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five's reviews
14 reviews
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Almost DNF'd. Really didn't enjoy the writing style and thought most of it was boring. Each chapter was usually 2-3 pages long and would end/switch POV for seemingly no reason. The plot wasn't really strong and nothing much happened to them, leaving the ending to be ultimately extremely unsatisfying.
I feel like there could have been some really cool potential to do more with the woman who died and Rolf's entire character, but they were ultimately just kind of used as a device to be like "hey, this neighbor guy is pretty creepy, huh?" So much is left unanswered and vague but not in a gothic, mysterious way. It's like the author had a lot of good ideas to go off of but didn't fully flesh them out and instead just began writing.
I feel like there could have been some really cool potential to do more with the woman who died and Rolf's entire character, but they were ultimately just kind of used as a device to be like "hey, this neighbor guy is pretty creepy, huh?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Mental illness, and Addiction
Moderate: Child death and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual content
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Violence
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama XIV, Douglas Carlton Abrams
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement and Torture
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
challenging
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Excrement, and Grief
the mermaid's voice returns in this one by Amanda Lovelace
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Toxic relationship
The Stranger by Albert Camus
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, and Blood
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75