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16nnovs's reviews
42 reviews
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
3.0
a horrible relationship between 2 unlikeable characters surrounded by more unlikeable characters. i was honestly side-eyeing this book the entire time. there are some parts i found to be beautiful and they will definitely stick with me. with the way the men in this book behave this could be classified as a horror novel. this isnt a horrible book, i just couldn’t resonate with it in full. still gonna read blue sisters tho cant wait for that
“when the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” this is my favorite line ever and regardless of my complaints i felt so tender and warm after reading it. in depth review coming soon and perhaps rating change
“when the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” this is my favorite line ever and regardless of my complaints i felt so tender and warm after reading it. in depth review coming soon and perhaps rating change
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
2.0
oh wow, okay so i absolutely adored children of blood and bone and i damn near recommended it to every person i know, but i'm sad to say that i was really disappointed by this book :( i loved zelie and amari in book 1, but this book just made me despise them. there were so many contradictions in their characters, and to be honest, they just pissed me off. these character conflicts added nothing to the already repetitive and stagnant storyline. amari, the princess who fights for peace, committing a literal crime against humanity. zelie was just annoying; idk, her mood swings towards amari and roen were hard to read, and her chapters were quite redundant. inan, who i sympathized with so much in book 1, took till the end of the book to make some noise? like NOW you wanna stand up against your mom when you find out she killed innocents in the past?? LIKE SHE ISN'T DOING THAT NOW???? zelie’s brother, i don't even remember his name, was a non-factor. he made no noise for me; he was just a background character, and i feel like tomi did nothing for him in this book. i had such high hopes for this book, and i was just disappointed. the book starts to come around in the end, and that ending just PISSED ME OFF!!!!!!!! zelie waking up at the bottom of a ship in the middle of the ocean in extremely dirty conditions, and it's packed with other people. what are you trying to reference here????i'm not against those types of themes in books, but it just came out of nowhere and threw me for a loop. edit: i loved mama agba
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
4.0
I knew this novel would be compelling, but I did not expect it to move me as much as it did. Hosseini delved into themes of forgiveness, personal identity, remorse, guilt, and familial ties, while also exploring and portraying the beautiful culture of Afghanistan, which the Western world and most media outlets worldwide have tainted today.
This story was very raw, and it's not far from the truth to assume that many people have been through what the characters in these novels have experienced. All in all, Hosseini created a very emotionally charged novel, and I connected so much with the characters. Hassan and Rahim Khan were my absolute favorites, and I truly admired who they were and the way they carried themselves. I always find myself gravitating towards good-natured and kind-hearted characters in books because I feel that, subconsciously, I strive to be as good as them.
Another reason why I rated this book so high was the way it was written. The language Hosseini used throughout the book showcases how much of a master storyteller he is! It truly felt like I was being guided through a web of intricate strings, and not one part of the story felt rushed or cramped in any way. I thoroughly enjoyed this and cannot wait to read more of his works.
Many people dislike Amir, and I get that; he is a coward. He is not supposed to garner your love. I did not like him at all, but towards the end of the story, I started to respect him. I respected him for not running away from his past, for not abandoning Sohrab, for doing good for the impoverished people of his homeland, and for not giving up on building a connection with Sohrab.
The ending was definitely not a happy-go-lucky one, but it was bittersweet. The wounds from the previous chapters were still fresh, but the story was wrapped up in a way that allowed for hope. I personally enjoyed it, and I love how throughout the story, Hassan is always honored and mentioned in some way. His presence is so heavy even in death. Though things may not be the same again for the people affected in the stories, there is always a way to be good again.
This story was very raw, and it's not far from the truth to assume that many people have been through what the characters in these novels have experienced. All in all, Hosseini created a very emotionally charged novel, and I connected so much with the characters. Hassan and Rahim Khan were my absolute favorites, and I truly admired who they were and the way they carried themselves. I always find myself gravitating towards good-natured and kind-hearted characters in books because I feel that, subconsciously, I strive to be as good as them.
Another reason why I rated this book so high was the way it was written. The language Hosseini used throughout the book showcases how much of a master storyteller he is! It truly felt like I was being guided through a web of intricate strings, and not one part of the story felt rushed or cramped in any way. I thoroughly enjoyed this and cannot wait to read more of his works.
Many people dislike Amir, and I get that; he is a coward. He is not supposed to garner your love. I did not like him at all, but towards the end of the story, I started to respect him. I respected him for not running away from his past, for not abandoning Sohrab, for doing good for the impoverished people of his homeland, and for not giving up on building a connection with Sohrab.
