alyssav's reviews
123 reviews

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.5

In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.25

The Plague by Albert Camus

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

Fathers And Sons by Ivan Turgenev

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.

This book is very bad. Every plot point is scattered in a million directions and none of them are executed well. The writing quality is mediocre. I don’t mind unlikeable characters (in fact I love them!) but every character in this book was so irritating and had as much depth as a puddle. No one pushed the story along in any meaning way. This was the most disappointing read I had in a while. 

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

adventurous challenging emotional 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

5.0

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono

funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5