vailtoset10's reviews
35 reviews

Dracula Daily: Reading Bram Stoker's Dracula in Real Time with Commentary by the Internet by Bram Stoker

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? No

2.0

But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book came to me at a moment that was perfect and exactly when I needed it. Theoretically this should have been the ten year reunion from my college graduation. Instead I flunked out 3 times and have no real purpose in life. I'm an entry level call center employee with no direction and a mother who hates me.

Sound familiar? Yeah. I'm Charlotte (and a few others).

~~Callie~~ Charlotte was not a show dog for ~~their~~ her mother to groom and correct and compare with other daughters at her ~~church~~ country club. Third, abuse took many forms, from violence to control to neglect.

This was the moment I realized this book was going to be a doozy and I was right. I sobbed so many times reading this book. I wept with every breakdown from Charlotte because they were the same breakdowns I've been having for years.

Dawson understood me on a level I haven't felt in so long from a novel. It was beautiful, moving, and powerful as a lost, mentally ill, queer 32 year old.

There was no point dwelling on that chapter of her past. Nothing anyone said would make it less infuriating and sad. She would always be estranged from her family, and she didn’t need that to change. She didn’t want it to.

Family was who shared their fries with you.

This is exactly how I feel, and will keep in mind and have framed when I go no contact with my biological family.

It didn’t matter that they worked in different fields: They shared the fear that they were scrambling up a down escalator. And in a cruel twist, if they got lucky enough to land those dream jobs, they turned out to be nightmares.

This is it. This is exactly how everyone in my friend group feels.

Why is this book so good? Because of moments like this.

Content Warnings

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was a journey. Easily one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Oh this book is so funny! This was such an unexpected delight and fascinating and every single set up is always paid off. I was impressed that every thread was tied up and there was no mystery left at the end, and it had a satisfying ending. The audio book is most likely the superior format because Will Wheaton brings this book to life in incredible ways.

Victor LaValle's Destroyer by Dietrich Smith, Victor LaValle

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced