sareidle's reviews
75 reviews

Paper Towns by John Green
Did not finish book.

I kept starting this book from the beginning when traveling via airplane and never completed it upon completing my journey. I've enjoyed John Green's other books, but I don't know if I can overcome my history of DNFing this one.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide attempt, Grief, Self harm, War, Death, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Infertility, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Bullying, and Death of parent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Veronica is lucky that I read this when my prefrontal cortex was not fully developed. -_-

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

I threw the book against the wall after finishing it.

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Harper Lee, Fred Fordham

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Racial slurs, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Cursing

Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Racism

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail

The Oregon Trail: The Race to Chimney Rock by Jesse Wiley, Jesse Wiley

adventurous informative fast-paced

Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans by Jane Marie

funny informative fast-paced

4.0

A quick, informative read. I learned quite a bit about the history of MLMs and the factors that contributed to their success in the United States. The background about current MLMs was already familiar to me, but it was interesting to consider COVID's impact on MLM marketing and recruitment. I enjoyed Jane Marie's first season of The Dream and I recommend listening to the Life After MLM podcast by Roberta Blevins.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

Educated by Tara Westover

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

An extremely moving book that I will be reflecting on for a long time. Tara's voice is strong throughout the memoir and tells a clear story about the trade-offs between family and education. As a student of history, I found her approach to intellectual history and historical narratives fascinating, as she knows firsthand how difficult and world-shattering it can be to "relearn" the past.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Car accident, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Blood

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Police brutality

Minor: Torture