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akira_outofthegravity's reviews
171 reviews
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Unlike Dangers of Smoking in Bed, this collection is a lot more political- which is not a bad thing!! But I feel like I am missing context for the stories due to not understanding the political landscape they’re set in.
That being said, all of the stories have merit. There were none that I disliked- which is rare. I’ll add my top 3 later. Also unlike DOSIB the titular story is one of the best. Beautifully written, gloriously gory, a good time all round!!
That being said, all of the stories have merit. There were none that I disliked- which is rare. I’ll add my top 3 later. Also unlike DOSIB the titular story is one of the best. Beautifully written, gloriously gory, a good time all round!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Gore, Mental illness, Child death, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Classism, and Death
Minor: Police brutality, Trafficking, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I feel like I should rate this higher, but I can’t do it just because it’s a classic, because I enjoyed this a medium amount. I can understand why it’s so influential, I imagine it was quite groundbreaking and I do like the concept- but it’s too much telling and not enough showing.
There’s just not enough meat on this book, there’s nothing to compel readers to keep going in my opinion. The concept is interesting and terrifying as someone who has a womb, and is slightly scared of pregnancy, but there’s never any stakes. When the action does happen it’s very detached and matter of fact, why should I care about any of these characters?
Disappointed but I may try his other books.
There’s just not enough meat on this book, there’s nothing to compel readers to keep going in my opinion. The concept is interesting and terrifying as someone who has a womb, and is slightly scared of pregnancy, but there’s never any stakes. When the action does happen it’s very detached and matter of fact, why should I care about any of these characters?
Disappointed but I may try his other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Suicide
Fungi by Orrin Grey, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Really good! Some stories were better than others but I loved the body horror. This quenched my thirst for gore and good times, and mushrooms of course.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death, and Body horror
Minor: Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thoughts to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Zombie Apocalypse! by Stephen Jones
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I’m unsure where to rate this. On one hand I really enjoyed the stories, all intertwined and connected. They felt human, the best were the diary entries by far. Unfortunately a lot of them were quite formulaic:
Oh what this can’t be happening?
Oh wait it is.
I’m going to die.
No wait I’m alive!
Big twist.
Downer ending/wham line.
So while i enjoyed them it felt like reading a lot of the same stuff over and over. Also I love the whole fleas thing- nightmare scenario I tell you- but the science wasn’t consistent on whether it was fleas or magic or a virus.
I’ll probably read it again, but the ending makes me wonder if I’m going to continue the series. I find the idea of sentient zombies actually ruling the world to be kind of plausible but also kind of stupid. To me, the horror is that they’re mindless, maybe slightly capable of making decisions- I like the idea that they have a homing instinct and that they can talk, but like, being the president? I don’t know how I feel about that
Overall I didn’t hate it, and I’ll probably read it again in due course, and it is a good zombie book, it’s not great, but if you’re looking for blood, guts, and gore this is the right novel.
Oh what this can’t be happening?
Oh wait it is.
I’m going to die.
No wait I’m alive!
Big twist.
Downer ending/wham line.
So while i enjoyed them it felt like reading a lot of the same stuff over and over. Also I love the whole fleas thing- nightmare scenario I tell you- but the science wasn’t consistent on whether it was fleas or magic or a virus.
I’ll probably read it again, but the ending makes me wonder if I’m going to continue the series. I find the idea of
Overall I didn’t hate it, and I’ll probably read it again in due course, and it is a good zombie book, it’s not great, but if you’re looking for blood, guts, and gore this is the right novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Death, Car accident, and Gore
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Excrement, and Domestic abuse
Ghost Virus by Graham Masterton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Went abroad and couldn’t take it
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
While I’d like to give it 4 stars, I can’t in good faith do that from the action alone.
The positives:
The story is good, the plot is well structured, and I like how all of the plot threads held together. Joe Ledger is a compelling protagonist and Echo Team were fun to read about. Rudy was a highlight, and I liked that the men cried.
The negatives:
This book is very 2009. Also very pro-government-pro-America/propaganda-y. It’s very macho, and very uhhhhhh maybe not racist but it borderlines it. Things like Doctor Hu (name aside) being this callous asshole while all the white guys are Stern and Serious. Idk it just doesn’t sit well with me.
As much as I like Joe, he was very good at his job. Too good. He’s got this split personality thing going on which is very cringy, but also he’s ridiculously strong and can kill people with no effort. Unrealistic and ruins his personality which I actually like.
Also the treatment of women. Grace Courtland is super cool, but she’s reduced to Church’s right hand woman and later Joe’s love interest. There was no chemistry between them. I did like that her character development didn’t come from sexual assault. But I felt she was wasted, especially since she’s made out to be this amazing fighter. It would have been cool to see more of her perspective and possibly even a novel where she’s the main character.
Also I didn’t like how she’s this stuck up bitch until Joe “wins her over” and suddenly they’re fucking lmfao.
Also Joe’s ex girlfriend being raped and killing herself for Joe’s character development. Ew.
Not a bad book, I’ll be picking up the sequel at somepoint but it has some very obvious flaws.
The positives:
The story is good, the plot is well structured, and I like how all of the plot threads held together. Joe Ledger is a compelling protagonist and Echo Team were fun to read about. Rudy was a highlight, and I liked that the men cried.
The negatives:
This book is very 2009. Also very pro-government-pro-America/propaganda-y. It’s very macho, and very uhhhhhh maybe not racist but it borderlines it. Things like Doctor Hu (name aside) being this callous asshole while all the white guys are Stern and Serious. Idk it just doesn’t sit well with me.
As much as I like Joe, he was very good at his job. Too good. He’s got this split personality thing going on which is very cringy, but also he’s ridiculously strong and can kill people with no effort. Unrealistic and ruins his personality which I actually like.
Also the treatment of women. Grace Courtland is super cool, but she’s reduced to Church’s right hand woman and later Joe’s love interest. There was no chemistry between them. I did like that her character development didn’t come from sexual assault. But I felt she was wasted, especially since she’s made out to be this amazing fighter. It would have been cool to see more of her perspective and possibly even a novel where she’s the main character.
Also I didn’t like how she’s this stuck up bitch until Joe “wins her over” and suddenly they’re fucking lmfao.
Also Joe’s ex girlfriend being raped and killing herself for Joe’s character development. Ew.
Not a bad book, I’ll be picking up the sequel at somepoint but it has some very obvious flaws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Murder and Medical content
Minor: Rape, Racial slurs, and Injury/Injury detail
Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Informative and surprisingly fun to read. This could be genuine advice given, and actually I’ll be holding onto this book just in case.
That’s all I can say about it really lol.
That’s all I can say about it really lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gun violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is more like a 2.5 rounded up to a three bc of the last chapters. The last few chapters really tie the whole thing together and are very tight and succinct.
My main criticism is the plot flip-flopping all over the place. I understand it’s because Poirot is being misled but it leads to a plot that is muddled and hard to keep track of. However the ending makes up for it. One of the most unique murderers in Christie novels- they remind me a little of the character Lucy in the Hollow (which I read previously). Another thing is that a lot of the book felt particularly mean, between Japp, Poirot, and Hastings. Japp is usually a fun character to read but I loathed every second of him. Similarly, Poirots dismissal of Hastings was not something I found enjoyable.
I enjoyed the motive/plot (when it was entirely finished and not flipping everywhere)/and the characters. Particularly Jenny Driver, and the final bit that seals the narrative from Donald Ross I think is particularly brilliant. Subtle, but brilliant.
Not her best work, but maybe something to read after/before all the good novels.
Also weird amount of antisemitism in this book.
My main criticism is the plot flip-flopping all over the place. I understand it’s because Poirot is being misled but it leads to a plot that is muddled and hard to keep track of. However the ending makes up for it. One of the most unique murderers in Christie novels- they remind me a little of the character Lucy in the Hollow (which I read previously). Another thing is that a lot of the book felt particularly mean, between Japp, Poirot, and Hastings. Japp is usually a fun character to read but I loathed every second of him. Similarly, Poirots dismissal of Hastings was not something I found enjoyable.
I enjoyed the motive/plot (when it was entirely finished and not flipping everywhere)/and the characters. Particularly Jenny Driver, and the final bit that seals the narrative from Donald Ross I think is particularly brilliant. Subtle, but brilliant.
Not her best work, but maybe something to read after/before all the good novels.
Also weird amount of antisemitism in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Ableism