samgyupsal's reviews
15 reviews

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

The build-up took really long and it was a sudden climax and drop off in the last 2 chapters. To be honest, I didn't know where the book was going at all except that I read it as a recommendation of a Christian influencer to read. Despite that, I really like the themes of this book, namely, the theme of GRACE, as a Christian reader.

There were some plot holes in the ending but I get what the author was conveying. I feel like she could have focused more on the relationship throughout the years between Scotland and Cooper.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

hopeful inspiring reflective 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

3.25

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Funny Story by Emily Henry

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Since it was Alex Michaelides, I already expected a plot twist but I still didn't see it coming. I just don't understand why the FMC was so nosy in the first place, I get that she was protective of her niece and her psychologist background made her really invested but, she was so nosy???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

Written so beautifully. I honestly thought the time-travel aspect wouldn't be done well (as per previous movies/books) but it didn't go into it too much and also just enough so that it wasn't taking you out of the story. The characters felt like real people and I was just rooting for both of them the whole time. Worth the hype it's getting for sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Death and Sexual content

Minor: Dementia

Beach Read by Emily Henry

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

This book was so good, it feels like the characters are actual people with their complicated backgrounds and how their story hashed out. Emily Henry's writing was beautiful and I felt really engrossed reading and wanting to know what happens between the MCs throughout my reading. Had me bawling at the end when

she finally read her dad's letters.

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Vomit, and Death of parent

Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

Written like a Wattpad story that I would have loved reading when I was younger, the language she used is trying too much to be relevant. It felt like the stories I've read before, and written too much like how a person thinks. This story could have been shorter.