blumoonie's reviews
52 reviews

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

I wanted to re-read this series because my younger self ADORED eragon and his world. I remember borrowing the books from the school library whenever I could, and reading them in record time. I remember being so incredibly excited when Inheritance came out. this time, though, I found myself becoming exceedingly frustrated with the tedious dialogue- so much so I had to dnf it. such a shame.

The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott

dark 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

2.5

I re-read thus because I used to love it when I was about 14... this book has got to be one of the biggest reasons I developed a pickme attitude. it's an easy read: world and lore is interesting, the plot not bad, but you can tell the mc will be a tad insufferable when the dedication reads "this book is dedicated to ugly ducklings everywhere. don't worry about those fluffy yellow morons: they'll never get to be swans."
also, the number of typos and grammatical errors are genuinely shocking? i KNOW this was published in 2007, but come on guys 😭
my final qualm is that the audience for this novel feels a little strange. the rather simple plot and young, two-dimensional characters make me feel like it should be targeted at young teens, but the final battle between Alexandra and Zella is extremely graphic- I felt ill as I read it; it's no wonder I couldn't remember how it ended.
overall: fine. wouldn't recommend unless your guilty pleasure is pickme fantasy that doesn't pass the bechdel test.

Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1 by Inio Asano

dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Flowers of Buffoonery by Osamu Dazai

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this prequel beautifully rounds out Yozo as a character, and I really enjoyed learning more about him, and what his day-to-day life was like. No Longer Human dealt with his entire life, and hence had to be much more broad, so these finer details were refreshing and impressive. Dazai's personal asides also fill us with insight, and paint the clearest picture (no pun intended) of a struggling artist's thought process. 
did I turn out to like this novel even more than NLH? debatable...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexism

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 2 by Jun Mochizuki

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Case Study of Vanitas, Vol. 1 by Jun Mochizuki

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

it took me such a goddamn long time to finish this book because I had surgery… I’ll pretend that was it.
 

I was deeply impressed by the end, when I could look back and appreciate all the foreshadowing. The prose, too, was unlike anything I’ve ever read— poetic, leaving plenty of space for the reader to comprehend imagery and plot on their own. this was, unfortunately, the single drawback of this novel… it was a struggle for me to read in my anaesthesia-induced state; I would sit puzzling over single sentences for hours. That said, now that I’ve been able to approach it with a clear head, I can enjoy the style much more. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s into timey-whimey sci-fi topped off with queer romanticism and a sprinkle of mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Gore

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Self harm

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 5 (Special Edition) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this series has been sitting on my shelf for the longest time, waiting for me to finally start reading it. i adore the characters, the plot is intense and filled with twists, and the bonus stories at the end added the slightest bit of clarity and meaning to the overall storyline. this was a slow-burn with a confession scene to end all confession scenes, and now that it is over i am empty.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Given vol.8 by Natsuki Kizu

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0