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valeria_balzan's reviews
152 reviews
Rivals by Katharine McGee
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Beatrice, as always, you're both the Queen of America and of my heart.
I love that she had very real emotions and thoughts. The whole "connects to a group and feels welcome" storyline became an absolute home run for me because... relatable.
The new characters enrich the story and the old ones keep us coming back.
BUT THAT ENDING. JAIL. IMMEDIATELY.
I love that she had very real emotions and thoughts. The whole "connects to a group and feels welcome" storyline became an absolute home run for me because... relatable.
The new characters enrich the story and the old ones keep us coming back.
BUT THAT ENDING. JAIL. IMMEDIATELY.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Car accident
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Even though I did like the book, I don't think I would rate it any higher than three starts because the author keeps repeating the same points. Which are great, but I feel like there need to be more elaboration or a new spin on them.
My favorite parts were when she uses personal examples from their life for illustration of her points. Also, how she adds race and class as part of the discussion of gender inequality. That was very valuable and important.
My favorite parts were when she uses personal examples from their life for illustration of her points. Also, how she adds race and class as part of the discussion of gender inequality. That was very valuable and important.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.75
This book is so awesome.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author known for her characters. How she makes them so fully fleshed out and how they feel, speak and act like real people. This book is not an exception but an improvement of the rule. She raised that bar higher with Carrie Soto and Nicki Chan.
Seeing these two characters interact in their world and SPECIALLY with each other just proves how awesome of a writer she is.
Carrie is driven. She's convinced her life was going to be about glory so she made that happen. You end up feeling bad when her castle crumbles overnight but you also side with the enemy and love her just as much or even more than the main character. Without forgetting to say the most absolute and iconic raw quotes a character has ever said.
Carrie Soto and Nicki Chan are absolute ICONS. and they shall be treated as such.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author known for her characters. How she makes them so fully fleshed out and how they feel, speak and act like real people. This book is not an exception but an improvement of the rule. She raised that bar higher with Carrie Soto and Nicki Chan.
Seeing these two characters interact in their world and SPECIALLY with each other just proves how awesome of a writer she is.
Carrie is driven. She's convinced her life was going to be about glory so she made that happen. You end up feeling bad when her castle crumbles overnight but you also side with the enemy and love her just as much or even more than the main character. Without forgetting to say the most absolute and iconic raw quotes a character has ever said.
Carrie Soto and Nicki Chan are absolute ICONS. and they shall be treated as such.
The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
3.75
You knew it was going to hurt like a bitch from the first couple of chapters. It felt melancholic for no reason and then, like the drop of a hat, it drops a gigantic bomb and has EVERY reason to be sad.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The 2009 stop motion animated film brought me to add this book to my tbr list for a long time, and I am so glad it did. Since the very first chapter you are immersed in the story, with the setting, the odd characters and the familiar storyline that comes with reading a book based on a film you've seen before. Instead of reading the same story, it felt like discovering new facets of the characters and settings that the book changes or omits completely. I found myself comparing the two often, but to this day I do not know which version I would choose as my favourite.
Neil Gaiman's secret talent as a voice actor really came to light with his narration, it felt very fitting, and who knows the true and most aunthentic way the story should be read then the author himself?
Neil Gaiman's secret talent as a voice actor really came to light with his narration, it felt very fitting, and who knows the true and most aunthentic way the story should be read then the author himself?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
All the Lives I Want: Essays about My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers by Alana Massey
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
This book was just not for me.
The most appealing part of the book, and what attracted me to it in the first place, is the number of celebrities referenced in the essays. Even though this book was published on 2017, the celebrities and/or periods of times she references and talks about are not current, they are all based around the 90s and early 00s. Which, as a young reader I'm not familiar about. That small percentage of names I did recognized were often in the background and not relevant to the stories or essays at all.
Kind of a bummer, loved the concept.
The most appealing part of the book, and what attracted me to it in the first place, is the number of celebrities referenced in the essays. Even though this book was published on 2017, the celebrities and/or periods of times she references and talks about are not current, they are all based around the 90s and early 00s. Which, as a young reader I'm not familiar about. That small percentage of names I did recognized were often in the background and not relevant to the stories or essays at all.
Kind of a bummer, loved the concept.
How Not to Kill Your Houseplant: Survival Tips for the Horticulturally Challenged by Veronica Peerless
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Extremely informative, I shall never kill a houseplant again. Great for reference and even as a gift.
This Place: 150 Years Retold by Sonny Assu, Katherena Vermette, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Jen Storm, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Brandon Mitchell, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Richard Van Camp, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Chelsea Vowel
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As it's common with anthologies of short stories, some are better than others, but overall all take on different moments in history where Indigenous people and communities were wronged.
The art style of all the stories is simply amazing and it shows that there has been a lot of love and effort put into this book.
The art style of all the stories is simply amazing and it shows that there has been a lot of love and effort put into this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal death
Different trigger warnings for different stories, but this is overall.
Find Momo Coast to Coast: A Photography Book by Andrew Knapp
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
Momo is adorable and the cutest roadtrip buddy π₯Ίπ