gvstyris's reviews
89 reviews

Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins

4.0

She didn’t have me sold until the last few chapters, and now I’ll be thinking about this novel for the next few days. Jeez. 

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

3.5

I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time, jeez

Khirbet Khizeh by S. Yizhar

3.75

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I was surprised that this memoir is much more focused on the consequences of extremist religion than the trauma of growing up on YouTube, but thought it was an incredibly important read nonetheless. 

I was absolutely taken aback by the physical relationship between Ruby and Jodie though, wow. You really never know what’s going on behind closed doors.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

There was something very special, but it wasn’t inside Josie. It was inside those who loved her. 

It’s honestly pretty funny how aptly this book would’ve slotted into the syllabus for my FRS. Glad I finally finished it, but can’t help being a little disappointed by the rushed ending. Still curious to give “Never Let Me Go” a read soon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Medical content

Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

4.0

men 🫠

Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky

4.25

Divergent by Veronica Roth

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.25

what a classic, the chokehold this had on me as a 9 nine year old should be studied

Pages for You by Sylvia Brownrigg

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

We could have travelled enough for me if we had just stayed in your room. 

A rare instance of me drastically changing my mind about something. Just goes to show how important external life circumstances are to your enjoyment of certain media. 

This isn’t the sapphic coming-of-age novel I expected when I first read it, and is instead a poignant exploration of youth and loneliness. Grateful to have reread this when I did, for sure.