sha66areads's reviews
567 reviews

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

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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

3.0

COMPLETELY unnecessary sequel like it was way too long for one
fun time with ari & dante nonetheless
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

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adventurous reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

not usually a fan of short story collections but this had some wonderful and unique short stories with just enough magical realism that made them interesting.
Somebody Loves You by Mona Arshi

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dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Couldn’t connect with characters or story unfortunately 
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad fast-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

The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

⭐️ for the mc
⭐️⭐️ for the plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the beautiful writing/translation 
The emotion and feeling was not lost in the translation so I really appreciate that. But omg I couldn’t stand how MEAN the mc was to her own kids & dog… I also didn’t like how fast the mc turned around with her feelings like it was truly psychotic 
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

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dark informative mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Writing was impeccable but I guess I expected more from the plot/storyline

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

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dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan

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adventurous emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you loved The Goldfinch, A Little Life, and How to be Both then you’re going to love this 
It’s all about relationships, youth, life, and living 
Gonna think about Tully & James for a while…
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

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dark hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Really enjoyed the writing style, character building, backstories, cultural & religion exploration 
Except for the jumping back and forth between timelines. I got lost a lot and couldn’t keep up. There was no font change or indicator at all. 
The Shining by Stephen King

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5