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estellegodard's reviews
296 reviews
The Women by Kristin Hannah
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book simply did not hit the same way as the other kristin hannah books I’ve read. there were a lot of passages that felt repetitive and I never felt a strong connection to the main character.
I appreciated the subject matter as a whole; it’s inspiring and it isn’t a topic I’ve read a lot about. however, the nuance of that time period feels a little simplistic in the book.
I will say the plot twist with rye was genuinely surprising & I binged the last quarter of this book to find out how it would finish between them.
ultimately, I enjoyed this book but it’s a far cry from what the author has published in the past. the emotions aren’t as visceral and the story wasn’t as vivid & well developed.
I appreciated the subject matter as a whole; it’s inspiring and it isn’t a topic I’ve read a lot about. however, the nuance of that time period feels a little simplistic in the book.
I will say the plot twist with rye was genuinely surprising & I binged the last quarter of this book to find out how it would finish between them.
ultimately, I enjoyed this book but it’s a far cry from what the author has published in the past. the emotions aren’t as visceral and the story wasn’t as vivid & well developed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, War
Mon mari by Maud Ventura
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
really really enjoyable and unique book. the author does a terrific job of immersing us fully into the heroine’s psyche. I think this book does a great job of grasping the mental gymnastics that can occur in a woman’s mind. one of its greatest assets is the ability to make the main characters toxic/crazy behavior seem rational and justified. of course, it’s heavily dramatized, but there are plenty of moments that ring true and plenty of moments that aren’t that far fetched, especially for someone who understands overthinking. this book had me hooked right from the start and I really appreciated the ending too - it really added an extra layer.
Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.0
beautifully written and includes exquisite descriptions of food. the writing style (like the author’s other book) is dense and flowery. for the culinary passages this style works in favor of the material, really evoking the sensations wholly. I didn’t think the side characters added much to the plot & definitely enjoyed the reflective moments of the protagonist the most.
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
really well documented and organized book on the authors trauma and the way she has attempted to overcome it. I particularly enjoyed the portions of the book when she links mental illness to genetics & physical health. the author is candid about her traumatic experiences and her shortcomings which made for a very impactful reading experience. I was particularly touched by chapter 42.
I didn’t like the sections where she transcribes her conversation with her psychologist. in the audio book, portions of the audio are directly added to the book. I appreciate the idea of including the primary source material in this instance, but to me it made it harder to follow and took me out of the listening experience that the author had established.
overall, I learned a lot through this book about complex ptsd and the way childhood trauma can leave lasting scars on the body.
I didn’t like the sections where she transcribes her conversation with her psychologist. in the audio book, portions of the audio are directly added to the book. I appreciate the idea of including the primary source material in this instance, but to me it made it harder to follow and took me out of the listening experience that the author had established.
overall, I learned a lot through this book about complex ptsd and the way childhood trauma can leave lasting scars on the body.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
brilliantly captures the pressure-cooker atmosphere of our current corporate climate. this book resonated with me and I’m sure will resonate with many 20-30 year olds. I also thought the book does a great job of highlighting the endless innate guilt & helplessness we feel in response to the world’s turmoil.
I thought the form the author utilized was very clever; each definition serving to peel back another layer on the protagonist’s psyche. I took the black hole to be a metaphor for her depression, but I thought it was interesting that by the end it is completely personified and essentially swallows her whole.
I did find the ending to be a little rushed - I think perhaps I would have liked a little more closure, especially in her work place. nonetheless, I think this book will stick with me a while, especially the absurd (yet frightfully truthful!) dialogues between cassie and her coworkers or friends.
I thought the form the author utilized was very clever; each definition serving to peel back another layer on the protagonist’s psyche. I took the black hole to be a metaphor for her depression, but I thought it was interesting that by the end it is completely personified and essentially swallows her whole.
I did find the ending to be a little rushed - I think perhaps I would have liked a little more closure, especially in her work place. nonetheless, I think this book will stick with me a while, especially the absurd (yet frightfully truthful!) dialogues between cassie and her coworkers or friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Abortion
Les nuits blanches by Fyodor Dostoevsky
emotional
slow-paced
2.75
there were many moments in this short book that I found very lovely. however, I think the first “night” is incredibly hard to digest. when the narrator discusses his dreams and past, the monologue is dense and meandering, creating a very abstract reading experience. due to this, I lacked the connection to the main character that would have unlocked true emotions for the rest of the book. despite this, I really loved the heroine. I found her experiences to be relatable & transcendent of time. I felt empathy for her pain and circumstances, seeing a universal experience in these wishy-washy emotions. however, I found the ending to not be as hard hitting. once again, this was due to a disconnect with our narrator.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
really entertaining book and very immersive. I loved following our protagonist, and really loved the friends he made along the way, especially mimi and deke. I often felt the urge to keep on reading and find out what happened next. I wish we had gotten a little more time to spend in the changed future of 2011, because I found this to be very interesting. in the middle section, the book does suffer in pacing and length - it feels like we are reading a slice of life story rather than a suspenseful book. nonetheless, I thought the story was creative and well researched, the human connections were deep and authentic, and the ending was pleasantly bittersweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Gun violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the ending left much to be desired, in my opinion. I did enjoy the majority of the book, but all in all I find the story confused, not providing the proper closure for this decades long friendship. the strongest moments included nino and elena’s relationship with him. I thought it was layered and complex, doing a great job of conveying the toxic love elena felt. i think my main problem with this book (and the series as a whole) is that the characters are too fickle. it is very hard to get understand them (lila in particular) and thus it makes it hard to relate. even in the moments of tragedy I always felt like I was from the outside looking in. nonetheless, I have to give credit to the author for being able to make characters that are so nuanced & creating a fluctuating, realistic female friendship.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
funny
fast-paced
3.75
this started off very mid-tier but little by little the book became funnier and I found myself actually laughing out loud listening to tina fey’s narration. I don’t think the story she tells is particularly eye-opening to the industry in which she worked, nor do I think it does a particularly good job of telling readers how tina fey reached her success. for these reasons, I’m not sure it’s a particularly good memoir. but despite this, the anecdotes make the book enjoyable and her whit/sarcasm is worth it alone. I will note that some of the jokes aren’t aging well (though some do and remain incredibly relevant).
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
medium-paced
2.75
I usually really enjoy culinary memories and books that take place in the kitchen. despite this, I didn’t really enjoy this memoir. I found it quite outdated, playing into all the stereotypes of culinary stars. it tries to be funny in a “rough around the edges” sort of way, but comes off as crude and superficial. I enjoy certain parts, mainly when discussing dinner time rushes or specific anecdotes with suppliers. but overall, this wasn’t memorable and I expected more from the memoir of such a personality in the culinary world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing