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whatjamieread's reviews
90 reviews
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There are a million things I want to write about this story but all of my thoughts are grounded in one central idea: how terribly unfair it is to live life as a refugee, constantly being uprooted from your life, and not having a place to call your home. The MC, Nahr, is an imperfect person and she sometimes made choices that I didn't agree with. But regardless of her actions, I can't deny how truly brave and resilient she is. She experiences so much life in such a short time and even in situations that I feel are impossible to come back from, she finds a way to keep moving.
It would have been incredibly easy for her to resign herself to the fact that her life is completely out of her control at multiple points in the story however, she refuses to lose herself amongst the pain or lose the autonomy of her own choices. Even when she's in solitary confinement, she finds ways to assert control and remain herself when it's clear that the prison is actively trying to strip away her humanity.
It's impossible NOT to sympathize with someone who is persecuted for simply existing and though I can't say I agree with certain decisions the resistance made, it only makes sense that they would respond to repeated violence from Israeli soldiers the way they did. I mentioned that I don't feel that it's my place to say whether Nahr is "right" or "wrong" but I am capable of discerning the fact that she, or any human being for that matter, should have never have been forced to live the life she did as a refugee in the first place and by the end of the story, I was reminded of the extent of my privilege as an American.
5⭐️ to this beautiful, painful, emotional book.
Full Review on my blog: https://tinyurl.com/9a4e9n3q
It would have been incredibly easy for her to resign herself to the fact that her life is completely out of her control at multiple points in the story however, she refuses to lose herself amongst the pain or lose the autonomy of her own choices. Even when she's in solitary confinement, she finds ways to assert control and remain herself when it's clear that the prison is actively trying to strip away her humanity.
It's impossible NOT to sympathize with someone who is persecuted for simply existing and though I can't say I agree with certain decisions the resistance made, it only makes sense that they would respond to repeated violence from Israeli soldiers the way they did. I mentioned that I don't feel that it's my place to say whether Nahr is "right" or "wrong" but I am capable of discerning the fact that she, or any human being for that matter, should have never have been forced to live the life she did as a refugee in the first place and by the end of the story, I was reminded of the extent of my privilege as an American.
5⭐️ to this beautiful, painful, emotional book.
Full Review on my blog: https://tinyurl.com/9a4e9n3q
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Normal People by Sally Rooney
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I originally believed this to be a contemporary romance story based on what I read and saw of the trailers for the Hulu adaptation. However, I was surprised to find this to be an incredibly unconventional, clever, and emotional character study about two imperfect people figuring out what it means to do life while navigating love, loss, and everything in between. I ended up loving this book (with the exception of one serious issue which I will discuss later), and I feel that this story is very deserving of the praise it receives, if you’re the type of person who enjoys the particular type of storytelling that Rooney used to tell this story.
The main characters, Connell and Marianne, hooked me immediately. I realize that so many people who read this book thought they were entirely unlikeable but I think I saw them and appreciated them for exactly what they were: immature, inexperienced, clueless, and frustratingly stubborn which is exactly what I was when I was the same age as they were in the story. What began as a relatively cliche high school relationship between the attractive popular boy and the unpopular girl who hasn’t yet discovered how beautiful she eventually morphed into a really fascinating story of two broken people who, despite their deep and intense feelings for one another, have yet to learn how to love themselves, let alone another person, and communicate with one another in a way conducive to a healthy and prosperous longterm relationship.
I vehemently despised how this story ended. Don’t get me wrong, I love when a standalone story ends in a way that feels like the characters will keep on living beyond the words on the pages but this ending felt totally incomplete and unsatisfying. In fact, I hated it so much that my initial opinion after finishing the book was that the book as a whole was TERRIBLE because I hated the ending that much. It felt like Rooney’s laptop died and she was like “welp, that’s good enough” and just decided not to return to it and sent it to her editor as is.
Overall, this is a solid 3.5⭐️ read. I don’t think I’ll come back to this particular book but I will read more from Rooney.
Full Review on my blog -> https://tinyurl.com/yntrlw4l
The main characters, Connell and Marianne, hooked me immediately. I realize that so many people who read this book thought they were entirely unlikeable but I think I saw them and appreciated them for exactly what they were: immature, inexperienced, clueless, and frustratingly stubborn which is exactly what I was when I was the same age as they were in the story. What began as a relatively cliche high school relationship between the attractive popular boy and the unpopular girl who hasn’t yet discovered how beautiful she eventually morphed into a really fascinating story of two broken people who, despite their deep and intense feelings for one another, have yet to learn how to love themselves, let alone another person, and communicate with one another in a way conducive to a healthy and prosperous longterm relationship.
