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cwiita's reviews
17 reviews
The Laws of the Skies by Grégoire Courtois
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
Bordered on feeling unrealistic in the sense that the verbal communication and (hopefully) barbarity of children has its limits, but usually managed to turn the worst moments into something worthwhile.
I find the perspective interesting, mainly the way that Courtois acknowledged and discusses children’s realities and fears through the language and context of adult understandings.
Initially I struggled to grasp the timeline and the way our focus as an audience shifts so frequently, but eventually I realized how important it was to the film-like pacing and building of suspense.
It made for a very interesting read, with some decent gore.
I find the perspective interesting, mainly the way that Courtois acknowledged and discusses children’s realities and fears through the language and context of adult understandings.
Initially I struggled to grasp the timeline and the way our focus as an audience shifts so frequently, but eventually I realized how important it was to the film-like pacing and building of suspense.
It made for a very interesting read, with some decent gore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, and Excrement
Minor: Stalking
Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed by Laurie Kilmartin
2.0
First few chapters were very charming and pretty funny, but it quickly got old and the humor started to feel sort of forced. Usually I enjoy this type of book but I had a really hard time connecting here. Something is missing and I can't quite put my finger on what.
How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
A devastatingly embarrassing first intentional read of the year but it’s genuinely helpful??? Will rate after the party I am terrified of attending on Saturday.
Update:
I forgot everything
Update:
I forgot everything
The Postmortal by Drew Magary
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really enjoyed this storyline and the pacing in general, but man I struggle with John as a character. I sincerely hope that Magary wrote him to be an intentionally gray protagonist. He has his charm, but the womanizing, objectifying tendencies were sometimes hard for me to look past as a femme reader. Something about the fact that the only woman he was ever able to marry and admit intense love for was the one he spent decades sexually objectifying…not my favorite.
I actually feel like all of the characters fall flat across the novel. The concept and writing style kept me on board, but it’s hard to look back on it now and think more about the ways that female characters in particular were used as plot devices and little more. If I hadn’t been so hooked on the premise and types of societal reflection brought up by this book, I don’t know that I would’ve made it through.
In spite of it all, still another very readable piece from Mr. Magary. Finished it in just a couple of sittings. I would’ve taken 100 more pages if it meant that characters like Alison, Ernie, and Solara could’ve been more fleshed out. They had great potential.
I actually feel like all of the characters fall flat across the novel. The concept and writing style kept me on board, but it’s hard to look back on it now and think more about the ways that female characters in particular were used as plot devices and little more. If I hadn’t been so hooked on the premise and types of societal reflection brought up by this book, I don’t know that I would’ve made it through.
In spite of it all, still another very readable piece from Mr. Magary. Finished it in just a couple of sittings. I would’ve taken 100 more pages if it meant that characters like Alison, Ernie, and Solara could’ve been more fleshed out. They had great potential.
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well, after marking My Year Of Rest and Relaxation as my only DNF ever, I managed to make it through this one. I purchased this book before I started MYORAR, before I had any idea how much I would struggle with Otessa Moshfegh. I find her to be a difficult read, not for lack of skill or quality, but for the simple fact that she seems to have an ongoing problem with fatphobia and ableism, among other things. I discussed my initial problems with MYORAR with a friend who has read most of Moshfegh's work, and the consensus was that her stories relay very similar views each time and that her characters tend to be the same type of people across the board. I am a big fan of unreliable narrators and I appreciate the challenge of crafting a story around difficult characters, but to do it unrelentingly in every book while consistently implying hateful messages is tough for me to get behind.
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point. In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point. In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
medium-paced
4.0
I haven’t finished a book this quickly in a long time. That isn’t to say that I loved it more than anything, only that it’s sort of like watching a car crash.
The writing is incredibly engaging and Murata’s social commentary is a big part of what makes this unsettling piece so readable. In spite of everything, she does a remarkable job of making Natsuki relatable, at least to those of us who also grew up socially isolated and feeling as though we had to put on an act just to continue surviving.
To me, this reads as a shocking commentary on childhood trauma, abuse, sexual assault, and the indigestible nature of human life for those of us who sometimes feel “other”. Our minds will go to the furthest extent to protect us from pain, and Murata is simply extrapolating on this idea in the most uncomfortable ways possible.
Strange and genius and worth the quick read. I feel ill.
The writing is incredibly engaging and Murata’s social commentary is a big part of what makes this unsettling piece so readable. In spite of everything, she does a remarkable job of making Natsuki relatable, at least to those of us who also grew up socially isolated and feeling as though we had to put on an act just to continue surviving.
To me, this reads as a shocking commentary on childhood trauma, abuse, sexual assault, and the indigestible nature of human life for those of us who sometimes feel “other”. Our minds will go to the furthest extent to protect us from pain, and Murata is simply extrapolating on this idea in the most uncomfortable ways possible.
Strange and genius and worth the quick read. I feel ill.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Devil House by John Darnielle
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
God, it took me so long to finish this book. While I was frustrated with some of the formal experimentation while I was in the thick of it, I find this type of read to be really gratifying. There’s something to be said for Darnielle’s ability to convey seemingly infinite perspectives, genres, and plots while still tying them into a story which is relatively consistent. Don’t get me wrong, this took more conscious effort than my usual reads, but I learned to love the slow progression once I hit the rapid unraveling at the end. Darnielle has a knack for beautiful sentences and sneaks in poignant reflections amidst the insanity that make this read even more worthwhile.
Still, less of a horror/thriller, more of a reflection on truth and the ethics of true crime.
Still, less of a horror/thriller, more of a reflection on truth and the ethics of true crime.
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher
challenging
emotional
reflective
5.0