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afi_whatafireads's reviews
536 reviews
A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata
What a book.
This book had left me with all sorts of feelings. It made me sad, it made me angry and it made me laugh, bust most of all, it left me with a feeling of guilt and also hope. A hope for something bigger to come, even if we are still far from it.
The prose of the book feels simple and straightforward. We follow the narration from a 15 year old Aoi, who had been sold as a prostitute by her family at a brothel. There we go through the lives of hers as she grew up, the female friendship that was formed, the betrayal from someone that was supposed to protect you and about freedom. I really liked that we went through this book from the lenses of a child. Its a reflection of the cruel society and how women were forced to sell their bodies even if its against their will.
Reading this reminded me a lot of the Indian Movie -Gangubai Kathiawadi - where the premise sets at a red light district in Mumbai. And the key to freedom, in both the movie and the book, is education. The privilege to have education and to even be educated - as without having learning to write, read and count, there will be no freedom for a person. I absolutely loved the solidarity of the women in this book and it made me feel thankful for the privilege that I had with my education.
I feel that if you are new to japanese literature and wants to try going into the genre without it being too heavy - I would definitely recommend this book. Not only that the proses are simple, I liked that the critics for the government and social class is subtly intertwined but it is prominent. And at the end of the day, since this story is based on true events and in par with our reality now - to make a change, there needs to be a resistance. The fight for human rights and equality is a never ending journey and this book will be one of the books that I will remember for a very very long time.
Highly recommended!
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Thank you to Pansing for the gifted copy! I truly appreciate it.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Leaving meant stepping into hell, but staying was another kind of hell. Each woman had to decide for herself what hell to choose."
What a book.
This book had left me with all sorts of feelings. It made me sad, it made me angry and it made me laugh, bust most of all, it left me with a feeling of guilt and also hope. A hope for something bigger to come, even if we are still far from it.
The prose of the book feels simple and straightforward. We follow the narration from a 15 year old Aoi, who had been sold as a prostitute by her family at a brothel. There we go through the lives of hers as she grew up, the female friendship that was formed, the betrayal from someone that was supposed to protect you and about freedom. I really liked that we went through this book from the lenses of a child. Its a reflection of the cruel society and how women were forced to sell their bodies even if its against their will.
Reading this reminded me a lot of the Indian Movie -Gangubai Kathiawadi - where the premise sets at a red light district in Mumbai. And the key to freedom, in both the movie and the book, is education. The privilege to have education and to even be educated - as without having learning to write, read and count, there will be no freedom for a person. I absolutely loved the solidarity of the women in this book and it made me feel thankful for the privilege that I had with my education.
I feel that if you are new to japanese literature and wants to try going into the genre without it being too heavy - I would definitely recommend this book. Not only that the proses are simple, I liked that the critics for the government and social class is subtly intertwined but it is prominent. And at the end of the day, since this story is based on true events and in par with our reality now - to make a change, there needs to be a resistance. The fight for human rights and equality is a never ending journey and this book will be one of the books that I will remember for a very very long time.
Highly recommended!
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Thank you to Pansing for the gifted copy! I truly appreciate it.
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
A story that I felt was mundane. Its in the beauty of the raw form of humans - in the times of youth that were confusing, in the times of vulnerability and the dynamics of Asian parenting, and its on life. In the most messiest forms - its life.
Reading this, does remind me a lot with Sally Rooney's books. The straightforward and almost nonchalant tone, whilst capturing the essence of emotions of the characters in the storytelling - its definitely a similarity between the two. And I like how mundane it is, and how very queer it is.
The book is divided into four big parts - in which we go through with the narrator, the stages of his life. And we get on adult friendships, mother-son complex relationships, caretaker , and most of all, the daily lives of a man in a city, living through his life. I like how straightforward the writing is, and how its both funny and sad at the same time. I could laugh at one page and cry at the very next so that's how much of an emotional coaster ride this book had gotten me. Its truly an experience on its own.
Out of all the things from the book, what I felt was in how raw everything is. Humans are messy. They make mistakes. They will fail and fall. But they will also form meaningful relationships that will stay. Love that is irreplaceable but may not be yours to keep. But its mostly on the exploration of self- and how we grow from all of the things we went through in life. And the hardships in having a condition that could never really go away. Mistakes , failures and heartbreaks, but also happiness and strength.
