river69rat's reviews
33 reviews

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Genuinely captured the most unhinged thoughts that every 14 year old girl has, and expanded upon that concept in a very fascinating way. 

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

challenging dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The prose is just so good in this book. The story itself is so gruesome and sad but it's wrapped in such beautiful language. I loved the ending as well, not ambiguous at all but just a lovely way to round off a story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual harassment

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Heard so many good things about this one but it just didn't hit for me unfortunately. None of the characters were particularly interesting and Henry was especially annoying with his contrarian sexist rants. Dorian Gray himself was just fine, but it felt as if he was just a corruption of Henry and the parts in Henry's PoV were just better. Shame as I wanted to love this book :/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicide

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I love you Queen Glorian Shieldheart

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

dark funny informative fast-paced

4.5

First saw Fern on taskmaster and loved her, then found out she's autistic and loved her more, and then found out she wrote a book about being a late diagnosed autistic woman that I knew I had to read. I didn't even wait for the paperback to come out! Real, raw, relatable. A good read for any austistic woman if you want to feel seen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Self harm

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Absolutely devastated to not be able to give this book 5*, but it just took too long to get to the big moment and then felt super rushed when tying up all the lose ends. The journalist plot was almost entirely unnecessary and was the worst part of the book. The additional characters of Johnny and Hannah were good, I liked them, but it was so hard to care about them and their FOUR children when I really want to be reading about Benji and Maya and Ana and all the other original characters. I mean I stilled cried like a baby at the end, still loved the writing. Just that the book spent way too much time on new characters when realistically we're here for the OGs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, and Animal death

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

1984 by George Orwell

challenging dark informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I understand why this book is such an applauded classic, but wow did I find it boring lol

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Why was my tik tok full of sugar glider videos after I read THAT chapter? 

Also I could only picture Frank as looking like Kramer from Seinfeld which did mess with the immersion a bit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Self harm, Drug use, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death of parent

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

Was very difficult reading a book from the perspective of the most entitled man in the world

Shōgun by James Clavell

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.75

1123 pages leading up to the final battle just to not show the final battle.....