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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A perverse conceptualisation of ‘the power of storytelling’. Leaning heavily on the cultural/ancestral power of the story, The Centre explores what it means to learn, and how that process can be twisted & co-opted by, can you believe it, men. I don’t think this is necessarily a critique of men, nor colonialism, but more of our understanding of greed - the type of greed that satiates the body & the mind.
I was under the impression that this book would be quite dark & grotesque, like, as I was halfway through I was wondering if I was being catfished (bookfished?), but the horrors were revealed and I was left disappointed. The tension building was incredible, but it felt like the author was unable to push the narrative over the edge. I thought it was tame.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the metaphor of storytelling, as well as the discussion around India/Pakistan and British colonialism. The scene setting and the relationship building was thorough, but the conclusion was just a bit underwhelming.
Although, I will say, this is the second book I’ve read while being in holiday, in a country where I am woefully ignorant of the language, and both books have discussed the power, infidelities, and significance of translation & language learning. Needless to say, I’ve heard the message loud and clear.
I was under the impression that this book would be quite dark & grotesque, like, as I was halfway through I was wondering if I was being catfished (bookfished?), but the horrors were revealed and I was left disappointed. The tension building was incredible, but it felt like the author was unable to push the narrative over the edge. I thought it was tame.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the metaphor of storytelling, as well as the discussion around India/Pakistan and British colonialism. The scene setting and the relationship building was thorough, but the conclusion was just a bit underwhelming.
Although, I will say, this is the second book I’ve read while being in holiday, in a country where I am woefully ignorant of the language, and both books have discussed the power, infidelities, and significance of translation & language learning. Needless to say, I’ve heard the message loud and clear.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was recommended this book by a friend, who said it repeatedly gets mislabeled as horror - they knew I really enjoy horror and I think they wanted me to be pre ared - I can see why it gets mislabeled though, as the central theme is quite horrific, but they were right to tell me this is incorrect - reading this book you are intrigued, but not scared. There is no real element of horror until the very last.
This work is more contemporary than horror. It delves into ideas of self and what happens to us when we take on another person, and indeed when we die. It is wonderfully well-written, and the scene-setting is excellent, as is the characterisation. The author's voice is clear, and challenging in some ways. I also enjoyed to subtle queer elements.
Overall very highly recommended.
This work is more contemporary than horror. It delves into ideas of self and what happens to us when we take on another person, and indeed when we die. It is wonderfully well-written, and the scene-setting is excellent, as is the characterisation. The author's voice is clear, and challenging in some ways. I also enjoyed to subtle queer elements.
Overall very highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cannibalism
Moderate: Vomit
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i just couldn’t get into it. i might try to pick it up again if i feel in the mood for it
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Idk how I feel. Some interesting and tender lines and takes on colonialism and languages but deffo felt like there was more that they could have done with it. The criticality felt v surface level re cultural appropriation etc
Narrator was fuuuuucking insufferable - she is so privileged and spoiled and unapologetic about it, I’m not convinced at all. Like yes it’s a flawed protagonist but it is such brown liberal bs from her and she has no sides or loyalties and is too fickle for the story to be as impactful as it could’ve been
Also come ON with the shaadi scene etc like cheesy note
Also felt like not really fleshed out enough the end was rlly abrupt, Adam’s arc not fully done justice to
And what is this Israeli bs like I thought it was a (fair) snide but the narrator is just so fickle minded and moral-less that it’s hard to feel like this
So much more could’ve been done and the positioning of the characters as rich, spoiled south Asians with little critical tid bits to appease the reader while continuing to be insufferable ab their privilege = hard pass
Narrator was fuuuuucking insufferable - she is so privileged and spoiled and unapologetic about it, I’m not convinced at all. Like yes it’s a flawed protagonist but it is such brown liberal bs from her and she has no sides or loyalties and is too fickle for the story to be as impactful as it could’ve been
Also come ON with the shaadi scene etc like cheesy note
Also felt like not really fleshed out enough the end was rlly abrupt, Adam’s arc not fully done justice to
And what is this Israeli bs like I thought it was a (fair) snide but the narrator is just so fickle minded and moral-less that it’s hard to feel like this
So much more could’ve been done and the positioning of the characters as rich, spoiled south Asians with little critical tid bits to appease the reader while continuing to be insufferable ab their privilege = hard pass