twistykris's reviews
183 reviews

Kate & Frida: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books by Kim Fay

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

Thrum by Meg Smitherman

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

I read this in one sitting at 11pm and I think it's going to stick with me for a long time. I would have read a full-fledged novel about this, and yet I also feel that as a novella, it works just as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Vomit

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

Sleeping Dragons Omnibus by Ophelia Bell

adventurous lighthearted 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and War

Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Suicide

The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory: Everything You Need to Know about Open Relationships, Non-Monogamy, and Alternative Love by Dedeker Winston

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Bloodshed by Molly Doyle

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death and Bullying

William by Mason Coile

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I REALLY wanted to like this based on the creepy cover and the premise. But it just fell flat for me. It feels like it should have been either a short story or a full-length novel. I loved the concept of Smart House + haunted house, but it just couldn't keep me intrigued for a lot of it. Half of the characters (of which there is a small cast) felt underdeveloped and the jumping between POVs and locations within the house was strangely confusing at times.

I normally gravitate towards audiobooks, but for some reason this one just didn't hit the spot for me. I think it may have benefitted from sound effects (something I don't normally advocate for in audiobooks) and multiple narrators to really enhance the creepiness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Racism, and Abandonment

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy