megtristao's reviews
1098 reviews

No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib

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challenging sad tense medium-paced
From the very first pages, I had a feeling this book was going to wreck me. Zgheib's writing is absolutely beautiful; though I was invested in the characters and their histories in Syria before immigrating to the U.S., it was the author's prose that really elevated this one for me. The storytelling didn't quite deliver the emotional wreckage I was expecting, but I’m still glad I read this book.

Thanks to the publisher for a free advance copy of this book.
Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

"Why did we ever believe home could only be one place? When existing in these bodies means holding many worlds within us. At last, we see."

What a gorgeous, gorgeous novel. Told in the choral voice of "brown girls brown girls brown girls" from Queens, this short book follows their lives from childhood to adulthood, including the myriad paths the girls take in between. The book is incredibly specific and widely applicable at the same time. These brown girls represent many distinct cultures (specific foods, traditions and languages are mentioned throughout), yet at the same time, the book so perfectly encapsulates the essence of American girlhood that is their (our) shared experience. As a white reader, I know this book was not written for me, yet I think anyone who has been a girl will find something that speaks to them, and I hope it speaks to brown girls most of all.

I know this is petty but that is NOT how Plan B works, and I just hope girls reading this don't think Plan B can help them after they get a positive pregnancy test. Again, I know this is minor, but sexual health is important! That's all.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book.
The Promise by Damon Galgut

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

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adventurous hopeful 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? No

4.5

What a delightful book with which to end 2021! This middle grade (loose) retelling of Les Mis is set in a Thai-inspired world with fantasy elements. It was really fun to see how the author adapted Les Mis to be children-facing and incorporate Southeast Asian culture. It was also a heck of an argument against mass incarceration. Loved it and would recommend to adults and kids.
The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser

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challenging dark medium-paced

5.0

 Wow. These poems could be incredibly difficult to read (trauma, violence) but I often found myself getting to the end of a poem and immediately re-reading it. This may be because I don't read a lot of poetry and sometimes needed two reads to understand the poem, but it was also because I savored the language and devices. 
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? No

5.0

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
I didn’t dislike this book, but I never found myself excited to listen to it. 
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
One of the blurbs on the back cover describes this book as "tender," and I think that's the perfect adjective to capture this story. This novel is set in a small mountain village in Armenia that is mostly populated with elderly residents, as the younger generations have all died (mostly from war or famine) or moved away. The book follows several different families in the village (all related of course) and their myriad relationships and daily struggles. It's definitely a character-driven story over a plot-driven story, and it has a healthy dose of local folklore.
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.5

Super fun book! A fantasy action adventure with coming-of-age angst and family drama.