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bookmaddie's reviews
1116 reviews
Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Jovial, informative. I wish the ARC I read had photos, but thankfully Google exists.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
none of the characters are drawing me in (instead i am mildly annoyed by all of them), and the short changes in perspective amongst five different people across multiple timelines isnt helping. i wish this was a bit more streamlined
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Ocultos by Laura Pérez
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
3.5
gorgeous art but the lack of a coherent overarching plot set it back.
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Suicide
Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie R. Rendon
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good audiobook, and a pacy, dramatic book. Not sure I loved the MC, and not really sure she realized the damage caused to her friends and family by her impulsiveness. But I’m happy it all worked out for her & her friends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping
A Calamity of Noble Houses by Amira Ghenim
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I was so excited for more from Emilia Hart, since I loved her debut, WEYWARD! This novel follows a young woman who leaves college after a harrowing encounter & flees to her sister, who lives in a remote beach town with a dark history. But her sister isn’t there when she arrives, and mysterious dreams begin taking over her life, showing her a story that might not be so farfetched after all.
The story sounds so intriguing, but it fell a bit flat for me. I think Hart shines when writing historical fiction, but the contemporary part of the narrative felt a bit flat and overdone to me. There’s a LOT of different storylines stuffed into this novel, and I found the contemporary parts to feel trite. The attempt at injecting feminism into the plot worked more in the historical storyline, and felt elementary in the contemporary storyline.
The characters & their formidable bonds in the historical storyline kept me reading. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to put this down. Even so, this is a quick read, so if you’re a fan of mystery, touches of fantasy, and righteous revenge, then this might be a good beach read for ya.
Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advanced digital copy. THE SIRENS is out April 1st!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Rape
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.25