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crusoe's reviews
210 reviews
The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I don't care for the setting of this book but I think it ups the stakes really nicely and gets the audience invested in the underlying mystery that connects the Snickets, the Beaudelaires and the V.F.D.
As a sidenote: I think it's great how Sunny across the books starts to speak more and more clearly. It's such a neat detail.
As a sidenote: I think it's great how Sunny across the books starts to speak more and more clearly. It's such a neat detail.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Howl's moving castle is a fantastic book with a fantastic story but what really makes it unique are its characters. They're selfish, trapped in their own miseries and stubborn to a t but this makes their interactions amazing. I loved reading Howl and Sophie argue because they're such strongwilled people.
I also quite like how every side character has their own story that preoccupies them;such as Lettie and Martha's switch or the mystery of the missing men ( prince Justin and the royal wizard Benjamin Suliman). It makes the world feel so lively and the final resolution to all these loose ends so satisfying.
So, all in all, a great read. I also think it's enormously funny that Howl is canonically from Wales lmao.
I also quite like how every side character has their own story that preoccupies them;
So, all in all, a great read. I also think it's enormously funny that Howl is canonically from Wales lmao.
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
dark
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.0
The body in the library takes a mystery trope and turns it on its head in a fun way. It has a really neat twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but reasonably speaking you could figure it out with the given hints if you're clever enough.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I'll be reading Agatha Christie again anytime soon. The stories are quite entertaining but I care little for the characters and they feel a little dated.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I'll be reading Agatha Christie again anytime soon. The stories are quite entertaining but I care little for the characters and they feel a little dated.
The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I'm sorry to say I liked this one less than many others in the series. For starters, the setting was not as interesting to me and there was no clever resolution that involved some of the elements set up earlier. Such as the 'murder' case or the fact the rules are quite limiting and contradictory.
I do like that the children continue to not recognize Esmé and that it twists the narrative by the quagmire triplets getting away from Olaf instead of the Beaudelaires.
I do like that the children continue to not recognize Esmé and that it twists the narrative by the quagmire triplets getting away from Olaf instead of the Beaudelaires.
Fraternity by Andy Mientus
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Fraternity is a messy book and at times the writing feels clumbsy but it's got so much heart that I can forgive it for that part.
The characters are wonderful! Sometimes they're selfish, sometimes they go through very tough circumstances and the part where Zooey distances himself from his friends was hard to read, but they're also very vibrant and their friendship in the end trumps all. It's one of the reasons why I love the multiple POV's in this story.
The connections to the historical context of its setting were also quite nice even if they played more into the story at the end.
The characters are wonderful! Sometimes they're selfish, sometimes they go through very tough circumstances and the part where Zooey distances himself from his friends was hard to read, but they're also very vibrant and their friendship in the end trumps all. It's one of the reasons why I love the multiple POV's in this story.
The connections to the historical context of its setting were also quite nice even if they played more into the story at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Murder
Moderate: Deadnaming, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Alcohol
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Murder on the orient express is an alright Murder mystery. It's got the classic 'closed quarters so everyone is a suspect', very interesting and diverse characters and an amazing twist.
That said, I don't necessarily care for our lead detective, Hercule Poirot, and basing so much of his perceptions on what he perceives to be a subjects psyche leads him and his companions to make really biased assumptions (and sometimes racist/sexist ones at that). It's also such a shame that there's not more leads to the role of each suspect which makes it impossible as a reader to get the twist.
That said, I don't necessarily care for our lead detective, Hercule Poirot, and basing so much of his perceptions on what he perceives to be a subjects psyche leads him and his companions to make really biased assumptions (and sometimes racist/sexist ones at that). It's also such a shame that there's not more leads to the role of each suspect which makes it impossible as a reader to get the twist.
We hebben het over mensen: pleidooi voor een waardig bestaan by Esmah Lahlah
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
De conclusies zijn niks nieuws voor iemand die sociologie heeft gestudeerd en af en toe is er wat repetitie in text wat uiterst frustrerend is. Dit is wel een goed boek voor lezers met een interesse in de Nederlandse politiek die wat dieper willen ingaan op de idealen en plannen van GL-PVDA.
Ik heb wel enorm veel respect voor Esmah Lahlah en dat is origineel ook waarom ik dit boek kocht. Zij is een politicus met een sterk sociaal humanistisch kompas die zich in dit politieke klimaat staande weet te houden. Het inzicht dat dit boek geeft in haar idealen en wat haar heeft gevormd vond ik top.
Ik heb wel enorm veel respect voor Esmah Lahlah en dat is origineel ook waarom ik dit boek kocht. Zij is een politicus met een sterk sociaal humanistisch kompas die zich in dit politieke klimaat staande weet te houden. Het inzicht dat dit boek geeft in haar idealen en wat haar heeft gevormd vond ik top.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? No
4.0
I think the writing is great: you can smell the seasalt on the beach, taste the meat dripping from the carcass... The overall themes of division, adulthood (which reminds me of the way Peter Pan treats play), society vs savagery are great too.
I just think the book is starting to become rather dated. The whole civilization vs savagery reeks of racism and colonialism. It also tries to make a statement about human nature while negating half of the population. However, considering this was first published in 1957, this makes a great deal of sense in context.
I just think the book is starting to become rather dated. The whole civilization vs savagery reeks of racism and colonialism. It also tries to make a statement about human nature while negating half of the population. However, considering this was first published in 1957, this makes a great deal of sense in context.
Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In general, I like the setup of this book. There is something so appealing about rolling into someone else's family secrets from an outsider position. I like how the MC's moral boundaries are pushed in all kinds of directions and how she comes to care for her employer's children.
That said, I found the mystery aspect hard to follow and ultimately disappointing. The justification for the doctor and the mother to poison her own son made for a rather weak reveal. I had a good time reading this book but ultimately found it to be rather forgettable.
The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Every book has its own quirks that make the story exciting but I'm glad that we're getting hints at a bigger plot/story now! The stories were starting to become rather repetitive so the larger plot and quagmire triples were a much needed addition.