kaylawtzl22's reviews
37 reviews

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad 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

this book is nearly indescribable for me. the blending of reflection over past memories and being grateful to be here in the present is done so beautifully. the characters are all so lively and human - none of them are flat, even the passing, minor characters. the way lara talks about her past and the things she regrets, what she does not regret, and the things she would change vs what she’s accepted is, again, so deeply human. it was interesting to read this as someone who is the same age as lara’s daughters. i’m 24 now and i was BARELY 20 when the pandemic began, so i relate greatly to her daughters throughout much of the book.

my mother is also 57 currently, so that’s extra relatable

this book also put me in the shoes of someone like my mom, and how she might view her past and her daughters. i don’t know, this book really is just a perfect, poignant retelling of a beautiful summer and thinking about how fleeting life and time can be. i ESPECIALLY love meryl streep being the one to read it. she strikes me as a very wise and kind woman and i think she was perfect to be the voice of lara.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

this book is so poignant. most of the LBGTQ info in this book is well know to anyone in these spaces, but i think this book does a good job at educating new comers and humanizing the experience of a

trans

teenage girl without romanticizing her traumas or sliding past any of the dark, ugly parts of the story. it perfectly follows the very thin line of accurately and respectfully portraying DV, struggles of LGBTQ teens, teenagers in general, and women without being vulgar or traumatic. overall, a fantastic book and i completely understand why it’s in basically every book club ever.

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? No

5.0

i love the continuation of the original series! same old characters, but a little more grown up. i actually love that the quest in this book

isn’t life or death. it’s cute that it’s just a silly little errand

! and the way that percy talks about annabeth is so special and precious🥹

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

definitely my favorite of the series. i laughed, cried, and dropped my jaw at some of the plot twists. looking forward to the “all grown up” series lol 

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

my favorite of the series so far. i really liked how deeply you get to know the characters in this book and that the issues are new and interesting. 

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

adventurous dark funny sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

better than the second one! i personally kinda hate that the narrator makes grover’s voice more nasally with each book, but it’s not a big deal. again, the book is good and cute for being a YA novel. 

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

i liked this boo more than the first one, but i felt like some of the predicaments/outcomes were repetitive. i’m still giving it a 4/5 though bc it is a children’s/early teens book, and it’s good for what it is

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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? Yes

4.25

taking this book for what it is- a children’s/teen book, it’s good! the story is compelling, the characters are funny and loveable, and the world building is just enough. i’m mostly listening to these books to get my friend to read the hunger games series, but it’s a good read. looking forward to the next one! 

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

the book was interesting, easy to listen to, but the plot twists felt glaringly obvious to me. which normally is something i’m used to bc i read a lot of this genre, but i was SHOCKED by Local Woman Missing, so i hoping this book would be similar. mary kubica, if you’re reading this i still love u. 

The Monogram Murders by Agatha Christie, Sophie Hannah

dark funny mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

i’d say that if you read murder on the orient express, this is the exact opposite.

for murder on the orient express, i liked all the characters and was genuinely sorry for them and sad. this book, im frustrated by many of the characters and the only likeable character is the two main characters and the diner gal. the whole situation was stupid.

i like the idea of continuing poirots stories with this new character, and i might read some of the other books. this one was also veryyyyyyy long and felt like we were going in circles. but not bad.