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naimar's reviews
132 reviews
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
I really liked this book and how it was written. The prose was very beautiful and the story was interesting. My only gripe is with the politics of the book, which is an entirely subjective opinion based on my own views. I feel like the message about art protest is good, but I’m unsure about what the book is trying to say about mass protests, ones that are escalated into violence. Overall this was a very good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve heard so many good things about this series, and the concept sounded really interesting. However, this book just moved way to slowly for my tastes. Usually I enjoy multi-POV fantasy books, but I could’ve done without a lot of the Varg and Elvar chapters. Orka was the main character that I was invested in. It just felt like it moved very slow. The worldbuilding was really interesting and cool, but the story itself was too slow for me and the characters were overall not compelling enough. I think this was partially because their backstories are kept as secrets for so long. Also, this is a personal preference, but I didn’t love the amount of blood and gore in this book. I’m generally fine with fantasy violence, but this one was just a little much for me. I really wanted to like this series but I won’t be continuing with it. I feel sort of like I’m missing something because this seems on paper like a book I would really like, but I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was excited to read this book because the back blurb said it was Rebecca-esque, while also being set within a South Asian - South African family. While I found it was a page-turner, it wasn’t super evocative of any strong emotions for me.
Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.0
I really enjoy Lift and I can’t wait to learn more about her in future books. I’m glad I read this novella even though I wasn’t a fan of the Mistborn novellas.
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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 love being able to definitively say “Yes” to the “is there strong character development?” question. This book felt so good to read, like so many pieces of the Stormlight Archive puzzle have started to click in. The book 5 climax is coming and I can’t wait for it. This book is full of broken people managing to find ways to do what’s right and I loved that. Potentially my new favorite book in the series, I just loved the developments plot wise and character wise. I loved Kaladin, Venli, and Navani especially. I also think I need to read Edgedancer because I really enjoyed Lift.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not as good as Little Fires Everywhere, but I expected that going in. Still, it was really good and kept me hooked for the whole thing even if the characters felt a little repetitive.
The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I finished this book in one day on an international flight. I didn’t know it was a sequel when I checked it out, and had no way to search it up until after I was already mostly finished. I think part of my disappointment and feeling that the book was incomplete definitely came from me never reading the first book, however I think regardless the ending felt rushed and too neat.
Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
First of all, I’m not sure why this is categorized as fictional on here. It is a collection of folklore and the author’s personal accounts about hoodoo, so I can’t exactly fill out the parameters about characters or mood. That being said, I found especially the first half of the book to not have been put together in the most compelling way, though the second half about hoodoo was much more interesting.
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.5
Though the sections about Cassie’s mother were poignant, a lot of this book felt like a blur to me. And as someone from the Bay I recognize the dangerous hustle culture but still didn’t love the overall tone in which SF was portrayed. The ending felt inevitable which I was fine with, but I maybe expected more.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.75
Probably my favorite book that I’ve read this year for AP Lit. It was a sweet book and I really liked reading something that focused on a character like Janie.