jcaceres88's reviews
348 reviews
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
As someone who has worked in the food industry for quite some time and loves to bake and loves delicious food, I thought I would be all about this book. At first it was endearing but eventually I got tired of all the overly descriptive prose about food. It was just too much for me. And I did not find the process of them unraveling this mystery entertaining. I had to force myself to finish this audio book.
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I gave it a 4, the concept I found interesting and the inclusion of the pictures was original and a nice tough from a story telling perspective. It also did manage to surprise me in certain points which I always applaud because most thrillers are a little heavy handed with the foreshadowing. Overall a fun and easy read besides the weird and awkward comments littered through out. Not sure if the author was just trying to hard or their bias was peeking through... who knows.
Weyward by Emilia Hart
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Great concept and very well written. I enjoyed this book but I honestly don't feel particularly attached to it. It's not one of those books that I'll rave about to everyone who will listen. I found it a bit too slow at times and the reoccuring abuse was tough. I think if there was a bit more hook in the 1st third of the book and if the magical elements had been ramped up a bit more it could have been a 5 star read for me because this kind of story is right up my alley. But I really did enjoy how it all unfolded, with jumping between the 3 generations of women from this family. All the breadcrumbs that were dropped and followed through across the time lines were so well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Abortion, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Vomit
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
KH is such a great writer / story teller. I was worried at first about this novel because it's a hefty one and it's not my go to genre. So I was worried I wouldn't get into it. But it sucked me right in! The time period, the people, the lifestyle, the landscape. I found it all fascinating and felt so immersed in it. I did find some of the more lengthy and reoccuring descriptions of the Alaskan landscape and some of the very stupid decisions made along the way annoying at times. But each time I quickly got over it as the story progressed. I actually did love this book! (Though maybe it's because I've always had a curiosity about the homestead life and have been DYING to visit Alaska die yearsssss haha)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Blood
Moderate: Murder and Cancer
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Really cute book, especially for book lovers. I found AJ to still be lovable even through his grumpiness, along with most of the characters in this book. We don't go too in depth into any one thing really so I give it a 4 as it was a fairly low stakes story and I usually like a little bit more hook to my content. But I thought it was still a super sweet book and could see myself reading it again as a palate cleanser.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well I can safely say that I now have zero interest in ever becoming a published author. Whoa was this book a wild ride. It was like sitting on a high speed freight train pummeling straight towards a wall. The impending wreck had me in a nervous and anxious state for most of this book. It had me grimly enthralled, devouring page after page until I finished. The fact that not a single person was likeable in this book and I therefore had no one to root for was a bit hard for me. I like to have at least one person to root for in a good story. But otherwise it was a great read. LOTS of taleaways here... regarding racial dynamics and the publishing industry and more. I'll be thinking about this one for a good long while.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a pretty standard thriller for me. It's almost like you could just see all the pieces of the plot falling into the right place at the right time. Which is a feeling I dont really want as a reader.
The writing for me left me wanting a little bit more as far as character development goes. I found the story hard to be believeable pretty much for the entire book. I constantly found myself questioning who in the world would make so many idiotic decisions. It's like no one learns from their mistakes in this world. It felt very Lifetime movie-esque so it definitely sucks you in and is bingeable. But I like thrillers to keep me on my toes in a different way (not through frustration and anxiety due to people doing silly things lol).
The writing for me left me wanting a little bit more as far as character development goes. I found the story hard to be believeable pretty much for the entire book. I constantly found myself questioning who in the world would make so many idiotic decisions. It's like no one learns from their mistakes in this world. It felt very Lifetime movie-esque so it definitely sucks you in and is bingeable. But I like thrillers to keep me on my toes in a different way (not through frustration and anxiety due to people doing silly things lol).
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.0
I really enjoyed the book. At first it felt very low stakes and the lack of urgency to the story left me a little detached from it. It was just a nice story that I was enjoying reading. But as the action picked up in the latter half I definitely began to feel more emotionally invested in the story. I loved the characters, even with Xingying's emotions and reactions feeling a bit too surface level for me at times in the first half. I could definitely see myself re-reading this in the future.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was a super cute book. It reminded me of the quaint stories I used to love to read when I was younger and completely forgot about. The narrator of the audio book did a phenomenal job!! Truly made the experience that much more enjoyable for me. I gave it a 4 and not a 5 since at times it felt a bit repetitive and predictable and therefore felt just a teeny bit longer than it needed to be. But still an enjoyable read! I recommend it!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.75
I really love how this author wrote this novel. The way the story lines weave in and out of each other, the exploration of human emotion and connection, the complexity of all of the characters.. it all just felt so deep without being overly pretentious. I have a feeling this is going to be a story that sticks with me for a while. There are some questions I wish we had answers for before the story ended but it doesn't detract from the beauty of this book and the stories of our main characters.