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amethysthunter's reviews
381 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
< spoiler> I'm unsure how to express how immersed I was in this story and how much I enjoyed sitting with Sam, Sadie, Marx, and all of the other characters. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it and it made me feel so deeply the entire range of human emotions which is my favorite type of story At once, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a tale of human relationships. How we as humans can love and hurt others and how even the closest relationships can be fragile and fraught with deep pain and anguish. At the same time, Zevin somehow manages to tackle many other themes including the nuances of Asian Americanness (with one character being Wasian and another being biethnically Asian) and the book also serves as a beautiful ode to video games and the escapism and sense of hope that they can give people.
Gabrielle Zevin is clearly a master of her craft and it only makes sense that this is her 10th book. I was overwhelmingly impressed by her prose and just the sheer complexity of the story as it shifts from different perspectives and timelines. Writing about video games allows her to build worlds within worlds that were all well thought out, complex, and equally fascinating.
My one major grievance would be the way that Marx's character developed, or rather the lack thereof. Marx was consistently described as abundantly good and a wonderful friend, which made Sam's general one sided disdain towards him feel unrealistic and unnecessarily cruel. The way Marx was killed also made him a martyr which I didn't really see a point for (but totally understand that this could just be my being blindsided and tired of the abundance of tragedy that the characters had already endured). In contrast, I personally really enjoyed how Sadie and Sam were both very morally gray realistic characters that at times made you feel conflicted.
Gabrielle Zevin is clearly a master of her craft and it only makes sense that this is her 10th book. I was overwhelmingly impressed by her prose and just the sheer complexity of the story as it shifts from different perspectives and timelines. Writing about video games allows her to build worlds within worlds that were all well thought out, complex, and equally fascinating.
My one major grievance would be the way that Marx's character developed, or rather the lack thereof. Marx was consistently described as abundantly good and a wonderful friend, which made Sam's general one sided disdain towards him feel unrealistic and unnecessarily cruel. The way Marx was killed also made him a martyr which I didn't really see a point for (but totally understand that this could just be my being blindsided and tired of the abundance of tragedy that the characters had already endured). In contrast, I personally really enjoyed how Sadie and Sam were both very morally gray realistic characters that at times made you feel conflicted.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
dark
reflective
5.0
Raw, unadultered look into the shame/embarassment that often comes with queerness. I am unwell and may need 48 hrs to recover.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
2.5
Hmm, I feel a little conflicted as I did really enjoy the first half of the story, but overall Augustus Everett and January Andrews were personally both super mid independently and together. Their conversations were rarely interesting (like his random ass book on a suicide cult that he's writing???) and although they were cute as a couple, I didn't really feel like they were real people as they felt largely single dimensional.
Their two main hobbies are trauma bonding over their deceased parents and being absurdly attracted and addicted to each other's bodies. Their arguments felt mainly not realistic and I felt like although I really wanted to like them, their attraction felt super exaggerated (such as the unnecessary PDA) and I began losing interest and getting the ick like post 60%. Overall, I think I enjoyed Book Lovers more but am further straying from the Emily Henry hype wagon ==>
Quote showcasing PEAK romance: "I love your body. I'm a fan of yours too. And your mouth." ://///////
Their two main hobbies are trauma bonding over their deceased parents and being absurdly attracted and addicted to each other's bodies. Their arguments felt mainly not realistic and I felt like although I really wanted to like them, their attraction felt super exaggerated (such as the unnecessary PDA) and I began losing interest and getting the ick like post 60%. Overall, I think I enjoyed Book Lovers more but am further straying from the Emily Henry hype wagon ==>
Quote showcasing PEAK romance: "I love your body. I'm a fan of yours too. And your mouth." ://///////
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
3.0
I’m more relieved than anything to finish and be rid of this book after picking it up and putting it down for the last 2 years. Wanted to love it as it’s a sapphic !! retelling of Chinese history, but unfortunately couldn’t get into it for some reason. Definitely a super interesting story but just wasn’t for me (in this season of life).