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atlas_shruggs's reviews
255 reviews
The Titan's Bride Vol. 5 by ITKZ
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is definitely my least favourite volume so far. After so much high octane action in the last volume I guess I was expecting it to continue, but it sort of died down after the first chapter. I did however like learning about yet another race and how they work as well as getting to see more into the Titan's political system (which is not something I thought I'd be saying in a Titan's Bride review). Hopefully the story picks up a bit in the next volume.
How to Repair a Broken Cup by Rico Worico
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Don't mind me, just crying in a corner real quick. The art is beautiful, absolutely stunning I swear I could look at this for hours. Keita and Kippei are so fucking cute, I absolutely love their personalities. They felt so real and tangible, much more so than most one-shot manga characters. I will be waiting very impatiently to read more of this mangaka's works. Gimme now please.
Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3,5 rounded down.
Okay yeah, I get it, I get why everyone loves M.L. Rio now. Really gotta start reading If We Were Villains. Anywho, the writing was beautiful, the descriptions felt very vivid and I loved how real the characters felt. The story was also pretty interesting.
However, this should have been longer. Much longer. As much as I loved the characters I felt like we didn't get to know them enough to really feel for them I mostly found myself wishing that I got to know them better. Same with the main plot, it all happened so fast that I was just starting to get excited when it was over. Also I think I just developed lung cancer from all that secondhand smoke.
Okay yeah, I get it, I get why everyone loves M.L. Rio now. Really gotta start reading If We Were Villains. Anywho, the writing was beautiful, the descriptions felt very vivid and I loved how real the characters felt. The story was also pretty interesting.
However, this should have been longer. Much longer. As much as I loved the characters I felt like we didn't get to know them enough to really feel for them I mostly found myself wishing that I got to know them better. Same with the main plot, it all happened so fast that I was just starting to get excited when it was over. Also I think I just developed lung cancer from all that secondhand smoke.
Indiana by George Sand
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3,5 rounded up.
I actually ended up liking this way more than I thought I would. I hate Raymon with a burning passion but his contrast with Indiana and how she reacts to him emphasizes how desperate she is for love and happiness after being abandoned by her family and forced to marry an absolute brute who fucking STEPS ON HER HEAD??? Reading this with the fact that George Sand was commenting on the importance of divorce and the harm of a bad marriage was very interesting and I found it very emotional. Also it's just so dramatic and flamboyant and the writing is lovely once you get used to it.
I actually ended up liking this way more than I thought I would. I hate Raymon with a burning passion but his contrast with Indiana and how she reacts to him emphasizes how desperate she is for love and happiness after being abandoned by her family and forced to marry an absolute brute who fucking STEPS ON HER HEAD??? Reading this with the fact that George Sand was commenting on the importance of divorce and the harm of a bad marriage was very interesting and I found it very emotional. Also it's just so dramatic and flamboyant and the writing is lovely once you get used to it.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-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
Lovely, absolutely lovely and gut wrenching at the same time. I started out giggling with butterflies in my stomach at how far my boys have come since Heartstopper volume 1 and then the teenage angst settled in and my heart shattered into a million pieces which where then thankfully glued back together. The writing was wonderful and the characters and their struggles felt very realistic.
However, I have some notes. Firstly I didn't like that Elle was seemingly reduced to "a girl from Higgs that Tao is dating" instead of being one of Charlie's best friend. Secondly I didn't like the slight implication that Nick loving Charlie fixed his eating disorder. With the context of Heartstopper I know this isn't the case and it's actually really sweet to see how far Charlie has come, but I know it doesn't necessarily read that way and it made me cringe a bit.
Otherwise I loved how Charlie and Nick's relationship evolved and developed over the course of this novella and I liked the realistic aspect of them having a difficult time expressing their anxieties as they are, remember, teenagers.
However, I have some notes. Firstly I didn't like that Elle was seemingly reduced to "a girl from Higgs that Tao is dating" instead of being one of Charlie's best friend. Secondly I didn't like the slight implication that Nick loving Charlie fixed his eating disorder. With the context of Heartstopper I know this isn't the case and it's actually really sweet to see how far Charlie has come, but I know it doesn't necessarily read that way and it made me cringe a bit.
