haleyj85's reviews
68 reviews

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 57%.
I don’t know. I just found myself not really caring about the characters all that much. I wanted to know what happens and what Clara’s charm is. But it was taking too long to get there.  May give it another try down the road or try it in audio format.  
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Need to read this one. Hard to follow on audio. 
Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

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

4.0

Home by Toni Morrison

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

3.5

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Could not get into this book. Hard to follow or really understand what was going on or the point of the story. 
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

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emotional 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? No

3.5

Beautiful and heartbreaking.  The horrors of slavery are something so hard to comprehend. This story was empowering and really pushes the reader to examine sense of self and the strength of the human spirit.  The writing style was a little hard for me to follow, but overall a really good story. 
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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Was hard to follow as an audio book. Will give it another chance in print.  
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Sula by Toni Morrison

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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

3.5

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

This. Book. Donna Tartt’s writing is exquisite. She brings such expression and intrigue to a story simply about life and tragedy. Not that the main character even necessarily overcomes it, but just the complexity of the human experience is so beautifully written. The last pages were what struck me hardest. 
And while Boris is a completely toxic friend who brings so much damage into Theo’s life, there is evidence as to why Theo allows him back in time after time. Their trauma bonding is deep.
. Overall this book is nearly perfect. 
Coraline by Neil Gaiman

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adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

My professor in my children’s lit class in college read this aloud to us. Such a unique and cool story.