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fiekesfiction's reviews
321 reviews
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault
The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Get ready for some long list of complaints and disappointment.
But also for some subjective reasons and particular things that I cannot stand in books. I do see why people liked this book and am just very disappointed to disagree.
But lets start with the good.
I was very excited to read this fourth book in the mistborn world. The first three books are among my favourites. And this story takes place in the same world, just 300 years later. With a completely new group of characters. Since it has been so many years, the world has changed and the magic system has expanded. I was really excited to see all the new ways in which the magic was used, and really loved all the magic parts. I also really enjoyed to see all the references to the old characters (though it also made me miss them and feel sad to not follow them anymore). This story has a very different tone from the first book, instead of trying to overthrow the ruler and change the world, this story just follows two friends who try to solve a crime. And I really liked this shift. The stakes are still high (as they encounter some life threatening situations) but the overall story has a much smaller scope. I loved how Wayne and Wax had fun banter and joke around. It was fitting and nice. they had some moments that actually made me laugh, and it could have been so so great. It could have been so so great, because every time there was an action scene I loved it. I also loved the character Ranette. Everything she did was awesome. (But PLEASE do NOT put her in a romance plot. I really really hope she can stay the way she is.) (She probably won't though.)
Which is exactly why I was so disappointed. Because I saw so many ways in which this book could be really amazing. And I have loved 5 of the Brandon Sanderson books I read so far (the final empire/ the well of ascension/ the last hero/ skyward/ starsight) and I assumed me not liking one book (War breaker) was just a weird one time thing. But now this book didn't work for me either.
There were some things that I expected, like the lack of diversity, which is not great but I knew it was a thing in his book and had just decided to accept it.
I also expected the romance to be 'meh', because I don't really care much about romance in general and Sanderson is not particular good at it. (Though I do really like Vin and El together they are the best.) But in this book it just felt especially unnecessary. I do not understand why so many of his books include relationships where there's a huge age gap with a younger woman (I mean I have some guesses why but none of them are good reasons) and in mistborn I could excuse it with Breeze (who is Wax' ancestor btw) and Allrianne even though I really hated it, because they were side characters who weren't really important in general. Then there was the thing in War Breaker where Suseborn (300 years old) marries Siri (17 years old?), and though there is an understandable kind of twist with him in a way being more like a child, it was sort of okay but also just weird and both of those moments characters in the book actually mentioned it, side characters made comments about how it might be inappropriate, but the fact that they still ended up together in the end (and it is framed as 'the happy ending'), implies that we really actually should root for them. Which is very important to what happens in this book. Because we have main character Waxilium (43 year old) and Marasi (who is 20 or maybe 22 years old) and they both have some feelings for each other. Which is a source for drama as Wax is actually supposed to marry Marasi's cousin, to save his family's reputation. So throughout the book Wax and Marasi are set up as some type of 'doomed lovers'. And I just did not root for them to be together at all. Marasi knows Wax even before they meet, because Wax has somewhat of a reputation as a hero. And she looks up to him. In fact she is a big fan of him and idealizes him. And though he doesn't really do anything to enforce those feelings, he comments on other problems and doesn't really seem to realize what is happening. Maybe because she is not the only one who thinks of him as a hero. Wax also thinks of himself as a hero. There are many moments in which he thinks about how 'he must save these women', not just because there are in fact women being kidnapped, but also in general. It feels very condescending at times. This is not helped much by the fact that Marasi had very few moments in which she could really shine. Which is sort of okay with her character and fits with things she's said, but it still felt annoying when she insisted to come to important fights and then ended up needing to be rescued so many times.
There's also a whole scene where they talk about Vin (who is basically a mythical figure all those years later) and Marasi explains basically how she is not like Vin because she likes dresses. And it just rubbed me the wrong way because, 'I am not like other girls' is a lame thing to say, because Vin is my absolute hero and I don't understand why Marasi would say something to disrespect her even as she looks up to Vin and ESPECIALLY because Vin DID wear dresses. One of my favorite things about the original series was how Vin had a whole character arc of learning that she can be strong AND feminine. I think the point Sanderson might have been trying to make, was that women can be strong in many ways and that Marasi's intelligence was valuable even if she isn't necessarily physically strong. However, this whole point was lost because it was said in a way that depended on disrespecting Vin.
