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apalershadeofwhite's reviews
252 reviews
Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
4.0
I undoubtedly really enjoyed 'Mr Fox'. The concept was really interesting and well-written; the characters were so beautifully yet relatably complex; the symbolism and imagery were rife; and the short stories within the novel were my favourite part of all!
I would 100% recommend this book! It's definitely one of those books that will be read over and over in my collection.
I would 100% recommend this book! It's definitely one of those books that will be read over and over in my collection.
Eden by W.A. Schwartz
4.0
I was hooked from the first page of this book! The story is so interesting and the narrative progresses in such a flush and smooth way. One of my favourite things in a novel is a plot twist and this book definitely delivered! There was such an effective balance between things the reader could connect themselves and things that were so surprising that, at one point, I literally gasped aloud!
Tension and suspense is created in an effective and interesting manner, as well. I really enjoyed how Schwartz picked up the pace of the narrative using shorter chapters and then did the opposite when slowing down the pace again. I've seen this in novels before, but here it was done extremely well.
My one grievance, though, is lack of variation of puncutation. There are plenty of instances where the sentences would be much more rich if, instead of a mere full stop, the author used, for example, a semi-colon or a full colon or even a comma. There is an excessive use of full stops, in my opinion, to try and add tension and slow the pace of the story down, but a lot of the time it feels misplaced. There's also, in my opinion, too many conjunctions used in certain sentences. In one sentence alone I counted four or five uses of "and"!
Despite this, however, I really loved the way Schwartz describes an area / the setting. It's written perfectly: not too much nor too little said. And the imagery is beautiful. For example: Carolyn is described to look like a "garden fairy" at one point and the way she is described to look is so soft and pretty. I found that Schwartz favours similes, which is something I thoroughly enjoyed. I also noted and loved the reoccurring imagery and metaphor of the cicada and how its connotations of rebirth, renewal, and transformation paired perfectly the narrative.
Tension and suspense is created in an effective and interesting manner, as well. I really enjoyed how Schwartz picked up the pace of the narrative using shorter chapters and then did the opposite when slowing down the pace again. I've seen this in novels before, but here it was done extremely well.
My one grievance, though, is lack of variation of puncutation. There are plenty of instances where the sentences would be much more rich if, instead of a mere full stop, the author used, for example, a semi-colon or a full colon or even a comma. There is an excessive use of full stops, in my opinion, to try and add tension and slow the pace of the story down, but a lot of the time it feels misplaced. There's also, in my opinion, too many conjunctions used in certain sentences. In one sentence alone I counted four or five uses of "and"!
Despite this, however, I really loved the way Schwartz describes an area / the setting. It's written perfectly: not too much nor too little said. And the imagery is beautiful. For example: Carolyn is described to look like a "garden fairy" at one point and the way she is described to look is so soft and pretty. I found that Schwartz favours similes, which is something I thoroughly enjoyed. I also noted and loved the reoccurring imagery and metaphor of the cicada and how its connotations of rebirth, renewal, and transformation paired perfectly the narrative.
Dark Mermaids by Anne Lauppe-Dunbar
4.0
I loved the plot of this book! I think Sophia's character arc was really well done and I was very satisfied with the ending. Unfortunately, though, the writing style wasn't my favourite...
For example, I would be really into a paragraph and suddenly the narration would turn jumpy like the use of "stop" or "look" or other unnecessary two word sentences. I find the use of an abundance of tiny sentences containing 3 or 4 words, sometimes even 1 word, very jarring when reading. I love when small sentences are use for bluntness, but in this book they're used so often that it catches me off guard and not in the way you want when reading a book. It takes me out of the reading train of thought and I have to work hard to get back I to the flow of things.
Similarly, there were random capitalisation of certain words and phrases which I thought was really weird. Other than my issue with the writing style, I really enjoyed this novel!
For example, I would be really into a paragraph and suddenly the narration would turn jumpy like the use of "stop" or "look" or other unnecessary two word sentences. I find the use of an abundance of tiny sentences containing 3 or 4 words, sometimes even 1 word, very jarring when reading. I love when small sentences are use for bluntness, but in this book they're used so often that it catches me off guard and not in the way you want when reading a book. It takes me out of the reading train of thought and I have to work hard to get back I to the flow of things.
Similarly, there were random capitalisation of certain words and phrases which I thought was really weird. Other than my issue with the writing style, I really enjoyed this novel!
The Clerk's Prologue and Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
3.0
The Clerk's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer is an odd one, to say the least. I'm not a huge fan of this tale due to the writing style and I am unsure if I will read more of his work. Though, I loved the actual narrative of this tale! However, I think the power dynamics of Walter and Griselda were displayed well in this story
Synopsis: This is one of the many tales in 'The Canterbury Classics' and tells the story of a man who marries a woman named Griselda. To test her loyalty to him, he takes away her children and says he is going to kill them. After saying he is going to annul their marriage and presents the firstborn as his wife, he reveals his actions to Griselda and they live happily.
Synopsis: This is one of the many tales in 'The Canterbury Classics' and tells the story of a man who marries a woman named Griselda. To test her loyalty to him, he takes away her children and says he is going to kill them. After saying he is going to annul their marriage and presents the firstborn as his wife, he reveals his actions to Griselda and they live happily.
The Golden Legend: Selections by Jacobo Di Voragine
3.0
I focused mainly on the stories of Virgin Martyr Legends when reading this. The stories of these virginal women dying for their faith is very saddening but also inspiring. It's horrifying how the men in these stories will go to such violent lengths to possess power over a woman and her body, but the strength and agency shown by these women is so inspiring to me as well.
If you are a religious person, specifically Christianity as that is what these narratives focus on, I would recommend reading possibly the entire manuscript. However I think it is really eye-opening to read, as a modern day woman, the type of torture and everyday life these women endured.
If you are a religious person, specifically Christianity as that is what these narratives focus on, I would recommend reading possibly the entire manuscript. However I think it is really eye-opening to read, as a modern day woman, the type of torture and everyday life these women endured.
The Fixer: The Naked Man by Jill Amy Rosenblatt
4.0
I knew I was going to enjoy this book from the first chapter! The realness and blunt nature of the protagonist drew me in right away because it was both serious and lighthearted (due to Katerina's narrative voice) at the same time, which is difficult to pull off.
I think Rosenblatt describes characters really well. She don't say too much or too little, it's just the right amount. The structure is barred of any lengthy paragraphs, so this is an easy book for beginners or infrequent readers to follow along with.
Overall, the narrative plot is really interesting and well written; I just wish the book had been longer. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series!
I think Rosenblatt describes characters really well. She don't say too much or too little, it's just the right amount. The structure is barred of any lengthy paragraphs, so this is an easy book for beginners or infrequent readers to follow along with.
Overall, the narrative plot is really interesting and well written; I just wish the book had been longer. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series!