ellareads2's reviews
30 reviews

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Go to review page

adventurous sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

At the moment I cannot give a comprehensive review because I am just reeling in the emotions I have just after finishing this book. Overall, I felt frustrated/agitated with this book on three levels-the narrative structure/style, the characters, and the plot. In terms of style, I did not like the very direct, second person narration. It felt too obvious, explicit, and therefore cringe to me. I know that Elliot is the narrator but he is also a main character in the story so it confused me when he was retelling about events he was not present for. I feel that took away from the mystery and felt like a narrative cop-out. In prt of these reasons, I did not like Elliot as a narrator, but during/after the third act I feel that I did like him as a person because I could sympathize with him. I didn’t think that his play on the island would work, but I also didn’t think it would go the way that it did. I will commend Alex Michaelides for this detailed, unique plot. Going to plot, I did not like how we kept going back to events and reading them with more information/new perspective. In order for this narrative to work, this was essential (and this may be characteristic or mysteries/thrillers which I don’t read much of) but it kind of took me out of the story. Even though Elliot has issues and is a murderer, I wasn’t even that angry with him in the end. I was angry with Jason, Kate, and Lana. In my opinion, they’re just as sick and fucked up as him. I think everyone being so obsessed with Lana-wanting her validation love and attention-it makes sense that she was the one to die. I just hadn’t predicted it would be Elliot. Back to character, I really got invested with Nikos in the second act and thought he would play a crucial role, but he really went to the background once we learned this entire trip was manufactured. I thought this was truly a story about obsession and so I wanted to kinda see more of that from all the characters but especially Nikos. Also that kiss between him and Lana? That just happens, and we get no follow up which is annoying. On the title, I thought that the non-living character of fury/the wind/Aura would play a larger role, but she did not. I also thought the title was invoking the Greek myth of the Furies, but this was also wrong. In this way, I think the title is misleading. The greek dramatics, myth, and location are just a backdrop. I think this is more an American story about Hollywood-love, obsession, acting, fame-than anything else. This story was entertaining, but I think there was a lot Michaelides was trying to juggle in one novel.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I have been wanting to read Giovanni's Room for a while now, and I think that this was the perfect time for me to read it. Having seen/read secondary material on this novel before, I think that influenced my readings/annotations, but it did not completely remove me from the story. About three-fourths through the novel, I realized that David and Giovanni really could have been any queer men during the 20th century. This is a story about love, identity, and internalized homophobia that is recognizable to many, even if the degree was not as severe as David's and Giovanni's end. Funnily enough, at the beginning of last year (2023), I read My Policeman by Bethan Roberts. I feel that this is another iteration of this experience, simply set in a different part of Europe. Although there are many key differences from the two novels; one I think most prominent is perspective. In this sort of tragic narrative there is the man that is out (in the sense that he has come to terms with his identity), there is the man that is closeted and has extreme internalized homophobia, and then there is the woman that represents all that the closeted man should be and want but does not truly desire. The closeted man usually treats the woman terribly by not fully communicating his feelings and going through the expectation of a heterosexual relationship on autopilot. James Baldwin tells this story from the perspective of the closeted man. As the novel went on, David just got uglier and uglier. The hate he had for himself was projected onto Giovanni, and I believe is what ultimately led to his death. By the end of the novel, it is clear that he lacks love and empathy for anyone primarily because he does not have that for himself. Guilt and shame rule his ethics and decisions. From the first few pages, Baldwin makes clear that this will be a tragedy. We know that there will be a physical death of Giovanni, but I think with that, there was a spiritual death of David. It is painfully ironic that he does not even end up married to Hella and returns to Paris even though he lamented several times prior to Giovanni’s death that he needed to escape the city. It makes all the pain, suffering, and death seem pointless, but I think it makes sense. It wasn’t the city of Paris itself that upset David, but rather how he associated Giovanni’s room and his evident homosexuality with it. He feels that by physically escaping the city, he will escape Giovanni’s room and all that it contains. Giovanni’s pet name for David, l’americain, categorized him as a foreigner. When Hella returns to Paris from Spain, David is so urged to leave. David’s father writes him a letter worried about what he’s doing in Paris and advises him to come home. All of these details link, at least for David, his sexuality and masculinity. While not said explicitly, the person David can be in Paris (Giovanni’s room), or even person he can be with, is not the same person he has to be in the U.S. This is something I was vigilant or keeping track of as I read because of a close reading from scholar Dwight A. McBride called “Straight Black Studies: On African American Studies, James Baldwin, and Black Queer Studies,” where he asserts a relationship between sexuality and nation. I think that this is a really compelling idea that Baldwin definitely thought about deeply from both this novel and his shared experiences being a Black man in Paris. Overall, I really loved this book. The prose was phenomenal. Baldwin never fails to get at the heart of his characters. While the plot is essential to this story, I think the characters themselves really drive it and what is haunting me still after the last page. I know this may not be fair, but I’m giving Giovanni’s Room a 4.5/5 because I am upset by the kill your gays trope. This is common in much gay media prior to the 21st century, so this is no surprise, but I believe in this way, Giovanni’s Room was palatable enough to be lauded as literature and not a complete disgrace.

