whatchapterareyouon's reviews
222 reviews

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Slow start at the beginning but picks up towards the end. 

This follows a woman’s story and relationship with her mother across a dual timeline, with the present and how we get to the present. Covers many themes, incl joining an ashram, pressures around women, motherhood, post natal depression. 

My issue with it was:
A) choppy and incomplete writing at the beginning. Makes it hard to keep up and track, albeit I think the intention was to demonstrate a choppy mental health 
B) slow writing style which made me struggle to keep engaged. 
C) Open ending - personal dislike for me. I felt like it was finally picking up and then it finished abruptly 

What I did like was that it delves into a mother / daughter relationship in a unique way and covers how challenging it can be to support a poorly mother, when your relationship with her is frayed. 

Mongrel by Hanako Footman

3.0

Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

This Motherless Land by Nikki May

inspiring sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

informative inspiring reflective slow-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? No

3.75

Loved loved LOVED this book. It’s a multi-generational family saga that has you smiling and crying throughout the book. I became so attached to so many of the characters.  

Based in 1900s India, I also found it highly informative of the time and learnt a lot regarding Christianity in India. 

The reason I didn’t give this 5⭐️ is that I found it to be wordy at times and over descriptive. 

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

These Letters End in Tears by Musih Tedji Xaviere

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Mediocre read that I found to be highly predictable..

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah

medium-paced

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

4.0

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

funny informative reflective 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

4.75

I really loved this book! Refreshing premise, fast paced, great writing which was a mixture of plot vs character.