Wayne as a character was probably the best part of this book. I liked his jokes, he is very funny but not in a way that makes him just the comedic relief character, he actually had a personality besides it. His powers and the way he used them were also absolutely amazing. The scenes where he would use his powers were my favorite parts of the whole book. However, he too made some comments that felt weird. It was more acceptable, because everything he said is kind of a joke, but I liked him in general. I do not ship him with Ranette though. Maybe I just like her a lot and want for her to stay single, but I am not yet convinced. I do think I could grow to like them together more so than Marasi and Wax but... meh.
there was also ANOTHER moment that I hated, towards the ending. So this one will kind of include spoilers for where many people end up. So let me give you a quote.
"You should know that I was not touched indecently by my captors. I remain pure."
"Rust and Ruin, Sterris! I'm glad, but I didn't need to know that."
"You did," she said, face impassive. "Assuming you still wish to proceed with our nuptials."
"It wouldn't matter either way."
SO this moment. Cleary Sterris has some unfortunate internalized misogyny (which is understandable given the world it takes place in I guess). And in this moment Wax is being 'nice'. But it feels kind of like they just added this moment to show how nice Wax is. And I personally felt like 'I didn't need to know that' is kind of wrong, if you plan to marry someone. Maybe you do want to be able to talk about that, maybe it is good to know (not for "purity" reasons but for actual trauma). It was just a short moment that is not really terrible but it just stood out to me. I am nitpicking but I just feel like there are many moments where they try very hard and kind of mis the point. </spoiler)
Now let's talk about Sterris. I actually like her. Overall, I am interested in how her story will continue and I have some really big questions about her character that I am curious about. I think I am supposed to dislike her more than I do, but I just feel for her. She really had a hard time through this book. If I could meet any of the characters from this book, I would probably want to meet her to teach her some things about her self worth. Or I would meet Ranette because she is awesome. And the fact that the two characters I would chose are the least prominent, is probably a big sign for why I did not like this book.
I just didn't like most of the characters. Or if I did like them, I didn't like how much they liked other characters. I do know that Brandon Sanderson is good at writing character development, so I really hope that this book was a set up for them growing to become better.
I also think that the way things ended up with Wax actually telling Marasi that they couldn't be together was very good and might be a sign that Brandon Sanderson does agree with my standpoint.
I also just missed the big plot-twists and turns I was expecting this story to have. Compared to his other books, this story was a lot more predictable. (although as a big TEA fan I did completely trust Tillaume and felt betrayed by his reveal. But that was really the only moment where I felt surprised or shocked with the plot. ) I felt like this story was mostly the things I dislike about Sanderson's books piled up and the things I do like weren't there as much. (Like every time there was an action scene I loved it, but then the in-between moments I felt kind of meh.)
And maybe I do just mis the original characters.
But I do think that I might still read the shadows of self, because I really do love this world and I want to know if these characters are going to have great development and become better.
But also for some subjective reasons and particular things that I cannot stand in books. I do see why people liked this book and am just very disappointed to disagree.
But lets start with the good.
I was very excited to read this fourth book in the mistborn world. The first three books are among my favourites. And this story takes place in the same world, just 300 years later. With a completely new group of characters. Since it has been so many years, the world has changed and the magic system has expanded. I was really excited to see all the new ways in which the magic was used, and really loved all the magic parts. I also really enjoyed to see all the references to the old characters (though it also made me miss them and feel sad to not follow them anymore). This story has a very different tone from the first book, instead of trying to overthrow the ruler and change the world, this story just follows two friends who try to solve a crime. And I really liked this shift. The stakes are still high (as they encounter some life threatening situations) but the overall story has a much smaller scope. I loved how Wayne and Wax had fun banter and joke around. It was fitting and nice. they had some moments that actually made me laugh, and it could have been so so great. It could have been so so great, because every time there was an action scene I loved it. I also loved the character Ranette. Everything she did was awesome. (But PLEASE do NOT put her in a romance plot. I really really hope she can stay the way she is.) (She probably won't though.)
Which is exactly why I was so disappointed. Because I saw so many ways in which this book could be really amazing. And I have loved 5 of the Brandon Sanderson books I read so far (the final empire/ the well of ascension/ the last hero/ skyward/ starsight) and I assumed me not liking one book (War breaker) was just a weird one time thing. But now this book didn't work for me either.
