breedawnwriter's reviews
222 reviews

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

I never would've picked this book up on my own, but it was a gift from the professor I was tutoring for. 

I really enjoyed this book. It's not my usual cup of tea, but it was incredibly informative about the War on Drugs, and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to read more diverse YA fiction.

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Shadow, Volume 2 by Kara Swanson

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Kara blew me away with this book. It's been a few years since I read Dust, but this book drew me back into Neverland instantly.

The plot had me hooked. The characters clutched my heartstrings and refused to let go. It was a stunning mix of lighthearted and devastating, which made me laugh out loud and cry softly.

This is really a stunning sequel, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a beautiful and breathtaking finale to the Heirs of Neverland duology.

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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This was a challenging, but beautiful story. 

The poetry in this book was stunning, and I was continuously impressed with Acevedo's ability to paint such a vivid world and compelling story with so few words.

I particularly love Father Sean and his inclusion because he shows that not every religious figure is a self-serving, power-hungry hypocrite. His encouragement of Xiomara exploring and asking questions was so refreshing in a world that oftentimes leans far too hard into stereotypes for these types of people.

I also love that the story avoids making Mami a pure villain. Yes, she does horrid things that no mother should ever do. But she has reasons for her actions, and those reasons (along with her background) prevent her from being viewed only--and strictly--as a villain. 

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Everybody Writes: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley

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challenging informative

4.0

This was a really solid book about content writing and marketing. It's filled with tons of practical advice that I think makes content writing feel very approachable instead of this scary beast that you should be terrified of facing.

It's also immensely funny, so that was a huge bonus for me.
The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love this book. 

The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning so it took me a bit to really get into it, but oh my goodness, this book is so good. 

The writing is excellent, the worldbuilding is spectacular, the characters are complex and nuanced, the plot twists surprised me and made so much sense, and the themes are actually my favorite thing ever.

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Piper by Jessica Freeburg, Jay Asher

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3.5

I enjoyed this. The illustrations were beautiful, the story was compelling, and the character development made sense. Overall, a solid graphic novel.

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Sixteen Minutes by K.J. Reilly

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

RTC closer to release day!

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Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

My friend recommended this to me years ago, and I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read it.

This is a beautiful little graphic novel about how confusing and uncertain life is when you’re a teenager. It’s a poignant reflection on love and friendship and the complexity of being eighteen years old and thinking you’re insane when maybe you are and maybe you aren’t.

I don’t think this graphic novel is for everyone. I can completely understand why some people didn’t like it. But to me this is a beautiful and compelling glimpse of just how existential everything feels at this age.

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Building a Non-Anxious Life by John Delony

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challenging informative inspiring reflective

4.0

I’m really bad at writing reviews for nonfiction, but this is a great book. It was a scary read for me because I didn’t want to face the choices this book presents, but once I dove in anyway, I found it was really helpful and inspiring.
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

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4.0

Well that was a traumatic rollercoaster that somehow ended exactly as it should.

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