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annaki_laila's reviews
162 reviews
The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Scary and beautiful. Reminded me at times of 'I Am Not Okay With This' (big compliment). Made me a little teary and made me scream silently when the tension was ramping up. All-round wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays by Oscar Wilde
3.0
A mixed bag. Skipped 'An Ideal Husband' during act one because I found it boring. My favourite was 'A Woman Of No Importance'.
Blue Water by Leonora Nattrass
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It had tense moments, but I definitely wouldn't class it as a thriller like the blurb does. However it was still a fun read, especially after about halfway as that's when I (finally) got to grips with all the characters at play. The first-person narration in a report style was a particularly enjoyable element.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Slavery
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Racial slurs
Footprints: In Search of Future Fossils by David Farrier
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
The literary links were long-winded and skippable at times, so I could've done with less of that, but overall it was an interesting - if a little depressing here and there - read.
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
slow-paced
1.0
An incredible disappointment which has put me off the possibility of reading any more Woolf. When reading Mrs Dalloway, there were plenty of moments when the writing got away from itself and I completely lost what Woolf was actually talking about, but the plot and characters made up for that by being decently interesting. Orlando severely lacked those redeeming factors for me, and so when the writing got away, it got away. By the end of it I was heavily skim-reading and it would've been a DNF, but my frustration powered me through, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
dark
reflective
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
4.5
The kind of book that just feels... solid. Like you get to the end and it feels truly complete. It was also wonderful in the way it was so easy to slip into thinking these characters were real; it scratches that itch of delving into celebrity without actually involving real-life celebrities, with all the good and the bad that comes from fame. Immersive is the word I'm looking for, essentially.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, and Abortion
The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World by Malcolm Gaskill
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Some boring moments, some interesting moments. I'm not a usual reader of history books so the depth of detail on the boring bits was both unexpected and unwanted - but it's a thorough description of a moment in time, so I can still see the appeal.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Mental illness
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Eating disorder
Minor: Alcoholism
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith
informative
medium-paced
3.0