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gilroi's reviews
534 reviews
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
I'm not sure what to say about this book. It's very good, though more of a 3.5er for me personally. I liked all the characters. I even liked the romance. The conclusion was excellently written. I think I'm just not too into Gothic horror, and this is a weird book to find that out on. But it's excellently written, with memorable characters, a well-paced plot, and a viciously lovely ending.
I highly recommend it for those who find fascination in lurid tales of ancient families, horrible murder-suicides, mysterious incest, and the other staples of Gothic literature that, while well-deployed here, kinda don't do it for me, personally.
Still, good book. No argument there.
I highly recommend it for those who find fascination in lurid tales of ancient families, horrible murder-suicides, mysterious incest, and the other staples of Gothic literature that, while well-deployed here, kinda don't do it for me, personally.
Still, good book. No argument there.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
3.0
While the beginning is a bit rocky and jumbled, the characters shine all the way through, and the ending makes everything perfectly worth it. The brevity helps immensely; this story did not need to be any longer than it was, and I'm glad no one pressured the writer into expanding it.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
4.0
Well, now I have 'I Think We're Alone Now' stuck in my head.
My Best Friend's Exorcism isn't about demons, or spooky nightmares, or gore, or violence, or milkshakes. It has those things, but those things are just pillars to hold up the real point. This book is about the power of friendship, and its harsh realities. It's also about the really horrible parts of the 80's, from the Satanic Panic to the War on Drugs, rampant classism and poisonous interpretations of Christianity. And all of those aspects are used to augment the real point: Friendship, how it lasts, its realities, its pains, what can hurt it and what can hold it up.
My Best Friend's Exorcism isn't about demons, or spooky nightmares, or gore, or violence, or milkshakes. It has those things, but those things are just pillars to hold up the real point. This book is about the power of friendship, and its harsh realities. It's also about the really horrible parts of the 80's, from the Satanic Panic to the War on Drugs, rampant classism and poisonous interpretations of Christianity. And all of those aspects are used to augment the real point: Friendship, how it lasts, its realities, its pains, what can hurt it and what can hold it up.
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
4.0
A lovely post-cyberpunk romp in neo-noir trappings, the worldbuilding is gritty without being grimdark, and the entire book is shot through with humor.
Kovacs is a wonderfully flawed protagonist, not just in his emotional and heroic core, but in the sense that his small failures and harms to his pride are very real-- he seems to view male sexuality as a disgusting burden rather than something virile and manly, which is refreshing for sf written by cis men.
However, the sex scenes were pointless and lurid, and the scene (you'll know when you get there) was pointlessly disgusting.
For those wondering, yes it is significantly different enough from the Netflix series to warrant a read. In general, it foreshadows where the series over-explains, carefully hinting at its worldbuilding.
Overall, a fun read if you have a high tolerance for genre staples such as these. Not for everyone, but definitely for me.
Kovacs is a wonderfully flawed protagonist, not just in his emotional and heroic core, but in the sense that his small failures and harms to his pride are very real-- he seems to view male sexuality as a disgusting burden rather than something virile and manly, which is refreshing for sf written by cis men.
However, the sex scenes were pointless and lurid, and the
Spoiler
dogfuckingFor those wondering, yes it is significantly different enough from the Netflix series to warrant a read. In general, it foreshadows where the series over-explains, carefully hinting at its worldbuilding.
Overall, a fun read if you have a high tolerance for genre staples such as these. Not for everyone, but definitely for me.