matildabates's reviews
127 reviews

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

this book is fucking awful. i managed to half predict the plot but the twist is ridiculous and has absolutely no set up. i genuinely can’t believe this got published. it also reeks of ‘i went to cambridge!! let me mansplain cambridge!!’ and the literary references felt like something i could have written whilst i was doing my a levels. a WASTE of PAPER. 

Saltwater by Jessica Andrews

it’s complicated 

Sorrow and Bliss: Exclusive Edition by Meg Mason

it was a good book but i feel like it’s written for people in their thirties and above. i am nineteen. 

Heatwave by Victor Jestin

this was incredibly male. not in a good way. 

Pretending by Holly Bourne

i sort of LOVED this. i’ve read some of holly bourne’s ya in the past and i feel like she needs to work on her dialogue/characters because it almost reads like fanfiction at points. however, i did really like this take on a romcom. 

actually, i’ve thought about this for a day or so and apart from it being a little cringey i did really love this. if you’re a millennial it’s probably perfect. 

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

my god i love daphne du maurier

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

a seminal text

i first read this when i was 15(?) and the impact it has had on my life is astronomical. this was the first time i’ve annotated parts of it and i can’t wait to read it again already. starting my classics degree in september!!

Mr Salary by Sally Rooney

too short? perhaps. brilliant? absolutely. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

i understand why this might not be to everyone’s taste but i still love it

A United Ireland: Why Unification Is Inevitable and How It Will Come About by Kevin Meagher

i felt like this was a good starting point because my knowledge of the troubles is limited to what i needed for my a level english coursework. interesting ideas about unifying ireland.