arsenelouppain's reviews
30 reviews

This was a finely-crafted narrative with vibrant characters that popped off of the page. They were all so full of life and emotion, even those with minor appearances.

It was intriguing to see the same set of events unfolding from two different perspectives. Peace Adzo Medie did an excellent job of creating realistic protagonists that were sympathetic despite their faults. Though I do wish there had been more distinction between their unique voices.

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The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

I wanted to like this book so bad! It's got a great premise, and I loved the writing style. I also think the author is really cool!

My main complaint is about the protagonist, Iris. I found her largely unlikeable and her behavior was downright erratic at times. I lost it when

she decided to make out with a dude in the middle of a mission where lives hung in the balance.

It took me five months to get through this just because I hated Iris so, so much.

I was also not a fan of the love triangle (love square? Love pentagon? Maybe even a hexagon.) It was unnecessary and annoying to read through. Perhaps just Jinn and Adam would have been fine. But

Max?

They barely even knew each other! I understand that it's possible to fall in love at first sight, but there was way too much going on

between all the fighting and mysteries and drama for them to form any kind of connection. Especially after he abandonned her and Jinn in the first round of the tournament.

One thing that also bothered me was when

all of the Fanciful Freaks acted like the apocalypse was somehow impossible. Like, you went to a fair in South Kensington and can now breathe fire, but you don't think it's possible that the world might end one day?

Seriously?

I liked the ending. I was actually surprised when

Max was revealed to have betrayed them. In hindsight, it's painfully obvious, but please remember that I read this book over the course of five months.

It was a nice set up for the sequel.

I also approve of the way Raughley addressed the issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality.

In the end, this book was not for me, but if you're interested, I recommend giving it a go!

Content Warnings

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles, Héctor García

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informative inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

2.75

For a book about ikigai, it sure didn't provide much information on the subject. As a whole, it was more focused on the idea of longevity. It was a bit superficial, and I did not like the way it generalized Japanese people at times. It came across as very stereotypical ("Ancient Japanese proverbs say...", Unlike westerners, the Japanese...", etc.)

I also was not a fan of how logotherapy was pitted against psychoanalysis, and touted as some sort of miracle solution. They are two different methods with two different goals, and they are not mutually exclusive.

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore, Tehlor Kay Mejia

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hopeful inspiring 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

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This could have been a 5-star read, but I always feel that Murakami's works are overly-sexual. There's absolutely nothing wrong with including sexual content in a novel (especially a coming-of-age novel), and to its credit, a lot of the scenes in this book did actually serve a purpose to further the plot in some way, but

as Toru was mourning Naoko's death, the first memory of her he talks about was the blowjob scene. But Toru was somewhat of a selfish person at times, so perhaps that can be excused. However, at the end of the story, he and Reiko had sex. Which was just...odd. Especially considering that Reiko had been established as a "somewhat" lesbian earlier in the novel. My only guess is that it was a way to express their grief, and be closer to Naoko, but it was still weird to me.

Then again, maybe I'm simply not smart enough to understand Murakami.

Otherwise, this was a wonderful novel. I whole-heartedly consider it to be a contemporary classic. The characters are fleshed out, and the writing was profound. It's a great book for those who enjoyed The Bell Jar, The Great Gatsby, and The Catcher in the Rye.

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arsenelouppain's reviews 30 reviews

arsenelouppain's reviews
30 reviews