masha_and_the_cat's reviews
372 reviews

The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

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adventurous informative lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

A very wholesome book, full of interesting information about the natural world. Could do without the American patriotism, though.

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The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0


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On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

4.5


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Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

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emotional hopeful reflective tense 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

4.75


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Belo se pere na devetdeset by Bronja Žakelj

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25


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Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo

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hopeful informative reflective 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

4.25

If he were a real person, Barry would be absolutely insufferable - a conservative, a landlord, a homophobe and transphobe, someone happy to uphold a harmful status quo as long as they benefit from it. And yet, Ms Evaristo tells his story with such warmth and humour I couldn't help but be drawn into his world and cheer him on his journey towards self-acceptance.
The writing flows like honey, and the complexities of issues from internalised homophobia to post-natal depression are handled with grace and compassion. 
This is also the first book I've ever read with a protagonist from Antigua and Barbuda, and I really appreciated the insight into this rich, vibrant culture.

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Vjetrogonja Babukić i njegovo doba: pikarski roman by Miljenko Jergović

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

3.0

Nepotrebno razvučeno, na mjestima preopterećeno pop-kulturnim referencama koje vrište "vidite što sam sve čitao, gledao, slušao!". Također, autoru bi bilo dobro da se informira o temama poput autizma i transrodnosti - ako će već likovima dodjeljivati te karakteristike, a radnja je smještena u današnje vrijeme, nema opravdanja za korištenje zastarjelih pojmova "Aspergerov sindrom" i "transvestit". 

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Mi by Yevgeny Zamyatin

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dark reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

An interesting read, though not always an enjoyable one. 
I actually liked the feverishly fragmented sentences - they were well-suited to the story of a mind struggling with itself and society. 
The racist descriptions of the Black poet were extremely off-putting, though. I realise that the book is over a century old, but there was never a time when a Black character needed to be defined by their "n**** lips".
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.25

A charming, quick read. The style of writing almost reminded me of the Jeeves and Wooster stories at times.
Cat Tales by Lola Cat

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

A very sweet book, funny at times, radiating a quiet wisdom at others. Much like cats themselves, I guess.