By means, this book is not perfect, but its a depiction that is true to life. And what the author said in his notes had what made this book for me one of those I will remember for a very long time.
4.5π for this one.
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
You know when you've read something so bloody good that when you've reached the final page, you felt like going back to the first page to start all over again. And love in the big city is all that and more. It gives a feeling of loss, hope, love and life, going through its harsh and unprovoked realities - in the way that is a story told from the perspectives of youths in its rawest form.
Raw. That's what I would say with this book, and it still leaves a lingering feeling even after finishing it.
(Disclaimers: This book handles topics on the narrator going through HIV. If this is not your cup of tea, its okay to skip this :) )
Raw. That's what I would say with this book, and it still leaves a lingering feeling even after finishing it.
(Disclaimers: This book handles topics on the narrator going through HIV. If this is not your cup of tea, its okay to skip this :) )
'Because, whatever it was or wasn't, you were you."
A story that I felt was mundane. Its in the beauty of the raw form of humans - in the times of youth that were confusing, in the times of vulnerability and the dynamics of Asian parenting, and its on life. In the most messiest forms - its life.
Reading this, does remind me a lot with Sally Rooney's books. The straightforward and almost nonchalant tone, whilst capturing the essence of emotions of the characters in the storytelling - its definitely a similarity between the two. And I like how mundane it is, and how very queer it is.
The book is divided into four big parts - in which we go through with the narrator, the stages of his life. And we get on adult friendships, mother-son complex relationships, caretaker , and most of all, the daily lives of a man in a city, living through his life. I like how straightforward the writing is, and how its both funny and sad at the same time. I could laugh at one page and cry at the very next so that's how much of an emotional coaster ride this book had gotten me. Its truly an experience on its own.
Out of all the things from the book, what I felt was in how raw everything is. Humans are messy. They make mistakes. They will fail and fall. But they will also form meaningful relationships that will stay. Love that is irreplaceable but may not be yours to keep. But its mostly on the exploration of self- and how we grow from all of the things we went through in life. And the hardships in having a condition that could never really go away. Mistakes , failures and heartbreaks, but also happiness and strength.
By means, this book is not perfect, but its a depiction that is true to life. And what the author said in his notes had what made this book for me one of those I will remember for a very long time.
"I know all too well how this emotion called love, how the word itself, can crumble into nothing, but all I can do is tightly grip this tiny bit of warmth and embrace it with all my might. Just so I can live on as myself. Just so I can live this life as myself and myself alone."
4.5π for this one.
The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping by Keigo Higashino
As usual with Keigo's stories, its better to go in without knowing much about the premise. But what I can say here - living true to the title itself, we will be following through the creatives mind of a human and how crafty and sinister we can be. At the end of the day, will you be the puppet or the master of the game? That, you will never know. And that's what makes this story so interesting and intriguing.
Keigo for me has been that author that can write anything and I will definitely eat it up. With this story, is differs a bit from his usual route for crime thrillers, but I sometimes wonder what goes through his mind when writing these stories. And with most of Keigo's stories, you will already know what's bound to happen, BUT, you will still be surprised when everything unfolds. Reading his books will give you that sense of disorientation - of not knowing who and what to trust and we, as readers, are strung along with the narrator as well. The characters and the plot progression for me was spot on, and I kind of loved that most of his characters are very smart too. It gives you joy in reading something that is well-thought and planned out , without losing the human touch and the exploration of human complexity and human nature in the process as well.
This book feels like watching a huge game and puzzle unfold. It will definitely leave your jaw gaping at some point (and I kind of expected what was about to happen) but it still left my heart racing. If you're in need of a quick, pick up book that will want you wanting for more , pick up this one. You can never go wrong with Keigo's books. And I'm thankful that Kodansha picked this up again for reprints cause Keigo's stories definitely deserved to be explored more to the world.
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Thank you to Times Reads for one of the copies! I truly appreciate it :)
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Leave it to Keigo for making me rid of my reading slump (its been a month good lord) and serving with a story that leaves your brain twisted till the very end. And it goes to show - Keigo is a mastermind in his trade and he writes well written stories that will will question everything that you read from the very start.
"To begin with, everyone wears a mask to some degree in going about their lives."
"It's an unlivable world otherwise. If you expose your true face, you don't know when it'll get pummeled. This world is a game. It's a game where, depending on the situation, you put on the relevant mask."
As usual with Keigo's stories, its better to go in without knowing much about the premise. But what I can say here - living true to the title itself, we will be following through the creatives mind of a human and how crafty and sinister we can be. At the end of the day, will you be the puppet or the master of the game? That, you will never know. And that's what makes this story so interesting and intriguing.
Keigo for me has been that author that can write anything and I will definitely eat it up. With this story, is differs a bit from his usual route for crime thrillers, but I sometimes wonder what goes through his mind when writing these stories. And with most of Keigo's stories, you will already know what's bound to happen, BUT, you will still be surprised when everything unfolds. Reading his books will give you that sense of disorientation - of not knowing who and what to trust and we, as readers, are strung along with the narrator as well. The characters and the plot progression for me was spot on, and I kind of loved that most of his characters are very smart too. It gives you joy in reading something that is well-thought and planned out , without losing the human touch and the exploration of human complexity and human nature in the process as well.
This book feels like watching a huge game and puzzle unfold. It will definitely leave your jaw gaping at some point (and I kind of expected what was about to happen) but it still left my heart racing. If you're in need of a quick, pick up book that will want you wanting for more , pick up this one. You can never go wrong with Keigo's books. And I'm thankful that Kodansha picked this up again for reprints cause Keigo's stories definitely deserved to be explored more to the world.
Personal Ratings : 4.5π
Thank you to Times Reads for one of the copies! I truly appreciate it :)
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
A spiralling and intriguing story, and one that had made me question everything that I've read from the very beginning. Its notably interesting to read from the POV of an unreliable narrator, let alone, them being a psychopath. Whilst we know who the killer is, the process of knowing the why's and the process of it all, is what had made this story for me so so so bloody good. I was engrossed. I was fully invested. The turmoil, his anger and the narrator's frustrations was written so well - it was as though we were there with Yu-Jin, through every step of him tracing back his memories.
Its vile. Its horrifying. Its a take on human nature and a mother's love.
I don't even want to spoil the book too much, but I love how, I read the last 100 pages with the audiobook, and it brought me to another height of anxiety and fear. The narrators had done such a wonderful job in portraying the emotions of the characters, and good lord was it intense. Please give the audiobook a go to! It elevated my experience to a whole new level.
And whilst its intense and made me lowkey going WTF - its also heartbreaking at a certain level.
(view spoiler) The relationship of a mother and a child - is it something that can be severed easily? I feel that, that's one of the winning points of this book. Its in the way it showed a new level of complexity with the relationship between mother and son.
Overall, it was definitely such a great read for me. I freaking loved it. To me - its a novel that will keep you on edge, and will let you in the ins of the minds of the darkest side of a human. Sinister and vile, I enjoyed this tremendously!
Personal Ratings: 4.5π
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"But I realized who I was. I was his mother. He was my child. Thatβs a fact that canβt be erased no matter what. I felt paralyzed with feelings and tried for weeks to push everything away."
A spiralling and intriguing story, and one that had made me question everything that I've read from the very beginning. Its notably interesting to read from the POV of an unreliable narrator, let alone, them being a psychopath. Whilst we know who the killer is, the process of knowing the why's and the process of it all, is what had made this story for me so so so bloody good. I was engrossed. I was fully invested. The turmoil, his anger and the narrator's frustrations was written so well - it was as though we were there with Yu-Jin, through every step of him tracing back his memories.
Its vile. Its horrifying. Its a take on human nature and a mother's love.
I don't even want to spoil the book too much, but I love how, I read the last 100 pages with the audiobook, and it brought me to another height of anxiety and fear. The narrators had done such a wonderful job in portraying the emotions of the characters, and good lord was it intense. Please give the audiobook a go to! It elevated my experience to a whole new level.