The ending was definitely not a happy-go-lucky one, but it was bittersweet. The wounds from the previous chapters were still fresh, but the story was wrapped up in a way that allowed for hope. I personally enjoyed it, and I love how throughout the story, Hassan is always honored and mentioned in some way. His presence is so heavy even in death. Though things may not be the same again for the people affected in the stories, there is always a way to be good again.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3.0
reread oct ‘24, i can see why its a classic and i kind of liked it in when i was younger but now i think its meh
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
4.0
brilliantly written and horrifying to digest, lolita is truly a monster among modern classics. this is my third time reading it, and it still shakes me to my core every time. humbert is such an unreliable narrator that it’s almost absurd—like watching someone attempt to defend the indefensible with all the eloquence in the world. it’s shocking to witness his heinous intentions and even more heinous actions, all while he bends over backward to justify them, trying to paint his despicable acts as something beautiful. trying so hard to sell it as bliss, as a love story, when the entire time, he's the only one benefitting from the ruin of that little girl.
humbert is despicable—there's no question—but nabokov, with his masterful wordplay, tries his hardest to make the you feel something for him, pulling readers into an emotional trap. it’s disturbing because humbert is not just a monster; nabokov crafts him as a flawed, multi-faceted human, whose twisted version of love feels more like a sickness eating him alive. no matter how charming the exterior, no amount of poetic language or sugarcoated lies can hide the horror underneath. and yet, you can’t help but appreciate how brilliantly horrifying this book is.
i get why a lot of people dislike lolita. the subject matter is repulsive, and i would never recommend this. humbert is very self-centered and on top of him being a disgusting person, he is also so boring and its also annoying reading him drone on and on. but the book's power lies in its discomfort—its ability to confront you with the grotesque, dressed up in the beauty of prose. it’s more than a story; it’s a labyrinth. on a technical level? this book is incredible. the writing is amazing. (and for that reason is why i’ve settled somewhere between a 3 to 4 stars)
but what upsets me most is how the media has twisted this novel. the movies? atrocious. they distort the narrative entirely. the marketing for many of the book covers? sickening. THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY AT ALL. its so concerning and telling to see other reviewers and critics label it as such (p.s. vanity fair im looking at you??) for context, nabokov explicitly requested that no depictions of little girls be on the cover when the book was first sent out to publishers. it was supposed to have a plain cover with simple lettering. so he honestly would be turning in his grave at the sight of the films LOL the copy i own is the 50th anniversary cover with what seems like a young woman/girl's lips on the cover. its gross.
this should be a 5 for its writing but the story is too vile for me to give it that. still a solid classic though !
humbert is despicable—there's no question—but nabokov, with his masterful wordplay, tries his hardest to make the you feel something for him, pulling readers into an emotional trap. it’s disturbing because humbert is not just a monster; nabokov crafts him as a flawed, multi-faceted human, whose twisted version of love feels more like a sickness eating him alive. no matter how charming the exterior, no amount of poetic language or sugarcoated lies can hide the horror underneath. and yet, you can’t help but appreciate how brilliantly horrifying this book is.
i get why a lot of people dislike lolita. the subject matter is repulsive, and i would never recommend this. humbert is very self-centered and on top of him being a disgusting person, he is also so boring and its also annoying reading him drone on and on. but the book's power lies in its discomfort—its ability to confront you with the grotesque, dressed up in the beauty of prose. it’s more than a story; it’s a labyrinth. on a technical level? this book is incredible. the writing is amazing. (and for that reason is why i’ve settled somewhere between a 3 to 4 stars)
but what upsets me most is how the media has twisted this novel. the movies? atrocious. they distort the narrative entirely. the marketing for many of the book covers? sickening. THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY AT ALL. its so concerning and telling to see other reviewers and critics label it as such (p.s. vanity fair im looking at you??) for context, nabokov explicitly requested that no depictions of little girls be on the cover when the book was first sent out to publishers. it was supposed to have a plain cover with simple lettering. so he honestly would be turning in his grave at the sight of the films LOL the copy i own is the 50th anniversary cover with what seems like a young woman/girl's lips on the cover. its gross.
this should be a 5 for its writing but the story is too vile for me to give it that. still a solid classic though !
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
4.0
beautiful and intricate and so worth while. this is an incredible story telling of how one choice leads to an interconnecting, multiverse of livelihoods. people are hating on this book so much because they compare it so much to his other 2 very popular novels and i think thats ridiculous. its okay to not like something but don’t compare and contrast LOL his style of story telling hasn’t change much throughout the kite runner & a thousand splendid suns
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
2.0
this didn’t do anything for me, i was waiting for that aha moment or a lightbulb to switch on but nothing did. huge let down for all the rah rah it was getting