Content Warnings

D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.75

Wow, this is my first time ever reading a contemporary romance. I'm not sure why I avoided the genre so staunchly for so long. To put it simply, Chencia C. Higgins ate. I could not ask for a better black lesbian romance. Kris and D'Vaughan's characters were both fleshed out and believable; I related to them on one page and got frustrated with them on the next. Chemistry was actually off the charts. The only thing that reminded me their relationship was "fake" was anytime the two producer characters or the cameras were mentioned. Higgins also really delivered with the sex scenes like omg. I thought there'd only be one but there was TWO. Finally venturing more out of YA where sex scenes are usually fade to black, I was pleasantly surprised by the detail and intimacy. It genuinely felt real because their romantic connection. Another thing I loved about this book is that it was unapologetically black in all senses of the word. I loved seeing the Afro-Latina representation in Kris' family and I related to D'Vaughn's frustration with lack of body-size diversity as a plus-sized black woman. Overall, there was just so much good vibes, but there were some honest, tough conversations about coming out and religion as well. Yes, this is a quick light-fluffy romance, but I think Higgins tackled these realistically and sufficiently. I am so glad I started off my 2024 with this book and I'll definetley be reading more black sapphic romance from this author!

Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

The description and ideas of this book had so much potential, but the characters and the prose really threw this book into the ground. Might try again when it comes out, but I was honestly disappointed in how repetitive and annoying the main character was. Yes, there is supposed to be mystery and suspense when trying to figure out the problem of the plot, but it got very tiring. I felt like I was just in limbo, not really going anywhere and eventually not caring where the main character went either.,

Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.

Go to review page

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.75

This is my first ARC I have ever read + reviewed and I am so glad it was Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr.! Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for a digital copy of this ARC.

Pritty primarily follows two young black boys-Jay and Leroy-who live in a black neighborhood in Savannah. Jay is very insecure about himself as he's been bullied with homophobic and colorist comments. In Jay's eyes, he will never measure up to his brother, Jacob, or boys like Princeton and Leroy; boys who everyone likes because of their confidence, athleticism, and lighter skin. After the murder of a young black journalist, Faa, territory tensions start to heat up. It is placing Jay and Leroy's life at risk, and so Leroy leaves, not willing to put Jay in harms way. It turns out that both of their families are involved. They begin to work with the Black Diamonds, a group whose mission is to protect the black neighborhoods of Savannah, to uncover who is trying to take them and their home.

This has to be my favorite book of 2023 so far, if not the whole year. The main thing I really enjoyed was Miller's beautiful portrayal and description of black life: food and families; elderly and youth; queerness and masculinity. This felt really important to me as a queer, black young adult. The representation didn't feel forced, and it wasn't the conflict either; it was simply the character's lived experience, some of which I could relate and some not. Either way, it felt real and genuine, so I really appreciated how immersive that made the reading experience.

My main complaints are with the last third of the short novel. The separation between Jay and Leroy at first was unbearable, but then--

*will finish review later*

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This collection was absolutely beautiful! It was the first time I've completed a work by Baldwin and I am excited to finish the rest of his fiction works this summer. Here is my ranking of the short stories because I do not feel that my overall star rating does justice to what I really thought of each story:

1. The Outing
2. Previous Condition
3. The Rockpile
4. The Man Child
5. This Morning, This Evening, So Soon
6. Sonny's Blues
7. Come Out the Wilderness
8. Going to Meet the Man (MAJOR TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING FOR LYNCHING)

What I like most about "The Outing" is how close to home it feels. Baldwin perfectly captures what it's like to grow up in the Church around very religious people and feel all that shame, guilt, and trauma even as a child. Along with these religious power dynamics, he also explores how this intersects with gender and age within the congregation. I love the descriptions of male intimacy-whether platonic or romantic it could be read-between the two boys Johnnie and David. These boys, as well as their friend Roy, do not buy the narrative of salvation that others around them do. But Johnnie, being the preacher's son and living and breathing this religion, still desires the great love and intimacy all the worshippers around him display during the service on the boat. It is a beautiful scene that Johne observes, but he is not truly apart of. I felt that as a queer person with religious trauma, the seamless parallels Baldwin makes are very powerful.

*full review will be on blog*

Content Warnings

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Go to review page

dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.75

*more detailed review to come*

More...

ellareads2's reviews 30 reviews

ellareads2's reviews
30 reviews