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helendipietro's reviews
243 reviews

The Queen Next Door by Marcela Ferreira

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informative inspiring reflective
  • 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

Great messaging and vibrant illustrations! 
Whose Dog Is This? by Andrew Sanders

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funny

3.0

A fun one but not a favourite!
The Secret Elephant: The true story of an extraordinary wartime friendship by Ellan Rankin

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hopeful reflective sad

4.0

Beautiful illustrations that tell the heartfelt story of an unbreakable bond between an elephant and a human! Adds so much more to the reading experience knowing that it was based on true events and I enjoyed the newspaper format at the end which explains this.
The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage

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hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wow these illustrations are just phenomenal! I enjoyed reading this picture book and will be recommending it to parents of children who love to explore and are interested in the ocean/science! 🌊 
I liked the twist that the jellyfish has been following the crew without them knowing but I hate a cliff hanger! I want to know what she did next?? Great for stimulating discussions with young children though 👌
Snowed In For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Not in the mood 
Bloom by Kevin Panetta

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-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? Yes

4.0

Very sweet and heartwarming story. The visuals are amazing and the colour tone was unique. I wanted more from some of these characters as the friends had such great personalities! The will they won’t they part of the book was then revealed super quickly with some added drama so that was interesting but I felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly. 
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

A fantastic read; now I’m so invested in this world! The writing is great, the characters are developed and memorable and the action is very tense. I’ve so looked forward to the moments when I could read a few more pages! 
Onto the third book in the series…
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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adventurous dark emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

4.5

Embarrassingly got round to reading this at the age of 29 when it’s been around for years!! I had watched the film ages ago so I knew the premise. Suzanne Collins’ writing is fantastic and as a YA book, this is outstanding! I wanted more time in the character’s heads and a little less action but that’s just my preference! 
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

An informative and affirmative read about bisexuality. I learnt a lot with this one and its written very accessibly so I think it will help educate a lot of people and make others feel less alone! 
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Another 5* YA graphic novel! I’m so grateful to have discovered this genre and know I would have loved them as a young person! The colour scheme and artwork in this one is outstanding and felt really intentional, adding emotion to the story. For me personally, I would have preferred more dialogue to really connect with the characters and story more but I think re reading it will give me a lot more next time!
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