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andreathrs_'s reviews
30 reviews
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Erin Morgenstern's "The Starless Sea" beautifully illustrates the wonders of stories and storytelling. One thing I loved most about the prose and the writing, how everything was perfectly descriptive, allowing you to truly imagine yourself in this world of fantasies and stories.
Personally, I would rate it a 3.5 stars at first read because the pacing was a bit off at times. The first and last third of the book (specifically Book I, II, and VI) had a lot more plot compared to the other books. I also didn't feel the urgency of the antagonist because it was hardly mentioned directly to the reader. I also wished there was more of a plot in Books III, IV, and V since many of Zachary's perspective in the plot was him wandering around.
Along with this, there was no strong character development for any of the characters. All of them more or less stayed the same, making the driving force behind the plot the story set in stone and not the characters making decisions for themselves.
All in all, I strongly believe that this book is better understood through more reads due to the intricate interconnectedness of all the stories and characters. I can see my rating changing once I do read it again, though!
Personally, I would rate it a 3.5 stars at first read because the pacing was a bit off at times. The first and last third of the book (specifically Book I, II, and VI) had a lot more plot compared to the other books. I also didn't feel the urgency of the antagonist because it was hardly mentioned directly to the reader. I also wished there was more of a plot in Books III, IV, and V since many of Zachary's perspective in the plot was him wandering around.
Along with this, there was no strong character development for any of the characters. All of them more or less stayed the same, making the driving force behind the plot the story set in stone and not the characters making decisions for themselves.
All in all, I strongly believe that this book is better understood through more reads due to the intricate interconnectedness of all the stories and characters. I can see my rating changing once I do read it again, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
i absolutely loved this book, especially the way it was written. i initially thought this would be a murder mystery with the family trying to find out what happened to lydia since the blurb only really talked about her death, but what i got was a story about the inner dynamic and relationships of a family.
i loved the storyline with the flashbacks and different perspectives from the family members, and how each also had their opinion on certain things. i definitely related to this book a lot, especially to nath, since i also come from an asian family whose siblings act the same way.
each sentence was very purposeful and had a lot of impact. very intriguing and heartfelt <3
i loved the storyline with the flashbacks and different perspectives from the family members, and how each also had their opinion on certain things. i definitely related to this book a lot, especially to nath, since i also come from an asian family whose siblings act the same way.
each sentence was very purposeful and had a lot of impact. very intriguing and heartfelt <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Racism
Moderate: Infidelity
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
3.0
The Memory Watcher by Minka Kent
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
"The Memory Watcher" is definitely an intriguing, dark, and, mysterious read. The book's pace at the beginning was definitely slow, but it definitely starts building up and becoming more tense in the latter half.
There were some parts that I liked (foreshadowing of some later events and inner monologues of the characters) but for the most part, I wish it tied up more of the open plot points it made along the way. This would include Grace's behavior, the lotus necklace Autumn stole from Daphne, and Autumn's past (how she got pregnant with Grace and her life before becoming "Autumn"). Although I'm not sure how realistic the plot twist was, it definitely made sense in the end, especially after all the foreshadowing given.
(There was also a small typo in my copy of the book, where it referred to one character as another, making it a bit confusing. Although I'm not sure if this is the publisher's fault as I got this book secondhand.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Violence and Murder
The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5