fawzul's Reviews (144)

The Charm Offensive

Alison Cochrun

4.0

adventurous emotional lighthearted 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

Crying in H Mart

Michelle Zauner

5.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Conversations with Friends

Sally Rooney

4.0

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Beautiful World, Where Are You

Sally Rooney

5.0

challenging emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

Cho Nam-joo

4.5

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Vicious

V.E. Schwab

4.0

challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thought provoking read on goodness and evil. Schwab allows you to understand there is more to a hero and a villain. Sometimes they both don't exist. The book circles two people with inate abilities who were once friends but turn into each others ruin. There are no heroes, not in this book, and power doesn't give you anything in this world, it robs you from everything that makes you human instead.

Morally ambiguous, the reader will understand there is a side they can choose at the end but their answer will come after much thought. The book alternates between the years and memories Victor and Eli share with one another and makes you understand why one of them must cease to exist. It also makes you wonder about the motives behind power and what drives humans to chase it and whether it amounts to anything, at the end.