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dnietoperafan's reviews
205 reviews
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Palestine by Joe Sacco
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Police brutality
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism
Monsters: What Do We Do With Great Art By Bad People? by Claire Dederer
informative
reflective
fast-paced
2.5
How to Cook and Eat the Rich by Sunyi Dean
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This short story was really fun to read. I enjoyed the narration being solely dialogue and a couple of recipes. It gave the story a mysterious feel.
Dean does a great job at setting up a theme and the atmosphere in such a short time. Her comedic timing in a story that touches intense themes is really seamless. I really enjoyed her writing style, and will definitely pick up other works of hers.
I will agree with other readers, the title does give away the 'plot twist', and without it I believe the story would pack a stronger punch. Nevertheless, still a fun read.
Dean does a great job at setting up a theme and the atmosphere in such a short time. Her comedic timing in a story that touches intense themes is really seamless. I really enjoyed her writing style, and will definitely pick up other works of hers.
I will agree with other readers, the title does give away the 'plot twist', and without it I believe the story would pack a stronger punch. Nevertheless, still a fun read.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gerardo Sámano Córdova... Te amo!!
Monstrilio was a fantastic read. I wouldn't categorise it as horror, but it does have some disturbing scenes. I thought the premise was incredibly hooking, and all the characters' point of views kept the novel feeling fresh.
I loved the themes explored in this book. From the different ways grief can present itself, to the journey of accepting yourself (specially when talking about sexuality or neurodivergence). As a queer autistic person, I weirdly related to Monstrilio. The fact that this discovery and acceptance theme can be applied to different identities made me incredibly happy. I also really appreciated how the reader can see how Monstrilio's actions affect other characters in different ways. Some accept it without hesitating, other try to change him, and others simply try to distance themselves.
The writing style was gorgeous. I loved the poetical feel to it, without the prose needing to use complicated words. I find this novel very accessible, yet it doesn't compromise on it's beauty.
This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read this year so far. I will definitely be picking up Sámano Córdova again, if possible.
Monstrilio was a fantastic read. I wouldn't categorise it as horror, but it does have some disturbing scenes. I thought the premise was incredibly hooking, and all the characters' point of views kept the novel feeling fresh.
I loved the themes explored in this book. From the different ways grief can present itself, to the journey of accepting yourself (specially when talking about sexuality or neurodivergence). As a queer autistic person, I weirdly related to Monstrilio. The fact that this discovery and acceptance theme can be applied to different identities made me incredibly happy. I also really appreciated how the reader can see how Monstrilio's actions affect other characters in different ways. Some accept it without hesitating, other try to change him, and others simply try to distance themselves.
The writing style was gorgeous. I loved the poetical feel to it, without the prose needing to use complicated words. I find this novel very accessible, yet it doesn't compromise on it's beauty.
This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read this year so far. I will definitely be picking up Sámano Córdova again, if possible.
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
My first impression of Thorogood was through reading It's Lonely At The Centre Of The Earth, which I thought was an incredible take on the graphic memoir. Specially her illustration style and storytelling techniques.
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott was her debut, and you can see how her recent work outshines this graphic novel.
Art style-wise, it was pretty. I liked the 'rough' almost sketch-like nature of her illustrations. It compliments Billie's personality, which I really appreciated. The environments are incredibly detailed, and the use of colour was actually very satisfying to see. The art was definitely the best part of this graphic novel.
The story, on the other hand, made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The plot of drawing 10 last pieces before going blind, hooked me. The delivery of it, not so much.
Billie deciding to go live in the streets whilst finishing her work was confusing, and one might say insensitive?
Dialogues were a bit cheesy, which made the book feel a bit childish (which I assume wasn't the aim of Thorogood). Nonetheless, I thought her characters were unique and clearly distinguishable one from the other.
If you're wanting to read Thorogood's books, I would definitely pick up her graphic memoir first.
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott was her debut, and you can see how her recent work outshines this graphic novel.
Art style-wise, it was pretty. I liked the 'rough' almost sketch-like nature of her illustrations. It compliments Billie's personality, which I really appreciated. The environments are incredibly detailed, and the use of colour was actually very satisfying to see. The art was definitely the best part of this graphic novel.
The story, on the other hand, made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The plot of drawing 10 last pieces before going blind, hooked me. The delivery of it, not so much.
Billie deciding to go live in the streets whilst finishing her work was confusing, and one might say insensitive?
Dialogues were a bit cheesy, which made the book feel a bit childish (which I assume wasn't the aim of Thorogood). Nonetheless, I thought her characters were unique and clearly distinguishable one from the other.
If you're wanting to read Thorogood's books, I would definitely pick up her graphic memoir first.
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
funny
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
3.5
Woman World was a cute little read. It's endearing and made me chuckle at times. Initially, I had the impression this was a graphic novel, but the short comic scenes grew on me as I kept reading.
For anyone wanting to read this book, I'd recommend it if you are used to the Instagram-style short comics filled with humour and punch lines. But if you're looking for a well-developed story with character development and a cohesive plot, you might want to skip this one.
For anyone wanting to read this book, I'd recommend it if you are used to the Instagram-style short comics filled with humour and punch lines. But if you're looking for a well-developed story with character development and a cohesive plot, you might want to skip this one.
Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Heroes is a solid 'sequel' to Mythos. I adore how Fry uses footnotes and adds some humour to these myths. One thing I loved about Mythos that wasn't done as much in this instalment was going into the etymology of characters' names and relating them to the words we use now. That academic take, without losing the humour, was what made Mythos so interesting to me. Unfortunately, Heroes was less academic in a way.
One thing I do love about Fry's retellings is how he always mentions the different versions a myth will have. I adore that my understanding of them feels a lot more rounded than just reading one single version.
We are all aware that Greek myths aren't the most feminist of all. Nevertheless, I think Mythos was written in a way that the characters' awful behaviour was always portrayed as negative and reprimanded (at least by Fry in a footnote). But in Heroes, interestingly, I didn't feel the same. Most of these heroes' actions were kind of mentioned and not explored? Not questioned? It made this instalment lose a bit of the contemporary aspect that I adored from Mythos.
In any case, I really enjoyed this book. I'm definitely picking up Troy and praying that the academic and 'contemporary' feel returns to this series.
One thing I do love about Fry's retellings is how he always mentions the different versions a myth will have. I adore that my understanding of them feels a lot more rounded than just reading one single version.
We are all aware that Greek myths aren't the most feminist of all. Nevertheless, I think Mythos was written in a way that the characters' awful behaviour was always portrayed as negative and reprimanded (at least by Fry in a footnote). But in Heroes, interestingly, I didn't feel the same. Most of these heroes' actions were kind of mentioned and not explored? Not questioned? It made this instalment lose a bit of the contemporary aspect that I adored from Mythos.
In any case, I really enjoyed this book. I'm definitely picking up Troy and praying that the academic and 'contemporary' feel returns to this series.
Todo este silencio - Relatos sobre mi trastorno bipolar by Fermina Ponce
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.5
La escritura de Ponce me encantó. Su estilo poético se me hizo muy hermoso de leer. Me pareció que Ponce logró capturar sus emociones muy claramente en este libro.
Aprecié los momentos de su vida, escritos casi como si fueran 'snapshots'. Estos capítulos cortos fueron perfectos para demostrar ese estilo. Casi como si fueran fotos en un álbum.
Lo único que me hubiera gustado es que el libro fuera más largo. Quería seguir indagando sobre la condición bipolar y cómo esta afecta a Ponce.
Aprecié los momentos de su vida, escritos casi como si fueran 'snapshots'. Estos capítulos cortos fueron perfectos para demostrar ese estilo. Casi como si fueran fotos en un álbum.
Lo único que me hubiera gustado es que el libro fuera más largo. Quería seguir indagando sobre la condición bipolar y cómo esta afecta a Ponce.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Once Upon a River was a complete experience to read. I've had a second hand copy for three years, and only did I crack it open now.
I think I had a wrong first impression of this novel. I initially thought it would be a story about how a little girl comes back to life. But in reality, the story focuses more on why the different families want to claim her as theirs. I thought it would be more of a mystery novel, it ended up being a beautifully written pastoral tale about families.
I loved all the characters; found it interesting to follow them around their small yet meaningful lives. Every character has their own essence, their own dreams, their own regrets, their own stories. It was a pleasure to read so much into each individual character, without losing the main storyline of the mysterious girl. If all of Setterfield's books are written like this, I'm deifnitely picking another one up.
My main qualm with the novel was how Setterfield used certain scenes for world-building. The world she writes about feels incredibly real, and I have no complaint about that... I just felt that certain scenes didn't further the plot, and didn't expand a character, they just expanded the world. These specific scenes felt slow and uninteresting to me. That's why I've given the novel a 4 -star review instead of of a 5-star one. Nevertheless, after getting over these scenes, when the story picks up and the reader recognises the characters, the novel was exquisite to dip into.
I think I had a wrong first impression of this novel. I initially thought it would be a story about how a little girl comes back to life. But in reality, the story focuses more on why the different families want to claim her as theirs. I thought it would be more of a mystery novel, it ended up being a beautifully written pastoral tale about families.
I loved all the characters; found it interesting to follow them around their small yet meaningful lives. Every character has their own essence, their own dreams, their own regrets, their own stories. It was a pleasure to read so much into each individual character, without losing the main storyline of the mysterious girl. If all of Setterfield's books are written like this, I'm deifnitely picking another one up.
My main qualm with the novel was how Setterfield used certain scenes for world-building. The world she writes about feels incredibly real, and I have no complaint about that... I just felt that certain scenes didn't further the plot, and didn't expand a character, they just expanded the world. These specific scenes felt slow and uninteresting to me. That's why I've given the novel a 4 -star review instead of of a 5-star one. Nevertheless, after getting over these scenes, when the story picks up and the reader recognises the characters, the novel was exquisite to dip into.