neela's reviews
41 reviews

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

really really fun reveals and ahh i just loved reading it
so excited to keep the story going and i really love this character now

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.0

loved this- so delightfully readable 
it reminds me of the damage held within misogynistic jokes- what that meant for women throughout so much history and for many woman what it still stops
and it affects every aspect of life 
i loved her defiance- need to remember that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

Maame by Jessica George

challenging emotional lighthearted sad medium-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

3.75

a very enjoyable read, very real and i loved having the insight into this relationship 
i loved her growth in the book that was so nice to see

Foster by Claire Keegan

hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

really enjoyed the writing style- so so calming. the description is so perfect and irish i love it 
just a short and sweet story really

Wired for Love: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection by Stephanie Cacioppo

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

this is a lovely non fiction book. 
i never thought of using love or loneliness or i suppose social interaction as interventions for peoples help. i especially liked her research on changes to brain function in those who self-reported being in love.
her story is such a beautiful one and reading it i couldn’t help but think how many people will relate to almost all of it 
love and loneliness are basically guaranteed to be experienced in life and there is lots that dr cacioppo’s work is figuring out about what that does to us. 
the fact that she not only studies love so deeply but experienced it as well adds an amazing insight to her work
chapter 11 made me cry

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Terminal illness

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

everything was set up so well- i became very invested in the characters
the descriptions of graphic realities of war were intense but so memorable even just reading about them makes me think about the long term effects on people that lived through it.
so much happens in this book!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

i didn’t know it but it was definitely a book i needed- sooo readable and setting me up for more 
i loved the twists and hints too

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

truly truly never thought i would have liked this as much as i did haha

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

so proud of myself for finishing this book it was pretty long by my standards 
took me a while to get into it but once i was i liked the style of writing and that the narrator was not reliable. 
also loved that it made me gasp
god people can be privileged 

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

really enjoyed reading something so fast and loved the twists!! 
i loooove when a book makes me gasp out loud