this might be a bit too picky but I’ll try anyway. I’m in the mood for a book with a female protagonist that’s kind of a loser and not ‘the chosen one’, but slowly grows throughout the book. My favourite example of this is Taylor Hebert in Worm. She’s a loner who gets bullied in school but soon becomes a crime lord and much much more.
Something that’s fantasy/sci-fi with a good plot, but doesn’t have a bunch of made up words. They all sound the same to me so I get them mixed up and then I have no idea what’s happening 😭
And PLEASE NO F/M ROMANCE!! (Or f/m romance that’s so detached that I can skim over it and not miss out on any plot). I’d be alright with wlw romance though as long as it doesn’t affect the plot and isn’t over the top.
I’ve tried A Practical Guide to Evil and Gideon the Ninth but I couldn’t get in to them. The main character in GtN in particular had too much swagger for me.
Other random things that would be a bonus but not necessary:
– the plot involves the protagonist being accused of a crime they didn’t commit (I’ve been watching too many British detective shows)
– they’re treated as an outsider and dont have many allies
– they get involved with something that’s bigger than they thought
Books I’ve read and liked: Worm, Pale, Sharp Objects, Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Eileen!!!
by thanoshalpert
2 Comments
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders, sci fi. There are made up words, but other than that it fits what you are describing perfectly.
I feel like The paying guests or Affinity by Sarah Waters could probably fit the bill. Can’t say much without spoiling but it’s WLW.