Otherwise I loved how Charlie and Nick's relationship evolved and developed over the course of this novella and I liked the realistic aspect of them having a difficult time expressing their anxieties as they are, remember, teenagers.
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
I swear these books will heal every ache in my tiny little soul. The tenderness in these relationships, both romantic and platonic and familial just make me feel so mushy inside. I also giggled quite a lot at this volume in between choking back tears because I love these characters so much. I really like once again how in depth Oseman goes into Nick and his struggles with finding himself outside of this identity he was pushed into and the emphasis on the fact that Charlie alone cannot help him do it. I also really liked how it dealt with Charlie's body image issues and I was so proud seeing him on stage playing the drums with his whole heart.
I am heartbroken that volume six will be the final volume but I still cannot wait to see how their story ends.
I am heartbroken that volume six will be the final volume but I still cannot wait to see how their story ends.
Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
I'm not going to lie to you, I had tears in my eyes for most of this volume. The way Alice Oseman writes about Charlie's mental illness and not only the way it affects him but also everyone around him is just so real and raw and just hits so close to home. It's so beautiful to be able to read this unfiltered view into mental illness and I know a lot of people could learn from it. I also related so much to Nick and how lost you feel when someone you know is going through something like this, it was so well done.
Mandla by Hildur Knútsdóttir
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ef ég gæti gefið 6 stjörnur þá myndi Mandla fá þær. Prósinn er stórfenglegur eins og í hinum nóvellum Hildar, lýsingarnar eru nákvæmar og einfaldar en samt svo fallegar. Mér fannst rosalega athyglisvert að lesa um lækni sem sérhæfir sig í umönnun aldraðra og hvernig hún tekst á við dauðann, sérstaklega þar sem hún er sjálf með svo mikinn heilsukvíða. Ég elska líka hvernig Hildur nær að kommenta á kvenfyrirlitningu og hversu normalíseruð hún er, eins og með muninn á því hvernig Eva talar við aðstandendur vs hvernig Þorgrímur talar við þá.
Hryllingurinn hérna var líka tvíþættur, annars vegar kötturinn Mandla og hins vegar eltihrellir Evu. Óttinn hennar Evu er svo vel fangaður á svo stuttum tíma og athygli beint á það hve illa kerfið er sett upp fyrir þolendur eltihrella.
Hryllingurinn hérna var líka tvíþættur, annars vegar kötturinn Mandla og hins vegar eltihrellir Evu. Óttinn hennar Evu er svo vel fangaður á svo stuttum tíma og athygli beint á það hve illa kerfið er sett upp fyrir þolendur eltihrella.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking and Murder
Minor: Death
Myrkrið milli stjarnanna by Hildur Knútsdóttir
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
(English below)
Ohhh já þessi er dásamleg. Í fyrstu hélt ég að hún yrði 4 svipað og Urðarhvarf en það er bara eitthvað við hana sem náði mér enn meira. Ég fékk hroll þegar ég las um það sem kom fyrir Iðunni á næturnar og þó svo að mér hafi fundist lýsingarnar á köttunum ógeðslegar (og skil vel af hverju hún er fráhrindandi fyrir lesendur) fannst mér þær ekki eyðileggja söguna þar sem þær þjóna sínum tilgangi, að sýna fram á að allt í lífi Iðunnar sé eyðilagt.
Mér fannst Iðunn mjög skemmtileg persóna og þó svo að hún eigi sér marga galla fannst mér samt gaman að fylgjast með henni og hvernig hún tókst á við vandamálin sín.
Ég viðurkenni að mér fannst endirinn líka smá snubbóttur en því lengur sem ég sit með honum því ánægðari er ég með hann. Mér finnst líka flott að Hildur segir okkur aldrei almennilega hvað Iðunn gerði á nóttunni þar sem það sem lesandinn setur inn í eyðurnar er örugglega enn ógeðslegra en eitthvað sem væri hægt að skrifa, það gerir hryllinginn persónulegri.
-
Ohhh yes this was wonderful. At first I thought it'd be a four like Urðarhvarf but there was just something about it that really got me. I got chills when I read about the horrible stuff that happened to Iðunn during the night and even though I found the scenes with the cats disturbing (and can totally understand why it would lead to people not liking the book) I do think it served it's purpose in showing readers how everything Iðunn loved was being destroyed.
