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documentno_is's Reviews (1.3k)
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I felt like this novella tried to accomplish two disparate goals at once and ended up doing neither of them well. This sort of accomplishes the fiction dilemma of writing to theme, and maybe why you shouldn’t.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Lord give me the confidence of a mediocre man, he can walk through 1000 open doors and step on the backs of 1000 women and still wonder if perhaps he is the son of god. His level of delusion is actually incredible and entertaining!
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Machado seems to be firmly in the camp of writers willing to cut themself and watch it bleed, as it is, the result is overwrought, occasionally only loosely connected (which she self-admonished for in the piece but naming a flaw doesn’t disappear it,) and has the familiar cadence of slam poetry. I did really appreciate the historical overlook of lesbian abuse as topic and it was very well paced. I think I might’ve enjoyed this after the dissolution of some of my worst relationships, but now that they are so far in the rear view I question the practice of simmering in it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was both better and worse than I expected, better written maybe. The plot sense is good, it carries, the stakes are high and there is some connection between them. There are perhaps one too many overwrought poignant quotes about the meaning of love. The romance aspect between her and the immortal god did nothing for me, and having her straddle the two just unnecessarily lowered the stakes. I thought it was fine.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Certainly one of the more challenging things I've read. I'm not sure it was worth it for some beautiful sentences-- Presenting the evils and complexities of the south is certainly a worthwhile endeavor although the vehicle in this case is practically impenetrable. I remember really liking As I Lay Dying back in the day (high school) and I'm less motivated to attempt a re-read after this, for what its worth.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book actually went somewhere a lot more interesting than I thought it was, and also tried to tackle a little too much
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
Ironically in consideration of one of its later lines, I did find it a bit overwrought. It tried too hard to be poignant and felt a little empty, although some vignettes I absolutely loved.
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Melville's writing, I'm glad he gave me something short enough to finish for once haha.. intense and inevitable this is a very well constructed story and the characters in such a short opportunity were so alive.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Short sentences, very adept characterization, societal & class struggles galore; this is Rooney at her best for sure. Maybe I just love chess.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Annoyingly pedantic at times.. like the snake and the audiobook was spoon feeding theme in a way that felt so grating, and I think there was something missing here between me and the humor style. Maybe also spiritually I felt distant, I’m not religious so it felt not as weighty as it did for the protagonist. The hyper modern influences felt simultaneously out of touch and trying to be so hip. Some of the descriptions were fantastic and I felt somewhat endeared to the nuanced perspective of the characters life situation. This enjoyed how the inferiority interplayed with the sense of time as well. I just ultimately failed to connect with this while I could recognize some parts were technically quite good, and I do think it all tied together quite nicely.