shannon_conn's reviews
171 reviews

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow!! This book follows Grady, an author whom was on the phone with his wife when she suddenly slams on her breaks due to a woman's body lying in the road. After she gets out to help the woman, she goes missing.
One year later, Grady is still missing her terribly, and hasn't been able to write anything since her disappearance. His publisher/agent, Kitty, sends him to the remote island of Amberly to stay in a well known author's cabin to hopefully spark his creativity and get his writing back on track. While on this island, Grady meets a interesting bunch of residents who permanently live there and one day out of the blue, he is sure he sees his missing wife. Slowly he is sent into a spiral making the reader wonder if he is decanting into madness or if he is actually experiencing the things he is sees, hears, and feels.
This book had a masterful ending and while this was a slow burn, I truly loved this book and the way Alice Feeney took you on another wild ride. She is one of my favorite authors for a reason and this book did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to this audiobook (I also read along physically) in exchange for my review!

The Resort by Sara Ochs

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

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dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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challenging emotional tense slow-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

4.0

This book tackles complicated subjects such as racism, classism, and homophobia. This book is easily comparable to Gossip Girl and Get Out, while providing more.
While I loved the two main characters in this book, I did not love that "twist" came down to what it did. I was wishing it was something different and that that very complicated topic wasn't used as a means for destroying lives. I loved the beginning, though, in terms of the Gossip Girl type posts and secrets getting out and trying to figure out who Aces was. I just didn't love the reveal, although I understand what the author was trying to convey, and I do believe that it was an important message.

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass

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mysterious tense medium-paced