veronicachp's reviews
468 reviews

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

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

2.5

This book suffers from debilitating "not like other girls" syndrome. 

I finished it, but I didn't like it and honestly I skipped over a lot of the Eve chapters. There really is a limit to how many times "women swear too" moments can be deployed in one book. 
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

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challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This one is really difficult for me to rate so I'm settling on a 3. For a lot of the book I struggled to get into it, especially the chapters with just Axl and Beatrice (if I have to read the word "princess" again I will snap). Then in the final chapters of part 3 I had a big "oh!" moment and was suddenly HOOKED, the stars aligned, the title made perfect sense, I understood the deeper meaning, I enjoyed the moral quandary presented, yada yada. If the book had ended there it probably would have been a 4 star for me. But it didn't end there, and I hated the ending, and therein lies the difficulty. So, I'm averaging out to roughly 3 stars. Might recommend, wouldn't reread. 
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

More of an extended thinkpiece about the problems facing teenage girls than a practical guide to how you can personally help the teens in your life, which is more along the lines of what I was looking for. Still worth reading and insightful, but again, don't expect much practical advice from it. My main gripe with it is that some of the "conversations" with girls that are recreated in the book sound extremely manufactured and stilted, which makes them a bit hard to take seriously as representatives of the serious topics at hand. 
You Vs the World: The Bear Grylls Guide to Never Giving Up by Bear Grylls

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this one, but actually it was very cute and wholesome
The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I don't often use the phrase "hamfisted" but this book really brings it to mind. There is not a single subtle aspect of this book. Sex, romance, world building, plot... You're really just bashed over the head with all of it.  Even to the main romantic pairing, there is no build or unfolding of feelings there, it's essentially just the author telling you "yeah they want each other soooo bad and actually are in love" and you, the reader, are just supposed to go "oh okay!" and take that at face value despite it really never being built in the story. The whole thing just feels clumsy and amateur. This was my first experience with this author and I'm not really keen to have another, unfortunately. 
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Zadig; Or, the Book of Fate by Voltaire

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75