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araowl's reviews
54 reviews
Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan
adventurous
dark
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
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book has exactly the kind of writing I look for. Atmospheric and descriptive, the writing style just absolutely immerses you in this world. I found the characters to be multi-faceted and complex. I thought the main character what a bit of a stereotypical chosen one at first, but I think the author did a good job of making her much more layered than that. Overall this was a beautiful book with a very immersive setting, layered characters, and compelling themes. I would only say that the character of stepmother felt a bit flat to me, and it seemed like the beginning was quite slow and the ending sort of rushed. But I'm really excited to read the next in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, and Blood
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
fast-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
3.5
I really enjoy this series because the robot protagonist is so loveable and hilarious, but I honestly find the writing a bit too spare and jargon-y for my taste. If you're the type of reader that prefers more spare and concise language to more descriptive and flowery writing, I think you'll enjoy this, but that's just not my preference. I also think it's a bit too fast-paced for my taste, i kind of got whiplash from how quickly the plot moved forward, but that's to be expected in a novella, so it's not really a flaw. I think this series is fun and charming. The main character coming to terms with its human emotions is the most compelling part for me, I'm a sucker for books about AI characters learning to love. Basically, I love the characters, humor, and themes but the writing style and pacing is just off for me personally.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
The Maid by Nita Prose
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Outing, and Gaslighting
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
This book is beautifully written but it's shattering my heart into a million pieces and making me burn with rage and honestly my body can't handle these intense emotions right now. I know as a white person I shouldn't shelter myself from stories like this that are all too real, but... yeah I have no excuse other than the desire to protect my mental health. The topic of beauty is especially triggering for me, and seeing this wonderful little girl hate herself and get abused by everyone around her, it's so beyond sad that it makes me feel sick. Maybe I'm just too sensitive right now. I really want to read more books by black authors that are a bit more hopeful and fun to read and have characters falling in love, going on adventures, etc. maybe all of this means I'm in the mood for genre fiction rather than literary right now and you know what that's ok. This book is great, and it's so important but... fuck. Maybe I'll try it again someday when I'm in a healthier and more self-assured mental state and have the ability to read this with a bit more emotional distance so I can appreciate it fully🙃
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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