There were some things that I expected, like the lack of diversity, which is not great but I knew it was a thing in his book and had just decided to accept it.
I also expected the romance to be 'meh', because I don't really care much about romance in general and Sanderson is not particular good at it. (Though I do really like Vin and El together they are the best.) But in this book it just felt especially unnecessary. I do not understand why so many of his books include relationships where there's a huge age gap with a younger woman (I mean I have some guesses why but none of them are good reasons) and in mistborn I could excuse it
There's also a whole scene where they talk about Vin (who is basically a mythical figure all those years later) and Marasi explains basically how she is not like Vin because she likes dresses. And it just rubbed me the wrong way because, 'I am not like other girls' is a lame thing to say, because Vin is my absolute hero and I don't understand why Marasi would say something to disrespect her even as she looks up to Vin and ESPECIALLY because Vin DID wear dresses. One of my favorite things about the original series was how Vin had a whole character arc of learning that she can be strong AND feminine. I think the point Sanderson might have been trying to make, was that women can be strong in many ways and that Marasi's intelligence was valuable even if she isn't necessarily physically strong. However, this whole point was lost because it was said in a way that depended on disrespecting Vin.
Wayne as a character was probably the best part of this book. I liked his jokes, he is very funny but not in a way that makes him just the comedic relief character, he actually had a personality besides it. His powers and the way he used them were also absolutely amazing. The scenes where he would use his powers were my favorite parts of the whole book. However, he too made some comments that felt weird. It was more acceptable, because everything he said is kind of a joke, but I liked him in general.
there was also ANOTHER moment that I hated, towards the ending. So this one will kind of include spoilers for where many people end up. So let me give you a quote.
"Rust and Ruin, Sterris! I'm glad, but I didn't need to know that."
"You did," she said, face impassive. "Assuming you still wish to proceed with our nuptials."
"It wouldn't matter either way."
SO this moment. Cleary Sterris has some unfortunate internalized misogyny (which is understandable given the world it takes place in I guess). And in this moment Wax is being 'nice'. But it feels kind of like they just added this moment to show how nice Wax is. And I personally felt like 'I didn't need to know that' is kind of wrong, if you plan to marry someone. Maybe you do want to be able to talk about that, maybe it is good to know (not for "purity" reasons but for actual trauma). It was just a short moment that is not really terrible but it just stood out to me. I am nitpicking but I just feel like there are many moments where they try very hard and kind of mis the point. </spoiler)
Now let's talk about Sterris. I actually like her. Overall, I am interested in how her story will continue and I have some really big questions about her character that I am curious about. I think I am supposed to dislike her more than I do, but I just feel for her. She really had a hard time through this book. If I could meet any of the characters from this book, I would probably want to meet her to teach her some things about her self worth. Or I would meet Ranette because she is awesome. And the fact that the two characters I would chose are the least prominent, is probably a big sign for why I did not like this book.
I just didn't like most of the characters. Or if I did like them, I didn't like how much they liked other characters. I do know that Brandon Sanderson is good at writing character development, so I really hope that this book was a set up for them growing to become better.
I also think that the way things ended up
I also just missed the big plot-twists and turns I was expecting this story to have. Compared to his other books, this story was a lot more predictable. (although
And maybe I do just mis the original characters.
But I do think that I might still read the shadows of self, because I really do love this world and I want to know if these characters are going to have great development and become better.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is extremely dramatic and over the top but also hilarious. It is basically a (romantic?) comedy with a murder in it. And it takes place during a wedding. Pure chaos.
That was really the worst way a wedding could possibly go.
If you spend some more time thinking about it there were a bunch of things that didn’t really make sense or are just kind of weird. The romance was ridiculous imagine someone breaks your heart, then you see her years later, she kisses you even though she does not explain why she left you. Then you think she is actually seeing someone else, only to find out that that was a lie because she murdered someone. So you… help her cover up a crime? Offer to take the blame for it? And then you find out the (kind of dumb) reason why she broke your heart in the first place and just accept it like it never happened. I just wondered how this man had not moved on since then? Why he hadn’t reached out to her earlier, or why he would kind of pretend like nothing happened. Idk I don’t care that much because everything else was equally weird but it just….
