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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Why does Dana keep defending Rufus???

American War

Omar El Akkad

DID NOT FINISH: 35%

To be brutally honest, I did not finish this book at this time. 
The style of writing felt very jarring to me - this is a book set in 2075, but the writing and pacing of the main narrative portions feels like it's from the 1930's. 
I did appreciate the parataxis of found material against the storyline, it felt very interesting to get different viewpoints on the issue from the main character, and provided a fuller picture of the setting. 
challenging dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

It wasn't my cup of tea, but I did find some aspects to be compelling and interesting!

The Times I Knew I Was Gay

Eleanor Crewes

DID NOT FINISH: 1%

Not enough time!
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging reflective slow-paced

Thank you Graywolf Press & Netgalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available!


The idea of poetic lineage shines bright in Saskia Hamilton's collection All Souls. I was greatly intrigued by the way Hamilton interrogated the source texts and created interesting ideas! I do wish the reader had more time to.digest some of the ideas or linger just a little longer with the complexity of.the peice.
challenging dark emotional reflective fast-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

Thank you HarperVIA and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Told in innerconnected stories, Susan Muaddi Darraj's Behind You Is The Sea is an exploration into the lives, loves, and losses of Palestinian Americans. What I love most about this collection is the way it keeps spreading, casting a farther and farther net until.we finally end up back in the homeland. Each story builds on the last & it's so satisfying to see previous characters weave in and out of new chapters. I feel like I can read a whole collection about this specific community!
emotional hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Thanks Little Brown Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available May 7 2024.

Samira Ahmed's new novel This Book.Won't Burn is a timely tirade against facism and rising censorship in America. It left me feeling quite tired. I related to Noor, the eldest daughter of a South Asian family who finds herself to be an advocate for oppressed folks, especially when her family moves to a less diverse community in the suburbs of Illinois. What I wished for was more specificity. At some points, it felt like the book, while talking about the need to break stereotypes was full of them - the belligerent Principle, the benevolent white school librarian, the weird high school kids who turn out to be ok, the hot jock who turns out to.be kind of an asshole, the strict South Asian mom. As a disclaimer, I don't reach much YA which is maybe why this and the casual language (fashy??) stood out to me. As much as I loved the idea of this plot, the style wasn't my favorite.