isareader's reviews
18 reviews
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Vomit
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
4.75
Starts off as a story that you feel like you’ve heard/read before - a nice neighborhood has people who are a little different from their neighbors move in and shake things up, but this book transforms into so much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s not often that I find the telling of a story to capture so many complexities and intimacies of characters and issues as well as this story did for me. I thought this book introduced and tackled many of them quite exceptionally (A lot of times in TV shows, movies, or other books, I think, “There could have been more details about this” or “I didn’t like how this issue/conflict was brought up and then resolved without much discussion”, and I didn’t feel this way with this book!).
All of the characters remind me of someone I know or knew and the moral dilemmas they all face ring a painful truth of how difficult decisions don’t always have a clear right or wrong way to the answer. I especially loved Ng’s attention-to-detail writing style and the mystery of the story (and ending) that keep you hooked. Minus .25 because I think chapters could be organized better with character anecdotes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Abortion, Child death, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
McCurdy’s writing style is raw, vulnerable, and so compelling that I was drawn into every word.
As a viewer of her Nickelodeon shows, her story behind the scenes/screens is so shockingly painful and heart-wrenching. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book and felt myself having a hard time putting it down (“one more page…one more chapter…two more chapters…”). I’m left feeling sad and empathetic for McCurdy and her experiences of abuse and grief but also a sense of hope and wonder around recovery and finding yourself after feeling like you were trying to be someone/something else for so long.
As a viewer of her Nickelodeon shows, her story behind the scenes/screens is so shockingly painful and heart-wrenching. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book and felt myself having a hard time putting it down (“one more page…one more chapter…two more chapters…”). I’m left feeling sad and empathetic for McCurdy and her experiences of abuse and grief but also a sense of hope and wonder around recovery and finding yourself after feeling like you were trying to be someone/something else for so long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Cancer, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Body shaming
Moderate: Addiction, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual content
Unraveled: A Climber's Journey Through Darkness and Back by Katie Brown
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I think that my review may be skewed because right before reading this book, I read Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died which interestingly enough shares some very similar topics of a rise to fame at a young age for something she didn’t particularly enjoy, an ab*sive mother, and battling eating disorders + relationships, and that book, unfortunately, spoke to me more than this one.
As a climber, I liked reading about behind the scenes of competitions, dirt-bagging, and so many climbing areas of the world that Brown visited. Brown’s story of her struggle behind closed doors is an important one to be told.
However, I felt dissatisfied with the writing style... I also so badly wanted to hear more about Brown’s healing and recovery but felt like it was incredibly rushed at the end. Ultimately, I commend her for her bravery and vulnerability in sharing her story.
As a climber, I liked reading about behind the scenes of competitions, dirt-bagging, and so many climbing areas of the world that Brown visited. Brown’s story of her struggle behind closed doors is an important one to be told.
However, I felt dissatisfied with the writing style... I also so badly wanted to hear more about Brown’s healing and recovery but felt like it was incredibly rushed at the end. Ultimately, I commend her for her bravery and vulnerability in sharing her story.
Spoiler
Felt like 200+ pages of suffering and 15 pages on a rushed look into her life post abandoning climbing…. I still questioned by the end if she was able to get the help she needed :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
As many others voiced in the reviews, the beginning of this book was the most difficult for me to enjoy — I found the protagonist a little immature and her views, and irrational outbursts hard to understand… but maybe this is just a reflection of what it is like to be young…
The most impressive and heart-warming part of the book to me is the importance of platonic love and close friendship. The love the friends have for the protagonist is so dearly touching, and to me, more enjoyable than the romance aspect in the book.
My biggest critique and issue with the book was how many serious topics (see content warnings) are attempted to be covered in the book and seem too glossed over to me, especially the struggle with mental health and political struggles. Though perhaps this is also just a hard-hitting reality.
Overall, an impressive & quite beautifully-written first novel of Matthews with an overall theme of longing and a representation of so many characters that we don’t often read about.
The most impressive and heart-warming part of the book to me is the importance of platonic love and close friendship. The love the friends have for the protagonist is so dearly touching, and to me, more enjoyable than the romance aspect in the book.
My biggest critique and issue with the book was how many serious topics (see content warnings) are attempted to be covered in the book and seem too glossed over to me, especially the struggle with mental health and political struggles. Though perhaps this is also just a hard-hitting reality.
Overall, an impressive & quite beautifully-written first novel of Matthews with an overall theme of longing and a representation of so many characters that we don’t often read about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Addiction
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual assault
Minor: Transphobia, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Weather by Jenny Offill
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Incredibly intriguing writing style — I enjoyed the questions & answers throughout the book, especially.
The writing reflects what feels like a stream of consciousness of how people grow anxious over their own lives or impending climate change and all the worry that comes with it, which can be hard to follow at times.
I felt sad and anxious, towards the end of the book, continuously hoping something good or enlightening would happen to the narrator and her family members, and that made for a sprint to the finish.
The writing reflects what feels like a stream of consciousness of how people grow anxious over their own lives or impending climate change and all the worry that comes with it, which can be hard to follow at times.
I felt sad and anxious, towards the end of the book, continuously hoping something good or enlightening would happen to the narrator and her family members, and that made for a sprint to the finish.
Spoiler
Though I felt unsatisfied at the end…maybe that was intended?
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
A heart-wrenching, hard-to-put-down read. While I found them interesting, I found the many comparisons of Christopher McCandless to other adventurers or people who had ventured into the wild a little repetitive. A captivating book that’s part biography, part mystery, part adventure, and what feels like part essay, that explores how ambition, preparedness, wild nature, and luck can impact one’s life…
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Suicide
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
emotional
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
A good read about growing up with money and issues with relationships, whether familial, romantic, or platonic. However, I hoped it would be great… I felt like I wanted more to happen in the book, wanted to root for something to happen but not much ever did. An ambiguous ending has me wanting more but also reflecting on the whole book.