madelinemaesmith's reviews
499 reviews

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Did not finish book. Stopped at 61%.

I didn't intentionally DNF this book...it just...happened?! I got about 60% of the way through and just couldn't punish myself anymore. The first half was fine, but the pitch for this book is wildly misleading.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Victory City by Salman Rushdie

adventurous challenging funny informative slow-paced

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

3.0

Happy Place by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5