eliajor's reviews
229 reviews

Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.25

I did enjoy how many smaller details from the beginning of the chapter were resolved at the end. I loved seeing Hadrian and Royce banter and learn to depend on each other. We learned alittle more about Hadrian and he’s just as flawed as Royce.
I’ll admit the sheer amount of detail about this city had me lost at times and there was a lot to digest during my first read, but nonetheless enjoyable.
My views on Genny changed dramatically throughout the story and by the end I loved her character

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

People have recommended 'Another Brooklyn' as a toned-down version of 'A Little Life', but I'd say they're two different books. Another Brooklyn focuses on one protagonist whilst A Little Life has 4 distinct voices/narrators. Another Brooklyn fell short for me since the poetic lyrical verses the writer has used, flew over my head. At times I'd say it was too lyrical for heavy topics like

assault, femicide, men(derogatory)

. If anything it was so surface levelled that the main character feels like a plastic bag floating through her years rather than someone active. There are also hints of indoctrination from religion which is understandable, but there's never truly character growth. Granted the characters are young girls to teenagers who do dumb things but this book could've been so much more than a poem disguised as a novel. I found all the characters insufferable and shallow which made it difficult to read and the more I read the less I enjoyed the heavy implicit narrative. The author wants me to do the heavy lifting and think that her writing is 'deep' which it's not. I don't like the protagonist and I don't like the other girls as much as I sympathise with their situation.

Really there's very little substance that made it redeeming and simultaneously puts me off seeking therapy.

Content Warnings

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went into this book blind and came out not only depressed but also with a raging anger for the world just like many other women in this book who were let down by people in their lives with the capabilities of helping them.

There are two perspectives: Pamela and Ruth. One is a survivor, the other was a victim of The Defendant. I understand why people don't like how The Defendant is named that way, it does feel reductive, but many serial killers are renowned by their names. By calling him The Defendant I think we can disrespect this puny insecure beady-eyed failure who only got away with his murders for so long due to the utter incompetence of law enforcers. Edward Cowart was the judge who sentenced The Defendant but said it was a shame that he had to be sentenced because he was a bright young man despite murdering at least 10 women.

I applaud Pamela's courage and tenacity to deal with many people in her life who wanted to question her witness statement because that would be easier than to catch The Defendant. How funny that people are quick to support The Defendant as a harmless law student rather than a woman who witnessed him moments after killing her friend. The absolute audacity and this is why high blood pressure is so prevalent today.

Ruth was someone who lived at her family home and never had a good relationship with her family due to her sexuality. This was a time where homophobia was your next door neighbour and what's better than a bigoted mother willing to send her daughter to a mental asylum than support her. I see her journey to counselling where she meets Tina and escapes her home to find friendship among women whilst advancing her skills in baking. She truly came a long way and it was all the more sad and horrific to know she would be killed. Ruth like Denise, were promising young women. It was very difficult to read the final few chapters and when Ruth met The Defendant, he appeared as a young man on the beach with an injured hand and no friends around to help him move his boat. To anyone, we would be kind enough to help out The Defendant and have sympathy for him. Yet there are people out there who would weaponise this kindness engrained especially within women.

This book was brilliantly written and I constantly think about the fears the women in this novel would've felt walking along the street, not knowing whether you'll end up a victim or a survivor within the next few hours.

Content Warnings

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.25

I found the journey of the protagonist heartwarming as he navigates a system full of nuances that he doesn’t understand, even as he yearns to but his mind is betraying him from the full spectrum of human emotions. I relate to his mental stumps and feeling developmentally behind. A great easy read that can be thought provoking or wholesome or sad t times that I’d recommend for translated fiction.

Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Katherine J. Chen

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challenging emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a journey it has been and devastation this book has heaped on me. Joan is not only about the legendary soldier, but also of a young girl navigating a monarchy system that always saw her as a threat, especially the insecure prune King. I say he has no name, no significance other than how he lets his own fears ruin Joan, the one woman who helped him achieve more than he ever could. Joan’s whole story is tragic on many levels, not only because she had failed to save her sister, her beloved dog and country. Many of these things happened because the world failed her even before she was born, even before she came to Dauphin. Yet no matter where she is, Joan shows a kindness that warms my heart as it also breaks it.

Though I do have one gripe, maybe two — one being that the book was short and I needed more since I can read Katherine’s writing all year — the second being that I wished we could’ve seen Joan sass out the Burgundians in court and her trial. I wanted to see her brave the ridicule and unforgiving court system who saw her as a witch. Anything for old religious men to excuse murdering people not of their own culture I guess. As bad as it is, I wish we could’ve seen Joan at the fire pyre, embraced not by the heat but by Catherine again. Joan’s final resilience that never faded even as she took her final breath.

Joan will forever be with me, carved inside her own heaven now with Catherine and Salaud.

Thank you to Katherine, for changing my life with your impeccable writing. Not a word was wasted and you have forever changed the standard for me. A year ago I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend the decadent descriptions and now it feels like I’ve stepped up in the literary world, like how Joan did. You’ve defined my new year and I won’t forget Joan.

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A devastatingly beautiful, well rounded conclusion to this phenomenon trilogy about our protagonist Amara's life and societal progression. She is flawed and she is traumatised from her life as a slave. She is prone to repeating the same behaviours that Felix has imparted on her. Yet we see her grow from a low-street prostitute into a prominent, powerful courtesan at the highest levels of Roman society using her wit, charm and kindness. Many peripheral characters are mentioned once again in this third instalment, bringing me back to memories of lovely, haunting Dido and Cressia. All these characters have shaped Amara to the person she is, and I love the emphasis of female friendship empowering everyone around them to survive this cruel, patriarchal Greek society. Drusilla, Victoria, Julia, Livia, Britannica, are a few who continued to support Amara and protect her despite social standing differences.

And how can we forget about Pliny and Philos (and begrudgingly Rufus). Their gentle, intelligent and sometimes blunt personality charmed me as much as Amara. I will miss everyone so very much (not Felix, he can choke). I will be forever haunted by this book, especially from Pliny the Elder and dear Philos who have stayed with us ever since the first book. Britannica's fighting spirit alongside the wiliness of Amara and Rufina's mischievousness will cling to the very fabric of my reality. This is a book with a background within ancient society, laced with mentions of festivals and worshipped gods. It is a book I've always dreamt of reading and now that it's over I'm heartbroken. Thank you, Elodie Harper, for the bittersweet memories and the knowledge that Amara's life is forever contained to those years, never able to see her grow older and experience more. I’d drink the waters of the Lethe if it means I can relive this trilogy once again.

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced