maryjohnstone's reviews
72 reviews

You and Me on Vacation, by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

Emily Henry does not miss! I love her writing so much and the way that she creates characters is so gorgeous. They are so vivid and real and I love them so much. I was nervous about this book since many people said it was their least favourite but it was so good. Poppy and Alex are so cute together and their relationship was so sweet. It was a cute plot but I preferred Book Lovers so I clearly need to read the rest of Emily Henry's works.

Good Girl, Bad Blood, by Holly Jackson

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

I did love this book but I just didn't love it as much as the first book. The beginning of the story was honestly a bit dull and not particularly compelling but the ending was brilliant. I was on the edge of my seat and was so invested at the end but the story was not as cohesive as the first story. Pippa and Ravi are still brilliant and these characters were able to make the dragging first half interesting.

If this book was a stand alone, I think it would get an easy five stars but when I am comparing it to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, it just doesn't feel the same!

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? No

4.75

I'm devastated. Suzanne Collins just doesn't miss in this sequel. The way that she brought in such a great new cast of characters that are so vivid. The plot is brilliant and so unexpected. But I would appreciate if she stopped making me attached to her characters and then torturing them.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson

emotional mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

I love this book so much!! The plot and development of the story was executed so well. I had no idea who did it and was invested the whole time. Pippa was a brilliant detective and main character; she was bright and so loveable. Ravi was my favourite through - he was so sweet and cared so much for his brother and Pippa. 

This story was so well structured and I especially appreciated the format after doing an EPQ. The reveals were shocking and had the hairs on my arm standing up!

I loved this loads and want to read the sequels now!

Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

What a gorgeous and understated book. It read this in one sitting since it was so short and it was simply beautiful. The descriptions were gorgeous and I adored Bill Furlong. 

The ending had me smiling and feeling sad at the same time. I feel like this book is about doing the right thing even when everyone turns away. 

This book was a little gem and I can see it becoming a modern classic. 

Better Than the Movies, by Lynn Painter

emotional lighthearted 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

4.75

I loved this book so much. It was cheesy and silly but it took that in its stride and managed to recreate the feeling that I get with some of the best rom-coms. I wasn't expected much but it delivered both an amazing plot and developed characters. 

I was going to dnf this one early on and struggled to get into it because I found that the main character was slightly annoying and it was another fake-dating trope (not my favourite lol). But I am so glad I stuck with it.

I loved how fleshed-out all the characters are. Like Liz was a 'not-like-other-girls' lead who was actually just insecure and missed her mom. Wes was the 'bad-boy' but he was just a loser in love. Michael was the heartthrob but turned out to be the wrong guy. 

Most importantly, I could talk for ages about how much I loved the women in the book. Painter shone a light on all the women and their relationships in this book and it made me so happy. None of them were reduced to plot devices but instead well-developed. I think that is why this book was such a nice change.

There were some cringy moments to this book but I believe that was part of its charm. This book was a warm hug and one of my favourite romances. 

The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I have been meaning to continue this series and this book was just so much better compared to the others. It was action packed and the plot was so good. I also feel like that characters are visibly maturing and growing up which is nice. I am very attached to these guys and Percy was amazing in this book. I am excited to see how it wraps up and I have a feeling that I am going to be reading the Heroes of Olympus series soon after!

The Deal, by Elle Kennedy

2.5

I genuinely gave this book a fair shot and I knew it wouldn't be a masterpiece but it really started on a wrong foot for me. The main characters were bordering on insufferable. I understand that we see them as caricatures of the jock and the nerd to begin with and then through exploring their experiences, we see them as more. But I found it so hard to get over the 'I'm-not-like-other-girls' trope that Hannah had. We are set up to sympathise with her but she frequently slut-shamed any other girl that enjoys sex or just believes she better than them because she smarter and eats more than just a salad. She literally assumes that a woman is stupid if they are a cheerleader or sorority girl. Also I didn't like Garrett Graham and honestly could not get passed his name. 

I think that this book had it strengths but definitely look up trigger warnings. Just not my kind of book. I think I need to accept that I just don't like the fake-dating trope lol.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

Animal Farm is a book that I have been meaning to read for ages and I am so disappointed I didn’t read this before. After suffering through my GCSE Russia course that covered 1917 to 1941, it was quite easy to figure out who Orwell based his characters on. But the story is so replicable for so many different countries and their political turmoil - how individuals rise to power by using the hardship of their people and offering hope for a better life and failing to reward it.

The use of the animals creates a remarkable fable that is unique and has cemented itself as a classic. I love that the book is so accessible through its language. Orwell proved that a book doesn't need to be overly complicated to be brilliant.

 

Even though I knew the ending of this book, I was still holding out hope that the animals would rise up against the pigs to fight for the dream they had.  Also side note, I got so angry at Squealer and could not figure out which figure he was. Then I googled it and he represents propaganda so that's pretty accurate.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

adventurous emotional 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? No

4.5

I am ashamed to admit that I never finished The Hunger Games when I was a kid. I watched the film and started the book but I am going to blame my intense Harry Potter phase for me completely failing to appreciate this masterpiece. 

But I am so glad that I have spend time to read this and the fact that I read it in a day just proves how good it was. While this book is YA, it is such a meaningful and well written story. The fact that the whole story is an allegory for Capitalism and how we cannot thrive in society with comfort without the suffering of the others. It is genius and its accessibility does not decrease from its brilliance.

In a way, I am glad that I read it now because I felt I was able to appreciate the depth and strength of Katniss as a main character. I would have probably gotten annoying that she was stubborn and had a cold exterior. I also have a feeling that I would have disliked that she was so resistant to the romance aspects. But this resistance is vital to the integrity of her as a character that she would not welcome a new relationship with open arms given her situation. 

Also even though I knew about all the twists in the plot, I still cried which actually so hard for a book to do especially considering I knew what was going to happen.

Didn't think I would have so much to say about The Hunger Games but I haven't finished a book in a day for months, so apparently this day is full of surprises.