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documentno_is's Reviews (1.28k)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
I had heard so many good things about this novel throughout the years. Unfortunately, I feel like I might've gone in with my expectations too high-- I thought the scope was both too wide and too narrow and it had the overly-confident aura one expects from a first novel. It almost felt like it was checking off a list of boxes, in a way that felt unnatural rather than serving the very complex and interesting character Leilani created in the first section. There are elements of the absurd that I think work well, and more human elements that felt forced, although I did sort of love where it ended up between the two women. Luckily it was saved by Leilani's voice, which was as wickedly humorous as it was creative, and the shocking and devious ways these characters interweave within this piece were deeply entertaining and gratifying.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one has been sitting with me, if only because I'm confused why I don't like it more, and I've essentially decided there were stylistic choices the author made that comprised the aesthetic of this work that ultimately took away from the experience of the actual story. By speaking only in coded language throughout the novel the author also keeps us at a distance from the actual romantic nature of many of the scenes and encounters, and the experience of reading it is as if on the other side of glass. Sometimes this is effective, both at conveying the type of environment the characters were in but also at creating suspense and intrigue. The mood of this novel is impeccable, the settings and the rooms you find the characters in are so meticulously set. Still, I felt disconnected from it somehow; Henry and Julius' story slightly less so, with so much assumed it is hard to be invested in the outcome and then ending in uncertainty further confused me. The pace of the novel is incredibly slow, sometimes this works well with both the setting and the longing and other times it feels frustrating, how many more rooms must I sit in and watch these characters play cards? Muriel's story felt like more of a twist ending, the author not giving nearly as many clues to her motivations throughout which can somewhat be explained by her process of discovery but again just felt void of anything for much of it. I think this novel was very beautifully written but left me wanting, more resolution, absolution, and interiority.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Much better than Stassi's that's for sure. Seriously, what makes Scheana the most annoying (willingness to sell herself for chump change, complete lack of self-awareness, pick-me wannabe behavior) is exatly what makes her book interesting! All these people suck at least she's willing to tell us her deepest darkest secrets to make a buck haha. Congratz Sheeshu! Do yourself a favor and dump that despicable husband of yours tho.
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Picked this one up because I'm familiar with her Tik Tok persona, and it ended up being okay but ultimately unimpressive. The unfortunate aspect of her "bad bitch" persona that comes off as powerful and fun online is when condensed into a novel where she keeps returning to how intelligent she is without providing evidence of such it comes off as a tad opaque. I enjoyed hearing about her history and the more scene-ey parts from her sf/mission days and her talking about how poverty sticks with you her ultimate acknowledgment of her wealth was pretty.. unimpressive? There were a lot of contradictions in this piece that made it feel a little meaningless and it wasn't particularly funny so I can't say that I gained much. In her defense she does give a no new ideas preface in the beginning but that felt like sort of a cop out as well? Like, here is the weakness in my argument now you can't criticize it. Wasn't terrible, but ultimately skippable.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I think as with any short story collection, some were wonderful and others were very forgettable, or ones that I liked less. Life ceremony is the clear star amongst them and happens just past the midpoint of the novel, in perfect placement. I liked the callbacks to other universes of hers like Earthlings, and I do like how her stories all have a formula, that seems to work almost every time.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
An enjoyable summer rom-com with a fun premise and a poignant emotional backbone. The premise was unique and creative and followed through on the set up, I did wish the main character was a liiiitle more likable; he kind of started to get on my nerves at times (normally I don't care about a likeable mc but I think this premise needed one tbh.)
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
I had a big long review typed up about what irresponsible journalism this was but at the end of the day with this many pages and a huge Babitz bias, Anolik still couldn't get me close to liking her. The nepo baby airhead Maga lady wrote one passable book and a slew of terrible ones. Meanwhile, Didion was an asshole and also something Babitz never would be... a good fucking writer. Maybe concealing some of the more negative aspects of your person is commendable. Was never a huge fan of Didion but hearing them attack her for being mean and inauthentic like... okay? She could carry a sentence and capture a mood. Meanwhile, Babitz wrote like TMZ. Most importantly some of the sources used to develop this character assassination were questionable at best. As much I loved Anolik's evaluation of Bennington this seemed in such poor taste? The letter that caught me amounted to pretty much nothing as well, the length of this book is kind of offensive for how little it contained.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
It was like a little bit too hip for me, poetry wise. Cadence in the school of slam, the kind of work that begs to be read out loud so on the page it didn't quite hit. I still loved many of the double entendres and found it to be a good mix of poignant and in good fun. Enjoyable, but not gripping.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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
Whether I enjoy them or not, Murata's novels never fail to provoke me to interrogate societal norms surrounding sex and the nuclear family structure. That said, this one didn't quite hit as much as Convenience Store Woman for me and was more in line of how I felt about Earthlings (although I thought the actual science fiction element felt more natural.)
There was something strangely bio-essentialist in the messaging here, especially surrounding her disturbed feelings in relation to the pregnancies and sex. I appreciated the interrogation of a proposed capitalist closed city where society breeds convenient people but the line from that directly to tools that make pregnancy (or IVF) possible seemed less cogent. Maybe there is something interesting here in regards to society becoming more prudish and losing the "need" for regular sex. I didn't think I was supposed to be completely sympathetic to the old guard either given her treatment of her mother and then as is typical with Murata it really devolved into absurdity by the end. I enjoyed ehr interrogating the idea of adults having children and then pawning them off onto others to raise so they can continue as cogs in the machine but wasn't as sold on the larger critique of community structures and individuality when it comes to child rearing. Entertaining, but not as immediately gripping to me as some of her other works.