bookclubwithpookie's reviews
10 reviews

The Stranger by Albert Camus

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dark reflective tense fast-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

I LOVED this book. This book was such an interesting read and I loved the stylistic difference between part 1 and part 2 of the book.
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

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

3.5

This was such a good short story!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the descend into chaos and how the author paced the book to reflect the mental state of our main character. I felt the perceived dread and sickness that Soren was experiencing and felt just as stuck as he was. 
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Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.0

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

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dark sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

The more I think about this book the more I want to start back at page one and bump up my 3.75 rating to a 4.5 This was such a good and unsettling dystopian horror novel. The main reason for my lower rating is only because of the palatability of this book. It. was. a LOT. It deliberately painted such a vivid picture of such intolerable horrors i had to take several breaks from this book. I don't read a lot of gore in books, so it was especially jarring for me, as I like going into books blind. Such a good read, although I do have my reasons why this wouldn't be a 5-star read.
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Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

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adventurous mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

I really liked this book. The writing style makes it a little bit of a slower read, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the tone in the book, and how it portrayed The Biologists frame of mind. It was so tastefully done. I cant wait to read the next one.
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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

I honestly didn't like this book 😭 The writing was definitely YA coded, but the content was not. The writing was pretty predictable and I was disappointed with the plot twist.
I didn't understand why they had Nina sleeping with Enzo immediately following the abusive relationship. Why was Cece all of a sudden not a spoiled brat at the end? To me, the ending seemed so cheap too, with her now being 'the housekeeper that kills abusive husbands' idk maybe I'm just picky but
I honestly heard such good things about this book so I went in with really high hopes. 
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Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

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The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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

4.25

This book was SO interesting to read! However, I read a couple of the other more negative reviews and I agreed with a lot of them. While reading the book, I thought that some of the more hateful themes were intentionally written to reflect the main character. I haven't read his other books yet though, so that opinion might change if the other books are similarly written. 
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

SUCH a good series to get you back into reading. The hype around it was well deserved. 
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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

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emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

This book can be really triggering for those who are dealing with or have dealt with suicidal thoughts!!! 
This book had some amazing quotes and life lessons that I've held onto since reading! That being said, it was a more difficult read. It sometimes felt like parts of the book were drawn out, and the ending was a little cliche. 
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