And whilst its intense and made me lowkey going WTF - its also heartbreaking at a certain level.
(view spoiler) The relationship of a mother and a child - is it something that can be severed easily? I feel that, that's one of the winning points of this book. Its in the way it showed a new level of complexity with the relationship between mother and son.
Overall, it was definitely such a great read for me. I freaking loved it. To me - its a novel that will keep you on edge, and will let you in the ins of the minds of the darkest side of a human. Sinister and vile, I enjoyed this tremendously!
Personal Ratings: 4.5π
God of Wrath by Rina Kent
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was not a bad read but I do feel that the plot could have been better because everything was just packed at the end of the book, which felt meh to me to be honest.
As usual, Rina Kent knows to write her characters. I feel like the reason why I stuck through the whole series was due to the relationship and crossovers between each characters. It felt genuine and I liked their friendships together - even if some of them can be effed up at a few times.
I think, I would have liked if the problems were not dumped at the end of the book. It felt super rushed and there were way too many plot climax that it became dull whenever there's an important scene that is going on.
I just can't wait for the next two books because they might be my two fav couples in the series (from the crossovers) so I lowkey can't wait!
Personal Ratings: 3.25
As usual, Rina Kent knows to write her characters. I feel like the reason why I stuck through the whole series was due to the relationship and crossovers between each characters. It felt genuine and I liked their friendships together - even if some of them can be effed up at a few times.
I think, I would have liked if the problems were not dumped at the end of the book. It felt super rushed and there were way too many plot climax that it became dull whenever there's an important scene that is going on.
I just can't wait for the next two books because they might be my two fav couples in the series (from the crossovers) so I lowkey can't wait!
Personal Ratings: 3.25
ASMARADANA by Hilmi Loma, Hilmi Loma
dark
fast-paced
4.5
Buku ini membuatkan aku seolah-olah terasa berada di awangan, berada bersama-sama dengan karakter-karakternya di langit ketujuh. Aku memanjat langit yang maha tinggi, dengan setiap helaian muka surat yang aku baca.
Hiperbola? Mungkin.
Semestinya, buku ini tidak mengecewakan aku.
Aku cadangkan kalian untuk memasuki buku ini tanpa apa-apa ekspektasi. Masuk dengan hanya tahu premis pada cerita ini mempunyai elemen-elemen misteri dan lagenda yang bercampur dan bertemu di dalam satu buku. The way the story is told, lowkey took me on an acid trip. Sometimes, some of the scenes felt like it came out straight from a horror or gore movie, but at the end of the day, the point-being, its a love story; that will somehow break or make someone.
I feel like, out of all the things in the book, there's a sense of wanting to know that's going on. You're there going WTF IS HAPPENING LIKE EXCUSE ME and you kept turning the page to find out what is what. Cara cerita ini mungkin tidak akan digemari oleh semua, tetapi bagi aku , the story itself is pretty unique to me and I liked how the author knew how to create a worldbuilding that's not only intense, but also filled with various characters that you'll somehow know in some ways.And that for me was one of the main highlights of the book.
But the reason for it not being a 5 star, is the transition of the book itself. I do feel like it felt too much and it can get pretty confusing at certain points. If you're used to fantasy books, I don't think it would be too much of a hassle, but for some especially beginners, it can get pretty confusing at some points. This I felt was the only flaw of the book that I can pinpoint.
But overall, I still did enjoy this a lot. The female rage and power perspective in here was just so nicely written that it felt so SATISFYING to read it.
Antara buku yang tidak aku sangka akan aku suka, tetapi turned out? Aku suka and will highly recommend.
Personal Ratings: 4.5π
Hiperbola? Mungkin.
Semestinya, buku ini tidak mengecewakan aku.
Aku cadangkan kalian untuk memasuki buku ini tanpa apa-apa ekspektasi. Masuk dengan hanya tahu premis pada cerita ini mempunyai elemen-elemen misteri dan lagenda yang bercampur dan bertemu di dalam satu buku. The way the story is told, lowkey took me on an acid trip. Sometimes, some of the scenes felt like it came out straight from a horror or gore movie, but at the end of the day, the point-being, its a love story; that will somehow break or make someone.
