daybringer's reviews
19 reviews

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

challenging reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Zeno's Conscience by Italo Svevo

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

4.0

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

medium-paced

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

5.0

Reading this as a teenager who had plenty of experience grieving by that point made this an especially poignant read to me. I remember the reactions of all of my classmates and thinking it painted them in an entirely different light, and truly separated me from them. These were people who disliked angst purely because they had never had any reason to feel it. Their criticisms of cynical Holden were valid, but the complete lack of understanding for why he was like that when it was so clearly framed in the story made this clear. Though the angst of my teenage years has faded, er, largely, the experience of reading this book at that time still sticks with me. 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

4.0

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery

4.75

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4.5

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Though it concerns primarily the struggles of black and trans individuals, and their intersection, telling it through the lens of a straight white woman missed the mark. The criticism around that, and the fact that the author is herself a white woman, are completely valid. However, Lyndsay Faye still managed to write a story that was very compelling and even insightful to the time period and region in which it was set. Racism was never segregated to the American South, and while the story is fictional it does display this well. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

3.75

The criticisms of this seeming like a fanfiction are completely valid due to plenty of fan service. Revisiting the world of The Hunger Games as an adult definitely exposes some of its weaker points. However, I still found this to be an enjoyable and quick read.