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hannahreadss_'s reviews
195 reviews
Machine's Last Testament by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
i can barely see shit. that whole, 'imagine an apple, what do you see' fiasco made me realise i do not have as imaginative a mind as i previously thought which sucked because i'm really awful at maths and science and i'm not a top athlete, so if i'm not creative, what's left at this point? i'm getting distracted, what i'm trying to say (with a lot of bullshit) is that machine's last testament is so incredibly vivid that even i could get a rough sketch of everything that was being described and honestly, it's probably one of the selling points of this book.
there are a few other things that are really great, which i'm getting onto, but there are also a couple things that didn't work for me which meant this was a four star instead of a five. because i'm nothing if not ungenerous.
OKAY enough babbling, here's everything i loved:
4.0
first book of 2023 was quite the ride.
i'm actually supposed to be working so let me get back to that... review to come because i have many thoughts.
you know when something is so vivid that you can practically taste the words, that you have a city, a planet, no, an entire universe in your head because of what you've just read?
i'm actually supposed to be working so let me get back to that... review to come because i have many thoughts.
you know when something is so vivid that you can practically taste the words, that you have a city, a planet, no, an entire universe in your head because of what you've just read?
yeah no me either.
i can barely see shit. that whole, 'imagine an apple, what do you see' fiasco made me realise i do not have as imaginative a mind as i previously thought which sucked because i'm really awful at maths and science and i'm not a top athlete, so if i'm not creative, what's left at this point? i'm getting distracted, what i'm trying to say (with a lot of bullshit) is that machine's last testament is so incredibly vivid that even i could get a rough sketch of everything that was being described and honestly, it's probably one of the selling points of this book.
there are a few other things that are really great, which i'm getting onto, but there are also a couple things that didn't work for me which meant this was a four star instead of a five. because i'm nothing if not ungenerous.
OKAY enough babbling, here's everything i loved:
➡ the world & character building !!
as i've just mentioned, this was so good. for some, it might be slightly lethargic to note everything that there is to see, but for me it worked. the details were so creative. so wonderfully descriptive and never what i would ever have thought to describe foliage or the arc of a building or the clothing aesthetic. unique, detail orientated descriptions. all the characters were fleshed out with actual personalities and i was roooooting for ovuha, let her be a menace. everyone was really hot too, which is always a bonus. the sex scenes? jesus.
➡ the inclusivity of queer identities.
there were various pronouns AND neopronouns wound seamlessly into the prose, including they/them and xe. there was also a range of different sexualities with both main characters being queer. basically this was a big queer fest and after reading this, i forgot straight people actually exist.
➡ the conversation surrounding human nature and AI ethics.
it actually reminded me a little bit of i, robot (the film because i haven't yet read the book) with one main, supreme AI controlling everything and every AI. the themes of surveillance and immigration intertwined with imperialism were hard hitting and an honest depiction. they were handled with care, thoroughly explored and honestly, probably a pretty accurate representation of past and current events.
➡ the brutality.
i'm quite a morbid person with a slight fascination with death and such so this was right up my alley. it wasn't visceral for the sake of being gory either. there was a time and place for the violence, it served to add to the plot and create this concept that given the chance, people will leave their humanity at the door if it allows them to live a lavish life.
oh god, i've gone on a lot haven't i. ah well.
now, things that didn't work for me:
oh god, i've gone on a lot haven't i. ah well.
now, things that didn't work for me:
➡ the chunks of info dumping.
i have a small brain. i also have a worrisome memory, and while i don't need to be reminded constantly, i'm not susceptible to vastly complicated and layered amounts of information all at once. if you don't have issues, know that i am incredibly jealous of you firstly, and that you will have no issue in this department if you so choose to read this.
➡ the romance.
there was something missing, not there. i didn’t believe this intense connection could have formed so quickly and thoroughly in such a short time frame and such little interactions. minor spoiler ‼️ there were a maximum of 10 interactions they had in the beginning and yet ovuha was so in love that she based their entire plan on whatever suzhen wanted? too insta-lovey for me. i felt like it needed a bit more of a slow-burn.
➡ the mechanics.
while i did love the world building and felt immersed in this narrative, i do think the mechanics were overlooked. i was getting confused as to how a lot of things were able to happen and couldn't tell if it were me being stupid and missed something or if it just hadn't really been mentioned.
➡ TOO subtle.
ironically, there were both moments of info dumping AND moments were everything was so utterly vague i genuinely had no fucking clue what was happening. see previous point.
➡ pacing.
it was slow at the beginning, all action was condensed together and it affected my understanding of, again, what the fuck was happening at moments.
overall i think this was an ambitious first novel that was immensely creative but lacked the finishing touches. i'd also like to point out, for most of it, i did have a loose idea of what was happening before anyone comes for me.
overall i think this was an ambitious first novel that was immensely creative but lacked the finishing touches. i'd also like to point out, for most of it, i did have a loose idea of what was happening before anyone comes for me.
Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde
3.0
this is definitely an unusual book. like, borderline weird. (think bunny level weird). i don't think i fully grasped what was happening or the subtle, underlying messages at any point. partly due to the fact that the narration was so separated, so individualised, it felt more like short stories tied together than a full novel.
wickedly original and hard-hitting themes (sexism, misogyny, homophobia) incorporated flawlessly into the narrative though !!
overall; this was a very slow but intriguing reading journey.
i just don't think i understood much of it.
wickedly original and hard-hitting themes (sexism, misogyny, homophobia) incorporated flawlessly into the narrative though !!
overall; this was a very slow but intriguing reading journey.
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa
fast-paced
5.0
this book made me see the beauty in maths, and i oathe maths. ultimately, a simple, poetic book of found family in the most unexpected of places. very heartfelt and moving, in such a short amount of time, so i applaud Yōko Ogawa for making me feel so much in so few pages.
salt slow by Julia Armfield
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
julia armfield writes how i sometimes see the world and i think thats beautiful.
the unique way in which she describes things makes me simultaneously shiver and slowly clap because it’s clever in its simplicity. i loved each of these tiny little stories, and would happily read full lengths novels of them all. my favourites, ones that immediately stood out to me and i won’t be able to stop thinking about, were: the great awake, the collectables, stop your women’s ears with wax, cassandra after, and salt slow.
the unique way in which she describes things makes me simultaneously shiver and slowly clap because it’s clever in its simplicity. i loved each of these tiny little stories, and would happily read full lengths novels of them all. my favourites, ones that immediately stood out to me and i won’t be able to stop thinking about, were: the great awake, the collectables, stop your women’s ears with wax, cassandra after, and salt slow.
The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French
adventurous
dark
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? No
2.0
i’m not entirely sure how i feel after reading something like this.
it was sexist, homophobic, AND racist, under the guise of ‘male banter’.
the women are either ‘bedwarmers’ or look after the children and the only female character who doesn’t fit into either of those boxes, is continuously belittled, put down, and seen as a sex object. there might have been good enough intentions for her tough, stubborn attitude and ability, but it was very much lost in the ‘she’s just one of the lads’.
it was crude, crass and violent, and that was just the dialogue.
and the whole lore of how ‘half-orcs’ comes about ?? yeaaaaah, no. brutality against women of any race, real or not, for the sake of it.
the actual plot was entertaining, at least, parts of it. i did like oats, and the hogs. but everything else just made me mutter, ‘yep, a man definitely wrote this.’
it was sexist, homophobic, AND racist, under the guise of ‘male banter’.
the women are either ‘bedwarmers’ or look after the children and the only female character who doesn’t fit into either of those boxes, is continuously belittled, put down, and seen as a sex object. there might have been good enough intentions for her tough, stubborn attitude and ability, but it was very much lost in the ‘she’s just one of the lads’.
it was crude, crass and violent, and that was just the dialogue.
and the whole lore of how ‘half-orcs’ comes about ?? yeaaaaah, no. brutality against women of any race, real or not, for the sake of it.
the actual plot was entertaining, at least, parts of it. i did like oats, and the hogs. but everything else just made me mutter, ‘yep, a man definitely wrote this.’
Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
dark
emotional
fast-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
3.5
weirdos will always have a special place in my heart <3
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emily austin, i politely request you get out of my head.
another incredibly moving portrayal of complex human emotion that, at its core, highlights the grey that constantly sits between good and bad. the way austin is able to take each layer of emotion, of thought, and dissect it with ease, never fails to mesmerise me. the streak of consciousness, and an unreliable narrator, made for such a physically easy read. emotionally, on the other hand, is a different story.
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this was tragically beautiful, and while i’m slowly getting tired of the most popular lesbian fiction being ones of struggle/homophobia/internalised homophobia, i understand and respect its place on the bookshelf because it’s important and in sunburn, it was executed perfectly.
lucy is a deeply rich character, and as you grow with her, her choices align with the person she is. it’s tender, moving, and sad in the way water can never fully be held in a closed fist and you must let it go.
i just wish they would say the word lesbian, it’s not a bad word.
lucy is a deeply rich character, and as you grow with her, her choices align with the person she is. it’s tender, moving, and sad in the way water can never fully be held in a closed fist and you must let it go.
i just wish they would say the word lesbian, it’s not a bad word.
Murder: The Biography by Kate Morgan
informative
reflective
medium-paced
incredibly educational on the history and development of murder laws through time, and as a true crime fan, i really enjoyed learning about how different acts of killing are defined and judged against the law.