quaintrelle_chantelle's reviews
298 reviews

My Darling Daughter by JP Delaney

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This was an easy to read, twisty little psychological thriller. While I enjoyed the suspense & pace of the story, it did contain some pretty serious issues within. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea & I could see why some people might find the ending a bit disappointing, but I found it was the kind of book I needed to break my reading rut

ADHD Explained: Your Toolkit to Understanding and Thriving by Edward Hallowell

Daisy and Kate by Meredith Appleyard

emotional reflective slow-paced

2.0

Interesting but long-winded. Relatable because of personal experiences, which made it a slightly sad read for me. Took me forever to finish but I did enjoy how it was all wrapped up. 

The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This book, Mildenhalls 3rd, was incredibly different to anything else I’ve read before. 

As a piece of writing this was extraordinary, covering past, present & future, environmental issues, social issues, relationships, it spanned the pandemic, the future of AI, & always slightly terrifying to me, a post apocalyptic world. 

Each story was entirely captivating in its own way. It was like reading four stories in one. The connections between them made me audibly gasp! 

The only thing I would mention about this book as a negative, was the ending, the closure… I just didn’t feel like I got enough information to walk away from these stories.  

New Australian Fiction 2023 by Suzy Garcia

dark funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

A little something different to break up my current reading schedule. This was an interesting collection of stories, all vastly different by a selection of authors. There were some pretty odd stories within, but it was a good  way to read something unique. 

The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

Took me a bit to get into this story. It covers a few days in the life of three out of a group of four women, who come together to clean out the home of their recently deceased friend. My initial reactions were that the characters were old & annoying. It was their behaviors towards each other, their stuck-in-their-ways beliefs, the imagined hostilities & unspoken feelings, which ultimately stood between them, creating unnecessary friction. The back described it as “excruciatingly funny”, but I’m not sure what part they were referring to.

I guess the thing I took away from this book, after all the rest, was the importance of the friendship to each of the women, despite their history. At the end of the day, it’s the people you have around you that get you through. We all need our tribe, whatever imperfect shape or size they come in. 

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.0

This was almost like two books, I was reading one thing & then suddenly the book changed tone & direction & I was reading about something completely different. At first I didn’t appreciate the time jump, but it all came together & made sense at some point. It made this story something completely unexpected. I’m still not sure if I enjoyed that aspect. 
There’s so much to unpack in this book. You have a young, pregnant runaway who ends up tied to a cultish farm group… then you’re reading her daughter’s story, which is followed by the author of The Scarlet Letter. It’s got those definite witchy vibes that Alice Hoffman is known for, but it just didn’t hit the same tone as Practical Magic for me. 

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I loved this book. I loved the writing, the sentences without quotation marks… the rawness. The younger Williams & Rosie, stirred up long forgotten memories of teenage love. The intensity & obsession… the all consuming emotion of being so enthralled with someone as a young person, so unaware of so many other aspects of the world. As their story carried on throughout the years, I felt, deeply, the frustration of what could have been for them. And yet the lingering sadness of all that they had been through in that time followed them like a dark cloud.

This was a slow burn that I enjoyed so much. 

It Could Never Happen Here by Eithne Shortall

mysterious 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? N/A

4.0

This book was equal amounts cringy, uncomfortable & dare I say, captivating, with a twisty crime edge to boot! Full of over-the-top, bitchy private school Mum’s - think the annoying Bad Mum’s clique, but Irish - add a school stage production, a nude photo scandal & chaos ensues. Somehow this writer made an incredibly uncomfortable plot line readable & hard to put down. 

I definitely wasn’t ready for that twist. An unexpected great read! 

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

3.0

This was a book I picked up during a time of healing in my life. It’s now covered in sticky notes. I absorbed, I reflected, I learnt. 

Brene Brown is kind of the master at these things & this book came at the exact time that I needed it. It’s literally taken me months & months to finish, while I slowly connected with her words.