hongjoongie's reviews
275 reviews

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

dark mysterious tense

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

2.0

I think what made this book fail is neither the characters nor the plot have any substance. I never understood why Laura was so obsessed with being world historical, why she was obsessed with Virginia, why the boys were, and why Virginia was like she was. They just were because they just … were. And the absolutely horribly annoying writing style. Every other sentence, I’m sad to say, was written like this. I can’t tell if this book is supposed to be satire or not but it fails either way. The book did not give. It’s only redeeming quality is it’s kinda thriller-y and propulsive so I wanted to keep reading but I kept being disappointed. 

We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad

Nothing But the Night by John Williams

dark mysterious sad tense

• 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

3.0

Good writing and depiction of ptsd/depression but very average overall. 

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

funny hopeful reflective

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

3.5

I enjoyed this more than The Interestings, but Wolitzer is so weird where on the sentence level her writing is really good but then from the whole-novel perspective it seems kinda pointless/doesn’t leave me feeling much? 

How to Be Both by Ali Smith

challenging emotional reflective sad

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

3.0

Even as I thought it I felt white all over at the loss of my friend and thought that I'd never know other colours again.

There was a lot more world : cause roads that look set to take you in one direction will sometimes twist back on themselves without ever seeming anything other than straight. 

She was attentive, sweet to me. And there was something, some glimmer of something. She'd look at me and I'd know there was something real in it, and I liked it, I liked how she paid attention to me, my life. Like she personally cared how I was feeling from day to day or what I was doing from one hour to the next.

Enjoyed George’s section significantly more. I was confused most of the time and found myself skimming, but I’m gonna give this the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s doing something interesting even if I can’t understand it. 

Sparrow by James Hynes

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense

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

4.5

Loved the portrayal of how exploitation makes those being exploited turn against and abandon each other for the sake of self-preservation. 

Grief by Andrew Holleran

funny reflective sad

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

3.5

"Yes. How do you make amends when the person you wronged is dead?"
"I suppose by doing something good to those who are still alive. I think often of a line from Sophocles-we have all eternity to please the dead, but only a little while to love the living."

Need more books set in DC. 

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense

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

3.5

Interesting thought experiment but I was also consistently distracted by the logistics of it all. 

Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad

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

4.5

I was still thinking about what she said about waves, and it made me sad because I knew that her little wave was not going to last and soon she would join the sea again, and even though I know you can't hold on to water, still I gripped her fingers a little more tightly to keep her from leaking away.