Reviews

Moja siostra Rosa by Justine Larbalestier

dunder_mifflin's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

more like 3.5 stars I guess?

I liked this but:
- it dragged every now and then
- the overuse of the word 'parentals' became genuinely annoying
- some stuff just wasn't explained well

an example for the last point:
Spoilerwas Che drugged before the MRI? sure seemed like it, with all that "hm I feel weird must be not eating/dehydration/etc". this wasn't touched on but it was something I was wondering then saw that other people were wondering about too.


overall it was a good read, though it was sort-of predictable at times
Spoiler(something happening to Maya? saw that one coming. David being a psychopath? saw that one coming too - though I'll admit I didn't see the implications of that coming)
.

also, one more thing: I stan Leilani so fucking hard.

kglynn's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Definitely a YA novel with a pretty straight forward narrative and some teen romance thrown in, but a good read.

fantasynovel's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This story would have been interesting if there had been more Rosa. Unfortunately, it was 70 percent Che's boring friends. There was Sojourner, who could have been interesting if Che wasn't lusting so. Freaking. Hard. "I want to lick the sweat off her lips...I want to bathe in her sweat...I am so aroused..." It got super extreme after a while. I'd start getting uncomfortable with Che's thoughts whenever Sojourner showed up.

Then there was Leilani, who was actually very cool, but at times, it felt like the author was using her to be a mouthpiece of Important Conversations. Leilani, who's half Korean, had a white girlfriend named Veronica who was, admittedly, super annoying. Veronica didn't understand why Leilani's heritage mattered to her, etc. But at the same time, Veronica's "friends" treated her really badly. At one point, Leilani dumped Veronica, got back with her just for sex, and then dumped her again. Yeah, Leilani was going through an extremely difficult time, but ppl acted like Veronica had no feelings at all. When Leilani broke up with her, ppl rolled their eyes like "what a fucking drama queen" when Veronica slashed her wrists. Yes, her behavior was attention-seeking, but she clearly needed help. She would show understandable emotions and ppl would shit all over her.

There was also more catcalling than I have heard in my life, basically so Che could be like "Wow, I must recognize my privilege in being a guy." Like, yeah, do that, but not every other page. It's so boring.

In the end, I loved the diversity, but the author wouldn't let her characters be just characters. She made them into internet essays on racism. They could have had good conversations about the racism they faced, but instead it was set up very unnaturally.

3 stars bc Rosa was a really-well character. Minus 2 stars bc Che was too dumb to believe and his friends were annoying AF.

reeyabeegale's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Finally done!

It's somewhere in 3.50-3.40. So this book, it wasn't as scary as I wished it would be. I don't know what it is, but there's something subtle about the horror of this book. But of course, it is a good read!

I need a few minutes to think about my actual thoughts on this book; I'll be posting my full review in my blog.
https://raveintotheabyss.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/inherited-genes/

crimsoncor's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Absolutely fantastic. Creepiest thing I've read since Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train. Can't recommend this enough.

suvata's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

S L O W B U R N of a novel about a creepy little sister who, for all intents and purposes, appears to be a psychopath. It kind of took a long time to get there but the ending was very satisfying.

eileenthecrow's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

2.5
i'm disappointed.

abaugher's review against another edition

Go to review page

This is an absorbing story about a family with a big, psychopathic problem, and she's an adorable ten-year-old. From the perspective of her older brother, we get a frightening look at a cold, calculating, and entirely selfish personality, and the impact her machinations have on those around her. I couldn't get enough of her evil, and read it in a day.

paoakalani's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

2.75

stephxsu's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Whoa, excuse me as my mind is f**ked after swallowing, gulping, inhaling, drowning in this intense book.