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gia0203's reviews
140 reviews
Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved the irony of this novel, that the most innocent, naive and youthful woman in the book is the one brutally punished. not the men that infiltrated. not the villagers who scorned the women for the photographs. but the 18 year old who knew no better. it’s a poignant look on how female rage is often directed in the wrong place.
this book used the seasons in an interesting way, with heat gradually building as the commune became more and more sinister. the sudden rainfall, which brings the destruction of everything, is jarring too. the environment really tells a story.
I think that this novel works well as a whole. as I was reading, I was skeptical. I thought the tone was too dreamy and hazy and the slow pace at first didn’t click with me. however, the novel by the end fits together beautifully. Iris’ relationship with hazel’s mirroring her mother and fathers’ in particular is one of the most striking parts of the novel. when iris said you lied I felt that in my bones.
there was an air of freedom to the ending that I liked. iris isn’t the same person that she was before breach house. her relationship with her mother is closer, for example. she has learned to value herself. At the same time, the trauma of what has happened permeates her current life. the quote by vita sackville west at the start of the novel really sums the novel up.
UPDATE: just listened to Amy Twigg’s thoughts on the book and updated my rating to 5 stars - so much thought went into this!!!!
this book used the seasons in an interesting way, with heat gradually building as the commune became more and more sinister. the sudden rainfall, which brings the destruction of everything, is jarring too. the environment really tells a story.
I think that this novel works well as a whole. as I was reading, I was skeptical. I thought the tone was too dreamy and hazy and the slow pace at first didn’t click with me. however, the novel by the end fits together beautifully. Iris’ relationship with hazel’s mirroring her mother and fathers’ in particular is one of the most striking parts of the novel. when iris said you lied I felt that in my bones.
there was an air of freedom to the ending that I liked. iris isn’t the same person that she was before breach house. her relationship with her mother is closer, for example. she has learned to value herself. At the same time, the trauma of what has happened permeates her current life. the quote by vita sackville west at the start of the novel really sums the novel up.
UPDATE: just listened to Amy Twigg’s thoughts on the book and updated my rating to 5 stars - so much thought went into this!!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Vomit, Car accident
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found this book to be absolutely fascinating.
I have always found space more terrifying than the ocean. I think of the sea more curiously than fearfully, and sometimes wonder what’s beneath the surface. I went through a phase too of being obsessed with octopi (J still love them). So I actually found the story more beautiful than horrifying. Leah’s feelings about the ocean, and how she reflected on how it had shaped not just her life but everyone else’s, was wonderful to read. The ocean was always a source of comfort for her, but she also depended on it. It was an obsession, and I liked how this was a source of tension in Leah and Miri’s relationship.
I liked too how the book was a metaphor for grief. The death of the protagonist’s parents was intertwined with Leah’s narrative beautifully. The way Leah’s body changed was a reflection of slowly losing someone, and it was really well done. The ending definitely paid off because of this.
The pace moved slowly and gently like the ebb and flow of the waves. The text was littered with small details about Leah and Miri’s life and it made the reading experience really emotional. It’s hard to pull off a pace this slow without being dull, but for me this book was never boring, and instead I anticipated what was going to happen next while also enjoying being in the characters’ heads and learning about their lives. Leah was definitely a more concrete and likeable character than Miri, but by the end I loved both of them and thought their relationship was beautifully written.
I think the slow pace of the novel made me feel like I was losing my mind too. It’s easy to get lost in this book. It made me feel dreamy and not quite here. Sunken thoughts, as Miri would say.
On a final note, I wish we could’ve found out more about the creature at the end - I was looking forward to reading the pages Leah wrote! I guess it’s left up to our imagination. Regardless, I thought this was a wonderful and devastating book and I ordered a physical copy immediately upon finishing the digital version.
I have always found space more terrifying than the ocean. I think of the sea more curiously than fearfully, and sometimes wonder what’s beneath the surface. I went through a phase too of being obsessed with octopi (J still love them). So I actually found the story more beautiful than horrifying. Leah’s feelings about the ocean, and how she reflected on how it had shaped not just her life but everyone else’s, was wonderful to read. The ocean was always a source of comfort for her, but she also depended on it. It was an obsession, and I liked how this was a source of tension in Leah and Miri’s relationship.
I liked too how the book was a metaphor for grief. The death of the protagonist’s parents was intertwined with Leah’s narrative beautifully. The way Leah’s body changed was a reflection of slowly losing someone, and it was really well done. The ending definitely paid off because of this.
The pace moved slowly and gently like the ebb and flow of the waves. The text was littered with small details about Leah and Miri’s life and it made the reading experience really emotional. It’s hard to pull off a pace this slow without being dull, but for me this book was never boring, and instead I anticipated what was going to happen next while also enjoying being in the characters’ heads and learning about their lives. Leah was definitely a more concrete and likeable character than Miri, but by the end I loved both of them and thought their relationship was beautifully written.
I think the slow pace of the novel made me feel like I was losing my mind too. It’s easy to get lost in this book. It made me feel dreamy and not quite here. Sunken thoughts, as Miri would say.
On a final note,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Grief
Moderate: Death, Suicide
Minor: Death of parent
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
AAAA!!! I feel like I’ve been reading books so critically and seriously lately and somehow this book made me feel like I was 15 again, devouring a novel whole and feeling every single moment of it. I have the sudden urge to read all of Shakespeare’s plays and start speaking in verse. What a treat. And the yearning at the heart of the story… It’s subtly teased and then it hits you at last and it’s wonderful. I love codependent, homoerotic friendships in fiction.
This book is not very original. It borrows a lot from existing dark academia, obviously The Secret History being the main one. I do think though that the writing style makes up for its originality. It’s so lively and fun! And the characters too are so interesting and so sympathetic. A new favourite of mine for sure. I loved the twist at the end and the rising hysteria and ugh. Stunning.
On another note… the male characters in this book are very complex and well developed and the female characters are very wooden, particularly Meredith. She faces a lot of misogyny and her character revolves so much around the men in her life. Just something to think about in terms of female representation, especially when written as “competition” in relation to queer men. Not quite sure if this book passes the Beschdel test. If not for this, it would be a 5 star for me.
This book is not very original. It borrows a lot from existing dark academia, obviously The Secret History being the main one. I do think though that the writing style makes up for its originality. It’s so lively and fun! And the characters too are so interesting and so sympathetic. A new favourite of mine for sure. I loved the twist at the end and the rising hysteria and ugh. Stunning.
On another note… the male characters in this book are very complex and well developed and the female characters are very wooden, particularly Meredith. She faces a lot of misogyny and her character revolves so much around the men in her life. Just something to think about in terms of female representation, especially when written as “competition” in relation to queer men. Not quite sure if this book passes the Beschdel test. If not for this, it would be a 5 star for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Fluids by May Leitz
0.25
how could “girl flesh” be so good and this be so terrible and nonsensical? I tried so hard to engage with it, I really did, but I just couldn’t.
A Little Life (Stage Adaptation) by Ivo van Hove, Koen Tachelet, Hanya Yanagihara
4.5
I imagine that A Little Life was a difficult book to adapt, because so much of it is introspective. So I think this was actually a really good adaption, because it kept the spirit of the text despite the sheer amount of content it had to condense. Some of the changes were odd but beautiful: Ana being Jude’s kind inner thoughts, Willem’s speech to Jude about who he is now being said by all of the characters. The only complaints I have are one, that Jude’s experience with his disability lacks the depth and complexity of the novel, and two, Julia is removed completely! There is still an abundance of love in this adaption though, which saved it for me.
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Aww!! Romance isn’t a genre I often read, but I just finished a long, emotionally heavy book and needed to lighten my heart a little. This was so lovely, for the first half I was giggling and kicking my feet. Though I’ve been out for years now, there’s still something so so healing about reading queer books, particularly because there was never anything like this when I was a teenager.
On the flip side, I do feel like the relationship was quite rushed, but the book was too enjoyable for me to really care about that. I do think that some of the side characters could have had a subplot, because the story was very insulated around Anna and Eden and the other characters really didn’t have any depth. I feel like this story was the authors wish fulfilment (she does talk about her crush on Olivia Newton-John at the end lol understandably) but it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy a cheesy romance without having to think too deeply about anything.
On the flip side, I do feel like the relationship was quite rushed, but the book was too enjoyable for me to really care about that. I do think that some of the side characters could have had a subplot, because the story was very insulated around Anna and Eden and the other characters really didn’t have any depth. I feel like this story was the authors wish fulfilment (she does talk about her crush on Olivia Newton-John at the end lol understandably) but it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy a cheesy romance without having to think too deeply about anything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Wow. So I have a lot to say. There is so much to this book, and I feel like giving it a brief review wouldn't do it justice. Here I go!
A Little Life is an epic. It's length and density mean that the narrative has room to breathe. There are so many little details that give the book a certain realism. Not just the characters either, but the city, the buildings. Each house that Jude moves to is distinct and painstakingly described, every person he meets is given their own charms and flaws. Its these idiosyncracies which really make you feel like you're inside the book, rather than watching from the outside. It's this immersion that makes A Little Life even more relentless. You are not allowed simply to observe. You are a part of the world.
And nowhere is this style of writing more effective than when you are inside of Jude's mind. Jude is a character who remains elusive to the people around him. Eventually, the people close to Jude are allowed to see parts of him, but it's only us, the reader, who truly understand how Jude thinks. Even Willem, who learns the most, doesn't see what we see. Jude's inner narrative, the true depth of his self loathing, it's known only to us.
But even we don't know everything. Every now and then Jude will elude to something we don't know about, and we are made to remember that there are things so terrible that Jude can't even confront them in his own mind. One of the main tragedies of the novel is that Jude cannot reveal his true self to anyone for so long. The lying, the hiding, it's part of his undoing.
A Little Life has become notorious for just how sad it is. Truly the saddest part is that Jude gets a chance at happiness, and it is cruelly ripped away. For a moment he is as close to contentment as he ever has been. He has been seen by another person - he is held and safe. There is something very mean spirited about how Yanagihara shows us that Jude could heal, enough to live the rest of his life in an (albeit fragile) happiness, but he isn't allowed to. I think this is the reason the book has been labelled trauma porn. If it had ended with the continuation of Jude's recovery, as he lived happily with Willem, there would be no outrage or controversy. But this isn't how trauma works.
I do, however, think that Willem's sudden accidental death has purpose. Yanagihara stated that this book was uncompromising, and the spectrum of human emotion to an extreme. And the sad reality is that some people's lives are like this. Sometimes, there is no happy ending. Jude states that he is the same person he was as a child, that he always ends up back how he was, and I think this is a poignant depiction of trauma and mental illness. Another book might have took a different course. But this is the route this one took. As cruel and unkind as it was, it was not without purpose.
Despite everything, I appreciated the moments of kindness and happiness scattered throughout the book. There is so much love in this story, and there are moments where Jude gets to experience it. True love. It sometimes made the horror worth it. The way Willem curled around Jude every night... The thoughtful things Harold did for him... The way so many people tried to help him... And the way Jude constantly helped others too...
I felt like the themes of suicide and self harm in this book were treated with respect and accuracy. Often, Jude's thoughts were so strikingly similar to ones I had at the worst parts of my depression that I had to stop and breathe. While I couldn't relate to much of his experience, particularly with disability and sexual abuse, it didn't mean I couldn't empathise with him. He wanted an escape, a reprise, which I understood. The most graphic descriptions are of his self harm, illness and injury. At times they did feel too much; Jude's cutting in particular was difficult to get through. But Yanagihara was unflinching, for better or for worse. It's so repetitive, so relentless, and yet this was Jude's life, and Yanagihara clearly wanted us to see it for what it was. This is the reality of trauma.
Plus, Yanagihara always knew when to zoom out, when to pull the curtain over our eyes. For all that this book is graphic, it never feels exploitative. The sexual abuse is vague and shadowy; descriptions focus on Jude's thoughts, rather than explicit details. Jude's suicide, and Willem's death, are never described in detail. . All of this makes me think that the explicit descriptions of self harm and injury were purposeful. Particularly the scene where Caleb beats Jude was extremely nauseating, but didn't it quickly pull us into reality, out of the hopeful life Jude was beginning to believe in? I feel like I'm rambling on about this as I'm trying to understand it.... Regardless, I don't think the bleakness of the book or how graphic it is is a bad thing.
In trying to help Jude, all of the characters made mistakes. The people who loved him the most were often the ones who hurt him the most. Their desperation and their longing to save him stripped him of his agency at times, yet also were what he needed at others. Willem, Andy, Harold, they all debated what was best. Should I force him to get help, and alienate him in the process? Should I go along with it to keep him close to me? Should I compromise? Was any of it even helping? I loved that there was no right answer. I loved how morally grey it all was.
As I was reading this book, I immediately ordered Yanagihara's other books. I thought her writing style was beautiful and I adored her thoughtfulness. The part that made me cry, and that I thought was the best part of the book, was Dear Comrade. The descriptions of grief; the way Jude uses objects to inspire memories; the way the characters feel like ghosts in the last part of the novel, trying to mimic their ordinary lives. It was beautiful and devastating and it's when I really, truly cried. I'm very excited to delve into the rest of the author's writing. I can't really bring myself to give A Little Life a rating of less than 5. Also, I will definitely be rereading it, and watching the play, and I've ordered the playbook too, so.
A Little Life is an epic. It's length and density mean that the narrative has room to breathe. There are so many little details that give the book a certain realism. Not just the characters either, but the city, the buildings. Each house that Jude moves to is distinct and painstakingly described, every person he meets is given their own charms and flaws. Its these idiosyncracies which really make you feel like you're inside the book, rather than watching from the outside. It's this immersion that makes A Little Life even more relentless. You are not allowed simply to observe. You are a part of the world.
And nowhere is this style of writing more effective than when you are inside of Jude's mind. Jude is a character who remains elusive to the people around him. Eventually, the people close to Jude are allowed to see parts of him, but it's only us, the reader, who truly understand how Jude thinks. Even Willem, who learns the most, doesn't see what we see. Jude's inner narrative, the true depth of his self loathing, it's known only to us.
But even we don't know everything. Every now and then Jude will elude to something we don't know about, and we are made to remember that there are things so terrible that Jude can't even confront them in his own mind. One of the main tragedies of the novel is that Jude cannot reveal his true self to anyone for so long. The lying, the hiding, it's part of his undoing.
A Little Life has become notorious for just how sad it is. Truly the saddest part is that
I do, however, think that Willem's sudden accidental death has purpose. Yanagihara stated that this book was uncompromising, and the spectrum of human emotion to an extreme. And the sad reality is that some people's lives are like this. Sometimes, there is no happy ending. Jude states that he is the same person he was as a child, that he always ends up back how he was, and I think this is a poignant depiction of trauma and mental illness. Another book might have took a different course. But this is the route this one took. As cruel and unkind as it was, it was not without purpose.
Despite everything, I appreciated the moments of kindness and happiness scattered throughout the book. There is so much love in this story, and there are moments where Jude gets to experience it. True love. It sometimes made the horror worth it. The way Willem curled around Jude every night... The thoughtful things Harold did for him... The way so many people tried to help him... And the way Jude constantly helped others too...
I felt like the themes of suicide and self harm in this book were treated with respect and accuracy. Often, Jude's thoughts were so strikingly similar to ones I had at the worst parts of my depression that I had to stop and breathe. While I couldn't relate to much of his experience, particularly with disability and sexual abuse, it didn't mean I couldn't empathise with him. He wanted an escape, a reprise, which I understood. The most graphic descriptions are of his self harm, illness and injury. At times they did feel too much; Jude's cutting in particular was difficult to get through. But Yanagihara was unflinching, for better or for worse. It's so repetitive, so relentless, and yet this was Jude's life, and Yanagihara clearly wanted us to see it for what it was. This is the reality of trauma.
Plus, Yanagihara always knew when to zoom out, when to pull the curtain over our eyes. For all that this book is graphic, it never feels exploitative. The sexual abuse is vague and shadowy; descriptions focus on Jude's thoughts, rather than explicit details.
In trying to help Jude, all of the characters made mistakes. The people who loved him the most were often the ones who hurt him the most. Their desperation and their longing to save him stripped him of his agency at times, yet also were what he needed at others. Willem, Andy, Harold, they all debated what was best. Should I force him to get help, and alienate him in the process? Should I go along with it to keep him close to me? Should I compromise? Was any of it even helping? I loved that there was no right answer. I loved how morally grey it all was.
As I was reading this book, I immediately ordered Yanagihara's other books. I thought her writing style was beautiful and I adored her thoughtfulness. The part that made me cry, and that I thought was the best part of the book, was Dear Comrade. The descriptions of grief; the way Jude uses objects to inspire memories; the way the characters feel like ghosts in the last part of the novel, trying to mimic their ordinary lives. It was beautiful and devastating and it's when I really, truly cried. I'm very excited to delve into the rest of the author's writing. I can't really bring myself to give A Little Life a rating of less than 5. Also, I will definitely be rereading it, and watching the play, and I've ordered the playbook too, so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief
Minor: Addiction, Suicide, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent
The Odds by Jeff Strand
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be
Girl Flesh by May Leitz
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed how this book delved into the mind of its protagonist. I liked the horror elements a lot, but I think this book was really just a messed up queer love story. I think this book had a lot of heart and its description of love felt very real and lovely. The writing style became repetitive at times and I had to suspend my disbelief a lot! I did enjoy the book a lot, though, which definitely helped me see through its shortcomings. I want to read fluids by the same author now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual violence