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coralinejones's reviews
374 reviews
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
5.0
Sad and heartbreaking. This should be required reading.
We will see a free Palestine.
We will see a free Palestine.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Cons:
3.0
(Edit: Additional thoughts).
Nah.
Pros:
Nah.
Pros:
- Love the descriptions of 1970s suburban living. I can't relate to the Lisbon girls and their version of girlhood. I was not, and still am not, very feminine, but I can appreciate their little quirks and attributes as I'm positive there's some realism to be found in those descriptions. Listening to rock, hanging your bras up to dry, sneak-smoking in your bedroom, hairbrushes, nail polish, etc, etc. Just as an aesthetic alone I understand why people cling to these portrayals so heavily.
- It was quite a ride to read such avid seclusion of their daughters as well. Mrs. Lisbon, you're a monster in my eyes.
- Cecelia's chapter was a high point. I found chapter one to be the most interesting aspects of this novel. It was one of the only times where the outsider perspective didn't cause me to vomit in my mouth. I felt very upset for her, and the Lisbon family, and it made me want to continue reading the book. I even mentioned whilst reading the first chapter that I already enjoyed it more than the adaptation even seems to love so much.
- (I think) there's a bit of discourse here about religion and secluding your kids so heavily from society; making it out that it's for their own good whilst ruining them in the process. If I'm correct, I enjoy the think pieces that stem from this.
Cons:
- Everything else.
- I absolutely hate the fact that this book is told through the perspective of these naive, childish, obsessive young boys. I do understand what the author was trying to do there, and at times, I do think it came across pretty well; I think part of the "allure" (for lack of better term) of this novel is how uncomfortable it makes you feel, and how you just have to sit with it. Suicide is not a comfortable conversation, especially when it relates to a bunch of religious young girls with so much ahead of them. But to see it from their point of view, and how they come across as unreliable narrators, also makes you... in a way... obsessed with the girls? At least wanting to know the truth, wanting to know so much more than what the boys tell you.
- Which is something I also cannot stand. I wish we had spent more time with the Lisbon family. Actual, in detail, explorations of their life. I wish we got more of the girls that wasn't just the boys sniffing their panties and drooling over their tampons, so to speak.
- I hate that we have no clue why they killed themselves. Makes this whole novel feel pointless.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
3.75
Hmm.... Ahh... Mhm??!! Well, yes.
I get it. Don't know if I like it. Unique, original; a long string of words at time. I think this would've been better as a novella or something. Can't wait to see how this translates on screen. Will be one unsettling, uncomfortable ride and I'm ready for it.
This is also a me issue but I've read too many "weird" books where children are involved. And though this book is not sexual at all in nature towards her child, I'm still annoyed with it. I don't know why all these weird books need to be weird with children too? I'm also referring to All's Well by Mona Awad if you care.
I get it. Don't know if I like it. Unique, original; a long string of words at time. I think this would've been better as a novella or something. Can't wait to see how this translates on screen. Will be one unsettling, uncomfortable ride and I'm ready for it.
Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy
3.0
A book that starts with "there's a corpse in the bathtub" Should have a darker, gothic vibe to it, right? It should flow easily throughout the pages, causing me to shake in fear and grip my e-reader with an intense need to figure out what's going on.
It did when the book first began and the way everything was described was soooo intriguing to me I thought I found another 5 star read this year. Even when we first met Mary and she found that child at her workplace (IYKYK) I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what other weird shit unfolds. Unfortunately, especially when we get to the middle parts of this novel, it kind of dragged with minor horror elements thrown about here and there. By the time we get to the meat and potatoes of the story I was like "eh". I do think the last half of the book is fun if you're willing to sit through it.
I also assume the point of this novel was to feel bad for Mary the same way you do for the original inspiration, Carrie White. However, I did not. I couldn't really find it in me to care for her, feel bad for her, empathize with her, etc. Don't get me wrong, I get that she hasn't had an easy life, nor an easy time as it currently stands, but I didn't really care, lol. As a big "Carrie" (by Stephen King) fan, I don't really see the comparison or the inspiration between this novel and that. I certainly can't take that away from the author but as I read through I kept trying to make the connections but it just fell short.
I will say that Cassidy, I assume, did a good job at explaining what it's like transitioning into middle age-womanhood; I'm not middle aged and I'm non-binary, and the author is a man, but it did feel authentic and realistic. I've read other reviews of this book and people around that age have explained they felt seen, or that the experiences Mary went through rang true to them and their family, so I can absolutely give him that!
All-in-all, "What if Carrie had no powers, lived to be older, and still got revenge on her bullies?!" This book really wasn't any of that to me.
