specificwonderland's reviews
819 reviews

The Underhistory by Kaaron Warren

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tense slow-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

1.0

I stuck with this, and I regret it. 

It was slow & tense but ultimately not great. Not much character growth. Not too much plot until the last 25%. I have been noticing something major usually happens around the 50% mark and halfway into this story, when nothing had majorly happened, I clocked it but proceeded anyway. 

Half the book is her giving a tour of her haunted house and flipping back to how it became haunted. The other half is some psychos showing up and how she handles that. I'm sure this is for someone. It was a bit of a letdown to me. 

Things I liked: Historically, I was the most interested...I hadn't thought/learned about Australian participation in WW2. The tension of the story, wondering what was going to happen. Hey a woman writer, who finished and published a book. I love that. But this story wasn't for me. 
Sex with a Brain Injury by Annie Liontas

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hopeful informative sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Really enjoyed the section w correlations between inmates and TBI. This was an interesting read, supported by her experiences, the prison section, musings of her wife life, and her upbringing. 
Choices: To the Hills and Back Again by Audrina Patridge

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reflective slow-paced

1.0

Boring, but it passed the time (s/o to SF red bull strawberry apricot) while I painted my adu. 
So Sad Today: Personal Essays by Melissa Broder

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4.5

Loved her writing. This was great. 
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

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

5.0

Very much enjoyed this. This is what I wanted Bunny to be like. 
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.25

Ex Machina + Handmaid's Tale 

Even the "okay" guy is a freakazoid. He gets 0 stars but I loved the storytelling! 
Blueschild Baby by George Cain

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

4.0

Junkies in Harlem in the 40s. Enjoyed his writing. 
My Husband by Maud Ventura

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

YouTube video of weird books. Confirmed this is weird. That epilogue thought!
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

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

4.5

DE. VOURED. 

Couldnt put this one down. I highlighted a lot. Her writing is great, though I wouldn't have known from Bunny. I found that too ethereal and disconnected but maybe I should give it another go. 

Love these characters and obsessions. 
Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

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

4.5

Rollicking! Enjoyed and would read more from this author or more from Reece's book club.