Same with the actual bride in this story who had a whole side drama. I liked the idea of it and the conclusion, but it also just came across as kind of idiotic. why would you try to cover up the fact that you like your best friend, by marrying some horrible man? I feel like there are so many better ways to do this. Maybe just hint by listening to girl in red and get a rainbow flag? Maybe at least find someone who you kind of like to marry? Maybe at least have some sort of conversation with the friend??! I think this could have been done better. It felt odd and as if it was kind of used to be a shocking plot-twist.
The other friend herself had some very questionable decision making skills.
So a lot of the things in here are kind of weird. But it’s acceptable because this book did what it came to do, being absolutely hilarious. And it also provided some interesting views and commentary on what this family and culture was like. (Be it through some heavy stereotypes sometimes.)
Overall I really understand why people like this and I had a great time reading this!
(The audiobook is also really fun.)
That was really the worst way a wedding could possibly go.
If you spend some more time thinking about it there were a bunch of things that didn’t really make sense or are just kind of weird. The romance was ridiculous
Same with the actual bride in this story who had a whole side drama. I liked the idea of it and the conclusion, but it also just came across as kind of idiotic.
The other friend herself had some very questionable decision making skills.
So a lot of the things in here are kind of weird. But it’s acceptable because this book did what it came to do, being absolutely hilarious. And it also provided some interesting views and commentary on what this family and culture was like. (Be it through some heavy stereotypes sometimes.)
Overall I really understand why people like this and I had a great time reading this!
(The audiobook is also really fun.)
Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This was beautiful and depressing to read. Some very beautiful writing. Almost just a collection of pretty quotes. These books are very philosophical and have so many pretty words. It is also amazing to see how much Ari has grown and changed.
Also love the new friendships in this book. It was so great to see Ari open up to more people and his relationship to this group of girls was absolutely amazing.
And the focus on family dynamics. It was very nice. In too many YA stories the parents are just not around. But in this one they are. It is about how much they all love each other and they have all made mistakes but they are learning.
Dante was surprisingly absent for a big part of the story but I think that wasn't really a bad thing.
The moments they did have together were nice.
The ending kind of annoyed me. A big thing that happened between Dante and Ari felt rushed and odd. It seemed to be there only to add some 'drama' but it was kind of odd.
There are also a bunch of things and little phrases that were questionable. This story does take place a long time ago and as the young boys are still figuring things out it is normal that they don't know everything... but there are some moments that I am not sure about.
now I wouldn't say that Ari and Dante discover the secrets of the universe needed a sequel. It had a good story and ending. This book was not really necessary.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book got a sequel just to shatter hearts huh?
“I didn’t want to live my life in a fantasy. The world I wanted to live in didn’t exist, and I was struggling to love the world I did live in. I wondered if I was strong enough or good enough to love a world that hated me.”
This was beautiful and depressing to read. Some very beautiful writing. Almost just a collection of pretty quotes. These books are very philosophical and have so many pretty words. It is also amazing to see how much Ari has grown and changed.
“Part of me wanted to speak and another part of me wanted to forget all the words I had ever known and live in a silence that I would not be able to break.”
Also love the new friendships in this book. It was so great to see Ari open up to more people and his relationship to this group of girls was absolutely amazing.
“There was something about girls that guys didn’t have and would never have. They were amazing! Maybe one day, instead of always having to prove they were real men, guys would study women’s behaviour and start acting a little more like them. That would be awesome.”
And the focus on family dynamics. It was very nice. In too many YA stories the parents are just not around. But in this one they are. It is about how much they all love each other and they have all made mistakes but they are learning.
“There’s a world out there that’s going to make you feel like that you don’t belong in this country—or any other country, for that matter. But in this house, Ari, there is only belonging. You belong to us. And we belong to you."
Dante was surprisingly absent for a big part of the story but I think that wasn't really a bad thing.
The moments they did have together were nice.
“I don’t ever want to wake up,” he whispered.
“We have to go home.”
“I’m already home. I’m with you.”
That made me smile. Such a Dante thing to say.”
The ending kind of annoyed me. A big thing that happened between Dante and Ari felt rushed and odd. It seemed to be there only to add some 'drama' but it was kind of odd.
