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stargirlish's reviews
42 reviews
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
very proud of half getting the twist right!!! all in all, it was a very enjoyable book and i did like pip a lot as a main character!! i really liked pipravi, but i hated the ending for them it just felt too rushed for me. the dialogue was sometimes a bit cringe / corny but not the type that would throw me off too bad (well, personally). also, its a very easy read!!! tho i usually finish books pretty fast lol
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
oh wow.
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
dark
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
2.75
it feels like it tried too hard to be something it wasnt. it should've been longer and more focused on the characters' psychology if the author wanted to succeed in what he was trying to do. unless the purpose of it was darkness written for the shock value and lesbian trauma p0rn which, in that case, he certainly managed to reach it.
i like disturbing stories, but this one just felt disturbing for the sake of it being disturbing and the descent into obsession wasnt handles well. every change in the characters and their dynamic felt out of nowhere because we had no access to their inner monologue.
i feel like i rated it too high, lowkey. but the 0.75 is more for what it couldve been. one extra point for the effort, you know?
i like disturbing stories, but this one just felt disturbing for the sake of it being disturbing and the descent into obsession wasnt handles well. every change in the characters and their dynamic felt out of nowhere because we had no access to their inner monologue.
i feel like i rated it too high, lowkey. but the 0.75 is more for what it couldve been. one extra point for the effort, you know?
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
i would've honestly rated this book higher if julian didnt exist. i have a lot of bones to pick with him, but i dont want to spoil it too much
all in all, it was just mediocre. the plot could've been good and the characters couldve been good, but there was no development at all. to me, at least, because drastically changing the way the character thinks and acts without showing the process of it in the last 150 pages of the book doesnt really count as "development" to me. it just counts as "oh shit, i was supposed to do that, wasnt i?" from the author.
i absolutely hated the romance. i couldnt buy it at all. it felt pushed down my throat. julian's only redeeming quality was the fact that he was hot (allegedly). and maybe he wasnt a complete piece of shit by the end of it and the author threw a poor explanation on why he was acting like one, but that didnt change my feelings towards him. i think there couldve been a better way to write him.
onto scarlett, i actually liked her. kind of. she felt kinda flat after a while, although i could understand where she was coming from in everything she was doing / thinking. understanding it doesnt mean i have to completely agree and not find her naivety a bit annoying tho. i wouldve enjoyed the book and her development a lot more if she played the games without julian because it didnt feel like she really changed. REALISTICALLY changed, i mean. because, as i said, doing a 180 in the middle of the book doesnt count as changing to me, it counts as lazy writing
donatella was actually the only part of the book that i found interesting, and when she finally joined at the end, i started to enjoy the book. shes the only reason why i gave it 0.75 extra, cuz the original rating was just 2 stars. im also really curious about legend and her and legend as they were the only ones i found interesting and i think i will read the second book only for them. initially i didnt want to, but their characters won me over in the very end
all in all, it was just mediocre. the plot could've been good and the characters couldve been good, but there was no development at all. to me, at least, because drastically changing the way the character thinks and acts without showing the process of it in the last 150 pages of the book doesnt really count as "development" to me. it just counts as "oh shit, i was supposed to do that, wasnt i?" from the author.
i absolutely hated the romance. i couldnt buy it at all. it felt pushed down my throat. julian's only redeeming quality was the fact that he was hot (allegedly). and maybe he wasnt a complete piece of shit by the end of it and the author threw a poor explanation on why he was acting like one, but that didnt change my feelings towards him. i think there couldve been a better way to write him.
onto scarlett, i actually liked her. kind of. she felt kinda flat after a while, although i could understand where she was coming from in everything she was doing / thinking. understanding it doesnt mean i have to completely agree and not find her naivety a bit annoying tho. i wouldve enjoyed the book and her development a lot more if she played the games without julian because it didnt feel like she really changed. REALISTICALLY changed, i mean. because, as i said, doing a 180 in the middle of the book doesnt count as changing to me, it counts as lazy writing
donatella was actually the only part of the book that i found interesting, and when she finally joined at the end, i started to enjoy the book. shes the only reason why i gave it 0.75 extra, cuz the original rating was just 2 stars. im also really curious about legend and her and legend as they were the only ones i found interesting and i think i will read the second book only for them. initially i didnt want to, but their characters won me over in the very end
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
it reads like a bad wattpad story
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
slow-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
3.25
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
slow-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
5.0
men are such yappers istg
honestly this was so long for no reason but so good but so bad? like i hated it and i loved it and i would never read it again but i wanna read it again for the first time. no book ever gave me such conflicted feelings and i actually wrote an essay for school on this book ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
i think what made the book so interesting to me was the fact that richard was not only the narrator, but the unreliable type. he romanticizes everything and everyone and the reader gets kinda lost in the fantasy until something happens that makes them realize things arent as richard is describing them. i thought this was so genuinely interesting and i wish i could experience this more in books. bring out the unreliable narrators guys, PLEASE!!!!
honestly this was so long for no reason but so good but so bad? like i hated it and i loved it and i would never read it again but i wanna read it again for the first time. no book ever gave me such conflicted feelings and i actually wrote an essay for school on this book ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
i think what made the book so interesting to me was the fact that richard was not only the narrator, but the unreliable type. he romanticizes everything and everyone and the reader gets kinda lost in the fantasy until something happens that makes them realize things arent as richard is describing them. i thought this was so genuinely interesting and i wish i could experience this more in books. bring out the unreliable narrators guys, PLEASE!!!!
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE, YOU'RE INSANE AND I LOVE YOU
Bunny by Mona Awad
- 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
5.0
i felt like i was on drugs while reading. 10/10
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
the author had a vibe and a dream and went with it. the characters were flat and didnt have more than 2 personality traits MAXIMUM. the story was inexistent. the relationship was out of nowhere. i didn't understand shit from it because of the timeline. there was like one thing i enjoyed about it but i couldnt tell you what it was for the life of me now