bookwormione's reviews
164 reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Normal People by Sally Rooney

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

4.5

Marianne and Connell pretend not to know each other at school, because he is a popular kid and she is the ugly duck, even though they are in a messy, hard to label relationship. Upon entering college however, they swap social statuses: Marianne becomes charismatic and well-liked, why shy Connell doesn't know how to fit in. What remains, is this complex relationship between them.

I adored the first half of this book, the second half a little less. It's rare to see miscommunication being so well handled: usually I would think, but why don't they just talk to each other in clear ways? But in this book, the answer is: well, because he's Connell, and she's Marianne, and there is no other way it could have happened. It was such a wonderful portrayal of young adults trying to figure themselves and each other out as they keep growing. The only flaws of this book are the lack of quotation marks, most of the time the text flows just fine but sometimes it's hard to follow; and this whole side of Marianne's personality

that is about being submissive: I loved this dynamic of hers of being torn between being above what everyone else thought about her, and still wanting to be loved and seen, and her wanting to surrender herself entirely to someone else took away from that and her agency

.

Moi, Tituba sorcière... by Maryse Condé

dark informative reflective sad medium-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? No

4.25

Tituba was born a slave on Barbados. Soon an orphan, she is raised by Man Yaya, who teaches her to see and communicate with the invisibles. Upon her wedding with a slave, she follows him to Boston, then Salem, where the infamous witch trials took place.

Tituba was a real woman tried for witchcraft in Salem, and the author is giving her a voice and a story that have escaped records. Not only is this a great concept, the execution is very well done. The writing style is very much to my liking, poetic metaphors contrasting with the harshness of the events that take place. I particularly enjoyed how discussions on discrimination included different combinations of race, gender and religion.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

dark mysterious medium-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

4.0

The Creed family moves to rural Maine, right next to a road where trucks run dangerously fast. When the cat becomes roadkill, the neighbor offers to show the father a special place to bury his pet.

The story was predictable and I was not surprised in the slightest, but it doesn't feel like surprising the reader was the goal. Upon finishing the book, it is clear that there was no other possible way this story could have gone. And that's why I really liked it. The writing is very intense and so well executed to set the atmosphere, the author has crafted very interesting characters. And bonus point for the children written in a believable way.

Âme brisée by Akira Mizubayashi

hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

11-year-old Rei Mizusawa sees his father for the last time when officers come to arrest him, and one of them stomps on his violin. Another officer, sensible to the beauty of music, allows Rei to stay hidden and hands him the wreck of the violin. As an old man, Jacques Maillard—Rei's French name—has dedicated his life to repairing violins, with the wish to restore his father's.

I think this book is missing its mark on what it's trying to achieve. I liked the concept and the elements of the story, but not the way the story was told.

Acide sulfurique by Amélie Nothomb

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

A new reality TV show named Concentration surpasses all that has ever been broadcast: a reproduction of concentration camps, with kapos and prisoners, with forced work, humiliation, violence and death. And oh do people watch.

Oddly efficient, not one unnecessary word, this is such a twisted idea but so brilliantly explored. And like the author, I believe that were there a show like this, people would definitely watch.

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-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

4.0

Rin had cast her lot with the Republic, but her newfound allies betrayed her. She joins the Southern rebellion, where she has to compose with other rising influences to lead the rebel armies and liberate the South.

As much as I enjoyed reading this conclusion to the Poppy War trilogy, it was mostly due to my attachment to the characters and my need to know what happened next. The plot of this book was quite messy, every time Rin has a plan it turns sour and she is always double-crossed. It felt repetitive.
Besides, I was a bit disappointed with the Hesperians, I thought we would see more of them as the second book seemed to promise and this third one did not deliver.
The conclusion feels rushed, I think a fourth book would have been better instead, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

Abby Abernathy is determined to have a fresh start as she enters college, until she crosses path with underground fighter, motorcycle driver and womanizer Travis Maddox, who falls for her on sight. Convinced that he will treat her like all the others - have sex and see you never -, she decides to keep her distances, a resolve soon tested when Abby has to share Travis's bed for a while.

I laughed so hard reading this, too bad it was at the expense of the book. Here is a more honest version of the plot: petite and fragile Abby isn't like other girls, because all girls just swoon over Travis and are sluts. And when she starts having feelings for Travis, that's different, because, hey, Abby isn't like other girls okay ? Which is true, in a sense, because Travis wastes no time in getting completely obsessed with Pigeon. Pigeon? Oh, that's just Abby's nickname, that Travis uses in every single situation, even upon introducing her to his family. And

he gets it tattooed, like, two weeks after they start dating. But that's fine, I suppose, because she ends up with an equally cringe tattoo.

The plot is ridiculous, all the characters suck, Abby raises valid concerns against Travis (like, hey it's not okay for you to punch every guy I try to kiss, especially since we're not even dating) but that's never actually addressed, there is this weird plotline where Travis fights in an underground club at their uni and that comes handy when the couple meets the mafia... Neither Abby nor Travis should be in a relationship. This book is probably the mother of all cliché romance books ever written.
1 star because I had actual fun reading this nonsense. And 1 star because everyone is voiced by the same woman who just pitches her voice a little different, which makes Travis' lines sound even cringier. This woman gave her all and that was extremely entertaining.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Le prince, de Nicolas Machiaval, traduit et commenté (Éd.1683) by Niccolò Machiavelli

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0