I vehemently despised how this story ended. Don’t get me wrong, I love when a standalone story ends in a way that feels like the characters will keep on living beyond the words on the pages but this ending felt totally incomplete and unsatisfying. In fact, I hated it so much that my initial opinion after finishing the book was that the book as a whole was TERRIBLE because I hated the ending that much. It felt like Rooney’s laptop died and she was like “welp, that’s good enough” and just decided not to return to it and sent it to her editor as is.
Overall, this is a solid 3.5⭐️ read. I don’t think I’ll come back to this particular book but I will read more from Rooney.
Full Review on my blog -> https://tinyurl.com/yntrlw4l
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.75
I was quickly surprised by this story and the direction the plot took. I originally believed this to be light reading and expected a relatively simple coming of age story that wouldn’t challenge me to think too much about anything. But after roughly 100 pages, I realized that there was so much more to Queenie and that Carty-Williams actually crafted a really touching story about a woman’s need for solid female friends, the struggle to navigate the dating world as a black woman when so many non-black men fetishize black women, the importance of a mother’s love and the effects of not having it, the political implications of “well-meaning” white liberals, and the mostly invisible battle with anxiety.
Queenie is a relatable character. She’s immature, lacks self-esteem, isn’t sure of what’s coming next for her, and is generally childish AF. She’s everything that I was at 25. I felt like I understood her internal monologue because I could level with all of her flaws because, at one time or another, they were my flaws too.
That being said, there were several decisions that Queenie made that totally took me out of the story. Even though she was struggling, I believed Queenie to be incredibly brave and strong but there were certain scenes that just didn’t align with the character I thought I knew which confused me and made me wonder what the author’s intentions were which isn’t a good way to feel. I can’t discuss further without spoiling but it was frustrating enough to seriously impact my liking of the book as a whole.
All things considered, I found this story to be really charming and relatable. Carty-Williams’ writing style was very easily digestible which made this a fun, albeit complex, story to take in. I would label this a 3.75-star read. While I did love so much about the story, the portions I didn’t like left a bad taste in my mouth and after sitting on the story for a couple of days, I’m still not able to ignore them when I consider the story as a whole. That being said, this book is definitely worth a read and I’m looking forward to what’s to come from Candice Carty-Williams.
Full review with spoilers on my blog: https://tinyurl.com/173z82q1
Queenie is a relatable character. She’s immature, lacks self-esteem, isn’t sure of what’s coming next for her, and is generally childish AF. She’s everything that I was at 25. I felt like I understood her internal monologue because I could level with all of her flaws because, at one time or another, they were my flaws too.
That being said, there were several decisions that Queenie made that totally took me out of the story. Even though she was struggling, I believed Queenie to be incredibly brave and strong but there were certain scenes that just didn’t align with the character I thought I knew which confused me and made me wonder what the author’s intentions were which isn’t a good way to feel. I can’t discuss further without spoiling but it was frustrating enough to seriously impact my liking of the book as a whole.
All things considered, I found this story to be really charming and relatable. Carty-Williams’ writing style was very easily digestible which made this a fun, albeit complex, story to take in. I would label this a 3.75-star read. While I did love so much about the story, the portions I didn’t like left a bad taste in my mouth and after sitting on the story for a couple of days, I’m still not able to ignore them when I consider the story as a whole. That being said, this book is definitely worth a read and I’m looking forward to what’s to come from Candice Carty-Williams.
Full review with spoilers on my blog: https://tinyurl.com/173z82q1
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I flew through Anxious People in December after it was recommended to me more times than I can count. I immediately fell in love with Backman’s storytelling and vowed to read more from him. That being said, I can say with confidence after reading Beartown, not only has be been placed on my list of auto-buy authors, I now consider Beartown to be one of my favorite books that I've ever read.
After reading the synopsis, I felt I was agreeing to read a story about hockey. It took me fifty or so pages to realize that this book, in no way shape, or form, is about hockey. Sure, hockey is definitely front and center in the story, but it is merely a plot device for the deeper themes. Beartown is actually a story about trauma, family, friendship, and the depths we're willing to go for loyalty.
What I’ve come to understand about Backman’s style is that his stories build and build and build. We start with the narrowest view and then slowly, as the book goes on, we zoom further and further out until we are fully immersed in every single character’s perspective. When you think you know what his story is about, he quickly shows you that you’re not even close. Beartown is fabulously written and the character development and dialogue is flawless. It’s hard to believe that the English version is translated from Swedish. I can’t help but wonder if we are missing any additional goodness that might have been lost in translation.
I knew this was a five-star read halfway through. This is an instant classic in my library and I when I say that this has become a new all-time favorite, I do not say that lightly. Backman has thoroughly moved me and I feel like I will be healing from this story, Maya’s story, for many months to come. If you haven’t already, please read this book. It is worth every single page. Thank you, Fredrik, for respecting Maya and the real-life women who have experienced what she has. You have a new member of your fan club in me.
