virgilsaeneid's reviews
283 reviews

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai

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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

2.0

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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emotional lighthearted sad fast-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

Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson

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dark mysterious slow-paced

1.5

Dnf'd at 20%

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Only the Astronauts by Ceridwen Dovey

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adventurous emotional lighthearted sad medium-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

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

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adventurous mysterious slow-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

2.5

All About You by Shaina Veronica

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

ARC provided by the lovely author!

All About You was a cute, albeit cheesy as hell, fun read for the delusional girlies who still think about the hand flex scene from Pride and Prejudice (2005). There was something very refreshing about reading a cute little romance book set so close to home in Sydney as I found it easy to resonate with Jaslene as a hopeless romantic uni student (guys she's literally me). I also have to give such a big vouch to Shaina Veronica, watching her publishing process has been a delight and I am so glad that Twitter led me to her. I'm so incredibly inspired by her dedication, her joyful demeanour, and her passion for writing.

I ultimately rated All About You 4/5 stars. For a majority of the book I was sitting at a 3.5 for a few reasons. Jaslene fell into a couple of "not like other girls" tropes; there's an abundance of popular culture references which are usually not my jam; and the plot felt a little outlandish. It ultimately gained the other .5 of a star in the final 20-30% where Marlon and Jaslene's characters really start to shine. This was a feel-good, easy, cute read that I absolutely devoured.

Congratulations to Veronica on the publishing of All About You I wish nothing but success for this book and future endeavours!!