arrcristi's reviews
421 reviews

You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad 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

3.5

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.25

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad 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? No

4.5

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Luna 174 by Clara Duarte

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

adventurous mysterious 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

3.0

The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

3.5

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian

adventurous emotional hopeful tense 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? No

2.5

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

4/5 - What you'll find in this anthology is a collection of horror stories featuring very diverse topics and exploring several different genres. But I do believe that it's nearly impossible for you not to experience any sort of emotion while reading this. Korean author Bora Chung makes a very explicit critique of humanity in her literary debut by exploring themes such as maternity, patriarchal society, greed and capitalism, among others.

While I have to admit that the quality of the stories included in this collection is reduced, leaving the worst ones at the end of the book, it's also fair to say that all of them are equally thought-provoking, which is nice. All of them are grotesque and brutal, but nothing any horror fan wouldn't be used to, to be honest. Can a book be disturbing yet exhilarating? Well, this one certainly is.

I guess what made this book stand out for me is its versatility and the mixture of sci-fi, romance and even fairytales. That's what makes this collection unique, aside from the fact that it's well-written and it's highly enjoyable to read.

My favorite stories from this collection are the following:
- "The Head"
- "Cursed Bunny"
- "Snare"

If you feel like reading something bizarre yet fascinating, look no more. This is it.
And I guess if I have to mention something that I'm taking with me from this book is this...I'll never see toilets the same after reading this. Never. EVER.