victoria_2002's reviews
113 reviews

Attack on Titan, Volume 1 by Hajime Isayama

fast-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

4.0

I like this anime and I enjoyed volume one it was very interesting and a good start to the series 

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

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

3.25

Currently fighting a reading slump so had to put the book down for a while and re read it when I was ready. I prefer The Island to this book but I still thought this was a really clever concept and an interesting read. It was quite predictable though to be honest. 

Do No Harm by Jack Jordan

fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was a good fast paced and easy read! I flew through it and found it hard to put the book down, it reminded me of a Freida McFadden book. It was a good tense thriller and I also appreciated that there was a small bit of LGBTQ representation. It’s also the first book I’ve ever read with trichotillomania represented. I would definitely recommend this.

The Island by Adrian McKinty

medium-paced

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

5.0

I’m so glad I took this book out at the library! It was so so good and had me on the edge of my seat. The premise is unforgettable and this book will be in my mind for a long time. I loved the character development. It was unsettling with some gory details but it didn’t even have to go into too much detail for me to be disturbed. Will definitely check out more from this author! 

The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror by Joyce Carol Oates

slow-paced

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

2.0

2 stars because the only two stories that were semi okay was Big Momma and The Doll Master. I don’t know if it’s because I’m in a reading slump but I just found some of the stories so boring and ended in such pointless ways. My favourite was big Momma which I actually thought was creepy somewhat. 

Wool by Hugh Howey

slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

It’s hard for me to review this book honestly. I was in the biggest reading slump and I picked this book up and I just don’t think it was the right book to pick coming right out of a slump, I loved the characters but it was very slow paced and looong. I feel like it could have been shortened by at least 200 pages. I loved the premise and thought it was really interesting but I found myself procrastinating to read this, and when I did read my mind would wander a lot. 

Extasia by Claire Legrand

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

5.0

Wow this book ticked so many boxes for me! I loved the dystopian feel, it reminded me of the hand maids tale. I loved how it was a mix of both horror and fantasy. It managed to be disturbing and gory whilst also beautifully and lyrically written. I loved how witchy it was, the lesbian representation made me so happy too! There was also a non binary character! Overall this was a great book and I will definitely be reading more by this author! 

The Lies You Told by Harriet Tyce

slow-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed this more than Blood Orange. That being said, the pacing of the book felt very similar to Blood Orange, slow with not much happening in the first 300 pages. I did enjoy the epilogue, that gave me a small chill but I think it was a bit of a silly and unexplained plot twist. Maybe it could have benefited from having other POVS. The writing style was nice and easy to read but overall the pacing was too slow and I didn’t feel much emotion while reading. 

The Widow by Fiona Barton

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

2.25

Major trigger warning for child abuse and SA! 
So, I just finished this book and it was.. just ok. It really didn’t make me feel any emotion at all apart from disgust at some of the SA/pedophile parts. This book is a thriller but it didn’t shock me or thrill me in the slightest, I was expecting twists and turns or at least some suspense but really it was just a long lead up to what I was already expecting. I didn’t realise there was a detective’s POV so maybe it just wasn’t for me. I will say that it was written in a way that is easy to read, and there was a small amount of interesting psychological aspects. 

The Gone and the Forgotten by Clare Whitfield

medium-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

3.0

Major TW for SA and SH! 
I adored the writing style this author used, it felt easy to read while also being captivating. That being said there was some underlying fat phobia that I was not at all a fan of. The characters were fleshed out and didn’t feel one sided at all. It is a slow start but the suspense and overall creepy/eery vibe to the book kept me reading. Most of the twists didn’t really feel shocking, but there was one twist I didn’t guess. Despite the twists not feeling shocking I think the ending was satisfying and tied everything up nicely.