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angel_kiiss's reviews
123 reviews
Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
All's Well by Mona Awad
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Blood, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexism
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book is fun and well done; it actually still stands as an interesting book despite being over 120 years old. But when reflecting, I found that the foreword (in the 21st century reprints) and afterword were more thought provoking than the actual book.
I find it funny how the afterword poses The Invisible Man as a commentary on how power can currupt “good” people, when really the whole story is about how bad it would if already morally bad people were given absolute power and what kind of damage they could do with it. It’s the whole, “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” but I think that argument would stand better in a story where the person was morally “good” and then given the corrupting power of invisibility.
The 2020 Invisible Man would actually be a better commentary on this if, for example, a sequel followed Elizabeth Moss’s character post coming into possession of the invisibility suit, and followed her as she either did “good” things or “bad” things with it.
Absolute power has the chance to corrupt, but it only corrupts absolutely if the person were already corruptible to being with.
I find it funny how the afterword poses The Invisible Man as a commentary on how power can currupt “good” people, when really the whole story is about how bad it would if already morally bad people were given absolute power and what kind of damage they could do with it. It’s the whole, “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” but I think that argument would stand better in a story where the person was morally “good” and then given the corrupting power of invisibility.
The 2020 Invisible Man would actually be a better commentary on this if, for example, a sequel followed Elizabeth Moss’s character post coming into possession of the invisibility suit, and followed her as she either did “good” things or “bad” things with it.
Absolute power has the chance to corrupt, but it only corrupts absolutely if the person were already corruptible to being with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Body horror
Minor: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and Racial slurs
The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not my favorite my Block, but man, does she know how to write the perfect man.
She writes for those of us who just want a man who’s in love and absolutely obsessed with us.
We stan all men written by women.
She writes for those of us who just want a man who’s in love and absolutely obsessed with us.
We stan all men written by women.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Cancer
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Child death and Body shaming
The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The Empire novels, in my opinion, are some of Asimov’s slower works.
It’s a well thought out depiction of class and classism, however, the added sub-plot of race (or specifically skin tone) reads obviously as a white man writing commentary on race. A sub-plot on the difference in skin tone between the planet which is being oppressed vs. their oppressors, as well as a planet of people on the opposing color spectrum are educated and self-governed - reads hallow as the oppressed are “pale” or “white” while the rest of the galaxy is specified to be “of darker colors” or mixed-race.
It’s a well thought out depiction of class and classism, however, the added sub-plot of race (or specifically skin tone) reads obviously as a white man writing commentary on race. A sub-plot on the difference in skin tone between the planet which is being oppressed vs. their oppressors, as well as a planet of people on the opposing color spectrum are educated and self-governed - reads hallow as the oppressed are “pale” or “white” while the rest of the galaxy is specified to be “of darker colors” or mixed-race.
It’s progressive to depict a future where race is no longer a factor because over thousands of years we have all intermarried and the only race distinguisher is planet of origin. But to write specifically of how the remaining “white people” in the galaxy are a race of men being oppressed, genetically governed, and genetically weeded out because of their inferiority requires more context. Is it Asimov’s own commentary on how racism is wrong and how eventually the superiority that white people believe in will become extinct and be turned against them? Probably. But for the specifically identified “darker skinned” planet of people to identify with their oppression based simply based on their extreme differences in skin tone could read as a white man coopting the struggle of Black people.
I’m more familiar with Asimov’s political ideas, so I’d likely believe that it’s the former, however when taken into account that Elon Musk’s favorite author is Isaac Asimov - an author who continually wrote on the effects on capitalism on space travel and the future - I think it’s important to continuously have discussions around the politically meanings and implications of Asimov’s work.
The Time Of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Beyond the Pale Motel by Francesca Lia Block
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Compared to her other works, this one starts slow. It lacks the magical realism that usually accompanies Block’s writing, but there is still something captivating about the characters she creates.
It’s such a shocking story in the end, but the life of Catt is so grotesquely relatable that you can’t help but feel sad. I did tear up in the end.
Almost a murder mystery and so very compelling.
It’s such a shocking story in the end, but the life of Catt is so grotesquely relatable that you can’t help but feel sad. I did tear up in the end.
Almost a murder mystery and so very compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Murder, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Stalking, Vomit, and Violence
Lawbreaking Ladies: 50 Tales of Daring, Defiant, and Dangerous Women from History by Erika Owen
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
It was a really fun read and was pretty informative; highlighting many outlaw women I was not familiar with. However, from the “quirky” way the author would occasionally write, it did seem to come off as, sort of, a white feminist research project. Out of the 50ish women covered, four were BIPOC, two Asian and two Black women. Everyone else was white and arguably very cis-hetero. No gay women and no trans or gender-noncomforming (as we understand the term now) women as I know there for in the 18th through 20th century.
Touching on the illustrations, I think I would have also preferred it to be illustrated by a woman.
Touching on the illustrations, I think I would have also preferred it to be illustrated by a woman.
The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As good as Asimov is at writing informative science and strong fiction, he sucks at romance. Is this a 1950s problem? Maybe. Could it also be that Asimov can’t write well developed women? Probably.
Lucky for him, I can forgive that and just focus on the space travel. But if you want strong science fiction with equally strong female characters, Asimov can not deliver.
Lucky for him, I can forgive that and just focus on the space travel. But if you want strong science fiction with equally strong female characters, Asimov can not deliver.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Misogyny