An independent review of books, films and ideas
Book reviews, film analysis and essays on the ideas that shape us
Every piece answers your question first (what a book is about, how a film ends, what an idea really means), then goes deeper with sources cited. More than 1,700 reviews and essays since 2018.
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It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover: Review, Summary & Ending Explained
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover arrives as the long-awaited sequel to It Ends with Us, picking up exactly where Lily Bloom’s story left off, divorced from Ryle, mother to eleven-month-old…
Browse by topic
Book reviews
Summaries, analysis and honest verdicts on books old and new.
Read → 02Film reviews
Plot, ending, performances and what each film leaves you with.
Read → 03TV series
Season-by-season breakdowns of series worth your time.
Read → 04Best-of lists
Curated lists, from classic films to essential reads.
Read → 05Articles
Explainers and long reads that go beyond a single title.
Read → 06Opinions
Arguments and positions on books, films and culture.
Read → 07Reflections
Personal essays on what stories do to the people who read them.
Read → 08Entertainment
Commentary from film, TV and popular culture.
Read →Book reviews
All book reviews →-
Love, Like Apples by Jeff Zentner Review, Ending Explained, Verdict
Love, Like Apples by Jeff Zentner is a 400-page novel about a Tennessee orchard boy who becomes a puppeteer on…
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WTF America?! Book Review and Summary by Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy by Ben Meiselas, Brett Meiselas, and Jordy Meiselas…
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Miss Wolcott’s Ghost Review Finds Penny’s Best Plot and a Soft Middle
This Miss Wolcott’s Ghost review gives you the answer first. Louise Penny’s 21st Armand Gamache novel is a gripping, tender…
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The Family Cross by James Patterson Review, Plot and Ending Explained
The Family Cross by James Patterson is an Alex Cross thriller that spends as much time beside Nana Mama’s hospital…
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The Hidden Persuaders Is Flawed and Dated, Yet Its Warning Still Lands
The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard is a 1957 exposé of how advertisers, political strategists and corporate managers used psychoanalysis…
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Brave New World Revisited Gets Key Facts Wrong, Yet Still Feels Urgent
Is Brave New World Revisited still worth reading in 2027? Yes, though not because Huxley forecast the future well. He…
Film and TV
All film reviews →-
Moonstruck Review And a Look at How Messy Love Becomes a Beautiful Second Chance
Moonstruck makes a complicated promise: falling in love may disrupt your life without making that life a mistake. This Moonstruck…
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Saint Maud (2019) Is Painful to Watch, and Hard to Stop Thinking About
Saint Maud (2019) is worth your 84 minutes if you want horror that crawls under your skin instead of jolting…
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Breaking Bad Review, a Slow Start but Pride, Not Cancer, Breaks Walt
Breaking Bad is the 2008 to 2013 AMC crime drama about a dying chemistry teacher who starts cooking meth “for…
Essays and explainers
All essays →-
Unrequited Love Hurts Like Addiction, but Science Shows a Way Out
Unrequited love is romantic attraction that the other person does not return, and the research I could verify…
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UI and UX Designer Jobs Are Growing, but Pretty Screens No Longer Win
A UI and UX designer makes digital products easy and pleasant to use: the UI side shapes what…
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10 Fastest-Growing Jobs by 2030, and the Catch Most Lists Leave Out
The fastest-growing jobs by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum, are big data specialists, fintech engineers, AI…
Best-of lists
All lists →
How we review
What a book is about, how a film ends, whether it is worth your time: you get that in the opening paragraph.
Facts, dates and figures link to where they came from, so you can check them yourself.
No publisher or studio pays for coverage. Read how we work.
About the author
Meet Sopranu
Sopranu is a Bangladeshi-born writer, lifelong bookaholic and devoted cinephile. He writes reviews, opinions and reflections shaped by close reading, careful research and a love of philosophy. Every piece on this site starts with the same question: what is this work really trying to say, and does it succeed?
Questions readers ask
What is Sopranu?
Sopranu is an independent site publishing book reviews, film analysis, opinions and essays on philosophy and culture. Each piece opens with the direct answer, then goes deeper with cited sources.
How many reviews and essays are there?
More than 1,700 reviews and essays since 2018, including over 1,300 book reviews and nearly 200 film reviews.
Who writes the reviews?
Every piece is written by Sopranu, a Bangladeshi-born writer, lifelong reader and film watcher. You can read more on the About page.
Where should I start?
Try the 101 best films list, the Don Quixote review or The Second Sex review. They sit in the Start with these section above.
Does anyone pay for coverage?
No. Verdicts are independent, and no publisher or studio pays for coverage.
How do I find a review of a specific book or film?
Use the search icon in the menu, or browse by topic: book reviews, film reviews, TV series and best-of lists.
Not sure what to read or watch next?
Start with the 101 best films, or browse the best-of lists for books, series and ideas worth your time.