x_miss_mcrae_x's reviews
92 reviews

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

adventurous hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

The Chateau by Catherine Cooper

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Animal death, Grief, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

funny 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Not My Baby by Anya Mora

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Child death, Grief, and Miscarriage

Minor: Toxic relationship, Infertility, Stalking, Medical content, and Infidelity

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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

4.0

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

adventurous informative reflective relaxing medium-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? Yes

5.0

Secret Santa by Holly Green

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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

4.0

◇Review- Throughout the book, we meet cruel, cold Charlie (The Scrooge) and Poppy (Charlie's Employee). We get to see why Charlie is such a christmas hating, cruel woman and how her and Poppy's story intertwines. It was a heartwarming, modern take on one of my favourite classics, so an easy 4 Star read for me and although its only october, its one I'd definitely recommend as a quick festive read at only 104 pages long. I only wish it had been longer, which is the reason for the missing star, but I could see this novella expanded into a full story because its definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait to try the recipes. 

Thank you to @Instabooktours, @holly_green_author & @bluepierbooks for having me on the book tour and for giving me a reason to get the Christmas decorations out early this year! 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Self harm, Death, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Child death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

The Variations by Patrick Langley

3.5

Synopsis- Selda Heddle, a famously reclusive composer, is found dead in a snowy field near her Cornish home. She was educated at Agnes's Hospice for Acoustically Gifted Children, which for centuries has offered its young wards a grounding in the gift - an inherited ability to tune into the voices and sounds of the past. When she dies, Selda's gift passes down to her grandson Wolf, who must make sense of her legacy, and learn to live with the newly unleashed voices in his head. Ambitious and exhilarating, The Variations is a novel of startling originality about music and the difficulty - or impossibility - of living with the past. 

Review- The book is told through 3 different points of view... Selda, Wolf (Selda's grandson) and Ellen (the dene of the hospice). It heavily surrounds music and a "gift" that connects those with this gift to the dead through music, though I'm still not 100% sure how this gift actually worked. 
 On a whole, it is a beautifully written story and very detailed. I loved Wolf's POV more than the other and the unusual way the story is told by going further back in time rather than forwards. The only complaint i have is that, at times the book was almost too wordy and over-descriptive, that some chapters became really hard to get through. 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

adventurous mysterious 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