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saoreads's reviews
141 reviews
Your Heart is the Sea by Nikita Gill
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
The poetry book travels through the author's personal journey and experiences in life, of which "the beginning" has to be my ultimate favorite. From innocence to betrayal and pain, then rising up like a phoenix—a metaphor to pick up your own pieces, you can be whole once again, and once more you can hope. This one especially made quite an impression on me; "To love yourself should be no quiet affair, but a loud uprising (A Reminder As We Reach The End). A short one, but pretty impactful. I also learned a beautiful phrase in Punjabi, rab-raakhaa.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, and Gaslighting
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
The novel never failed to provide that thrill and keep readers on their toes about what was going on, despite showing a roundabout and rough process of character development, which mostly consisted of the book. The heroine's training, physically, mentally, and emotionally, was far too difficult, and every step she took made you root for her, as it also traversed with various feelings—one of which I mostly find bothersome—confusion, but very much needed for the plot. I've only gotten halfway through the series adaptation, and I decided it would be better if I started with the book and came back to it later, which resulted in a satisfying decision. And, in terms of world building, having seen its physicality in film with the series has helped weave the image along the lines of the writing that flowed easily, which I loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
emotional
funny
sad
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
3.5
I wasn't particularly fond of how the character was written. As an individual, it flowed how there was so much more to unpack. The intense avoidant detachment coming from it was insanely unhealthy for the sake of so-called friendship. Reading this has made me realize once again why the romance genres are so not my type of reading. Reeling away from processing grief, not facing reality, steering to convenience rather than actually living and not just merely passing by time, knowing someone just at arm's length, and settling for less—it follows a concept of the character's journey towards her perception and life in general. As the experience she endowed was distraughting enough, it's good overall, but it was icky for some reason. It's a shame I had to skip some parts because it just wasn't it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story was easy to follow as it provided a background of the character's childhood to adulthood, which brought up instances that were relatable and to the notion of being a woman. While I was reading, it was really interesting and informative as the plot could flow in the same way as how manuscripts in K-dramas work from home, middle, and high school settings to college, job life, and marriage. The novel itself included statistics and references on the gender gap and dynamics when it came to the treatment of men and women. The experiences are so real that they tug at the heart. Now in the 21st century, it continues to happen. It also spoke of Korean culture when it came to senior-junior relationships at work and superstitions when it came to pregnancy, some of which I picked up from watching films. Ending the book brought about issues within society in general about women, marriage, maternity, child birth, and childcare, the aftereffects of giving up plenty of things, which makes you more aware not only of others but of yourself. It irked me how it also ended up misogynistically, whether that was intentional or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
It spoke of death and Death spoke. Usually it's a theme associated with coldness and solemnity, but there's this kind of warmth coming out of the novel, as if you yourself have become one with the experience. After a few days, I finally got to finish reading this, and I'm not exactly ecstatic knowing that it ended. It may have entered into one of my favorite comfort books by following the life of Liesel Meminger as she was taken in as a foster child on Himmel Street during the war. Rudy Steiner has got to be my ultimate favorite throughout the entire story. With his wit and brilliancy as a person, how Death (narrator) and the author itself love him—it truly can be felt with the way his character was written. Special mention to her Papa, Hans Hubermann, whose kind heart and ways ushered in so much humanity that it sparked familial bonds even though they weren't blood tied, and Max Vandenburg, who became her brother, and wrote a memorable short story for Liesel that was so touching. It was obvious how the story would flow and end, as Death was eager and blunt. You no longer need to wait for a thrill, yet it still catches you off guard by letting it spill your tears and emotions. Along the lines created by the book thief, Liesel, this one struck and stayed with me: "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
To begin, there were numerous scenes in the story that were difficult to understand in terms of family dynamics. The character learned what family is supposed to be like through self-preservation and keeping each other's space and boundaries private, which created a certain mindset on how to perceive things in processing grief and loneliness, understanding love and pushing it away. The novel followed certain days for the book period to end for a short time. It made you consider your interpersonal relationships. We never really thought better as children—typical of us—still there's so much more to know than just our own little world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A lot of events unfolded throughout the novel, which was overwhelming, but it was understandable from the fact that the author had a desired flow of action for its characters. There was this push and pull manner that can end up frustrating readers as there are various challenges being faced by the heroine, one of which the other voice, as the demon inside Maia, really evokes that temptation to pull her on the evil side. In trailing for the last chapters of the book, there was still that confusion tugging at the character, making you choose between good and evil. Though I appreciated how the story ended with her troubles not solved just on her own but with the involvement of those she loved and has loved, it spoke of fairytales and myths, and it spoke of life and the ordinary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
It's so majestic, the way the story's been woven (no pun intended considering that the novel's about a tailor). The world-building was grandiose, with the fast-paced movement of events leading from the palace to the three-month adventure on the outskirts. I loved that the romance bloomed even more with the climax. It reminded me of that part of the book, "Dance of the Thieves," when the characters strengthened their flourishing love throughout the journey. It was notable for sure that when it came to the heroine's struggle and character development, she grew to face her own fears and fight against odds she never thought she could handle. The decisions she made were weighed between reality and happiness, yet nevertheless, she did not regret them for the better. It ended for me as a sappy reader who can't wait to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Why Didn't They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By by Cary Siegel
hopeful
informative
tense
fast-paced
3.5
As I embarked on a journey to learn and understand more about personal finance management, I was ecstatic to come across such principles. The first few pages will entice you to take in the little nuggets of experience and knowledge, but because it was short, there were a lot of topics that weren't discussed as thoroughly, though it did provide a general overview of what to expect and the reality of adulting life.
Bully by Penelope Douglas
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
It's a big cliché and dramatic, which led to a plot story that really is predictable, yet that's on me as I wanted to take a breather from reading high fantasy books to school setting ones. What made a huge impression on me was Tate's monologue. I had to read that twice. That part was both soothing and painful because of the sort of way their friendship ended up. It felt like a last call and a voice indeed to express how she felt from the duration she was made to suffer over trauma dumping and incidents in school from bullying and pranks. It had a lot of messed up scenes to the extreme, but it was fiction for a reason. Anyway, that monologue definitely saved the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol