nataliealane's reviews
510 reviews

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

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

3.75

The Undertaker's Assistant: A Captivating Post-Civil War Era Novel of Southern Historical Fiction by Amanda Skenandore

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3.0

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.0

I have such mixed feelings! It was a fun, albeit sometimes frustrating, read, and the romance was cute. I think Emma Lord’s writing really shined in the parts more focused on family and coming of age. Overall it seemed like there was a bit too much going on—-the Weazel app/hidden identity aspect of the relationship, the rivals to lovers IRL, the grilled cheese social media competition, PLUS the school and family drama. 
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A strong start to a series! Pip clearly acts like a teen (as a YA character should!), jumping to conclusions, making rash decisions, her earnestness and passion. The main characters are lovable, and while the book clearly hints at the start of a relationship between Ravi and Pio, it doesn’t overshadow or hinder the main investigation plot line. Excited to read the next book! However, the audiobook wasn’t for me and I had to switch to ebook.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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

4.0

Definitely a slow-burn mystery! More of a “literary thriller” than a true mystery/thriller novel. Delves into a wide cast of characters, exploring the dynamics of a small-town community, classes and power, reputation/acceptance. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t so slow, but I also never wanted to put it down! Hobbled it in a few days despite being a big book!
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

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

3.0

I absolutely loved Fahrenheit 451, so I was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, I guess I wasn’t in the headspace for the very flowery, metaphorical writing style and description Bradbury employed, despite it being magical in works like Dandelion Wine. Had an unexpected philosophical turn.
A Northern Light in Provence: A Novel by Elizabeth Birkelund

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emotional reflective slow-paced

2.0

Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

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

2.75

Very simple, enjoyable especially if you like things like Before the Coffee Gets Cold or the Kamagawa Food Detectives. Essentially, cozy short fiction centered around a certain person/item/place that connects a group of people. Focused in friendship and family. However everything felt very surface level.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Barely got through the first chapter. I get it starts in the 1960s, but the male characters that we were primarily getting perspective from were just SO gross, gag, ugh ugh ugh. Also didn’t know this book centered around an affair (had to read for book club), and I just can’t read that.