misssophiawilliams's reviews
119 reviews

Utterly Wicked: Hexes, Curses, and Other Unsavory Notions by Dorothy Morrison

dark funny informative fast-paced

4.0

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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

5.0

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad 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

5.0

I Eat Poop: A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett

funny lighthearted 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

5.0

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wool by Hugh Howey

dark hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game by Griffin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Carey Pietsch, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.25

A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith

informative inspiring relaxing slow-paced

3.5

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

adventurous funny 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

2.5

The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

medium-paced

1.0

This book was quick to dismiss any other theories other than smartphones as to why mental health in Gen Z is so poor. Moreover,  this book is filled to the brim with poor research, some misinformation, and overall wild speculation as to why my generation behaves the way they do. Some of my favorite parts of this wonderful book:

- labeling gender dysphoria within AFAB populations as a contagious, hysterical illness akin to the rare cases of people faking DID and Tourette’s after being exposed to DID/Tourettes accounts

-talking about the “God-shaped hole” in all of our hearts. In general, the chapter on spirituality was wholly unnecessary in a book that was ripping on social media the entire time. 

All in all, the book is very much giving “old man yelling at the sky” about social media. Haidt has some solid ideas behind ways to get the youth™️ in a better place mentally, but this largely depends on parents enforcing clear boundaries on their children’s use of social media. Which is a good thing that should be happening anyways. You don’t need 400 pages to tell you that! Anyways, Haidt clearly suffers from “my childhood was obviously the best time to grow up and if kids lived like I did then they’d be less sensitive and mentally ill”.

I firmly disagree that social media CAUSES mental illness — it exasperates preexisting issues and conflicts that are embedded in our society. The only positive thing this book will get out of me is agreeing on more play time and spaces for our youth.