I thought Iðunn was a very fun character and though she has many flaws I really liked getting to read about her and how she dealt with her issues.
I will admit that at first I thought the ending was a bit abrupt but the more I think about it the happier I am with it. I also like that Hildur Knúts doesn't directly tell readers what Iðunn was doing during the night but lets them fill in the gaps themselves, as whatever they think of is more personally horrific to them.
Ohhh já þessi er dásamleg. Í fyrstu hélt ég að hún yrði 4 svipað og Urðarhvarf en það er bara eitthvað við hana sem náði mér enn meira. Ég fékk hroll þegar ég las um það sem kom fyrir Iðunni á næturnar og þó svo að mér hafi fundist lýsingarnar á köttunum ógeðslegar (og skil vel af hverju hún er fráhrindandi fyrir lesendur) fannst mér þær ekki eyðileggja söguna þar sem þær þjóna sínum tilgangi, að sýna fram á að allt í lífi Iðunnar sé eyðilagt.
Mér fannst Iðunn mjög skemmtileg persóna og þó svo að hún eigi sér marga galla fannst mér samt gaman að fylgjast með henni og hvernig hún tókst á við vandamálin sín.
Ég viðurkenni að mér fannst endirinn líka smá snubbóttur en því lengur sem ég sit með honum því ánægðari er ég með hann. Mér finnst líka flott að Hildur segir okkur aldrei almennilega hvað Iðunn gerði á nóttunni þar sem það sem lesandinn setur inn í eyðurnar er örugglega enn ógeðslegra en eitthvað sem væri hægt að skrifa, það gerir hryllinginn persónulegri.
-
Ohhh yes this was wonderful. At first I thought it'd be a four like Urðarhvarf but there was just something about it that really got me. I got chills when I read about the horrible stuff that happened to Iðunn during the night and even though I found the scenes with the cats disturbing (and can totally understand why it would lead to people not liking the book) I do think it served it's purpose in showing readers how everything Iðunn loved was being destroyed.
I thought Iðunn was a very fun character and though she has many flaws I really liked getting to read about her and how she dealt with her issues.
I will admit that at first I thought the ending was a bit abrupt but the more I think about it the happier I am with it. I also like that Hildur Knúts doesn't directly tell readers what Iðunn was doing during the night but lets them fill in the gaps themselves, as whatever they think of is more personally horrific to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Sexual content
Urðarhvarf by Hildur Knútsdóttir
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Vá hvað Hildur Knúts er góður penni. Lýsingarnar gripu mig svo föstu taki það var alveg erfitt að sleppa taki og hætta að lesa. Mér fannst ég virkilega ná að lifa mig inn í söguna og Hildur notar skilningarvitin svo vel að ég fann á mér þegar persónum var kalt eða þær hræddar eða svangar. Einnig fannst mér Eik skemmtileg persóna og tengdi mikið við að eiga erfitt með að hafa samband við fólk sem maður elskar.
Mér fannst veran mjög áhugaverð og pældi mikið í því hvað hún gæti verið, hvort hún hafi í raun verið til eða hvort hún sé bara táknræn. Ég hlustaði líka á enda bókarinnar um miðnætti á Reykjanesbrautinni og fékk oft hroll á meðan ég keyrði.
Ég er samt sammála öðrum lesendum að ég vildi að endirinn hefði verið aðeins lengri og meiri áhersla á veruna og hryllinginn, en ég elska samt góða nóvellu og kann að meta að höfundur leyfi lesendum að fylla í eyðurnar.
Mér fannst veran mjög áhugaverð og pældi mikið í því hvað hún gæti verið, hvort hún hafi í raun verið til eða hvort hún sé bara táknræn. Ég hlustaði líka á enda bókarinnar um miðnætti á Reykjanesbrautinni og fékk oft hroll á meðan ég keyrði.
Ég er samt sammála öðrum lesendum að ég vildi að endirinn hefði verið aðeins lengri og meiri áhersla á veruna og hryllinginn, en ég elska samt góða nóvellu og kann að meta að höfundur leyfi lesendum að fylla í eyðurnar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death