⚠️The trigger warnings for this one are important to know before going in if you might be sensitive. This story discusses rape in detail as well as child loss ⚠️
Full review (with spoilers) on my blog: tinyurl.com/1sn3dw4s
After reading the synopsis, I felt I was agreeing to read a story about hockey. It took me fifty or so pages to realize that this book, in no way shape, or form, is about hockey. Sure, hockey is definitely front and center in the story, but it is merely a plot device for the deeper themes. Beartown is actually a story about trauma, family, friendship, and the depths we're willing to go for loyalty.
What I’ve come to understand about Backman’s style is that his stories build and build and build. We start with the narrowest view and then slowly, as the book goes on, we zoom further and further out until we are fully immersed in every single character’s perspective. When you think you know what his story is about, he quickly shows you that you’re not even close. Beartown is fabulously written and the character development and dialogue is flawless. It’s hard to believe that the English version is translated from Swedish. I can’t help but wonder if we are missing any additional goodness that might have been lost in translation.
I knew this was a five-star read halfway through. This is an instant classic in my library and I when I say that this has become a new all-time favorite, I do not say that lightly. Backman has thoroughly moved me and I feel like I will be healing from this story, Maya’s story, for many months to come. If you haven’t already, please read this book. It is worth every single page. Thank you, Fredrik, for respecting Maya and the real-life women who have experienced what she has. You have a new member of your fan club in me.
⚠️The trigger warnings for this one are important to know before going in if you might be sensitive. This story discusses rape in detail as well as child loss ⚠️
Full review (with spoilers) on my blog: tinyurl.com/1sn3dw4s
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Child death
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To say that the description of the book did not prepare me for the intense reactions I would have while reading is an understatement. From the very beginning, Gyasi forces the reader to confront inconvenient truths about slavery and the “middle passage” for so many men, women, and children who were sold by their neighbors to be used and abused by white men.
I could talk all day about the utterly stunning writing. I was reading a review that mentioned that while Effia’s story seemed cohesive, Esi’s was a little bit more disjointed and hard to follow. The reviewer saw that as a negative, however, I see that as fully intentional. Effia’s line’s story is connected by the common knowledge that they start with Effia. Esi’s descendants don’t know where they began and don’t have any connection to their origins and because of the brutality and unpredictability of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and beyond, Esi’s descendants are never able to get comfortable in their family history.
Gyasi tackled so many complex topics while still maintaining the central themes. I think that the way she writes characters and dialogue makes the reader feel like they are connected to the people they are reading in a way that has you holding your breath any time something bad is happening to a character on the pages. Furthermore, this book taught me more about slavery than I ever learned in school. I am very ignorant to the brutal details of that time and I was constantly confronted with new information that I had never known while I read this book. I believe that something like this should be required reading and have recommended it to all of my teacher friends.
I gave this five stars and I fully intend to revisit this story over the course of my life. I’m still thinking about all of the characters in this story and wish that I could have done something to save them from so much pain and suffering. If you haven’t yet read this one, I highly suggest you put it at the very top of your list. You’ll gain knowledge that you didn’t have before and a better sense and understanding for black history month.
Full Review on My Blog: https://tinyurl.com/1lqpnz6d
I could talk all day about the utterly stunning writing. I was reading a review that mentioned that while Effia’s story seemed cohesive, Esi’s was a little bit more disjointed and hard to follow. The reviewer saw that as a negative, however, I see that as fully intentional. Effia’s line’s story is connected by the common knowledge that they start with Effia. Esi’s descendants don’t know where they began and don’t have any connection to their origins and because of the brutality and unpredictability of slavery, the Jim Crow era, and beyond, Esi’s descendants are never able to get comfortable in their family history.
Gyasi tackled so many complex topics while still maintaining the central themes. I think that the way she writes characters and dialogue makes the reader feel like they are connected to the people they are reading in a way that has you holding your breath any time something bad is happening to a character on the pages. Furthermore, this book taught me more about slavery than I ever learned in school. I am very ignorant to the brutal details of that time and I was constantly confronted with new information that I had never known while I read this book. I believe that something like this should be required reading and have recommended it to all of my teacher friends.
I gave this five stars and I fully intend to revisit this story over the course of my life. I’m still thinking about all of the characters in this story and wish that I could have done something to save them from so much pain and suffering. If you haven’t yet read this one, I highly suggest you put it at the very top of your list. You’ll gain knowledge that you didn’t have before and a better sense and understanding for black history month.
Full Review on My Blog: https://tinyurl.com/1lqpnz6d
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, and Rape