lillyturmel's reviews
96 reviews

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.0

While really interesting and definitely mysterious, it's 200 pages too long and the second 'book' didn't really add much for me.
It was too good at being a satire that it was no longer really satirical and instead made excuses for the characters and glorified their actions.

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Book 1 - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - 4 stars
Book 3 - 3 stars
(3.83 stars overall)

This was a monster of a read--all 700 pages were dense with story and meanings. I liked all three of the stories, but in my opinion they crossed too many genres to be put together into one book. In this book, same as A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara writes people so beautifully. She truly knows how to bring humanity and nuance into every character. However, I agree with a lot of other reviews that all of the stories weren't cohesive enough to be together in one book, and if they were there was something that I wasn't understanding that I felt like I should. 

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

reads like typical mafia fan fiction, story is a bit convoluted (especially with a fake sport… you’re doing too much there) but i did like the characters and i found the drama interesting enough that i looked past the awkward writing. definitely a bit of a guilty pleasure read and i’ll probably finish the series.

one thing for those who read this because it’s listed as lgbtq, while there is a gay side character, the lgbtq themes aren’t strong until the third book (according to the internet)

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

adventurous hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

An easy read, one that resonates a lot with my thoughts of the world as Gen Z. Sibling Dex spoke for a lot of us when they explained that they feel like they have no purpose, and who are they without a purpose? 
Ending was a bit open ended though, I'll have to continue through the series :)

Greedy: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much by Jen Winston

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective

3.0

As a bisexual woman myself I related to a lot of the things in this book, it was a light, inspiring read that made me feel less alone at points. That being said it didn't feel like this book was about bisexuality but instead just about her experiences as a person, which happen to include bisexuality. There were too many topics trying to be unpacked at once that it didn't actually say too much about any of the topics in question. I did like it, but I think that it should've focused more on the issue it's marketed for; bisexuality. Yeah intersectionality matters but it wasn't handled well here.

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The characters of this book were so interesting, I read it within a few days. It was a little too gross at times (Girl loves to talk about bodily functions), which is keeping it from 5 stars for me.
It reminded me A LOT of Saltburn, so if you liked that movie you’ll definitely like this book.

Burned by Sara Shepard

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Stunning by Sara Shepard

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Ruthless by Sara Shepard

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5