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amalas_bookstop's reviews
91 reviews
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was so good! The world is so immersive, I can picture the house, the grounds, the rat, the facial expression of the cat. This was a perfect palette cleanser during spooky season. I wish I would have read this as a younger girl. I still enjoyed it but I know this book must be magic for a kid.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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
This book leaves so many questions and fodder for thoughts. What a wonderful novel that still seems to stay current no matter how much time has passed. This was a re-read for me. I first read this for pleasure in high school and I remember be shocked and staying at the edge of my seat each time Dana traveled back. I still had those same feelings reading it as an adult. What a mind bender!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Abandonment
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
This book was so much easier to read than I imagined it to be. It brought up so many thoughts on assumptions vs. reality and how we move based on assumptions. I am really glad I took time to read this classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a twisty, Get Out type of read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. This was a bit of a slow start but as the story continued to unfold I understood why. This author loves a dark academic setting that is full of complex social issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. I typically read YA as like a palate cleanser, I have been reading more difficult literature lately. But this one was tackling was deep topics, trigger warning beware. While it did take me a minute to get involved in this book, I was hooked at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing by Jessa Hastings
I am so mad with Jess’s Hasting, why can’t anyone have a happy ending. Nevertheless, this book had me falling even more in love with Magnolia. I am looking forward to reading this next book.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child death and Eating disorder
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.0
Ughhh! Books like this make me so frustrated in their realness. Even though I knew exactly where this was headed I could not help myself to feel hopeful and expect something different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Police brutality
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so adorable. The flow of writing is so perfect, I love the setting of this small town. This book has me giggling and kicking my legs the whole time I was reading this. I went ahead and bought this author other two books. Absolute 5 star. A perfect lighthearted read.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Wow! This was a master class in exploring the black body and what autonomy or security is there for us by in a country whose glory days was to profit off of our ancestors bodies. I enjoyed reading what I guess can be considered a memoir that is addressed to his son, but he allowed to be made for all of us to read and learn from.
I just read James Baldwin The Fire Next Time and I could not help but think of that book as I was reading this one. A book that was written 100 years after the emancipation proclamation, is still being echoed in today’s literature. It is a know fact that we as the children of our ancestors still face racism, we have only just begun to live as a race longer than slavery was allowed. I love reading books like this that continue to remind me to stay alert and struggle on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
This book was so descriptive, for better or for worse you felt everything that Annis was going through. I did the full immersion on this one (audio and physical) which I think helped when it came to being able to follow along with the descriptive writing. I have been slowly making my way through this authors books and have not been disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy