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anastasia_raf's reviews
133 reviews
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
It was interesting enough, actually, I thought it was magical just not enough to keep me going :(
Loveless by Alice Oseman
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.25
One of my all-time favourites from now on. Full review to come..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Alcohol
Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera
lighthearted
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
3.0
It was okay. I don't love it. I don't hate it.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
How can anyone ignore all the racist, homophobic "jokes"? The ableism???????????? The joking around with mental illnesses?? The fatphobia? I'm pretty sure sexism was on the way... I refuse to take advice on writing from someone that uses others in offensive ways just so they can write something THEY think is funny. I don't find bigotry and ignorance amusing... You're not a bad writer when you make grammatical mistakes or sentences or spell words wrong. You're a bad writer when you don't do research, when you confuse ignorance for charm and insults as jokes.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it for the most part! It was intriguing enough but felt something was amiss? I didn't vibe much with the writing... I believe some of the commentaries bothered me, like the narrator was trying to say something but circling back to nothing?
I liked the setting and the atmosphere very very much! I loved the gothic style and it accomplished much resemblance to wuthering heights, in my opinion. I also felt the characters lacking in depth a bit... But the original story made up for that. Do I think it was executed in the best way possible? No. Do I think it deserves all the hype it gets? Yes.
I liked the setting and the atmosphere very very much! I loved the gothic style and it accomplished much resemblance to wuthering heights, in my opinion. I also felt the characters lacking in depth a bit... But the original story made up for that. Do I think it was executed in the best way possible? No. Do I think it deserves all the hype it gets? Yes.
Crier's War by Nina Varela
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
I know it's supposed to be one of the best sapphic books, and that's why I bought it... But I tried to pick it up multiple times, I got to page 115 and I just gave up. It sounds so interesting!! And I love that our two protagonists are POC and there are so many queer characters! but I can't. I just don't care about the story, characters.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I'm glad I finally read pride and prejudice! I think it an interesting read. Although, I believe it would have benefited from more dialogue and character interaction scenes. I think Austen has done an amazing job of painting unique and lively characters. I also think she has done a ruthless job of highlighting -character-wise- her favourite ones, or rather, the protagonists.
Now, I was promised once again a feminist read. I am aware I cannot rightly judge a book literally written in another era, on its level of feminism. So, I guess it's considered feminist because of the strong female protagonist and her unique temper? That it's mostly female-driven? Or rather the educated thoughts and actions of the heroines. If that makes it a feminist read then yes, I agree with you. I also can recognize how we'll written is Mr Darcy for a man of that time period. Other than that, I wouldn't consider Elizabeth a feminist nor her views in a lot of matters and can I just say that I haven't seen a more sexist character than Mrs Bennet? Like lady, you have a lot to work out...
Now, I was promised once again a feminist read. I am aware I cannot rightly judge a book literally written in another era, on its level of feminism. So, I guess it's considered feminist because of the strong female protagonist and her unique temper? That it's mostly female-driven? Or rather the educated thoughts and actions of the heroines. If that makes it a feminist read then yes, I agree with you. I also can recognize how we'll written is Mr Darcy for a man of that time period. Other than that, I wouldn't consider Elizabeth a feminist nor her views in a lot of matters and can I just say that I haven't seen a more sexist character than Mrs Bennet? Like lady, you have a lot to work out...
The Push by Ashley Audrain
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
3.0
I was so thrilled to pick this book up. It's so hyped everywhere...I had big expectations... Which it didn't meet. For me, this book was mediocre. Some sentences, lines I must say did not sit right with me. I did not like the writing. At all. Yup. Not a fan.
It's not the fact that I didn't feel like the target audience, it was intriguing enough, and I can appreciate the portrayal of how hard it is to be a parent. It could have pointed out how hard it is to be the person that has the role of the mother in the family especially since it's a "cut out" role by our patriarchal society. To be honest, I got some misogynistic undertones but it could be just me reading into things.
It's not the fact that I didn't connect to the characters, that I didn't like them, love them even. I don't think that's an intention the writer had. But I must say, the author did a pretty good job in writing characters that felt alive, real people.
It's not the fact, as many say, "it's kind of an icky subject," etc. It's a very interesting subject! I did not find something "icky" about it! It's a very unique idea for a book. I just don't believe it was executed well. The only "icky" thing I found - like I mentioned before- were some sexist and weird lines... I don't know... Some lines read funny to me.
I could say it had some plot holes, but I found no plot. It is marketed as a thriller, psychological thriller if I'm not mistaken, and while I could see that in a faint background, it felt more like a contemporary. A family struggling even, if not for the unexplainable "illness" all women in Blythe's family have.
Overall, I thought it was repetitive and somewhat boring, with an interesting premise...
It's not the fact that I didn't feel like the target audience, it was intriguing enough, and I can appreciate the portrayal of how hard it is to be a parent. It could have pointed out how hard it is to be the person that has the role of the mother in the family especially since it's a "cut out" role by our patriarchal society. To be honest, I got some misogynistic undertones but it could be just me reading into things.
It's not the fact that I didn't connect to the characters, that I didn't like them, love them even. I don't think that's an intention the writer had. But I must say, the author did a pretty good job in writing characters that felt alive, real people.
It's not the fact, as many say, "it's kind of an icky subject," etc. It's a very interesting subject! I did not find something "icky" about it! It's a very unique idea for a book. I just don't believe it was executed well. The only "icky" thing I found - like I mentioned before- were some sexist and weird lines... I don't know... Some lines read funny to me.
I could say it had some plot holes, but I found no plot. It is marketed as a thriller, psychological thriller if I'm not mistaken, and while I could see that in a faint background, it felt more like a contemporary. A family struggling even, if not for the unexplainable "illness" all women in Blythe's family have.
Overall, I thought it was repetitive and somewhat boring, with an interesting premise...
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I almost DNFed it. I was reading it by audiobook so I guess that's what saved it. 11hours and a half and only the last 4 were interesting... I wouldn't say it's a horror book, no. I would say physiological thriller describes it best. I guessed some of the plot twists, although they kept unravelling so I wouldn't call it a very predictable book. I do think it's unique. Especially since we get the cat's pov too. I also can appreciate that it's not an easy book to write, I know it took hard work. So it's a solid read for me but not something I would pick up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder