Thousands of Books

Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler's Wife Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel, SciFi-Romance, Drama, Magical Realism, American Literature Reading Level: Adult  Setting: 1968-2008, Chicago, Illinois (USA) and South Haven, Michigan (USA)  Published: 2003 Page Count: 536 (Paperback) Content Warnings: Drug Use, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Suicide, Pedophilia Rating: ★★ ★ ★⭑ (4.25 out of 5) This is going to be a difficult novel to review, mainly because I don't support or condone a lot of what is happening in the plot (which comprises the majority of the story), but it is so well written. The problematic aspects of the story are ultimately the most interesting parts to analyze, to try and figure out exactly what Niffenegger is getting at. The novel follows the love story, from beginning to bitter end, of Henry and Clare DeTamble. Their romance is no ordinary story, though. Henry is what the novel will come to know as a Chrono Displaced Person, or in laym...

Sarah Cypher: The Skin and Its Girl Genres: Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Domestic Fiction, Drama, Magical Realism, LGBTQIA+ Literature, American Literature, Lebanese Literature Reading Level: Adult  Setting: 2000s Oakland and Palo Alto, California (USA), Portland, Oregon (USA), Nablus, Palestine (West Bank)  Published: 2024 Page Count: 330 (Paperback) Content Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Attempted Suicide  Rating: ★★★⭑ (3.5 out of 5) First and foremost, Sarah Cypher’s The Skin and Its Girl is written in a bold and experimental second-person narration. It is from the perspective of Betty Rummani, as she talks directly to her late great aunt Nuha and recounts the events of the story by looking backwards. I enjoy the creative take that Cypher took with the narration style, though it is difficult to adjust to at first, as most readers are used to traditional first- and third-person narrations in fiction. The stylistic narration choice does (sort of) make sen...

Caroline O'Donoghue: The Rachel Incident Genres: Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Coming of Age, Drama, LGBTQIA+ Literature, Irish Literature Reading Level: Adult  Setting: 2009-2010, Cork, Ireland Published: 2023 Page Count: 289 (Paperback) Content Warnings: Infidelity, Abortion, Miscarriage Rating: ★★★★⭑ (4.25 out of 5) The Rachel Incident is largely more of a no-plot, coming-of-age, vibes-only story than the type of novel that follows a stringent plot. Not to say that there isn’t any plot at all, as it does follow the progression of an affair between James and his roommate Rachel’s closeted, married professor Dr. Byrne, as well as the progression of Rachel’s sometimes turbulent relationship with her boyfriend Carey. That being said, the story is very character-driven. It focuses so much more on the emotions that the plot creates for the main characters and on their development as young, broke college students navigating love, life, sexuality, and a future during the recession in ...

  Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Ace of Spades Genres: Contemporary Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Horror, Social Justice, American Literature, African American Literature, LGBTQIA+ Literature  Reading Level: Young Adult  Setting: Present Day U.S. (Unspecified city or state)  Published: 2021  Page Count: 415 (Paperback) Content Warnings: Racism, White Supremacy, Homophobia, Incarceration, Drugs Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) First things first, do not discredit any interest in reading this book on the baseline that it is YA. The first few chapters might trick you into thinking that this book is a standard high school teen drama, but it is absolutely anything but. Also, do not discredit it on the grounds that it’s a thriller either. It is also not a standard, run-of-the-mill murder mystery book. Not that there’s anything wrong with a book that is a high school drama or a murder mystery; I would just hate for a book as incredible as Ace of Spades to get thrown int...