Scan barcode
lunabean's reviews
216 reviews
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Love a good murder mystery that keeps you guessing till the end. Just when I think I know who the killer is, there is plot twist after plot twist, keeping me on the edge of my seat and soliciting an actual audible gasp when all is explained eventually!
Plot aside, the prose is engaging and descriptive, original and not cheesy. It was very easy to envision the story taking place in my head, resulting in a very immersive read - my favourite in thrillers! I took away a star because I felt like the protagonist’s reliance on prescription drugs and addiction subplot felt a little unnecessary. I would also have liked to see closure in the protagonist’s relationships with her father, her mother!!!, and Daniel…
Plot aside, the prose is engaging and descriptive, original and not cheesy. It was very easy to envision the story taking place in my head, resulting in a very immersive read - my favourite in thrillers! I took away a star because I felt like the protagonist’s reliance on prescription drugs and addiction subplot felt a little unnecessary. I would also have liked to see closure in the protagonist’s relationships with her father, her mother!!!, and Daniel…
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Cannibalism
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? No
5.0
A multi-generational tale of womanhood, family, loyalty, and identity. Siblings Byron and Benny have been estranged for 8 years, but are brought back together when their mother, Eleanor Bennett, dies. Eleanor has left them with a recording that tells her children the truth of where she came from, a secret she has kept her whole life.
Born Covey Lyncook to a mother who left her at age 10 and a father who became an alcoholic, Eleanor (Covey) was married off to the local gang tyrant in exchange for her father’s life. At the wedding, her groom collapsed and died, and Covey fled the island, placing her as the number 1 suspect for the murder. The story follows Covey as she tries to find a place for herself in this new world, while losing hold of her identity as she hides from her past.
The recording reveals to Byron and Benny the trials their mother experienced, the places she came from, the people she loved, unravelling parts of her identity she’d kept hidden for decades. How much of what she has kept hidden is part of Byron and Benny’s identity, if they never knew it existed? How much of their identity comes from their heritage, their lineage, their ethnicity, and how much of it comes from the things they’ve always known?
Born Covey Lyncook to a mother who left her at age 10 and a father who became an alcoholic, Eleanor (Covey) was married off to the local gang tyrant in exchange for her father’s life. At the wedding, her groom collapsed and died, and Covey fled the island, placing her as the number 1 suspect for the murder. The story follows Covey as she tries to find a place for herself in this new world, while losing hold of her identity as she hides from her past.
The recording reveals to Byron and Benny the trials their mother experienced, the places she came from, the people she loved, unravelling parts of her identity she’d kept hidden for decades. How much of what she has kept hidden is part of Byron and Benny’s identity, if they never knew it existed? How much of their identity comes from their heritage, their lineage, their ethnicity, and how much of it comes from the things they’ve always known?
All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
3.0
This book wasn’t *bad*, it was just really long and draggy for a story that isn’t that spectacular.
Hubert Bird migrates from Jamaica to London in the 60s to work, and meets and falls in love with Joyce, a white woman. His experience as an immigrant in an inter-racial relationship, is detailed with appalling racism and xenophobia. In the present day, Hubert is an 82 year old man who coops himself up at home and has no social life or relationships. Until his new neighbour Ashleigh, moves in with her 2 year old daughter Layla. Ashleigh and Hubert become unlikely friends and decide to start a campaign to end the war on loneliness.
The story is mellow and heartwarming, and discusses important topics like loneliness, racism, and family. However it failed to keep my interest and it got quite boring toward the end. Nothing exciting happened, there was no climax, and everything was quite predictable. I think a 12 year old could read this.
Hubert Bird migrates from Jamaica to London in the 60s to work, and meets and falls in love with Joyce, a white woman. His experience as an immigrant in an inter-racial relationship, is detailed with appalling racism and xenophobia. In the present day, Hubert is an 82 year old man who coops himself up at home and has no social life or relationships. Until his new neighbour Ashleigh, moves in with her 2 year old daughter Layla. Ashleigh and Hubert become unlikely friends and decide to start a campaign to end the war on loneliness.
The story is mellow and heartwarming, and discusses important topics like loneliness, racism, and family. However it failed to keep my interest and it got quite boring toward the end. Nothing exciting happened, there was no climax, and everything was quite predictable. I think a 12 year old could read this.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.75
2 siblings who combust and catch on fire when they are upset, and Lillian is hired to care for them over the summer. Magic-realism meets family and friendship and love. I loved this book, I thought it was similar to the popular ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea”, but soooo much more earnest and heartfelt and with better writing.
Lillian grew up in a bad environment, with a father she never met and a mother who often neglected her. Despite this, she managed to get a scholarship to attend the prestigious Iron Mountain School for Girls, where she meets her best friend Madison. When Madison is caught with drugs, her rich father pays off Lillian’s mother in exchange for Lillian to take the rap. Lillian is expelled and does not see Madison again.
Until many years later, when Madison reaches out to hire Lillian to take care of her 2 step-children, who…. Catch on fire! Lillian, now lonely, unmotivated, and nothing spectacular, begins to care for these children, despite knowing nothing about how to care for them. When these children are ostracised and abandoned, Lillian goes on a journey that surprises even herself, as she learns about parenthood and her potential for love.
This story was tender and heartwarming, characters three-dimensional and often existing in the grey area. For example, Madison clearly in love with Lillian as well but choosing to be with Jasper, Lillian’s mother neglectful but loving Lillian in the only way she knew how, Timothy adopting the “good child” character that juxtaposes with Bessie & Roland but later developing the same ability to catch on fire.
A story with a fun, creative premise and a whole lot of heart!!
