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leannj's reviews
2160 reviews
Just So You Know by Sarah Hogle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was great to read about these characters again- it didn't feel like time has passed at all since I read You Deserve Each Other. Super adorable and touching.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Very accessible and serves as a great introduction to the topics discussed if this is your first time reading about them. As many of the essays are taken from speeches the author made, it can come across as repetitive if you try to read this all in one go. That didn't bother me personally as I was reading this a few pages at a time, and in general I don't mind if the nonfiction I'm reading repeats its topics as I feel its easier for the those topics to really sink in.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Elizabeth Acevedo never disappoints; this was a moving multi-generational story that was also very unfiltered. I think I understand why some were disappointed or taken aback by certain aspects of the story but I personally thought it worked for the story the author is trying to tell. As always, the writing is beautiful and all the characters are fully fleshed out. Definitely a bittersweet but also satisfying read.
I Had That Same Dream Again: The Complete Manga Collection by Yoru Sumino
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.25
The "twist" is pretty easy to predict, but it didn't take away from the story's message for me. Touches on some darker topics while still remaining hopeful.
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story itself took a while to set things up in the first half, but thankfully things started really happening in the second half and had an emotional impact. It did feel like author couldn't commit between writing short but impactful short story or a fleshed-out novel centered around characters living in the same area of Alaska, and so in the end did neither.
XOXO by Axie Oh
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was cute, if not memorable. The side characters weren't super fleshed out, and plot was more cliche than not, but the writing was easy to become immersed in, and I flew through the story.
The Tarot Sequence: Scenes from Quarantine by K.D. Edwards
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was fine- I don't regret reading it, but I can't really say you're missing anything huge if you don't reading it. I would recommend if you're interested in reading about the main character and their found family interacting with each other without life-and-death stakes.