lklitup's reviews
305 reviews

No-No Boy by John Okada

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challenging dark reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

I picked this book up having seen it featured in The Atlantic as a “classic” yet having heard nor seen it before. I’m glad I did. This novel was both a nuanced experience for this one man (and his community) and a general criticism of humanity. 
Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

I love Lyla Sage’s Meadowlark. The romance and tension between Ada and Weston was top-tier 🔥  Ada’s tug between her dreams and her future versus her mistakes in her past played well on the page without seeming unfounded or an excuse to keep from Weston. I admired her focus and determination to her goals. I also really loved how she became vulnerable with the other women and with the other family members, after having realized what had held her back previously. 
Bad Girls by Camila Sosa Villada

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Rich, lyrical writing for a sad but full-of-love story about an Argentinian travesti community
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Very dense and slow moving
The Waves Take You Home by María Alejandra Barrios Vélez

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
I was not into the story. The writing was dense and clunky. 
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

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

3.5

I’ll absolutely read the next book(s) in this series, but I am hoping for stronger character development and for Lore to be able to stand more independently. The story itself was intriguing, and I liked the world-building although I got lost in semantics once or twice. I’m not sure all the pieces fell into place for me at the end, so I’m curious to know what happens next!
Until August: A novel by Gabriel García Márquez

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emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

I love his writing— so engrossing and sensory
Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott

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adventurous emotional funny fast-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

4.5

A romping good time of a story even 100 years later. I admired Pat throughout and wish her nothing but Scotch, contentment, and adventures. I saw another review mention Sex and the City but in the 1920s and fully understand and agree with the comparison. 
Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

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dark sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

Sad vampire vibes
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw, Richard Kadrey

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

5.0

I LOOOVED this book. Definitely gore-horror/sci-fi but with a hodge-podge cast of characters I simultaneously loathed and rooted for and laughed with (sometimes at, too). I can’t wait for the second!