Lillian grew up in a bad environment, with a father she never met and a mother who often neglected her. Despite this, she managed to get a scholarship to attend the prestigious Iron Mountain School for Girls, where she meets her best friend Madison. When Madison is caught with drugs, her rich father pays off Lillian’s mother in exchange for Lillian to take the rap. Lillian is expelled and does not see Madison again.
Until many years later, when Madison reaches out to hire Lillian to take care of her 2 step-children, who…. Catch on fire! Lillian, now lonely, unmotivated, and nothing spectacular, begins to care for these children, despite knowing nothing about how to care for them. When these children are ostracised and abandoned, Lillian goes on a journey that surprises even herself, as she learns about parenthood and her potential for love.
This story was tender and heartwarming, characters three-dimensional and often existing in the grey area. For example, Madison clearly in love with Lillian as well but choosing to be with Jasper, Lillian’s mother neglectful but loving Lillian in the only way she knew how, Timothy adopting the “good child” character that juxtaposes with Bessie & Roland but later developing the same ability to catch on fire.
A story with a fun, creative premise and a whole lot of heart!!
The Maid by Nita Prose
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I went into it expecting a fast-paced, page-turner thriller. Although the book indeed has a murder mystery, I didn’t find it as exciting as I thought it’d be!
The protagonist, Molly the Maid, is not your neurotypical person who understands facial expressions and social cues. She works at the Regency Grand as a cleaning maid, a job that she loves completely, returning rooms to a state of perfection. She goes about her days largely unnoticed by the people around her, always present and aware but invisible to others. When she finds the infamous Mr Black dead in his suite, a murder mystery unfolds in which Molly finds herself unwittingly entangled in.
The book does well to address how truths can be subjective, how what seems obvious to one person might not seem obvious to another. Molly being misunderstood is the key driver of the plot, and the writer seeks to convey the fault in making assumptions of people.
What I did not quite enjoy was how quickly and simply everything got solved in the end. Apart from Molly, all the characters were quite one-dimensional. The bad guys kept being bad and the good guys good, with no mystery that kept me guessing who the murderer was (the best part about a thriller!). A new character is introduced toward the end of the book to save the day, everyone kind comes to help, and the bad guys get put away. It felt like a fairy tale with a moral of the story at the end. Additionally, I found the part about what Molly did to her Gran unnecessary and to be frank quite egregious, and the entire last chapter with the pillow. What purpose did those parts serve?
I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a light read, but still want a little bit of mystery. (Just a little bit.)
The protagonist, Molly the Maid, is not your neurotypical person who understands facial expressions and social cues. She works at the Regency Grand as a cleaning maid, a job that she loves completely, returning rooms to a state of perfection. She goes about her days largely unnoticed by the people around her, always present and aware but invisible to others. When she finds the infamous Mr Black dead in his suite, a murder mystery unfolds in which Molly finds herself unwittingly entangled in.
The book does well to address how truths can be subjective, how what seems obvious to one person might not seem obvious to another. Molly being misunderstood is the key driver of the plot, and the writer seeks to convey the fault in making assumptions of people.
What I did not quite enjoy was how quickly and simply everything got solved in the end. Apart from Molly, all the characters were quite one-dimensional. The bad guys kept being bad and the good guys good, with no mystery that kept me guessing who the murderer was (the best part about a thriller!). A new character is introduced toward the end of the book to save the day, everyone kind comes to help, and the bad guys get put away. It felt like a fairy tale with a moral of the story at the end. Additionally, I found the part about what Molly did to her Gran unnecessary and to be frank quite egregious, and the entire last chapter with the pillow. What purpose did those parts serve?
I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a light read, but still want a little bit of mystery. (Just a little bit.)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
3.5
A short adventurous read as we follow a boy on his journey across a desert to find treasure! The writer uses this boy’s voyage to convey the importance of following one’s dreams, of spiritual awareness, and of courage through the uncertainties of life. I liked that he didn’t have to go into too many details to achieve this - the story was simple and inspiring and easy to follow. What I didn’t really like was the use of many metaphors and abstract words. On the other hand maybe these are appropriate because life is indeed abstract and difficult to understand!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This one had been on my TBR list for a long time, finally got to reading it, and was particularly disappointed. ☹️ I’m quite surprised that lots of people claim that this book holds some profound life lesson, when really it was so simple and cliche.
The book is set in a cafe with a “magical” power that allows people to time travel when they sit in a particular seat. The rules include not being able to leave their seat while time travelling, and finishing their cup of coffee before it gets cold (hence the title) to return to the present. The book is divided into 4 parts, each part telling the story of one person time travelling and the reasons for them doing so.
For all the talk it had, I’d expected some radical, or at least keen, wisdom and enlightenment, but the stories told of the usual “going back in time to see family/a lover” and had no particular insight for me. As for the writing, perhaps language can be lost in translation, but it was so simple with no emotive articulation. Nothing metaphorical that comes with the huge grey area of life and all it’s feelings!!
And what was the point of the woman in the white dress? 🫠
The book is set in a cafe with a “magical” power that allows people to time travel when they sit in a particular seat. The rules include not being able to leave their seat while time travelling, and finishing their cup of coffee before it gets cold (hence the title) to return to the present. The book is divided into 4 parts, each part telling the story of one person time travelling and the reasons for them doing so.
For all the talk it had, I’d expected some radical, or at least keen, wisdom and enlightenment, but the stories told of the usual “going back in time to see family/a lover” and had no particular insight for me. As for the writing, perhaps language can be lost in translation, but it was so simple with no emotive articulation. Nothing metaphorical that comes with the huge grey area of life and all it’s feelings!!
And what was the point of the woman in the white dress? 🫠