘Mayans MC’ this is a book for you.
Although he was permitted to write this book,in order to abide by club law & regulations, these words are his alone. He doesn’t tell any other members stories and a lot of the dirtier details are omitted, along with affiliations & profiteering of the club.
Junior appears honest in his flaws & mistakes, showing even the toughest guy in the room can experience fears & anxieties. One surprising observation I made, was his inability to maintain stability without a woman in his life. It seemed that when his relationships broke down, he in turn became unstable & lost.
I really enjoyed Juniors story, managing to fly through the book in 2 days.
For anyone who was fascinated by ‘Sons of anarchy’ or ‘Mayans MC’ this is a book for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Murder, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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
Dune is science fiction perfection. Its longevity in popularity, reflect on its quality & ability to create new generations of fans.
I always assumed the sci-fi category wasn’t of interest to me. Dune changed that & opened up an entire new genre to me.
I think a book of such magnitude is beyond any criticisms I dare to attempt.
I will say, for anyone who struggles & is put off with the vast quantity of terminologies & names, watch the new movie. Not only is it enjoyable & visually stunning but, it solidified for me anything I didn't quite grasp, which then allowed me to continue on with the next book, Dune Messiah (which is even better).
I always assumed the sci-fi category wasn’t of interest to me. Dune changed that & opened up an entire new genre to me.
I think a book of such magnitude is beyond any criticisms I dare to attempt.
I will say, for anyone who struggles & is put off with the vast quantity of terminologies & names, watch the new movie. Not only is it enjoyable & visually stunning but, it solidified for me anything I didn't quite grasp, which then allowed me to continue on with the next book, Dune Messiah (which is even better).
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.25
This book feels like a warm hug.
It’s got a lot of heart and although it’s focused around magic and witches, family and love is at its roots.
Easy reading and light hearted. Characters were all likeable. Might make for an easy book club read and discussion. Great autumnal feel to this book too.
It’s got a lot of heart and although it’s focused around magic and witches, family and love is at its roots.
Easy reading and light hearted. Characters were all likeable. Might make for an easy book club read and discussion. Great autumnal feel to this book too.
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
This book had so much more depth to it than I expected. The dual timelines were interwoven so beautifully giving the story a consistent fluidity. As a highly sensitive person, I was drawn to Ashlynn’s gift as a book empath. What she considered a curse, became the very thing to change her life for the better.
This story is about more than romance, it deals with grief, heartbreak, remorse & survival. It also has some darker undertones surrounding; suicide, anti-semitism & the factions of Nazi supporters building in America during WW2.
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the need to highlight so many quotes. I felt as if the words had been plucked from my own mind at times.
This is definitely a new favourite of mines that I’ll be recommending to my friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse
Minor: War, Cancer, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Abandonment
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was the very first Sherlock Holmes book written, and what a debut to have!! I really enjoyed finding out how these 2 totally different characters came together to form one of the best fictional detective pairs.
The story itself was quite dark, especially the 2nd half…and in the end I felt the man who was labelled as a criminal & murderer was rightly so getting the justice deserved, that the authorities wouldn’t provide.
I made my way through this book very quickly. Arthur Conan Doyle has such a wonderful style of storytelling & I find his writing style flows very easily.
The story itself was quite dark, especially the 2nd half…and in the end I felt the man who was labelled as a criminal & murderer was rightly so getting the justice deserved, that the authorities wouldn’t provide.
I made my way through this book very quickly. Arthur Conan Doyle has such a wonderful style of storytelling & I find his writing style flows very easily.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Animal death, and Murder
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was my first time reading a Sherlock Holmes book. I didn’t think It would be of interest to me but, I really enjoyed it. I liked how this particular book was full of relatively short tales of Holmes & Watsons investigations.
The chemistry between these two characters was pivotal to how the narrative was written. They understood each other so deeply, even on an unspoken level.
Not all the investigations were serious matters, the lighthearted cases were my favourite.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m already on to my next Sherlock Holmes novel.
The chemistry between these two characters was pivotal to how the narrative was written. They understood each other so deeply, even on an unspoken level.
Not all the investigations were serious matters, the lighthearted cases were my favourite.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m already on to my next Sherlock Holmes novel.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse and Murder
How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Julie King, Joanna Faber
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.25
Some very interesting ideas on how to approach how we talk to children. Very different from the way older generations were raised. Children’s feelings are more validated now & they’re taught to be more open about how they feel.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A short and easy play/book. Impressive to write such content under 100pages. The characters didn’t have much depth to them as the book was plot driven. Algeron was quite a funny guy though.
Overall, although showing its age a little, still worth a quick read.
Overall, although showing its age a little, still worth a quick read.