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dreamsoftomes's reviews
208 reviews
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
gid is the baby jesus…i could not stop laughing at that lord take all of harrow's suffering, double it and give it right back to God and all his lyctors especially the Saint of Duty's evil ass.
4.5
The Guest by Emma Cline
4.0
i am not even kidding, this is horror to me. a slow descent into a progressively lower level of hellish madness. alex is a ghost, even to herself. this is such a unique character i have never seen put down on paper before, it's a specific kind of person that is seedy and allluring, unnerving like they're not quite living in the same stratosphere as others. it's unrelenting survival, forcing yourself into the lives of people, in a parasitic manner. alex is fighting, but for what ? the waves keep coming and going, and she endures, but what for ? her life is empty, devoid of anything except the performance. the alex she needs to be for each person that she meets, in order for them to give her what she needs, in that moment. it's incredible. it perfectly captures that summer nausea, the fever in mid july, the overstaying guest.
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Updated Edition) by Anthony Bourdain
4.0
Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
super vibey, almost prose-like, it's very good at paiting a strong atmosphere. The book form of how overpowing and dizzying incense can be. It's length surprised me, such a strong image and captivating emotions I was left with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
The Trio by Johanna Hedman
**spoilers ahead**
I read this expecting a certain structure to the narrative :
First we meet present day Hugo and Frances, only alluding to Thora and August, who are in a way phantoms in Hugo's life. Then we go to the past and explore the relationship that existed in this trio, and how it unraveled. Throughout all of this, I was truly expecting to go back to the future we started in and find some kind of closure for Hugo, and for Frances, who in her way came to learn more about August through Hugo. This is why the ending surprised me, but I appreciate it so much because it makes just so much sense in the context of this story, anything different would be a bit too comic book-y. In the sense that, there is no closure for Hugo, nor is there for any of them.
Sometimes, friendships end, and distance places people who were once so close, oceans away.. From strangers to friends, and strangers again. So much of this was relatable in a gut wrenching way, little moments of a thought or things said I could'nt help but gasp at. It was lyrical, just beautifully done.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's one of those where before I even finish it I was looking forward to the next time I would read it. The ending genuinely surprised me, I nearly restarted the book over again to try and understand it, understand them more. Their dynamics where so incredibly interesting, it's very character forward in the sense that we spend the length of this novel exploring their inner selves, and their rapport between each other. Reminds me a bit of Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng. The miscommunication trope is very strong in this so if you don't enjoy that beware. I am still very surprised that we don't get chapters from August's perspective, to quote Hugo himself :
My inability to see the whole of August increasingly felt like a betrayal."
**spoilers ahead**
First we meet present day Hugo and Frances, only alluding to Thora and August, who are in a way phantoms in Hugo's life. Then we go to the past and explore the relationship that existed in this trio, and how it unraveled. Throughout all of this, I was truly expecting to go back to the future we started in and find some kind of closure for Hugo, and for Frances, who in her way came to learn more about August through Hugo. This is why the ending surprised me, but I appreciate it so much because it makes just so much sense in the context of this story, anything different would be a bit too comic book-y. In the sense that, there is no closure for Hugo, nor is there for any of them.
Sometimes, friendships end, and distance places people who were once so close, oceans away.. From strangers to friends, and strangers again. So much of this was relatable in a gut wrenching way, little moments of a thought or things said I could'nt help but gasp at. It was lyrical, just beautifully done.
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75