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caroline_mclaughlin's reviews
52 reviews
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-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? No
4.5
The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.25
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.0
Very similar vibe to the ocean at the end of the lane or coraline but I think I enjoyed this a bit more than the former. Not a huge VE Schwab fan, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed this.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Disappointing and flat throughout. Way too many irrelevant characters who all have the same personality traits and are indistinguishable from one another. Literally every single character has daddy issues in the sense that they’re “gone”, which appears as both a major theme and the root of everyone’s issues. I’m shocked I was able to guess the ending though so early on, especially because the whole book seems built on pointless red herrings that make it clear something else is going on, but obfuscate all of the details to the point where it’s impossible to actually get a clear picture to try to come to the correct conclusion as a reader. This is also why I’m annoyed with the specific use of premonition in the letter. Way too intentional especially when Fred is revealed to be following them, but has no payoff or purpose. Also don’t even get me started on how the women are written and the stalker men.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Self harm, Stalking, and Death of parent
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
This book had some useful advice but felt about as informative as a single one of those creative writing classes King seems to despise. Nothing groundbreaking in the text and, unfortunately, by now most of the content, especially about the publishing industry, is outdated. Although I appreciated some of the memoir aspects, the shift from one type of content to another felt abrupt and seemed to lack enough purpose. Perhaps King’s writing just isn’t for me!
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The cover is the best thing about this book. The pacing is a mess, the characters are so stagnant and underdeveloped, and the plot jumps all over the place. The romance feels shoved in to make it “a love story” despite there being no real reason the characters should’ve bonded as passionately as they did from what we are shown. Overall, the book was incredibly boring until about the last 20%, where random things started to come together, but barely even were explored in the text. This led to an ending that felt so disjointed from the rest of the book, especially since it felt like it took over half the book to reach the actual plot.
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Good collection of fairytale retelling, though I’m not sure why they take place in the grishaverse. It feels unnecessary and out of place but thankfully didn’t take away from the stories themselves.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? No
4.5