giralka's reviews
461 reviews

One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

i honestly dont know what to make of this story idgi at all and it was so hard for me to follow

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Despite the polarizing reviews, I wasn't deterred; from the moment I started reading, I knew it would be a book I'd love. The novel revolves around the three friends, Sam, Sadie, and Marx, who establish a successful video game company together. The timeline spans across 20 years.

What particularly struck me was Zevin’s writing style—descriptive and poignant. Though, at times, I found it a bit too detailed, I appreciate how it naturally immerses readers in the characters’ minds. I like the opportunity to peek into each character’s thoughts, a narration style known as "third-person omniscient narration."

Despite numerous shifts between perspectives and timelines, the narrative flowed smoothly for me, making everything cohesive. I can easily envision this story as a limited series. However, I believe Marx’s chapter could have been more robust; it felt somewhat neglected, like a middle child.

In summary, the book was a compelling read for me. I admire how Zevin seamlessly integrates the process and experience of creating and playing video games into the characters' lives. The introduction of different characters was well-executed, though I sense that Marx, as a supporting character, could have been more developed. While the beginning was solid, I agree with many that the middle part was a bit shaky.

Content Warnings

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

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lighthearted reflective sad slow-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

2.5

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I think this book has a similar tone to Johnathan Saffran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in which both the characters are grieving the loss of their fathers through a tragic event. The coping mechanism kicks in differently for the two of them. The story here also focuses on the mother’s grief of losing a husband while also trying to keep it together for Benny’s sake. I like that we can see that she’s clearly struggling to cope and to get better.

Content Warnings

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I finally caved and gave My Year of Rest and Relaxation a try. I’ve noticed many people placing it in their top 5 reads of 2023 or even considering it an all-time favorite. I’m baffled. After skimming through numerous positive reviews, they all seem to boil down to the same few points:

The narrator is very unlikeable, yet people find themselves relating to her.
The novel is dark and disturbing because the narrator questions her existence, takes multiple drugs, and lies to her psychiatrist to obtain said drugs. Her life is in shambles due to grief, but it’s okay because she can afford a whole year off. 😊
Despite her flaws, she’s depicted as remarkably human and real.

Certainly, this novel presents just one manifestation of depression and grief, but I fail to see the purpose of portraying something so significant in a manner that seems both boring and reckless. I don’t find it dark or disturbing. The only truly disturbing aspect to me is how the narrator managed to avoid overdosing, given the amount of drugs she consumed, sometimes mixed with alcohol, if I recall correctly. This hits close to home for me, as I know people who have overdosed, and it's not a topic I take lightly.

I perceive a depressed narrator, still mourning her parents, too afraid to face life as it moves forward. So, she chooses to sleep through it. She claims to dislike Reva, but I think it's more than that. Reva isn't insufferable because of her trivial problems or occasional visits; she's a reminder to the narrator that she isn't truly living. The narrator is detached from her own life because, to her, it's mundane, and existence is both boring and exhausting.

The timeline of the book leads up to the 9/11 tragedy in 2001. Despite everyone raving about the ending, I find it to be a huge waste of time. The book concludes with:

“There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake.”

Am I supposed to find this clever?

This book felt utterly pointless to me.

Content Warnings