lindsaylhunter's reviews
165 reviews

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

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challenging dark sad 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

5.0

The first madness was that we were born, that they stuffed a god into a bag of skin.

I wish I could forget this book so I could read it again for the first time. Absolutely floored that this is Emezi's debut. To write as lyrically as she does on the subject matter covered is masterful.
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The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

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dark tense 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? No

5.0

There is something at the core of her, a type of defiance. There are times when I look at her and I can feel it - it's like an animal that lives behind her eyes. I had no knowledge of it prior to our marriage, no sense of it... She seemed so biddable, charmingly so, young and innocent. But now I see it l do not know how I missed it. It makes me fear that there will always be a part of her that will not submit or be ruled.

What an author! I want to live inside Maggie O'Farrell's writing. She writes with such authenticity and charm.
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The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

3.5

Freedom means being able to make mistakes, and learning from them. Freedom means I don't have to perform for anyone-onstage or offstage. Freedom means that I get to be as beautifully imperfect as everyone else. And freedom means the ability, and the right, to search for joy, in my own way, on my own terms.

Bless this woman for finally being able to take control of her own life. A really honest retelling of the life we were all scared Britney was living. In terms of prose, it'll maybe never win the Booker Prize, but still written beautifully and Britney's voice rings through.
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The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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

3.0

While I liked Deborah Smith's English adaptation of this novella, I still struggle with books that have been translated from one language into another. This one doesn't read as stilted as the likes of novels by Sayaka Murata, but there's still an element of disjointedness that can be hard to push past. Still, a really interesting read on the human body as the last refuge of a woman's sense of self.
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Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

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adventurous reflective 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

The way St. John Mandel's brain must work to have written a thing like this is utterly astonishing. I absolutely devoured this book in under a day. It sinks its teeth into you during the first few pages and holds on for dear life. And I doubt it'll let me go for a while yet.
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The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

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adventurous dark reflective medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

Not sure how I feel about this one. Always love a bleak ending, though.
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Belfast: The Story of a City and its People by Feargal Cochrane

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Nothing much wrong with this book (though it repeats itself at multiple points). Just a heavy read for someone who's never been nuts on non-fiction.
Come Closer by Sara Gran

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So, so bleak. Brilliant as a little one-sit read. It can be very easy to get into OTT territory when it comes to horror but this is written in such a way that the sense of dread creeps up on you gradually until it totally envelops you.
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Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

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dark mysterious reflective slow-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

4.0

How Moshfegh managed to write something as captivating as this through only the insane ramblings of a lonely old woman is nothing short of brilliant. An author I'll always have my eye on.
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Tennis Lessons by Susannah Dickey

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emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

Susannah Dickey finds magic in the mundane. While I enjoyed this book less than her second novel, I still enjoyed it immensely. She has established herself as one of my favourites.
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