erin0999's reviews
188 reviews

The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

So, sometimes this feels a little cerebral and weird? Like artsy in a way I’m not sure always lands. But I am still REALLY enjoying this world and this series. I like the “critique of religion” route we’re going. I also like the direction Ophelia’s character is going, she had a couple angry outbursts and her actions against Farouk at the end were pretty awesome tho… my main critique is I feel like Ophelia is having these moments and the rest of the characters are like… brushing her off? Like what’s the point of having big character moments where the character expresses herself against the societal injustices she’s facing and her extraordinarily tough situation and everyone doesn’t really seem fazed by it? The only one where I felt she had maybe affected another character was when she had a melt down and cried, which like, relatable and also I probably would cry in her situation too, but I still don’t like the optics of it.

I know I’ve been pretty critical so far but it’s weird how off I feel about the characters but how excited I am about the world and the plot. I’m also super pumped for Book 3 because I’m pretty sure we’ll get to explore other places in this world! So yeah, I will be continuing on with the series all while hoping for the continual improvement of Ophelia’s character.

P.S. sometimes Thorn is so Light Yagami coded I can’t stand it lmao. I cannot take him seriously like this PLEASE Christelle Dabos

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

Ok I did not expect to like this as much as I did, the start had me kinda on the fence. The main character seemed really Not Like Other Girls and Bella Swan-ish. She’s not the most interesting character but the shit she goes through in this book definitely sticks with her and gives me a lot of excitement for her character development in book 2 which I’ve already gone out and purchased because the second half of this book was wild and I devoured it. While the main character is not the most interesting, her powers, the world, and the other characters are soooo fascinating. Once the characters get to the giant floating citadel, the story just pops off. I love the deceit, the illusions, the intrigue, the DRAMA. It’s all very vicious and engaging. A love story, this is not, and I’m glad for it. If this is a slow burn, girl you’ve got me on the edge of my seat. I’m excited to see where things go from here because OOO a lot of things fell apart at the end of book one

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Go to review page

challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This was a really interesting read as I find language, culture, and cults all to be super interesting. I already know a LOT about the big name cults, I’ve seen the documentaries, it’s just something I find interesting and I think this book is made for people like me who have that level of understanding and knowledge to begin with. This book does not deep dive into any particular one particular cult, though it does focus on several throughout. That being said, I don’t think this book was written for people who are unfamiliar with cults at all. Which is fair, this book is about language cults use and is probably more for people who wonder why people get sucked into cults and stay in them, or why established cults feel so strange and out of place in our society (aside from their beliefs or customs).
Overall I thought this book was interestingly written, I went through the audiobook super fast, just listening and wanting to learn more and this was a great introduction to a lot of linguistic concepts. I also think Montell makes a great argument that cults have largely moved into social media and online spaces. It proves her point so clearly that the first things cults do is establish a language, a way of speaking, that is fundamentally different and sets their group apart. And this language is more powerful than we give it credit for, people join online cult leaders and sometimes physically go meet them (like shown in the Mother God documentary) all based on the way that they resonate with the language and message being given.
While I did like a majority of this book, I do think that Montell’s message of encouraging compassion towards people who have been brought into these fringe groups or sucked into these MLMs comes a bit too late. Especially in the MLM section, I found myself wanting Montell to bring that compassion and understanding she preaches about in the very last section of book. Eventually it comes, but you almost have to get to the last page to receive it. I think it would be much better placed at the start of the book and maybe throughout. Montell’s writing is sometimes funny and snarky which is totally fine, especially when breaking down concepts like this, but she also sometimes comes across a little mean spirited when she refers to women in MLMs or her former coworkers at a “fashion magazine”. It comes across a little holier than thou despite her also saying she’s absolutely not saying that. I think this would be more believable if that sweet message wasn’t saved until the end.
Despite that, I think this is a very well done book if you want to understand the elements of language and fanaticism that cults, religions, exercise groups, and businesses all use to manipulate us, either for good or evil.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Go to review page

emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced