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frances_frances's reviews
257 reviews
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
"She's far happier thinking her sister is normal, even if she has a lot of problems, than she is having an abnormal sister for whom everything is fine. For her, normality-however messy-is far more comprehensible."
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was with some reluctance that I started this book. The premise felt overdone and I was wary of another story where the relationship between an infantilized dependent and a more powerful person goes unexamined and normalizes/romanticizes such power imbalances (think the movies Splash and Overboard). Refreshingly, Annie Bot wasn't like that at all. The entire book is interrogating power dynamics, autonomy, and personhood. Annie isn't childlike. It's true that she isn't familiar with human culture, but she isn't depicted as naive or helpless, just learning. There were many difficult scenes that were often understated or subtly creepy/tense. It felt realistic and conveyed the insidious nature of intimate abuse. A great book club pick
My favorite passage from page 229:
She has to laugh at herself. She does not know the most basic guidelines for a life. Despite Doug's constant guiding and correcting, she knows nothing of value. He taught her to yawn and stretch. He trained her to clean right. He locked her in the closet with her libido jacked up to ten. He loved her enough to want to raise a family with her. He expected her to lie about herself forever.
My favorite passage from page 229:
She has to laugh at herself. She does not know the most basic guidelines for a life. Despite Doug's constant guiding and correcting, she knows nothing of value. He taught her to yawn and stretch. He trained her to clean right. He locked her in the closet with her libido jacked up to ten. He loved her enough to want to raise a family with her. He expected her to lie about herself forever.
And then he set her free so she could love him?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Body shaming
Minor: Eating disorder and Vomit
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A lot of effort for little payoff. Overall this book left me feeling unsatisfied and vaguely icky. The ending was really rushed and the disorienting, hazy vibes of the rest of the book were abandoned for a comparatively conventional (and rushed) ending. There were some interesting ideas and passages and it was entertaining enough to complete, but not a book I'd recommend.
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
My feelings about this book have mostly been expressed by other reviewers but these are my biggest complaints:
• The publisher really stretched in the marketing and summaries for this book. It's not a psychological thriller, it's not tense or unsettling, and the Centre ends up being a mere plot device to develop the MC's story (which was thin to begin with).
• The plotting of this book is awkward and feels slapdash. Genre mixing can be interesting and uneven pacing can add to a book's atmosphere and themes. That's not the case with this book. It doesn't feel intentional, it feels directionless.
• While some of the content about colonialism, misogyny, and classism was interesting, it too felt directionless and confused. These topics are huge and complex and while I don't expect the author to "solve" global systems of oppression, I do expect her to have a point of view or clear reason for including such topics. Much of it goes nowhere and/or contradicts itself. For example, one of the Centre founders was in the IDF. I assumed this would be relevant later, but nope. It's just an incidental aspect of his past with no meaning or relevance to the story.
• The sexual assault that maybe takes place near the end was so unnecessary and off putting. The fact that it may or may not have actually happened is problematic in itself. Survivors of SA are often made to question themselves and their own experiences. If the author was trying to comment on this phenomenon, she failed majorly. It played into harmful stereotypes rather than challenging them. Also SA never needs to be a plot device or way for the author to merely "beg the question". That minimizes its severity and lasting impact on survivors and their communities.
• I truly wonder whether the author knew what she wanted to write before starting this book. I think she had a lot of interesting ideas but kind of wasted all of them by shoving them all into a 270 page book.
• The publisher really stretched in the marketing and summaries for this book. It's not a psychological thriller, it's not tense or unsettling, and the Centre ends up being a mere plot device to develop the MC's story (which was thin to begin with).
• The plotting of this book is awkward and feels slapdash. Genre mixing can be interesting and uneven pacing can add to a book's atmosphere and themes. That's not the case with this book. It doesn't feel intentional, it feels directionless.
• While some of the content about colonialism, misogyny, and classism was interesting, it too felt directionless and confused. These topics are huge and complex and while I don't expect the author to "solve" global systems of oppression, I do expect her to have a point of view or clear reason for including such topics. Much of it goes nowhere and/or contradicts itself. For example, one of the Centre founders was in the IDF. I assumed this would be relevant later, but nope. It's just an incidental aspect of his past with no meaning or relevance to the story.
• The sexual assault that maybe takes place near the end was so unnecessary and off putting. The fact that it may or may not have actually happened is problematic in itself. Survivors of SA are often made to question themselves and their own experiences. If the author was trying to comment on this phenomenon, she failed majorly. It played into harmful stereotypes rather than challenging them. Also SA never needs to be a plot device or way for the author to merely "beg the question". That minimizes its severity and lasting impact on survivors and their communities.
• I truly wonder whether the author knew what she wanted to write before starting this book. I think she had a lot of interesting ideas but kind of wasted all of them by shoving them all into a 270 page book.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars - The violence against women and girls felt gratuitous at times, just over the top in its severity. The bad guy displays trope-y psychopathic traits. In general, there were a lot of over done tropes that annoyed me. At the same time, I found this book engaging and hard to put down. Glad I tried a Karin Slaughter book but I'm pretty sure this will be my last.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This book was different than I was expecting. In a lot of ways I found it underwhelming and the overall vibe was a bit too quirky/twee for my taste. That being said, the story and characters have stuck with me. Greta's history and circumstances were compelling but her actual personality was kinda flat. Big Swiss/Flavia was way more interesting than Greta and I would love to read this story from her perspective. The world of Hudson and its inhabitants as told through the author was entertaining and funny and felt authentic. And the observations made about trauma and the role it plays in our self conception was interesting. That feels especially relevant right now since the language of trauma-informed practices has become so prevalent.
The Guest by Emma Cline
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
This book was stressful and often irritating but I was also completely invested. The look at power dynamics and agency was interesting and was left appropriately unsettled and ambiguous. Alex is toxic and I wouldn't want anything to do with her in real life. But she's also a rather tragic character who clearly never experienced genuine love, romantically or platonically. She never really had a chance. In this way, she felt realistically infuriating and sympathetic. Also Emma Cline's prose is just really good.
Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A story that can expand with each reading. As one review on the back cover says, Ana Paula Maia "narrates reality with enthralling cruelty".
Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This wasn't the tone or story I was expecting. Some good gore but overall not as creepy/scary as I was hoping.
All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The prose was so sharp and the unnamed narrator was complex and believable. And the way intergenerational trauma was dealt with was interesting. The pacing was a bit uneven for me. The first half really flowed and the second half wasn't as tight. As an aside, I don't think I'm super into coming of age story lines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse