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documentno_is's Reviews (1.28k)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
I appreciated the absurdity, but it was implausible enough that it was hard to connect with any of the characters rather then seeing them as shells for the humorous situations the author concocted.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sure it’s a children’s novel but at least I’m saved from his usual faults in writing women. It was surreal and horrific and beautifully illustrated.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've been reading some celebrity memoirs as of late, a sort of low stakes version attempt to read more nonfiction. So when this book written in that same space blew them all out fo the water I feel rather solidified in my opinion that fiction fills in the gaps- the space where reality doesn't fully examine what it's living through and luckily we have fiction to take us the extra step. As a debut novel honey is perfect, its interior without being trapping and reflective without being pedantic. I fully believe the characters and their journeys and the complexity that each has with each other in their growth and relationships. I felt this novel was able to give me more empathy for celebrities than any of the memoirs I had read- as a sort of heart aching presentation with the edges of privileged personality types shaved off. I can't wait to read more of what Banta has to offer.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
I would have rated this much higher- but to build all of that up for a "shocking" and pessimistic ending with weird thematic undercurrents.. I don't know.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Good:
Structurally this book is so interesting, blending drawings and interview style back and forth with poems and longer sections of prose, Acker makes the medium work for her and stretches it to its limits. I enjoyed the feminist commentary and the waxing on about heartbreak. I think a lot of the political commentary was interesting as well.
The Bad:
Like many other hippies and punks of her time Acker tends to lean into exoticism in overt and unnecessary ways. Using sex for shock value doesn’t bother me but when some of her fantasies (fears- if you’ve read the book you will know the section I’m referring to) lean into overt racism, I’m distanced from her experimentation. Maybe some things I can pass off as of her time but others not so much. A lot of times the constant switching formats pulls the reader out of the story as she begins to get to the meat.
I loved the surrealist quality of the work, and am glad I finally gave Acker a try.
Structurally this book is so interesting, blending drawings and interview style back and forth with poems and longer sections of prose, Acker makes the medium work for her and stretches it to its limits. I enjoyed the feminist commentary and the waxing on about heartbreak. I think a lot of the political commentary was interesting as well.
The Bad:
Like many other hippies and punks of her time Acker tends to lean into exoticism in overt and unnecessary ways. Using sex for shock value doesn’t bother me but when some of her fantasies (fears- if you’ve read the book you will know the section I’m referring to) lean into overt racism, I’m distanced from her experimentation. Maybe some things I can pass off as of her time but others not so much. A lot of times the constant switching formats pulls the reader out of the story as she begins to get to the meat.
I loved the surrealist quality of the work, and am glad I finally gave Acker a try.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Nelson continues to assert herself as a Dillard contemporary. I first began this book with the errant thought that I was disappointed this was a book about nothing and ultimately came to the conclusion that I could read Nelson wax poetically on nothing into eternity- because the voice and tone propels. I love love and I love longing and I love this book.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe one of the most gruesome tales of not fitting in that ive read. I didn’t enjoy the world Murata created, although I do understand it. The weight of societal expectations and the hypocrisy of those meant to be our protectors- this novel takes an equal parts grim and pessimistic take on how to live outside the confines of society. The line between fantasy and reality is often blurred in this tale (especially in the end) and Murata uses the world to ease the reader into the books dark subject matter. This novel was interesting, simple, and had really locked in plot structure. Even so- the suppositions of the novel feel a little half formed and maybe operate better as a fantasy horror than some sort of heavily themed allegory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
Pleasantly surprised with The Price of Salt, a novel with charming characters and a nuanced premise. I’d say it was perfect but I felt in needed just a little bit more stress in its climax. Still, a wonderfully hopeful ending which is rare for queer lit. I really enjoyed the prose as there was an almost theatrical quality to it that was layered with the Therese’s interiority. The way that Highsmith wrote scenes around inanimate objects reminded me of Lispector (and the milk!)