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erikachung182's reviews
446 reviews
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexism
Nocturna by Maya Motayne
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces by Elamin Abdelmahmoud
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
Fault is my own. I started reading Les Mis as a personal challenge. I have lost motivation and will likely try again later.
The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I’m probably going to reread this in the future, most likely when I need to do more research into genre for my dissertation. I loved the overall concept of this book, and I loved the incorporation of key tropes from the superhero genre to highlight the sexism it. My fave short story was “The Ballad of Blue Bayou” because the writing style felt much closer in tone to and narrative style of comics.
I’m familiar with how female superheroes are framed and represented in comics and it’s history. And so, I enjoyed and appreciated how well this collection worked as parody. The moment I saw the title I knew it was rooted in Gail Simone’s Women in Refrigerators. For anyone interested to read/learn more, check out fan scholar Suzanne Scott’s article “Fangirls in Refrigerator: the politics of (in)visibility in comic book culture” (free to read online).
However, the writing style is what has me feeling torn about the book. Maybe because it pulls further away from how the superhero genre has roots in comics, but maybe that distance is what helps it work well as parody? Maybe my thoughts are just indication that there’s a high chance I’m gonna revisit this later on. If you’re already familiar with the issues of representation in comics, especially those on gender and sexuality, I think you’ll appreciate how these issues are told through a prose format as a different reading experience.
I’m familiar with how female superheroes are framed and represented in comics and it’s history. And so, I enjoyed and appreciated how well this collection worked as parody. The moment I saw the title I knew it was rooted in Gail Simone’s Women in Refrigerators. For anyone interested to read/learn more, check out fan scholar Suzanne Scott’s article “Fangirls in Refrigerator: the politics of (in)visibility in comic book culture” (free to read online).
However, the writing style is what has me feeling torn about the book. Maybe because it pulls further away from how the superhero genre has roots in comics, but maybe that distance is what helps it work well as parody? Maybe my thoughts are just indication that there’s a high chance I’m gonna revisit this later on. If you’re already familiar with the issues of representation in comics, especially those on gender and sexuality, I think you’ll appreciate how these issues are told through a prose format as a different reading experience.