“Last year, Mr. Blocker said we could find ourselves in our own writing. All I could think was this: Sounds like a good place to get lost. Yeah, I think I might get lost a hundred times, a thousand times, before I find out who I am and where I’m going.”
There are also a bunch of things and little phrases that were questionable. This story does take place a long time ago and as the young boys are still figuring things out it is normal that they don't know everything... but there are some moments that I am not sure about.
now I wouldn't say that Ari and Dante discover the secrets of the universe needed a sequel. It had a good story and ending. This book was not really necessary.
“Maybe all we were meant to do on this earth was to keep on telling stories. Our stories—and the stories of the people we loved.”
Hello Mum by Bernardine Evaristo
challenging
emotional
sad
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The heartbreaking story of a 14 year old telling his mother how he ended up dying.
It’s about the impact of racism, about how (especially young) people can make mistakes out of desperation. The main character is very flawed and he does things that aren’t smart, but it’s easy to understand why as he is very young and has a hard life. He is afraid and he just wants to make things better for himself and his family. You get to see the culture and expectations different people put on him.
It’s also nice to see the thee characters through his perspective like his mum. The writing worked really well imo (in my opinion). The language JJ uses and the way he explains them to his mum were realistic and funny at times. He was convincing as a kid.
I did think that the plot itself was original, but it didn’t always work. Because he is explaining the events in a letter to his mum, the many descriptions of moments that he was with his mum felt very much put in so that the reader would get more background on their relationship (which in general is interesting) but it didn’t feel natural or logical to actually put into a letter to her.
I feel like anything I say won’t really explain this story adequately, so if you have time to read this 80-page novella I recommend it.
<b> “I used to lie in my room at night expecting to see dead bodies falling outside my window like in films.” </b>
It’s about the impact of racism, about how (especially young) people can make mistakes out of desperation. The main character is very flawed and he does things that aren’t smart, but it’s easy to understand why as he is very young and has a hard life. He is afraid and he just wants to make things better for himself and his family. You get to see the culture and expectations different people put on him.
It’s also nice to see the thee characters through his perspective like his mum. The writing worked really well imo (in my opinion). The language JJ uses and the way he explains them to his mum were realistic and funny at times. He was convincing as a kid.
I did think that the plot itself was original, but it didn’t always work. Because he is explaining the events in a letter to his mum, the many descriptions of moments that he was with his mum felt very much put in so that the reader would get more background on their relationship (which in general is interesting) but it didn’t feel natural or logical to actually put into a letter to her.
I feel like anything I say won’t really explain this story adequately, so if you have time to read this 80-page novella I recommend it.
<b> “I used to lie in my room at night expecting to see dead bodies falling outside my window like in films.” </b>
What We Devour by Linsey Miller
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In what we devour Lorena Adler has a secret- she holds the rare power of the noble and the vilewrought, inside her. She's content to live an unfulfilling life so long as no one uncovers her true nature. But when the notoriously bloodthirsty and equally vile crown prince comes to arrest Julian's father, he instantly recognizes Lorena for what she is. She makes a deal, a fair trail for her betrothed's father in exchange for her service to the crown. She is taken away from the world she knows in service of a terrible plan that will have deadly repercussions if achieved. Sacrifice is something she knows all too well though, and as she is led deeper into the complicated maze of secrets, divided loyalties come to a head and Lorena must decide which power she will ultimately serve- a flawed authority or herself.
Many trigger warnings, including: Self harm (cutting), child death, parents death, factory-related accidents, child neglect and abuse, sibling deaths, references to mass suicide, filicide, mentions of canniblism, aphobic comments/ microagressions
<b> “What do you want, Lorena Adler?” The sundered crown had asked all those weeks ago, but wanting wasn’t the problem. Not wanting, this lack, was the problem.
People could forgive discretions that came from wanting, because everyone wanted something. But the moment I didn’t and it interfered with what they wanted, I was unnatural. I wasn’t. I wasn’t unnatural or lacking or cold. I wasn’t missing out. I had tried so hard to separate myself from everyone else, to make myself unappealing so as not to disappoint. And I was wrong. It was his problem to deal with. I was simply someone who didn’t desire him the way he wanted. And he couldn’t deal with it.
