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blumoonie's reviews
69 reviews
The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
I couldn't finish this book, which I think is a real shame. The premise is awesome and the characters interesting at first glance, but I quickly realised that they were just too easy to figure out. The dialogue is a great example of this: in the beginning of the story most dialogue is short, taking place between bouts of action. the longest monologues are internal, so a lack of nuance can be forgiven. later, though, it becomes unbearable, to the point where I simply gave up halfway through a supposed “conversation” Sali was having. If i were to be really nitpicky, I might mention the occaisonally strange wording of specific sentences (”the tracks beneath Sali's pod begin to crunch on stone as the road transitioned from dirt to stone,” for example), but this book has far larger problems, such as near-nonsensical worldbuilding and an author who doesn't trust his audience enough to pick up on hidden clues, or know what a real conversation sounds like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This story explores the meaning of family, love and home. How rules are made to be broken, how if you love someone too much it will turn to simmering hatred. this book left me feeling gutted and vulnerably wide-open, like a fire had ripped through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
I am writing this review with tears in my eyes. While the main hero(ine) gets her happy ending, she does so after a great amount of suffering, and others only seem to know pain throughout the entire story. Ouyang and Esen’s relationship in particular left me feeling hollow, which is equal parts ironic and fantastic, when thinking in terms of Parker-Chan’s motives when writing.
The plot is gripping, the characters beautifully well-rounded, and for once I don’t mind switches in perspective. I’ll be thinking a lot about this story for a long, long time.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
medium-paced
5.0
The Poems of Nakahara Chuya by Chūya Nakahara
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
it is kind of crazy how much I can relate to Chuuya through his poetry. he is renowned for his beautiful, haunting imagery and song-like flow, and though this edition had to sacrifice flow, it very much made up for it by preserving the imagery. there were very few poems which didn’t resonate; in fact most had at least one line that truly struck me. how was he so good at putting into words the big and terrifying emotions I have never been able to describe? this may be the collection that reignites my adoration for poetry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Gore
lots of dark imagery: mentions of gore and disassociation
Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
my best friend annotated this book and gifted it to me for my birthday, so most of my enjoyment came from reading her snarky little comments in the margins. that said, it was very entertaining, and nowhere near as cliche as i feared it might be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt
Into the Magic Shop by James R. Doty
1.0
the impact that this book has had honestly far outweighs the actual content in it. considering that this is the memoir of a literal neurosurgeon... it's incredibly fanciful. much of it reads like a sci-fi novel; the rest of it is so heavily focused on how Doty ~just believed in himself and everything turned out okay~ that it was sickening. disappointing tbh