trishupaper's reviews
34 reviews

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Definitely more than just a mystery book. I think this is the kind of book you’d get if the actual characters from Agatha Christie’s stories got to write their stories for themselves. The myster itself was fun and unpredictable, but the characters are definitely the star of the book. They’re endearing, and charming and easy to love. The writing of Donna made me uncomfortable in some scenes, though I can’t expound on why. 
The writing is definitely something  I enjoyed. It was witty, funny, and gave each character their voice. 

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring 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

4.0

This was scarier and more thoughtful than I expected. I really enjoyed reading this book; Daka Hermon really knows how to build up a scary atmosphere in a fast paced plot; I also liked that a number of funny scenes seemed organic. Another thing I liked was that it gave each character time to shine and each one had importance. It wasn’t just the main character who mattered or had influence on the story. The characters themselves were very thoughtful and introspective. There’s definitely more to this book than meets the eye. 

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

3.0

It’s a fun read, I guess, but disappointing in its overall quality. Kang definitely made this book almost unbearable for me; I just could not find an iota of sympathy for him in all 300+ pages. 

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

I just couldn’t care about the main character and her first world problems energy. Also, 20% kn and STILL no time travelling? The writing also wasn’t helping. It had the tendency to over explain, and the world building sounded more like a pretentious tour by a classist new yorker than someone actually introducing new york to you. 

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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

Deeply heartwarming. I love stories about friendship and this is now one of my favorites. Field. Field. Field. Hockey. Hockey. Hockey. 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

So good, I finished it in a day.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

This might’ve taken me months to finish, but I swear, the problem was me not the book.
This books is the kind of YA light fantasy that I like - a magic system that’s distinct (although a bit loose with it’s limitations), characters that are intriguing and layered, and a plot that’s actually interesting. My only gripe with this book is the same with all my other YA fantasy complaints - the romance seems distracting.

That Way Madness Lies: Fifteen of Shakespeare's Most Notable Works Reimagined by Dahlia Adler

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book is a creative and ingenious collection of reimaginings of Shakespeare’s works. Each story is innovative and intriguing, breathing new spirit into Shakespeare’s work, but staying faithful to its spirit.

Favorites:
Severe Weather Warning
Taming of the Soulmate
We have seen better days
I bleed
Partying is such sweet sorrow
Dreaming of the dark

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.

I just wasn’t getting into it as much as I’d like. What really threw me off about the story was the cartoonish behaviour of the supernatural elements. It’s clear that the book takes the horror/scary aspect of it seriously,  but the way ghosts and ecto-mists and just anything to do with the supernatural were portrayed in this book was just so…unserious.

Jake levitating at the whims of a quasi-demonic entity should’ve been terrifying, but it wasn’t. It was corny and cartoonish.

The plot was also very draggy and imbalanced. Whenever it built up, the pay off was never worth it. I skimmed through to the ending and didn’t find the turn of events to be satisfying enough to keep me reading. There were also some reveals that I thought were not hinted or worked on, so the reveal felt unearned. Like it was just out there for convenience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Suicide, Racism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse