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pariswishnowsky's reviews
163 reviews
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
3.0
Hamnet is a beautifully written novel that focuses not on Shakespeare, but his wife and children and how they came to be. I wanted to love this story after hearing so many great things, and I can absolutely see why this book is so adored and has won awards - Maggie O'Farrell has a lovely writing style that immerses you into the period of time where she is writing, and you feel like you are there with the characters. However, for me, I found myself becoming uninterested, and it was lacking the feeling of specialness for it to be higher than a 3 star read. I'm still determined to find historical fiction work that I love!
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Unfortunately this fell really flat for me. The first 80% was painfully boring and I found Andy to be insufferable. The last 20% was better, with the alternative POV, however not enough to save the book for me. I really wanted to love this because I love Dolly Alderton's non-fiction work, however I think her fictional stories are not for me.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
first review of 2024!! This was surprisingly a great read - not because I expected my queen Ali Hazelwood to flop, but because I was unsure a YA somewhat chess-heavy romance was going to be my thing. But this exceeded expectations! Loved the characters, in particular Mallory and what we learn about her family relationships. This book makes me want to learn chess!!