ktb97's reviews
53 reviews

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I tore through this book. It’s a book with many classic scary tropes, but they never pop up in any predictable way. So engaging and heart-wrenching and thrilling. I recommend it to any horror fan.
Rosewater by Tade Thompson

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Great premise, great world-building, but the main character is insufferable. 
In Universes by Emet North

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I couldn’t get myself to get into this book. The concept is interesting, but “hopping” universes creates a storyline that is not continuous and feels more like an anthology than a book. I was never on the edge of my seat, so it felt like a bit of a chore to finish the story. I could see people enjoying this, but you have to be in for the long haul.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a beautiful insight into a man who is conflicted with his true self and sexuality, but as a story it fell flat for me. I didn’t care much what happened to the main characters, as none of them were particularly likable or memorable.
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

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

4.5

This book is a unique look on a serial killer story. It focuses on the women in this man’s life, who he hurts continually and changes irrevocably. It’s not about the “hunt” for a mysterious “mastermind.” It’s a look into how unremarkable these types of men are, while still leaving such a devastating gash in the lives of the people they affect.
Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a unique story told through the lens of its main character and a unified “we/us” of the rest of the children at the orphanage. It’s unsettling and eerie, but it might have been a little too abstract for me to really enjoy it.
Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A slow, steamy mystery. The overarching plot/mystery kept my interest, but the characters weren’t as compelling as I’d like them to be (they were kind of pathetic, honestly, which might have been the point).
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I had to sleep with the lights on after reading this. There are some truly scary, creepy, goosebump-giving moments in this book. And yet, the story we follow with the characters is actually quite light and breezy… such an interesting and satisfying experience. Shirley Jackson always gets me.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A must-read for any Frankenstein lover. This book plays on all the themes that make Frankenstein so perfect, but zooms out to focus on just how destructive Victor Frankenstein was to the people around him and those who were unlucky enough to cross his path. It’s creepy, devastating, complex, and somehow hopeful and full of life. This book is my new obsession!
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A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Beautifully written with multidimensional characters. Highly recommend.