“My existence isn’t about you.” I hissed. “And I am done, justifying my life to people who don’t even think I’m a person.” </b>
What we devour is a horror(ish) ya dark fantasy story. It takes place in a world with a very complex magic system. There's no slowly getting into it or explaining what's going on. From the first chapter you are thrown right into it. At first this was very confusing. The complex world was explained more and more each page. If you like fantasy world, it's pretty cool. But if it's not something you read often you'll probably have a hard time getting into the story. You really have to accept the fact that you have no idea what's going on at first and keep reading. Although I do appreciate a good complex magic system, I did think that the confusion should've lessened more throughout the book. Instead I never stopped feeling a bit lost about how things worked. It has a lot of explanations on the history of the world and it's dystopian feel. There was just a lot going on especially near the end and it was a bit hard to keep up with what was happening exactly. Basically there was so much history and magic, that the actual basics of how the magic works were lost on me and I could not see the wood for the trees.
The magic system is still not entirely clear to me yet, but here's the basics. In this world people either have the power to create or destroy or both. But whenever you create or destroy something you have to make a sacrifice. Specifically this means people drawing blood, hurting themselves or murdering, to be able to get power. Lorena has a vilewrough and noblewright which means she has both the power to destroy and to create. She is also unbound, which means she is not bound to serve anyone. When you sacrifice there's the choice to sacrifice part of yourself or taking something (voluntarily or involuntarily) from others.
As you can imagine, the book is very dark. It is about characters having to choose between giving a lot of themselves or hurting others. This is a very clever spin on the class system and the idea on who should rule or how they should rule.
In that it is extremely attention grabbing and easy to read. (Or rather, to devour.)
It was formerly described as a beauty-and-the-beast retelling and though it's only a loose one, you can clearly see those elements from the beginning. The big overlying sentiment is eat-the-rich and basically a fight against capitalism. Though this was at times layered on rather thick, the way the magical world was designed and mirrored reality was really unique and fascinating.
Then of course there's the characters. Main character Lorena Adler makes a lot of questionable decisions, but she's also intelligent and cunning and it's easy to sympathize with her. She is brave enough to make hard choices. She is kind and complex. And she is also unapologetically ace. Her thoughts and conversations about this really resonated with me and it's also a big part of the way she behaves. It was not her whole character, but it was part of her throughout everything she did. She hid parts of herself because of the expectations an ever-sexual society ascribes to certain actions. She has a lot of internal and external struggles around this and I thought those were handled really thoughtfully.
Then there's a 'dangerous mysterious apathetic bad-person' crown prince love interest, Alistair. Maybe his description sounds like a basic YA love interest, but he really was more complex than that. He and Lorena had really big differences and a lot of problems arized from that. I did like reading about his relationship with Lorena. Even as they grew closer, there always remained some sense of strain between them because of their fundamental opposites. I thought their dynamic was very unique.
Notable side characters include Basil, Lorena's non-binary colleague and Lorena's friend Mack.
I also really liked the role Julian played in this story, I didn't expect it but was pleasantly surprised.
The characters didn't have the biggest emotional impact on me, it also felt like the world and plot was prioritized over them. This was also shown in the way the characters treaded each other, while their joking around was fun and realistic, it at times lacked real emotional scenes at appropriate times. specifically when no one really grieved after someone just died?
Overal this was a very dark story with a great (biromantic) asexual main character and it could've been a new favorite if I was a bit less confused. (I might reread it at some point and maybe enjoy and understand it more the second time!)
Many trigger warnings, including: Self harm (cutting), child death, parents death, factory-related accidents, child neglect and abuse, sibling deaths, references to mass suicide, filicide, mentions of canniblism, aphobic comments/ microagressions
<b> “What do you want, Lorena Adler?” The sundered crown had asked all those weeks ago, but wanting wasn’t the problem. Not wanting, this lack, was the problem.
People could forgive discretions that came from wanting, because everyone wanted something. But the moment I didn’t and it interfered with what they wanted, I was unnatural. I wasn’t. I wasn’t unnatural or lacking or cold. I wasn’t missing out. I had tried so hard to separate myself from everyone else, to make myself unappealing so as not to disappoint. And I was wrong. It was his problem to deal with. I was simply someone who didn’t desire him the way he wanted. And he couldn’t deal with it.
