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andrewhatesham's reviews
359 reviews
The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
The Twilight Garden is about friendship and family and the importance of being part of a community. At the heart of this novel, is a garden shared between two neighboring families, as well as the two families who had previously lived in their homes.
I feel like if you're struggling with loneliness, this could either be the best thing to read, or the worst! I found this to be heartwarming and sort of inspirational, but at times, overly idealistic. It's just a fictional story though, so I understand why it's like that. I also felt that it's a bit lengthy, it could have been at least 20 pages shorter if not more. Other than that, I think it's a pretty well written story, I had a good time reading it.
I would recommend this to fans of A Man Called Ove, The Secret Garden, and of course The Reading List (Adams' previous book).
I feel like if you're struggling with loneliness, this could either be the best thing to read, or the worst! I found this to be heartwarming and sort of inspirational, but at times, overly idealistic. It's just a fictional story though, so I understand why it's like that. I also felt that it's a bit lengthy, it could have been at least 20 pages shorter if not more. Other than that, I think it's a pretty well written story, I had a good time reading it.
I would recommend this to fans of A Man Called Ove, The Secret Garden, and of course The Reading List (Adams' previous book).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Cursing, Racism, and Grief
A Small Charred Face by Kazuki Sakuraba
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A Small Charred Face is a collection of three interconnected short stories, about love in it's many forms – disguised as a dark fantasy/horror about vampires.
Yes, it's dark, sometimes gory, and there's a lot of (interesting) "grass monster" vampire lore that builds up the fantasy elements, but at its core, this book is about love and companionship, and the lengths you will go for the sake of the person you care about. More sad than it is scary.
The plot instantly pulled me in. It took me a while to fully warm up to it, as I rarely read dark fantasy, but the main plot began right away, and the descriptive yet snappy writing style, with quirky dialogue, kept me interested. Fast forward a few days: I was reading the end and nearly tearing up.
All that being said, I think it's a bit dark for a YA book. I suggest checking the content warnings.
Yes, it's dark, sometimes gory, and there's a lot of (interesting) "grass monster" vampire lore that builds up the fantasy elements, but at its core, this book is about love and companionship, and the lengths you will go for the sake of the person you care about. More sad than it is scary.
The plot instantly pulled me in. It took me a while to fully warm up to it, as I rarely read dark fantasy, but the main plot began right away, and the descriptive yet snappy writing style, with quirky dialogue, kept me interested. Fast forward a few days: I was reading the end and nearly tearing up.
All that being said, I think it's a bit dark for a YA book. I suggest checking the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Trafficking
Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
Sea Change by Gina Chung
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I lost interest for the time being, I will give this a chance next time I'm in more of a literary/general fiction mood.
Prey by Michael Crichton
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I was hoping for either more action, or better developed characters, but this was an otherwise solid sci-fi that wrapped up nicely at the end. I prefer a slightly less definitive ending but I know a lot of people like a more resolved feeling.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Death, Rape, and Violence
She of the Mountains by Vivek Shraya
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia