ciann82's reviews
16 reviews

This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I have ever had the pleasure to read. I came for the Ghanaian rep and stayed for the characters, the emotion, everything. It explores some heavy themed so definitely not a light read, but so painfully beautiful! The familiarity of names, places and experiences puts this on another level.

At first I was hesitant because of the second person narration but that was not an issue at all, it’s intentional and impactful. 💗

Content Warnings

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

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adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.25

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

2.75

This had a lot of potential especially since it revolves around ghosts, the dead, spirituality and Blackness in a white environment. There were many amazing and chilling moments but i wish wish *wish* some were expanded and developed more closely.

Especially that one scene with Jake’s grandfather and a vague mention of his ancestors, they could have played a much larger role but they appeared then disappeared happened and we’re not really mentioned after. Mentions of his father also felt really displaced in a “oh by the way this also happened” kind of way rather than a “this was a defining moment for my relationship with my family and had a larger impact on me than I’d like to admit” way.

It got to a point where, and I hate to see it, it felt like Saywer’s story was a lot more interesting and engaging and in the scenes they were together he stood out the most. Of course the descriptions of what he did to other people (and what happened to him) made me sick to my stomach, but there was a lot more going on with him. Reading this felt like I was reading separate stories that were trying to come together but in the end it felt a bit strange, especially since it felt quite fast paced.

Content Warnings

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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adventurous challenging dark reflective tense fast-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

3.75

I have almost never felt so interested by a style writing. At first I found myself getting a bit lost with the twists and turns of metaphors that seemed to never really end- that was until they all somehow intertwined and just wow. Maybe it’s because it’s 1AM but i just feel so dazed in the best way possible. I’m not the biggest fan of big plot twists but this was just too good!

The writing was beautiful but i think it was just a bit ~too~ flowery at times. The characters always kind of felt a bit distant, no matter how much closer we got to them and it makes sense but at the same time it might have just been a few missed opportunities. The plot itself was a bit vague and at the end I still had a lot of unanswered questions:

At what point does the fire actually happen? Does Cadence go back to the island or is this a strange recollection after years of guilt? Why what actually happened so quickly glossed over- doesn’t that suggest that she doesn’t feel *that* guilty? Why she started the fire when she did doesn’t really make sense to me either- if it’s a great act of rebellion and freedom why not start it with them? Was that a moment of selfishness or just a massive slip up? So many questions!

Content Warnings

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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ciann82's reviews 16 reviews

ciann82's reviews
16 reviews