anfendy's reviews
148 reviews

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.25

All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki

emotional reflective medium-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

3.75

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think it would take me weeks to get over this book. Queer identity has been a really close issue for me and having this story told behind a background of conservative community, it struck a chord of familiarity to me. Incredibly written to capture the human aspects of what it means to struggle with your gender and sexual identity, this book managed to encapsulate all of that. There were some aspects of the book that seems disconnected but i think i could close an eye and say this is a perfect 5/5 for me

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.5

Incredibly human and  an incredibly hard topic to discuss at length. 

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is my second book from Ozeki and dearly love the first one which was A Tale for the time being. Her book is known to be long, but her writing has always remained the same to me, it was smooth like a vanilla ice cream (that's just how I would describe it). Unlike the first novel, this was a bit more sadder and there's a bit more layer of humanity to it. Things I loved about the book: 

1. I love how Annabelle and Benny are always connected through the writing, like when Anabelle says "murdered murder crows" and  Benny says being "a patient patient". That was very witty and the author's hidden gem in saying that yes they are both in a spectrum or neurodivergent. 
2. This unexplainable feeling of grief within people from the spectrum and having to have been placed in the role of caretaker, the telling of that story was incredibly poignant and I think a lot of thought has been put into this book.

But there of course some stuff that slightly bug me, for example, could it have been a shorter work? Yes, it could have but I think Ozeki had always intended to write these beautiful details surrounding the landscape and I think its really up to the reader's preference. One thing that really bug me was the ending, it feels hastened - you build really solid bones and really taken the time to draw this beautiful tension and imagery of humanity, only to end the way it did, was a bit underwhelming. 

Overall a 4/5 for me on this one.

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is this constant juxtaposition drawn between the sane and the “insane”, the representations of mental health as a tool of suppression of women’s ownership was clearly drawn. The use of the ball to emphasise the glorification and romanticisation of women’s insanity was smart.  I appreciate the simplicity and pace the book had. It did want it need to do within that 150 pages

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.75

This was a hard read. The stories were written in pockets, in a way to reflect Ted’s experience. It is haunting and at the very end, some plot that remains unclear to me. But i think that is my flaw as a reader, wanting to see the story as linear. 

A recommended read for those who love horror and thriller. It was a hard but it was worthwhile to read it. 

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

I find it admissible, the writing feels like a really though out gender study report. Not until the last few pages you see a smart twist. The story is centered on the lived experience of a women, but being women and understanding much of the nuances that exist within patriarchial society, its not new. It was a weary for me

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

challenging mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I couldnt put this book down at all, I would have finished way earlier if i could have binged on it.  But the pacing was off, i felt the story at the end could have been longer i supposed

Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Bit boring and lengthy. Some stuff were predictable and it was like u know who was “IT”, but getting there was a drag. The ending though was 😂