I feel like, out of all the things in the book, there's a sense of wanting to know that's going on. You're there going WTF IS HAPPENING LIKE EXCUSE ME and you kept turning the page to find out what is what. Cara cerita ini mungkin tidak akan digemari oleh semua, tetapi bagi aku , the story itself is pretty unique to me and I liked how the author knew how to create a worldbuilding that's not only intense, but also filled with various characters that you'll somehow know in some ways.And that for me was one of the main highlights of the book.
But the reason for it not being a 5 star, is the transition of the book itself. I do feel like it felt too much and it can get pretty confusing at certain points. If you're used to fantasy books, I don't think it would be too much of a hassle, but for some especially beginners, it can get pretty confusing at some points. This I felt was the only flaw of the book that I can pinpoint.
But overall, I still did enjoy this a lot. The female rage and power perspective in here was just so nicely written that it felt so SATISFYING to read it.
Antara buku yang tidak aku sangka akan aku suka, tetapi turned out? Aku suka and will highly recommend.
Personal Ratings: 4.5π
God of Pain by Rina Kent
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not in my Bingo Card this year that Rina Kent will eventually made me cry ....
But lowkey, I cried whilst reading this book :') The way that it was hella intense and just made me so frustrated because honestly, I don't think I can blame anyone for their situation.
At first, the first half was a tad draggy to me, probably because the way Creigh is with Annika (at night) is my least fav out of all there is in the world to read, but I liked the buildup from each characters, including the ones around them. And when we finally find the truths behind Creigh's past, I think this is why, besides the romance (which I think is giving despite I sometimes cringe at some of the sentences written hahahah) I liked the psychological aspects of the story and how each and every one of them struggle with something so dark they ended up the way they are.
And the most part? I liked the relationship between all the characters combined. Not to say its the best, but I keep coming back for more because I want to know what happens to the rest of them in their books. And I just CANT WAIT to get to Lan's and Nikolai's book cause I think I will be whipped (i already am based on the tidbits we get).
So, yes as much as this can be a standalone, do read them in order as there will be multiple incidents that will affect and relate to the characters arc at the given time. Next is Jeremy's and Cecilia's and they're both... something haha. We'll see how it goes.
3.5π cause this made me cry lol
But lowkey, I cried whilst reading this book :') The way that it was hella intense and just made me so frustrated because honestly, I don't think I can blame anyone for their situation.
At first, the first half was a tad draggy to me, probably because the way Creigh is with Annika (at night) is my least fav out of all there is in the world to read, but I liked the buildup from each characters, including the ones around them. And when we finally find the truths behind Creigh's past, I think this is why, besides the romance (which I think is giving despite I sometimes cringe at some of the sentences written hahahah) I liked the psychological aspects of the story and how each and every one of them struggle with something so dark they ended up the way they are.
And the most part? I liked the relationship between all the characters combined. Not to say its the best, but I keep coming back for more because I want to know what happens to the rest of them in their books. And I just CANT WAIT to get to Lan's and Nikolai's book cause I think I will be whipped (i already am based on the tidbits we get).
So, yes as much as this can be a standalone, do read them in order as there will be multiple incidents that will affect and relate to the characters arc at the given time. Next is Jeremy's and Cecilia's and they're both... something haha. We'll see how it goes.
3.5π cause this made me cry lol
Territory of Light by YΕ«ko Tsushima
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
God of Malice by Rina Kent
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I mean, can't say I'm not hooked with the rest of the team haha.
I think what I liked most about this book was how unapologetically dark it is? Like I wanted dark romance? I got what I came for :)
The reason why I'm even starting this was to read Bran's book but I can't wait to read Lan's book after this hehe.
Kill and Glyn was something else. Won't be for everyone but it was an okay read and definitely needed to understand the rest of the series.
I think what I liked most about this book was how unapologetically dark it is? Like I wanted dark romance? I got what I came for :)
The reason why I'm even starting this was to read Bran's book but I can't wait to read Lan's book after this hehe.
Kill and Glyn was something else. Won't be for everyone but it was an okay read and definitely needed to understand the rest of the series.