shannismcewen's reviews
1319 reviews

Funny Story by Emily Henry

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

I love Emily Henry so I’m quite biased. But this was so good. Really enjoyed the characters here and what drew them together. So enjoyable — much more fun than Happy Place! 
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved it. Started it and couldn’t put it down. Guardians of the Galaxy mixed with Charlie Jane Anders vibes. 
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

So fun! Definite cozy fantasy. Loved the story.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read this for a book club and never would have picked it up otherwise. It was so gripping, once I started it I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the read! 
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Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

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adventurous 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

3.0

Not the best writing but reasonable — and the story was entertaining enough.

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Real Americans by Rachel Khong

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challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

Beautifully written and so incredibly engaging. 
We Forget Nothing by D.D. Black

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Again, super quick and easy to read. Not deep, not the best writing craft. For fans of Criminal Minds, probably. 
The Fifth Victim by D.D. Black

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

2.5

It’s not the best writing but the story is engaging enough that I read this and the next one in two short sittings. It reads like Criminal Minds fan fic and that’s perfectly fine. 

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
It just wasn’t going anywhere and I wasn’t into any of the main characters. 
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg

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slow-paced

1.0

I’m really sorry but I hate this book so much! It’s very much written from a place of white male privilege and it’s also poorly written. I had to read it for a work training coming up this week and I’m so disappointed that this was the chosen book for the course.