It did when the book first began and the way everything was described was soooo intriguing to me I thought I found another 5 star read this year. Even when we first met Mary and she found that child at her workplace (IYKYK) I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what other weird shit unfolds. Unfortunately, especially when we get to the middle parts of this novel, it kind of dragged with minor horror elements thrown about here and there. By the time we get to the meat and potatoes of the story I was like "eh". I do think the last half of the book is fun if you're willing to sit through it.
I also assume the point of this novel was to feel bad for Mary the same way you do for the original inspiration, Carrie White. However, I did not. I couldn't really find it in me to care for her, feel bad for her, empathize with her, etc. Don't get me wrong, I get that she hasn't had an easy life, nor an easy time as it currently stands, but I didn't really care, lol. As a big "Carrie" (by Stephen King) fan, I don't really see the comparison or the inspiration between this novel and that. I certainly can't take that away from the author but as I read through I kept trying to make the connections but it just fell short.
I will say that Cassidy, I assume, did a good job at explaining what it's like transitioning into middle age-womanhood; I'm not middle aged and I'm non-binary, and the author is a man, but it did feel authentic and realistic. I've read other reviews of this book and people around that age have explained they felt seen, or that the experiences Mary went through rang true to them and their family, so I can absolutely give him that!
All-in-all, "What if Carrie had no powers, lived to be older, and still got revenge on her bullies?!" This book really wasn't any of that to me.
Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona
1.0
Unfortunately, nothing happens. The cover? Stunning. The vibe? Incredible. The beginning? Captivating. Then, it turns into a teen drama where it drags and drags... and drags. Not very good character work, either. The book is too short for it not to be full of action and horror, as advertised. Lots of potential.
I don't think the author is untalented or anything, but had this been a little tighter it could've been... Something?
I don't think the author is untalented or anything, but had this been a little tighter it could've been... Something?
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
didn't really care for any of the stories
All's Well by Mona Awad
3.0
The lowest 3 stars imaginable. I know what you're thinking, "StoryGraph user Coralinejones, why not just give this one or two stars, why round this to three if you're bitter over it?" Well, let me tell you.
Am I a fan of Mona Awad's work? Yes! I loved Bunny. I adore how weird and flowery and poetic her writing is. I enjoy her take on the "unlikeable" woman trope that seems to be more and more prevalent as the years go on. There was something overwhelmingly captivating about Bunny. I remember staying up late to finish the book, straining my eyes as I made to the last page to see how that poetic fever dream ended. But All's Well... Good grief.
I have to admit, I throughly enjoyed the way this novel started. I empathized with Miranda like there was no tomorrow. As someone with Endometriosis I COMPLETELY understand chronic pain. I understand being so scared, so pained; feeling so alone that you want to take your misery out on anything and anyone just to feel some semblance of humanity, just to get some kind of pity. But Miranda is over-the-top.
I could get with her insufferable misery at first. I enjoyed the lengthy descriptions of her pain, I felt inspired by Awad's water color-like prose as Miranda went in and out of her goddamn mind, basically. However, where this all gets rocky is HOW Miranda treated her students. How fucking uncomfortable and unnecessary all of that was.
I won't give any spoilers as I believe you must dive into this as blind as possible but Miranda's constant, out of pocket, fueled by insecurity, mean-spirited, sexual-in-nature comments about her students, Briana in particular, angered me so much I constantly had to put the book down to take a breather. Every time Miranda "won" I couldn't and wouldn't cheer for her. I wanted to see her demise so bad. It wasn't fair how she treated anybody, despite understanding where she was coming from.
The stream of Miranda's thoughts with her overbearing unlikeable personality made this exhausting. The repetitive "Am I right?" and "Shall we?" was grating. Despite loving everything else, these small points pissed me off to no return. Like seriously.
Lastly, I didn't like the ending. Well, I did. I don't mind how it ended. I just wish there was solid understanding of what the fuck was going on. But I guess that's what we get with a book so abstract. I will never read this again!
Am I a fan of Mona Awad's work? Yes! I loved Bunny. I adore how weird and flowery and poetic her writing is. I enjoy her take on the "unlikeable" woman trope that seems to be more and more prevalent as the years go on. There was something overwhelmingly captivating about Bunny. I remember staying up late to finish the book, straining my eyes as I made to the last page to see how that poetic fever dream ended. But All's Well... Good grief.
I have to admit, I throughly enjoyed the way this novel started. I empathized with Miranda like there was no tomorrow. As someone with Endometriosis I COMPLETELY understand chronic pain. I understand being so scared, so pained; feeling so alone that you want to take your misery out on anything and anyone just to feel some semblance of humanity, just to get some kind of pity. But Miranda is over-the-top.
I could get with her insufferable misery at first. I enjoyed the lengthy descriptions of her pain, I felt inspired by Awad's water color-like prose as Miranda went in and out of her goddamn mind, basically. However, where this all gets rocky is HOW Miranda treated her students. How fucking uncomfortable and unnecessary all of that was.
I won't give any spoilers as I believe you must dive into this as blind as possible but Miranda's constant, out of pocket, fueled by insecurity, mean-spirited, sexual-in-nature comments about her students, Briana in particular, angered me so much I constantly had to put the book down to take a breather. Every time Miranda "won" I couldn't and wouldn't cheer for her. I wanted to see her demise so bad. It wasn't fair how she treated anybody, despite understanding where she was coming from.
The stream of Miranda's thoughts with her overbearing unlikeable personality made this exhausting. The repetitive "Am I right?" and "Shall we?" was grating. Despite loving everything else, these small points pissed me off to no return. Like seriously.
Lastly, I didn't like the ending. Well, I did. I don't mind how it ended. I just wish there was solid understanding of what the fuck was going on. But I guess that's what we get with a book so abstract. I will never read this again!
A History of Fear by Luke Dumas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
Gave off "being gay and mentally ill is linked to the devil." rhetoric. I'll assume the author simply wrote a story about this and doesn't believe in it himself; but even then this has been done so many times over that I can't be bothered to finish the novel. I would love to truly find out why the main character did what he did but I'm not motivated to get there.
Not to mention I honestly thought this would all play out differently when I read the description of this book. I didn't hate this, per say, but I assumed it would have been written differently.
Not to mention I honestly thought this would all play out differently when I read the description of this book. I didn't hate this, per say, but I assumed it would have been written differently.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My thoughts are conflicted.
I, by no means, hate or dislike this novel. In fact, I would like to purchase my own personal copy for my collection. I acknowledge Octavia E. Butler's brilliance and I fully agree that the idea of this novel is just a shining example of her intelligence. I totally understand why, and how, this became a beloved classic in the first place. Even as hard of a read as this is (not through text, but through content; more on this later) I wouldn't mind reading it again. However, I thought I was going to absolutely love this more than I actually did given it's place in literature's history. It's perhaps my expectation that ruined my read than anything else.
I can't quite put my finger on what I didn't enjoy about Kindred... I was going back and forth between giving this a 4 star or a 3 star rating, and my rating is by no means a hateful 3.75 either.
As stated, this is an easy read. Butler's writing style is very tell not show, which is another reason why I have this at 3 stars but I digress. It's easy to get immersed and pulled into the story being told. It's gruesome, it's hard to get through, it makes you angry, sad, confused, and overall feel alllll the overwhelming emotions whilst Dana goes through these rotten events but it still didn't feel like enough?
I don't know, something about Kindred was way more engaging during the beginning of this novel than in the end. Like the "what if" factor kept me interested. But then... It kind of got uninteresting? I think if I had read this while I was in high school I would've gotten waaaay more out of this.
And to be fair, as a black person who is not shy of the tragedies my ancestors have gone though; someone not ignorant of the bitter realities my people, past and present, have had to go through... I really couldn't stand the constant racism (Hard R racism) back to back. I know that's the point! And I absolutely expected it going into this, but man... Man :/
On page 208 Dana declares, “I wanted so much for it to be over.”
Same girl.
I, by no means, hate or dislike this novel. In fact, I would like to purchase my own personal copy for my collection. I acknowledge Octavia E. Butler's brilliance and I fully agree that the idea of this novel is just a shining example of her intelligence. I totally understand why, and how, this became a beloved classic in the first place. Even as hard of a read as this is (not through text, but through content; more on this later) I wouldn't mind reading it again. However, I thought I was going to absolutely love this more than I actually did given it's place in literature's history. It's perhaps my expectation that ruined my read than anything else.
I can't quite put my finger on what I didn't enjoy about Kindred... I was going back and forth between giving this a 4 star or a 3 star rating, and my rating is by no means a hateful 3.75 either.
As stated, this is an easy read. Butler's writing style is very tell not show, which is another reason why I have this at 3 stars but I digress. It's easy to get immersed and pulled into the story being told. It's gruesome, it's hard to get through, it makes you angry, sad, confused, and overall feel alllll the overwhelming emotions whilst Dana goes through these rotten events but it still didn't feel like enough?
I don't know, something about Kindred was way more engaging during the beginning of this novel than in the end. Like the "what if" factor kept me interested. But then... It kind of got uninteresting? I think if I had read this while I was in high school I would've gotten waaaay more out of this.
And to be fair, as a black person who is not shy of the tragedies my ancestors have gone though; someone not ignorant of the bitter realities my people, past and present, have had to go through... I really couldn't stand the constant racism (Hard R racism) back to back. I know that's the point! And I absolutely expected it going into this, but man... Man :/
On page 208 Dana declares, “I wanted so much for it to be over.”
Same girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Misogyny and Physical abuse