cumbersome_cookie2504's reviews
15 reviews

Red Leech by Andy Lane

adventurous funny informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 1 (light novel): Osamu Dazai's Entrance Exam by Kafka Asagiri, Sango Harukawa

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love this book for letting me see more of Kunikida’s POV. The writing was fine, the dialogue was funny and impactful at certain points, (but most importantly they had had meaning or served a purpose to the story, as expected of Kafka Asagiri) but I really just love being able to see things from Kunikida’s perspective. The while “ideal” thing was explained and being repeated over and over again to the point where I myself almost believed in it and when that vision was shattered, I almost felt kind of sad. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

The first book I've read in 2023 and it did not dissapoint. I ate it all up. I have nothing but good thing  to say about it. Its a classic piece of literature and for a good reason. Read it, if not just to educate yourself on a piece classic literature. How do I explain this? The writing was some good chicken noodle soup. I love the characters and oh my god i cried for Daisy and I cried again for gatsby and then I cried at the end of the book. 

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Honestly slightly underwhelming. I really expected alot more from this book. I liked the writting. That was fantastic(it's Dazai Osamu, what did you expect?) But the main character is just not loveable yet I don't hate him. I don't feel bad for him when he experiences a misfortune nor do I pity him. I feel nothing for a man like him and the only thing that made me finish the book was the writting. It was seriously the only thing I liked. The whole book was just the main character saying "I'm so depressed I don't understand humans and I don't fel human." In a hundred different ways. But if you ignore how "emo" it was, the book also made me stare at the wall for a couple of minutes when I finished it. It just felt too similar to real life. It scared me slightly. The emotions were so raw and they felt so sincere. For me, it was the writtin that ultimately saved this book. Yozo could go die in a ditch, I couldn't care less but if Dazia Osamu wrote his death to be as uneventful as the rest of his life I'm sure I would cry. 

The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Some people might kill me for the rating I gave this book but jokes on you guys! you can't punch people through the phone screen!

I liked this book more than no longer human. I get why people like this book so much but I just didn't enjoy it as much. I did find the main character very loving towards her mother and Dazai's way of writting is just simply immaculate, I eat up every sentence. But the plot didn't appeal to me. It guess that's more of a personal preferenc rather than an actual issue with the plot. But its books like these that raise my standards for writting.

Ricochet by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

I don't have much to say other than the character development was the main focus and even at the end there still more growth ti be made. I actually read this book not knowing it was part of a series so i need to go read those books to now lol. Hopefully they are all just as good or even better. Fantastic writting and I loved how real all the characters are. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 5 (Light Novel): Dead Apple by Kafka Asagiri, Sango Harukawa

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

I didn't enjoy this light novel as much as I had hoped. But that may be due to me watching the movie beforehand. However, my love for the characters ended up being my motivation for finishing the book. There was a small interaction between Atsushi and Dazai near the end of the book and I really liked it. I don't know why, but it just tickled my brain and made me smile. I guess I liked the sentiment of it.

All in all, the book was just like the movie and I would reread this book only to refresh my memory on the events that happened during dead apple. I really wished I had read the book before watching the movie though.

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

I loved this book so much. The writting was captivating and it managed to make every chess tournament tense and exciting. Every sentence had me hooked. The writting, character development, and the plot all worked together to create such an amazing book. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 7 (Light Novel): Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen by Kafka Asagiri, Sango Harukawa

adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

3.75

The 3.75 I gave was because I have very high standards in terms of writing.  For this book, I tried not to let my love for the characters sway my rating. I enjoyed this book alot but it's safe to say that the writting itself wasn't the star of the show. Which is alright, considering the book's plot and character background was the main focus(and I found myself unable to let go of the book in anticipation of what mught happen next) I guess it evened out so I don't mind the writting but one thing I did like alot was the dialogue. 

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 8 (Light Novel): Storm Bringer by Kafka Asagiri

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As a person who is a huge fan of BSD and chuuya, I cried at the end of the book. The book has a great ending and the numerous plot twists had me in a chokehold. Like I swear, I could not let go of this book. Its almost as though gravity was pulling me back to it whenever I put it down. Once again, the writting itself didn't blow me away but it was still good in a sense that the story managed to flow smoothly from one scene to another. Overall, the book made me fall in love with Paul verlaine and I shed so many tears at the end of the book. I love how everything iconic about chuuya from his hat to his bike had a history to it and carried alot of memories with it. Oh what would I do if stormbringer gets animated.... 
Love this book!! I think it's my favourite light novel I've read so far. I might need to read the others first but for now, stormbringer has a special place in my heart.