854 reviews by:

specificwonderland

The Devil Takes You Home

Gabino Iglesias

3.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Meh

Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver

5.0

dark emotional funny 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

About 30% into the book, I ordered a copy for my mom. Something about the rural upbringing, not putting on airs, the plain folk, caught in a hard-scrabble life made me think of her, her upbringing, and the gift of reading this beautifully wry tapestry seemed like a gift i wanted to be sure she the option of immersing into.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein

Coco Mellors

4.0

emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Bittersweet, but leaning sweet. I wanted more heartwrenching, rending relationships who simply could not be but this was more gentle. Overall, I liked it. I think of the phrase "the center cannot hold" and this book and all her lovely characters ultimately could hold. I wish it was more devastating but I'll miss these characters and the heyday they were glimmering in. Now I know a group of starlings is called a descent. I would read more by this author. But make it sadder.

Please Report Your Bug Here

Josh Riedel

3.5

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was kinda meh overall. It was trope-y with the evil corporation and the greedy startup CEO and the poor guy who just wants to know what loves feels like. At the end, I felt indifference.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt

3.0

emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I felt this was a bit twee for my tastes. I also felt conservative politics being snuck in or maybe my women's rights dander got triggered....a teenage pregnancy where the woman doesn't even consider an abortion? Not my president.

I picked this up because I knew it had to do with octopus and after reading it, I wish there had been more octopus.

I went through a blip where I read like 14 Debbie Macomber books cloistered around a little yarn shop in Seattle and this book picked up with incredible Macomber aplomb to carry on the 'Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world'-Hallmark- cozy women-'Will she ever find love again in this busy world?'- family comes first-spend time with your grandparents before they're gone torch.

I didn't hate it, it was in a defined lane. I wouldn't recommend it.

Hidden Pictures

Jason Rekulak

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wait. So did Anya make an appearance at the end?? Jozsef says Flora doesn't draw but Flora brings Mallory a drawing at the last second, in a primitive fashion, like Anya started, before she honed her tools into much more advanced drawings. Anya had possessed Mallory but maybe went into remission until she saw Flora again. I think we haven't seen the last of Anya.