taylah13's reviews
84 reviews

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

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

4.0

Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

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challenging dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Orgasms are a dime a dozen. Any old human woman can see a man orgasm. We so rarely get to see them die; it has been my greatest gift and my most divine privilege”.

This gripped me from the beginning. I absolutely loved the narrator, Dorothy, and  her sick and twisted mind. I felt like it was the feminist re-telling of American Psycho and I enjoyed that it challenged the classic feminine rage/revenge framework. 
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The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

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emotional mysterious tense medium-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

a brilliant fantasy debut. I was particularly drawn to Hassa and the Ghostlings storyline. Like other reviewers I found this a little slow in the middle, however the ending was worth that wait. Similarly, I think El-Arifi should be commended for her representation of gender diverse characters, it was done so beautifully. 
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The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

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adventurous 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? No

3.25

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

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dark emotional 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

4.5

I went into this with low expectations so I was incredibly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Contrary to other reviews I don’t believe this is a slow book but rather than having big plot points it focuses on intense character depth with a focus on female agency and relationships. 
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Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

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mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Shepherd-Robinson clearly did an incredible amount of research for this book. The atmosphere is immersive and well written. I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys historical fiction and isn’t afraid of a dark and messy storyline  
Gild by Raven Kennedy

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes by Janet Malcolm

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emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

this was a fantastic read. this book was more an intervention into the genre of biography itself. By reflecting on the many biographies of Plath’s life, Malcom really demonstrates the messiness and dark side of the biography genre. Whilst tackling these big ideas the book itself was a page turner filled with humour and drama. Highly recommend 
A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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dark emotional 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

4.0