heymarykathryn's reviews
22 reviews

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Reading this during/at the end of a pandemic that's referenced within the text was a bit jarring. However, I think this is an eerily beautiful story about time and how our actions can impact someone else's life in ways that aren't always obvious at first

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Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

Alice Feeney writes so beautifully. There were moments I read a sentence and audibly said "wow" because it was so GOOD! This story reminded me of my favorite childhood book "The Westing Game," which also centers on a will reading. Daisy's story will take you on many twists and turns, so buckle up!

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Bad Mormon by Heather Gay

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informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

I'm not the most critical reader, so maybe I'm not the best to ask but I flew through this and thoroughly enjoyed it. This isn't a very challenging read, it isn't very deep, but it does give more insight into Heather, the Housewives and the Mormon Church. I wish she had focused more on developing her business and finding herself after divorce

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

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adventurous 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? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a great read. Diverse cast of POVs without it being overwhelming and too much to keep track of. Part 2 was so captivating and there were twists and turns all over the place, even up to the last PAGE! A great mystery set at New Year's to kick off the year!

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.5

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If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I thought this was a great concept, but fell short in execution. I found the casual Shakespeare dialogue to be confusing at times. The plot took forever to develop, like a cop show where you know the killer but it takes FOREVER to reveal. Pretty accurate portrayal of a theater troupe and liberal arts college students. Could have been about 100 pages shorter.

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