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weaverwrites's reviews
24 reviews
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
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
2.0
I don't think the book did anything anything technically wrong, but it's not really to my taste. The "reveal" didn't do it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming and Car accident
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
dark
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think the characters are what make or break this book for you. The writing pulled me in--very smooth and very conversational, strong 3rd person, but I think it was the characters who made me latch on. My heart ached for Patricia and for Grace. Slick and Kitty were wild in their own ways and Maryellen just fit in and Mrs. (Ursula) Greene deserved a whole lot more than she got. If you find yourself in these ladies, I think you're a lot more likely to appreciate the book. It starts so normal, so painfully normal, and things slowly get stranger, fall out of place, stand out. The pacing suits the book, in my opinion. This is not Buffy. (No offense to Buffy, obv.) It takes its time because it needs to--the relationships we see and Patricia's determination don't mean nearly as much otherwise.
The book has its flaws, partially as a result of the setting. Gaslighting and cheating and otherwise abusive husbands? Check. (Fuck Carter.) Quiet, deeply ingrained racism? Check. This is a book about white women in a small Southern town in the early to mid 90s, and with such a strong theme of manners and propriety, there are some things this book just can't talk about (so it whispers them instead).
Clearly this isn't well-organized. I apologize. Some people won't like this book. But if you like a comedy of manners mixed with a cozy mystery, sprinkled with blood and gore and murder, you might enjoy this. Characters aside (though they've clawed their way into my heart), I think this is about going in with the right expectations. I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but I personally am VERY pleased with what I got.
The book has its flaws, partially as a result of the setting. Gaslighting and cheating and otherwise abusive husbands? Check. (Fuck Carter.) Quiet, deeply ingrained racism? Check. This is a book about white women in a small Southern town in the early to mid 90s, and with such a strong theme of manners and propriety, there are some things this book just can't talk about (so it whispers them instead).
Clearly this isn't well-organized. I apologize. Some people won't like this book. But if you like a comedy of manners mixed with a cozy mystery, sprinkled with blood and gore and murder, you might enjoy this. Characters aside (though they've clawed their way into my heart), I think this is about going in with the right expectations. I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but I personally am VERY pleased with what I got.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexism, Violence, and Dementia
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
Bringing Down the Colonel: A Sex Scandal of the Gilded Age, and the Powerless Woman Who Took on Washington by Patricia Miller
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Sexual violence
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I understand why it's beloved, but something was missing for me. Anne is lovely. I feel for Marilla. The voice was nice. I even cried in places. But... something was missing. Maybe it covered too much time? Maybe I would have preferred if it didn't cover 5 years but zoomed in a little more? I'm not sure what else it would be.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It has 2 stars because 1) I did feel things/I wasn't bored (low standard there?) and 2) I like Bill (and Charlie's relationship with him) even though there isn't much to him because of Charlie's perspective.
Other than that... I didn't care about most of the characters. Charlie felt 12, not 16. His perspective (combined with the epistolary style which I generally don't care for anyway) felt so limiting. I feel like this book could have said so much more, or made me care about the things it had to say, if it were from anyone else's perspective.
Maybe I've outgrown YA (though this could have been middle grade without all the drugs and sex... which also just felt unnecessary, I guess?).
I knew the spoiler going in, but it felt shoved in at the end for shock value, as if Charlie's story wouldn't matter without it.
Other than that... I didn't care about most of the characters. Charlie felt 12, not 16. His perspective (combined with the epistolary style which I generally don't care for anyway) felt so limiting. I feel like this book could have said so much more, or made me care about the things it had to say, if it were from anyone else's perspective.
Maybe I've outgrown YA (though this could have been middle grade without all the drugs and sex... which also just felt unnecessary, I guess?).
I knew the spoiler going in, but it felt shoved in at the end for shock value, as if Charlie's story wouldn't matter without it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
This book is wrapped up in nostalgia and love for The Princess Bride for me. I loved getting the behind-the-scenes treatment not only from Cary Elwes but also the comments from so many of the other people involved with the movie. It was an entertaining and interesting read.
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book had SO much potential. Unfortunately, I got the impression it was early in the author's career, and I don't think Disney gave her the space to explore the ideas and nuance she broached. I just wanted a lot more from what I already saw.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not crying, you're crying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
The Tenets of Frugalosophy: A Guide to Financial Security by Jeremy Eckes
0.0
It offers nothing new. It hides old ideas by forcing them through clunky, made-up vocabulary and hiding behind fad formatting. The book also needs a LOT of editing: run-on sentences, poor formatting, missing commas, etc. It feels a lot more like an outline than a book.