“My existence isn’t about you.” I hissed. “And I am done, justifying my life to people who don’t even think I’m a person.” </b>
What we devour is a horror(ish) ya dark fantasy story. It takes place in a world with a very complex magic system. There's no slowly getting into it or explaining what's going on. From the first chapter you are thrown right into it. At first this was very confusing. The complex world was explained more and more each page. If you like fantasy world, it's pretty cool. But if it's not something you read often you'll probably have a hard time getting into the story. You really have to accept the fact that you have no idea what's going on at first and keep reading. Although I do appreciate a good complex magic system, I did think that the confusion should've lessened more throughout the book. Instead I never stopped feeling a bit lost about how things worked. It has a lot of explanations on the history of the world and it's dystopian feel. There was just a lot going on especially near the end and it was a bit hard to keep up with what was happening exactly. Basically there was so much history and magic, that the actual basics of how the magic works were lost on me and I could not see the wood for the trees.
The magic system is still not entirely clear to me yet, but here's the basics. In this world people either have the power to create or destroy or both. But whenever you create or destroy something you have to make a sacrifice. Specifically this means people drawing blood, hurting themselves or murdering, to be able to get power. Lorena has a vilewrough and noblewright which means she has both the power to destroy and to create. She is also unbound, which means she is not bound to serve anyone. When you sacrifice there's the choice to sacrifice part of yourself or taking something (voluntarily or involuntarily) from others.
As you can imagine, the book is very dark. It is about characters having to choose between giving a lot of themselves or hurting others. This is a very clever spin on the class system and the idea on who should rule or how they should rule.
In that it is extremely attention grabbing and easy to read. (Or rather, to devour.)
It was formerly described as a beauty-and-the-beast retelling and though it's only a loose one, you can clearly see those elements from the beginning. The big overlying sentiment is eat-the-rich and basically a fight against capitalism. Though this was at times layered on rather thick, the way the magical world was designed and mirrored reality was really unique and fascinating.
Then of course there's the characters. Main character Lorena Adler makes a lot of questionable decisions, but she's also intelligent and cunning and it's easy to sympathize with her. She is brave enough to make hard choices. She is kind and complex. And she is also unapologetically ace. Her thoughts and conversations about this really resonated with me and it's also a big part of the way she behaves. It was not her whole character, but it was part of her throughout everything she did. She hid parts of herself because of the expectations an ever-sexual society ascribes to certain actions. She has a lot of internal and external struggles around this and I thought those were handled really thoughtfully.
Then there's a 'dangerous mysterious apathetic bad-person' crown prince love interest, Alistair. Maybe his description sounds like a basic YA love interest, but he really was more complex than that. He and Lorena had really big differences and a lot of problems arized from that. I did like reading about his relationship with Lorena. Even as they grew closer, there always remained some sense of strain between them because of their fundamental opposites. I thought their dynamic was very unique.
Notable side characters include Basil, Lorena's non-binary colleague and Lorena's friend Mack.
I also really liked the role Julian played in this story, I didn't expect it but was pleasantly surprised.
The characters didn't have the biggest emotional impact on me, it also felt like the world and plot was prioritized over them. This was also shown in the way the characters treaded each other, while their joking around was fun and realistic, it at times lacked real emotional scenes at appropriate times.
Overal this was a very dark story with a great (biromantic) asexual main character and it could've been a new favorite if I was a bit less confused. (I might reread it at some point and maybe enjoy and understand it more the second time!)
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Exkjoeeezee me?? This book came, ripped my heart from my chest, stamped on it, burned it down and then put what's left of it back in my body and gave me a hug.
Now how am I supposed to wait?? For the next one????
How am I supposed to actually go on with my life and focus on my exams and not just reread all volumes of heartstopper forever?????
I can't really explain my feelings more than that. This is probably the least happy one of them all. Even though there still are a lot of fun moments and the best friend groups.
Now how am I supposed to wait?? For the next one????
How am I supposed to actually go on with my life and focus on my exams and not just reread all volumes of heartstopper forever?????
I can't really explain my feelings more than that. This is probably the least happy one of them all. Even though there still are a lot of fun moments and the best friend groups.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia