friendofdorothea's reviews
392 reviews

Educated by Tara Westover

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3.5

Feel bad giving it a low ish rating because of the personal accounts of abuse. It sounds like it was cathartic to write and it was interesting enough for me to get through it. I think I was expecting something else like more about the education aspects of her story rather than her family story. Additionally I don’t think it was appropriate that she said the n word so many times. I understand it’s part of the story but I don’t think that it needed to be written out in the way that it was by a white woman. I do feel this book had an impact on me just because I could relate to the memory issues and the experience of gaslighting. I don’t have any experiences as deeply traumatic as hers but I have felt trauma in a similar way and it reminded me that people who experience trauma often find the trauma more familiar and so keep going back to that even when it’s more painful than the alternative. 
Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful 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

4.75

The Anti-Book by Raphael Simon

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adventurous funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

A modern mix between the wizard of oz and Alice in wonderland. Such a cute and sweet book! 
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

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hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

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

3.75

Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

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dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

No Brainer by Jeff Kinney

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funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0