bookmaddie's reviews
1069 reviews

Shadow Life by Hiromi Goto

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A really fun mystery! Even though it took me ages to listen to it 😂

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Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Quite fun! I was also quite stressed, haha.

Helena sucks!! And now I’m anxious for book two.. no one hurt Niamh!!!

Content Warnings

Tauhou by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Ephemera by Briana Loewinsohn

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

3.0

Didn’t love the art, but a sweet and sad remembrance of the author’s mother.

Penance by Eliza Clark

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

Terrace Story by Hilary Leichter

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

Her Side of the Story by Alba de Céspedes

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

Celestia by Manuele Fior

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No

3.0

Beautiful colors and brushwork, but some of the art felt a bit caricature-y. Also, I’m not sure I understand any of the story. Very little context or time spent explaining the world or the conflict.

The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Historical fiction tends to be my comfort read, and I dove headfirst into this one. Howes tells the story of the two daughters of English portrait painter, Thomas Gainsborough. From a young age, Peggy watches over her older sister, Molly, who suffers from mental illness and has spells where she isn’t herself. But nothing can be kept secret for that long as more people are invited into their inner circle, and the small world Peggy grew up in steadily expands.

With colorful, observant writing, Howes explores the forbidden, and all that’s hidden underneath a pretty surface. I especially enjoyed her writing about the act of painting, and the small details that might escape other peoples’ notice. In a novel where not much happens, Howes makes the story feel unrelenting as we wait for the pin to drop. The crescendo is dramatic and scintillating, exploring what one might do to protect someone they love.

A stunning debut, and I look forward to more from Howes!

Content Warnings