ha1yan's reviews
67 reviews

Judas by Jeff Loveness

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was brutal. At its core, it's a story about war and colonization and includes many gruesome details of the atrocities that come with them. Please keep in mind that the warfare in this books is heavily influenced by the Japanese colonization of China during World War II/pre WWII-- I was caught off guard by the parallels. I found Rin to be an interesting character as she truly gets to channel and unleash her rage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Excrement and Vomit

Invisible Man by Ralph Waldo Ellison

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

challenging informative reflective

5.0

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I LOVE YOU NONA!!!! I NEED SEVERAL DAYS TO UNPACK WHAT I JUST READ. As always, wonderful characters and the most beautiful prose. I love Muir's unique metaphors

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill

hopeful lighthearted 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? N/A

5.0

a super cute quick read with great artwork! “the adventure wasn’t what i loved” was so sweet 🥺😭😭

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

emotional slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Mental illness and Pedophilia

A few panels with dead bodies in an embalming room. One of the bodies is severely injured in the chest (could count as body horror-ish)

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

So many thoughts, head full. I TRUDGED through most of this book. I wanted to enjoy it more and I DID like certain aspects, but I'm not a huge fan of romance-centered books. But! The last quarter was very fun since all the pieces of the mysteries came into place. I had a love-hate for August, probably because she kind of reminds me of myself but is SO QUIRKY
Wes is the best character. Avoidant attachment king

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia

Minor: Car accident

Sula by Toni Morrison

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, and Death of parent

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THIS IS HOW YOU DO ENEMIES TO LOVERS!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Torture