annaki_laila's reviews
160 reviews

Good bedtime story because it is just so boring. I can't wrap my head around how this is a 'classic' etc because the plot and message aren't anything revelatory, and the writing style is super bland and reads like a fable/legend in a bad way. It's fast-paced in theory but the narration was such a drag that I marked it as medium.

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The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

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fast-paced

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

3.0

The bulk of the important plot points only started happening past the halfway point. There were enough moments of miscommunication to get on my nerves, though it could've been worse. Overall lacking in the world-building department; the base concept was interesting but there just wasn't enough to get properly immersed in.

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Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Impossibly, it's even better than the first book. Beautiful, just so beautiful.

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The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

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mysterious 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

2.5

A gothic novel that forgets it's supposed to be a gothic novel. The first third is promising, the supernatural elements begin to appear and the suspense is there. Then halfway through, the narrator swiftly becomes unlikeable as he initiates a relationship with one of the main characters (with an age gap of over a decade and some generally uncomfortable vibes). The relationship should've been a subplot at most, but it begins to take up far too many pages, and as it continues the narrator just gets more and more selfish and irritating. I began skim-reading some parts at this point because there were so many pages of stuff that was annoying and unrelated to the whole supernatural plot. Having finished the book now, I can safely say that the relationship being romantic was unnecessary. Whatever overarching points about class were being made (which weren't as strong as I thought they'd be based on the blurb anyway) could've been made with the relationship being purely platonic. Anyway!! Rant over, save your time and probably just don't read this book, or read it with lowered expectations, because it really doesn't contain much 'gripping' or 'chilling' content like the blurb describes.

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annaki_laila's reviews 160 reviews

annaki_laila's reviews
160 reviews