giumilio's reviews
295 reviews

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I loved the format and I loved the mystery and the story in general! But it was too much detailled violence for my taste. At some point the violence stopped supporting the story and started feeling like it was there for shock value. But I could imagine reading another book by Dennis Cooper.

Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World by Donald Antrim

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I found the book via a disturbing books iceberg video on YouTube. Most of the novel has this eerie and foreboding undertone, while seeming almost cheery at times on the surface. But it took the longest part of the book before I realised what landed it on the iceberg. It was a good read though!

The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

The prologue gave me the chills, but I immediately disliked most main characters and was too annoyed by them to continue 😬

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.0

I’m so happy I finally read this book. I’m very impressed by how well Anne Frank could write at such a young age. Reaching the end of her diary was disturbing though, as it felt as if I had gotten to know her well…

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

I started this after really enjoying the Wicked movie, but I realised very quickly that I don’t actually care enough about the story 🤷🏼‍♂️

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.

This book is written very nicely, and I am really interested in the topic – but all the dream interpretation ruined it for me. Instead of getting to the bottom of people’s problems by talking to them, they all happen to have a really telling dream that Yalom always interprets as a metaphor for death anxiety. After a dozen dreams (or something along those lines), I lost patience, as it felt like Sherlock Holmes solving cases in ways nobody can follow and therefore can't learn anything from. I’ll have to find another book on this topic.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.

After the first quarter, the pacing really slowed down until I couldn’t be bothered to continue.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I think the first half was very engaging – the second half not so much 😆

Come Closer by Sara Gran

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was worried every possession novel would feel like a knock-off of the Exorcist, but this one was something completely different!

Über Menschen by Juli Zeh

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

At first I thought it was disappointing that so many political topics were brought up, but then there were never really any conclusive thoughts or opinions. But after I finished this book, I realised that the book was more about the fact that two wildly different people were still able to form a connection, despite their opposing opinions and without having to change them either. It felt very hopeful. And the writing was beautiful!