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angelsbeforeman's reviews
1077 reviews
An Introduction to Yōkai Culture: Monsters, Ghosts, and Outsiders in Japanese History by Komatsu Kazuhiko
informative
medium-paced
3.75
actually liked this more than i thought i would. of course, i'm interested in the subject and that's why i read this in the first place. but what really made me enjoy it a lot is that it was more academic than i expected. typically, books with this theme aren't like that, but here i could tell that the author's a scholar. and that's great for me!
A History of Fear by Luke Dumas
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
sort of an analysis of human psychology through a guy who confesses to murder, but says the devil made him do it. the whole 'satan made me do it' part of the blurb is what drew me in in the first place. i actually quite liked it! not that i expected otherwise, it's just that i didn't expect anything at all, so it was a nice surprise.
i like books that analyse the way a person can essentially go insane, and if you add religious themes to it, then i'm very happy. especially because the execution here is alright, and i was honestly kind of scared that it wouldn't be (i found the devil's advocate thing a bit corny for just a second, my bad). kind of strange to say this book was easy to get through, but it truly was. the overall theme kept me interested and it turns out luke dumas is quite a good writer, so i might check out his other work. loved the atmosphere, the mysterious elements, and the way the horror aspects were more psychological than physical.
what i didn't like would be some aspects of the religious themes. personally, i'm not super offended by it, and different people will take this differently. despite not personally being shaken by it due to some of my experiences, i recognise that many could be uncomfortable with comparing being gay to having the devil in you. i don't know if the author's gay himself, so i can't say whether this should be considered good gay representation or not. depends. but it's something to be cautious about both when writing and reading something like this.
another thing i disliked was the pacing, mostly because it was sort of messy. sometimes things happened too fast, other times it dragged. don't think this should be 350+ pages, i'd cut some parts. i also hated the main character, but it's not an issue since he's not written to be likable. overall, pretty good.
i like books that analyse the way a person can essentially go insane, and if you add religious themes to it, then i'm very happy. especially because the execution here is alright, and i was honestly kind of scared that it wouldn't be (i found the devil's advocate thing a bit corny for just a second, my bad). kind of strange to say this book was easy to get through, but it truly was. the overall theme kept me interested and it turns out luke dumas is quite a good writer, so i might check out his other work. loved the atmosphere, the mysterious elements, and the way the horror aspects were more psychological than physical.
what i didn't like would be some aspects of the religious themes.
another thing i disliked was the pacing, mostly because it was sort of messy. sometimes things happened too fast, other times it dragged. don't think this should be 350+ pages, i'd cut some parts. i also hated the main character, but it's not an issue since he's not written to be likable. overall, pretty good.
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
decided to read this because it was recommended to me on the basis of it having southern gothic vibes, and i'm a big fan of that. the title story certainly delivered on the southern gothic atmosphere, and i very much enjoyed the author's writing style. i usually like it when people mix religion and horror in literature and art in general, and that applies here as well. truly wasn't surprised when i googled the author and found out she was catholic. loved the symbolism and foreshadowing.
i will say that, other than the atmosphere, the horror aspects didn't really interest me. if there was no catholicism involved, i actually wouldn't care for the horror at all. it was just sort of flat but attempting to be disturbing, not my favourite. also the casual racism was unpleasant to say the least 😭 i am aware this was written in a different time and all, but it doesn't change how i feel. also, i didn't find the ending surprising at all, but i didn't mind it.
i will say that, other than the atmosphere, the horror aspects didn't really interest me. if there was no catholicism involved, i actually wouldn't care for the horror at all. it was just sort of flat but attempting to be disturbing, not my favourite. also the casual racism was unpleasant to say the least 😭 i am aware this was written in a different time and all, but it doesn't change how i feel. also, i didn't find the ending surprising at all, but i didn't mind it.
Exodus 20:3 by Freydís Moon
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
i'll read anything involving angels! this was a little surprising just because i went into it not knowing anything about the book other than the cover. everything happened quite quickly which was honestly enjoyable, and i thought the writing was good. for a book this short, good development of the characters and plot. not sure how into ariel's biblically accurate form i was (mostly not into it at all i'm so sorry) but i did like the dialogue and the prayer references if i'm being honest. also appreciate the mc being trans since i am as well ♡