Scan barcode
linasbooks's reviews
14 reviews
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
soooo good i was genuinely intrigued and couldn’t put the book down. i love ravi and pip<3 i need my own ravi fr.
i was so shocked when i found out Becca was the second killer. i seriously thought it would be Max just bc he was so rude to Pip and the texts seems like smth he would send.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
I’m just shocked. Wow, Camus really did it with this book. I never knew I would like the plotless vibe this much, but I truly did. It really just felt like I was diving into Meursault’s mind, specially with the writing style. You can really see the development of his humanity after he lost his freedom, which is very ironic and absurd, I found it very interesting. I’m definitely going to be reading more of Camus’ books like the Myth of Sisyphus!
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“For the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.”
“To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.”
I’m just shocked. Wow, Camus really did it with this book. I never knew I would like the plotless vibe this much, but I truly did. It really just felt like I was diving into Meursault’s mind, specially with the writing style. You can really see the development of his humanity after he lost his freedom, which is very ironic and absurd, I found it very interesting. I’m definitely going to be reading more of Camus’ books like the Myth of Sisyphus!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Death
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
dark
emotional
fast-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
“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside of me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”
The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is that the translation I read did not do me justice. There is a famous quote that I did not encounter anywhere, and I feel like some parts of the book lacked the intense feeling Kafka’s writing possesses. Regardless, I loved this book. It has many important messages and themes, everyone has to read it for sure.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
And a bunch of other lines that absolutely wretched me.
Every sentence written by the exquisite Oscar Wilde is so well crafted. I am in awe. That is all.
Also, I would’ve absolutely adored a Lord Henry book. I want more of his philosophy.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
In tears. I’m crying for how Wilde perfectly depicts his characters. His sentence structures. His parallelism. I’m crying because I’ve never read anything like this before.
In the picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde discusses what consequences eternal beauty and youth have on the life of an individual, who also happens to be easily influenced by his so called “wise” friend, Lord Henry. But we also follow the life of the portrait, painted by the artist Basil Hallward, and how it captures an individual’s soul.
This novel is rich in beautiful prose, imagery and descriptions of the setting and environment that perfectly align with the character’s mood at the time. Every character is so complex in their own dangerous but beautiful way.
In the picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde discusses what consequences eternal beauty and youth have on the life of an individual, who also happens to be easily influenced by his so called “wise” friend, Lord Henry. But we also follow the life of the portrait, painted by the artist Basil Hallward, and how it captures an individual’s soul.
This novel is rich in beautiful prose, imagery and descriptions of the setting and environment that perfectly align with the character’s mood at the time. Every character is so complex in their own dangerous but beautiful way.
“Conscience and cowardice are really the same thing, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.”
“Behind every exquisite thing that ever existed, there was something tragic. Worlds had to be in travail, that the meanest flower might blow…”
And a bunch of other lines that absolutely wretched me.
Every sentence written by the exquisite Oscar Wilde is so well crafted. I am in awe. That is all.
Also, I would’ve absolutely adored a Lord Henry book. I want more of his philosophy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay, I feel like this book had so much potential but it didn’t blow me away. The concept of the book is great, I loved the appearance of the Devil; I believe it added more depth into our troubled main character. However, the book is so dull and reads so monotonous and repetitive at times. I feel like the main character could have had so much more depth and analysis rather than describing him as “lazy” and unable to make good decisions. I understand what the main message of the book is, but it’s so mediocre and wasn’t executed well at all, the writing could have been so much better. It might have been because of the translation, but i doubt that affected the writing style much. It’s a cute little book tho, loved cabbage! My fav character for sure :)
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m in utter shock. I feel so empty now that I finished it, it felt like a part of my veins. Dazai’s writing is one that captures u in the palm of the hand of the protagonist, experiencing every emotion in intricate detail. Quite frankly if i had finished tabbing my book, almost every page would be underlined. The lines are so thought provoking that I felt obligated to annotate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Rape and Grief
Normal People by Sally Rooney
I find this book very hard to base a single opinion on, so here are my thoughts. I found it relatively easy to read without quotations, but it’s a great insight on how things can easily be misinterpreted.
Rooney’s way of shifting into different scenes shocked me because I barely noticed it at times. I felt attached to her characters, although I did want to punch them several times in this book. There is no character development, which is the whole point: showing how raw, normal, and complex these characters are.
I find that the more I think about the concept of the book the more I love it. The book appeared boring to me toward the middle due to nothing happening, but that’s the whole point. It’s meant to show how communication is an important part of any relationship, and how crazy it is that one person can change your entire life. It’s an important book, but I don’t find myself reading it again in the future.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“They’ve done a lot of good for each other. Really, she thinks, really. People can really change one another.”
I find this book very hard to base a single opinion on, so here are my thoughts. I found it relatively easy to read without quotations, but it’s a great insight on how things can easily be misinterpreted.
Rooney’s way of shifting into different scenes shocked me because I barely noticed it at times. I felt attached to her characters, although I did want to punch them several times in this book. There is no character development, which is the whole point: showing how raw, normal, and complex these characters are.
I find that the more I think about the concept of the book the more I love it. The book appeared boring to me toward the middle due to nothing happening, but that’s the whole point. It’s meant to show how communication is an important part of any relationship, and how crazy it is that one person can change your entire life. It’s an important book, but I don’t find myself reading it again in the future.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
A solid 3 star reflective and sad novel, although the saddening effect was not executed to the full extent. I definitely would have loved it more if it touched my soul a bit more. I did find Eddie to be an empathetic and wholesome character. Throughout the novel, he learns that every decision he makes is connected to another that has affected a certain person, making all human stories connected. It taught me not to waste my years and make every decision count. However, I did find the book to be boring sometimes towards the middle, so I tried to read through quickly.
I definitely recommend Albom’s ‘tuesdays with morrie’ if you want to be more tear-struck and love emotional books like me :)
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
3.5
“Had he known his death was imminent, he might have gone somewhere else. Instead, he did what we all do. He went about his dull routine as if all the days in the world were still to come.”
A solid 3 star reflective and sad novel, although the saddening effect was not executed to the full extent. I definitely would have loved it more if it touched my soul a bit more. I did find Eddie to be an empathetic and wholesome character. Throughout the novel, he learns that every decision he makes is connected to another that has affected a certain person, making all human stories connected. It taught me not to waste my years and make every decision count. However, I did find the book to be boring sometimes towards the middle, so I tried to read through quickly.
I definitely recommend Albom’s ‘tuesdays with morrie’ if you want to be more tear-struck and love emotional books like me :)
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
emotional
informative
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
3.75
This book got me blushing the entire time I absolutely loved it. However, I did find the writing style too simple for my liking. It is a great book to start with if u wanna get into reading, very fast paced!! I loved how the disease, cystic fibrosis, was presented in a way that was fun yet informative for the readers. Also, I’m in love with Will😕. He loved Stella no matter what the distance was between them, and I found their love story heartbreaking. Stella has control issues and honestly, me too. The movie adaptation is very accurate and excruciatingly emotional, but definitely worth it.