jdrosario_'s reviews
105 reviews

Normal People by Sally Rooney

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

wow. this book is just…WOW. charlie (main character) lost and gained so so much throughout the entire book. this book was so so touching and depressing as holy hell but there was in a really fucked up way so much growth too. amazing. charlie’s character voices the struggle of addiction so amazingly and UGH wow. yes. 10/10. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

PLOT TWIST?!?!

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

this book is fucking amazing. it’s emotional and it’s raw and it’s real, the trope of chosen family is so strong which i absolutely love. the book starts off slow, but it develops so thoroughly and makes everything so worth it. cameron’s character is so genuine and her emotions and experiences throughout

conversion therapy

are, although i wouldn’t know through experience, so realistic and..i don’t even have enough words to explain it. i watched the movie before i read the book, and i’ve been wanting to read it for so long hoping it’d meet my expectations and good lord has it exceeded them MASSIVELY. i love love love, might just be my new favourite book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Self harm

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

i’ve never really read many non fiction, but this one is absolutely amazing. it’s brutally honest, it doesn’t skate over any fundamental truths of the book. it talks about women’s sexuality, promiscuity, misogyn, feminism (obviously), machoism, rebellion, age, sexual violence and torture of women, reproducitge rights and gender identity. it’s so informative but somehow keeps a witty humour to it, i highly highly recommend!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Abortion

Moderate: Child death, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

slow-paced

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

1.0

this book was shit. i was so disappointed because i had high hopes for it too. the first couple chapters were promising, i was intrigued!! and then he started introducing so many different characters out of nowhere, the plot changed so many times and eventually became non existent, i couldn’t keep track of all the characters, who was what and what everyone was doing, literally nothing happened and the ending was so underwhelming, considered dnf but finished it out of spite because i was nearly at the end anyway. do not recommend, quite boring. good concept, but so SO poorly executed 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

amazing book, spectacularly crafted. absolutely love sylvia plath, totally tragic though. i was also expecting

her to kill herself at the end but she didn’t?!?!?

that was surprising. it actually felt a little bit unofficial that she didn’t but no complaints. i felt so connected to esther throughout it, you really see and feel what she’s feeling. highly recommend :))

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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

this is a great book!! it really draws you in and you get really into the characters and the plot. you will be incredibly mad. you will be incredibly frustrated. and you will be incredibly sad, and happy, and other emotions. however it’s worth it. lovely book thankyou for recommending jenna i love you 🫶🫶

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion and Abandonment

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

so. frickin. SAD. i read a thousand splendid suns expecting nothing to be able to match it and here this book is. it is so tragic and so depressing and so well made, the characters are UGHFJGJDJF, hassan is such a darling but his story is so sad but sigh this book is amazing. i love it. highly reccomend 

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.75

amazing book, amazing world building, and wonderful character development, i loved it and felt it really captured a dystopian world under constant surveillance, i could feel the levels of conformity throughout the book, however i didn’t give it 5 stars because the ENDING???

AFTER ALL OF THAT HE STILL GOT BRAINWASHED AND KILLED?? SERIOUSLY??? IT STILL WORKED AFTER ALL OF HIS EFFORTS???? RIDICULOUS

but sigh besides that i guess it was a great book 😒😒