fabbioscarito's reviews
24 reviews

The Way of Kings, Part One by Brandon Sanderson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

I was a bad reader at this time but I liked what I read. Hope to go back and finish

Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.

I was a bad reader at this time in my life. Will try again

The Power by Naomi Alderman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

Nothing against the book, but I decided to carry on the Orwell train and finally finish 1984

Animal Farm by George Orwell

dark funny sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This was such a disheartening read. It feels particularly relevant right now, but I also think that's a credit to Orwell's writing, it always feels relevant. He's great at maximising readability without sacrificing context and commentary. Unfortunately this has aged very well 

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is a bit of a fever dream that in about 230-pages comments on greed, religion and war with a razor sharp wit and consistent humour. I'm still trying to decipher the titular Cat's Cradle to be honest but the fact I've been thinking about it days after I've finished is testament to its quality

In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka

challenging funny mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.0

Damn, the officer and the commandant were into some freaky shit😮

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful relaxing slow-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

5.0

Blood of Elves is the closest thing we'll get to a fantasy book that's actually a slice of life hangout book. It's basically these mythical beings just sat around castles, in pubs, going on road trips and talking about life and it might be the best Witcher book even tho everyone hates it

Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

A fun twist on Norse mythology, Heathen updates the well worn setting with modern sentiments in mind. Aydis is charming, good hearted and visually striking (like the rest of the artwork) to boot, everything you could want in a comic book protagonist. I hope she succeeds!

High-rise by J.G. Ballard

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

With High Rise Ballard presents an incredibly bleak and challenging piece of prose. His text is incredibly well written, saturating each sentence with a wealth of meaning. While well written, it isn't easy to read, as Ballard is confronting the depths of mankind's depravity which we dress up behind civilised walls on a daily basis. Reading it is, much like Wilder's climb of the High Rise itself, incredibly challenging and incredibly worthwhile 

The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

The Homesman offers an uncompromising depiction of prairie life and dementia, but also of people generally. I found Swarthout's depictions of people, particularly Briggs, to be very enjoyable, if the development was a bit sudden in certain places. It was also v well paced