jessdrafahl's reviews
45 reviews

Beyond the Wand: Growing Up a Wizard, by Tom Felton

adventurous funny informative medium-paced

4.0

A very charming (pun intended) look into the life of Tom, especially focused on his time working on the Harry Potter set. Although I enjoyed the whole book, it lacked a bit of focus. I wasn't sure what I was really supposed to get from this. It's cute, it's honest, and it's interesting, but it reads more like a collection of true stories than a memoir. I would still recommend this to anyone interested in Tom, Harry Potter, or child acting.

Content Warnings

I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Absolutely a must-read. It falls right in line with Carrie Fisher's The Princess Diarist in giving us an inside perspective on Hollywood and the toxic culture that surrounds it.

Content Warnings

When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Lyra is a feral child and I love her to pieces.

Girl Gone Viral, by Arvin Ahmadi

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mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

The dialogue in this book was next to unbearable. The main character, Opal, is difficult to like, and the side characters less so. None of them are very fleshed out and their character motivations are stale. The plot wants to have a grand mystery, but the reveal falls flat. There isn't a nice resolution at the end, and it instead opts in for the classic Barbie: The Princess and the Pauper ending. Glad to be done with this book.

Content Warnings

Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition, by Margot Lee Shetterly

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hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

3.0

The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced