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cosmicblob's reviews
801 reviews
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
I actually humored the idea of giving this novel two stars for no reason besides the fact that it was so overwhelmingly bad that it managed to force a laugh out of me every now and then. There's very little that's done right here despite the fundament not even being half bad. I truly believe that if someone had sat Naomi Novik down with her own creation and let her ideas marinate in her brain for just a little bit longer, perhaps while a skilled editor asked just the right questions about whether she was entirely sure her plot and character developments actually followed a stringent, sensical line of thought, this could have been pretty decent. But as it stands, this book is too much of a mess for me to consider it to be enjoyable.
Much of the worldbuilding in this simply did not work for me: in part because of the clumsy manner in which it was presented; in part, because the logic of certain elements was wholly lost on me. Firstly, I did not appreciate how the book immediately info dumped all the important aspects of the world in the first chapter, and how it continued to info dump at various points throughout the book, regardless of whether the timing was appropriate or not. Sometimes my mind just wandered off during these parts, as much of the information turned out to not be relevant to the plot moving forward anyway or was just a constant repetition of something I had already heard a million times before. There was simply no subtly in the writing; only telling, no showing. None of the info dumps actually amounted to anything substantial, although they could've. All of these ramblings about certain attributes of monsters, for example, could've been used to foreshadow their appearance later on. Instead, they are never mentioned again, and the names of the monsters that do appear are not as much as muttered to prepare the reader for what's to come.
Furthermore, this book is really trying to convince you that it is safer in the hell hole that is the Scholomance than in the outside world while also constantly hammering into you how the whole place has been falling apart since its inauguration and is far from safe now. Sometimes it seems that even the author does not quite believe it since she keeps repeating the same notion of, "Oh, it is really quite dangerous here but the odds of surviving outside are half those inside... probably?" Please, at least try to convince me of your worldbuilding a little harder. Convince me that it wouldn't be safer for the enclaves to just protect their kids at home. Give me one good reason why besides "because it simply is like that". Because to my ears, having a handful of kids at a time be protected by most likely twice the amount of adults sounds much less fatal to me than stuffing them all up the Scholomance, where even the building itself is out to get them and the inside is swarming with monsters trying to catch a delicious snack or two.
The writing is just a mess, from the writing to the characters. Halfway through the book, I wondered what the stakes of this book even were, what the plot was. Because the first 290 pages are wasted on watching El and Orion have half-assed "banter" with no chemistry at all, while the author is desperately trying to convince you that Orion is the one who is secretly in love while all we get from him are grunts and glares while he follows El around like a wet poodle. Around 20 pages before the book ends, the author finally notices that nothing has happened yet, so she sends them to the deadly graduation hall and kills off some no-name characters, and then makes them kiss half-heartedly before having them awkwardly not confess their feelings to each other. The characters are like how I know cardboard tastes like: plain and dry and rough against the roof of your mouth. It's hard to care for characters whose only personality trait is that they scoff at each other but actually they don't mean it because look! A random flashback says they've got a soft spot for... their own mother? As if that was something extraordinarily touching and heartwarming.
There was only one point in the book where I actually got excited for a moment. It's when Chloe tells El that Orion has never even done so much as voluntarily speak to anyone but rather spent his time going around hunting monsters. For a second, I thought maybe the author was going in an interesting direction with this. That maybe Orion's character would contrast El's going forward, that maybe Orion had the ability to protect others but actually found joy in killing and that El had an affinity for destruction but didn't like using her abilities due to her upbringing. But of course, that's not what happened. Instead, the author decided to make Orion some misunderstood character who was just getting used by everyone around him as a monster-killing machine since he was in pre-school or whatever, although she also puts emphasis on how much Orion loves charging into danger even if people actively tell him not to and how he does it all voluntarily. Yeah, no.
Maybe people should start hiring editors again instead of churning out books without a second thought and trying so hard to shove the next could-be BookTok sensation down everyone's throats.
Much of the worldbuilding in this simply did not work for me: in part because of the clumsy manner in which it was presented; in part, because the logic of certain elements was wholly lost on me. Firstly, I did not appreciate how the book immediately info dumped all the important aspects of the world in the first chapter, and how it continued to info dump at various points throughout the book, regardless of whether the timing was appropriate or not. Sometimes my mind just wandered off during these parts, as much of the information turned out to not be relevant to the plot moving forward anyway or was just a constant repetition of something I had already heard a million times before. There was simply no subtly in the writing; only telling, no showing. None of the info dumps actually amounted to anything substantial, although they could've. All of these ramblings about certain attributes of monsters, for example, could've been used to foreshadow their appearance later on. Instead, they are never mentioned again, and the names of the monsters that do appear are not as much as muttered to prepare the reader for what's to come.
Furthermore, this book is really trying to convince you that it is safer in the hell hole that is the Scholomance than in the outside world while also constantly hammering into you how the whole place has been falling apart since its inauguration and is far from safe now. Sometimes it seems that even the author does not quite believe it since she keeps repeating the same notion of, "Oh, it is really quite dangerous here but the odds of surviving outside are half those inside... probably?" Please, at least try to convince me of your worldbuilding a little harder. Convince me that it wouldn't be safer for the enclaves to just protect their kids at home. Give me one good reason why besides "because it simply is like that". Because to my ears, having a handful of kids at a time be protected by most likely twice the amount of adults sounds much less fatal to me than stuffing them all up the Scholomance, where even the building itself is out to get them and the inside is swarming with monsters trying to catch a delicious snack or two.
The writing is just a mess, from the writing to the characters. Halfway through the book, I wondered what the stakes of this book even were, what the plot was. Because the first 290 pages are wasted on watching El and Orion have half-assed "banter" with no chemistry at all, while the author is desperately trying to convince you that Orion is the one who is secretly in love while all we get from him are grunts and glares while he follows El around like a wet poodle. Around 20 pages before the book ends, the author finally notices that nothing has happened yet, so she sends them to the deadly graduation hall and kills off some no-name characters, and then makes them kiss half-heartedly before having them awkwardly not confess their feelings to each other. The characters are like how I know cardboard tastes like: plain and dry and rough against the roof of your mouth. It's hard to care for characters whose only personality trait is that they scoff at each other but actually they don't mean it because look! A random flashback says they've got a soft spot for... their own mother? As if that was something extraordinarily touching and heartwarming.
There was only one point in the book where I actually got excited for a moment. It's when Chloe tells El that Orion has never even done so much as voluntarily speak to anyone but rather spent his time going around hunting monsters. For a second, I thought maybe the author was going in an interesting direction with this. That maybe Orion's character would contrast El's going forward, that maybe Orion had the ability to protect others but actually found joy in killing and that El had an affinity for destruction but didn't like using her abilities due to her upbringing. But of course, that's not what happened. Instead, the author decided to make Orion some misunderstood character who was just getting used by everyone around him as a monster-killing machine since he was in pre-school or whatever, although she also puts emphasis on how much Orion loves charging into danger even if people actively tell him not to and how he does it all voluntarily. Yeah, no.
Maybe people should start hiring editors again instead of churning out books without a second thought and trying so hard to shove the next could-be BookTok sensation down everyone's throats.
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
3.25
I often find it difficult to rate (semi-)autobiographical novels since at the end of the day, there is still a real person with their real experiences standing behind its contents. I think there is much you could criticize about this book and much that has already been criticized: that it doesn't actually offer any deep insight into South Korean therapy practices, that it isn't really a self-help book because it doesn't propose any concrete advice, or that it is simply boring as it only goes through a variety of disjointed events of someone's life.
But to me, most of these criticisms don't hold very much weight in the grand scheme of things. The author herself repeatedly states that this isn't a self-help book but that she merely wishes to be candid and honest about her experiences in therapy and perhaps encourage others to share their stories as well. There is a comforting sweetness woven into the pages of this book that stems from exactly this notion; that even if one's life might not be extraordinary or grand or remarkable, it is worth talking about and it is worth sharing your struggles. There were parts of this book that resonated with me, while other sentiments failed to ring true, but I thought that was alright since others might find exactly those parts relatable. This novel isn't perfect but it is also constantly aware of its own imperfection and, in a way, even questions if it needs to be. I also appreciated that she never tried to paint herself in a more flattering light but properly reflected on her own being in a nuanced manner.
Although there were certain parts where I wish she went more into depth as to how therapy impacted certain aspects of her personal life instead of just touching on them, I do respect her choice not to share certain details with the reader. As for the fact that she says little about therapy in South Korea as a whole, I can only say that I don't mind that she didn't. I never expected her to have some detailed knowledge of the system as a whole and her accounts of her therapy sessions, as well as the brief letter by her therapist that she included towards the end, paint enough of a picture for me to get an impression of how people in need are treated by the healthcare system.
Overall, while it might not be the most groundbreaking read, I would recommend it to anyone who might need some comfort and encouragement before starting therapy or who is also currently in the process of reflecting on past efforts of receiving help as you'll be able to finish it in no time at all.
But to me, most of these criticisms don't hold very much weight in the grand scheme of things. The author herself repeatedly states that this isn't a self-help book but that she merely wishes to be candid and honest about her experiences in therapy and perhaps encourage others to share their stories as well. There is a comforting sweetness woven into the pages of this book that stems from exactly this notion; that even if one's life might not be extraordinary or grand or remarkable, it is worth talking about and it is worth sharing your struggles. There were parts of this book that resonated with me, while other sentiments failed to ring true, but I thought that was alright since others might find exactly those parts relatable. This novel isn't perfect but it is also constantly aware of its own imperfection and, in a way, even questions if it needs to be. I also appreciated that she never tried to paint herself in a more flattering light but properly reflected on her own being in a nuanced manner.
Although there were certain parts where I wish she went more into depth as to how therapy impacted certain aspects of her personal life instead of just touching on them, I do respect her choice not to share certain details with the reader. As for the fact that she says little about therapy in South Korea as a whole, I can only say that I don't mind that she didn't. I never expected her to have some detailed knowledge of the system as a whole and her accounts of her therapy sessions, as well as the brief letter by her therapist that she included towards the end, paint enough of a picture for me to get an impression of how people in need are treated by the healthcare system.
Overall, while it might not be the most groundbreaking read, I would recommend it to anyone who might need some comfort and encouragement before starting therapy or who is also currently in the process of reflecting on past efforts of receiving help as you'll be able to finish it in no time at all.