applescarlett's reviews
25 reviews

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

adventurous dark fast-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? Yes

4.5

Bunny by Mona Awad

dark slow-paced

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

3.75

Ougat: From a hoe into a housewife and then some by Shana Fife

challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Mental illness, Rape, and Stalking

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Infidelity, Drug use, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Torture

Minor: Pedophilia

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I've been in a reading slump lately, but this was a gripping dark academia whodunnit that kept me reading. I do feel like the story would've been the same without Act 1 & perhaps half of act 2 though. I also didn't like how dialogues from plays took up most ofbthe wordcount in some chapters (even if it subtly tells us more about the charaters, themes, emotions, etc idc). 

Spoiler

Also, we never actually find out why Richard suddenly became aggressive. If he's always been like that why are they still friends? Oliver says they have a love-hate relationship but we never delve deeper into why they love him. I think this could've been explored better in act 1

 So, for that I'm giving it a 4.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, and Drug use

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

reflective medium-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

2.0

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.25

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

emotional reflective fast-paced

2.0