Scan barcode
house_of_hannah's reviews
257 reviews
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As someone who was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid, loved Jurassic Park, and wanted to be a Paleontologist, I cannot believe it took me until the age of 31 to actually read it. The first half of the book is very similar to the Jurassic Park movie. The movie only made a few changes from the book in that aspect, such as making the girl be the older sibling, where it's the opposite in the book. You can immediately recognize the characters from the movie in the book, so I actually think the movie did quite well in putting them onscreen.
Reading the second half of the book really showed me how the rest of the movies took scenes to use later on. It definitely looks like every Jurassic Park/World movie has scenes that are directly inspired from the first book, which I like. I also believe the changes that the first Jurassic Park movie made are actually good, so this is a rare situation where both the book and the movie are fantastic ! I still think the Jurassic World movies should have never been made though...
As for the book itself, it hooked me right away, but it quickly slowed down, and it takes about 150 pages for us to actually get to the island and see some dinosaurs. If you dislike technical explanations, computer code chatter, and chaos theory, then you will not enjoy this book. It does actually try to explain everything that is happening and why, so there are images of code strings, and things like that.
As expected, the dinosaurs are awesome. I think loving dinosaurs so much as a kid really helped in picturing what was happening on the page. I do think we could have gotten to them a bit faster, but by the time we did the world building was finished, so we could just jump in and run with (or away from) them.
Overall this was a great read that I am kicking myself in waiting so long to pick up. Teenage me would have probably loved this even more than current me !
Reading the second half of the book really showed me how the rest of the movies took scenes to use later on. It definitely looks like every Jurassic Park/World movie has scenes that are directly inspired from the first book, which I like. I also believe the changes that the first Jurassic Park movie made are actually good, so this is a rare situation where both the book and the movie are fantastic ! I still think the Jurassic World movies should have never been made though...
As for the book itself, it hooked me right away, but it quickly slowed down, and it takes about 150 pages for us to actually get to the island and see some dinosaurs. If you dislike technical explanations, computer code chatter, and chaos theory, then you will not enjoy this book. It does actually try to explain everything that is happening and why, so there are images of code strings, and things like that.
As expected, the dinosaurs are awesome. I think loving dinosaurs so much as a kid really helped in picturing what was happening on the page. I do think we could have gotten to them a bit faster, but by the time we did the world building was finished, so we could just jump in and run with (or away from) them.
Overall this was a great read that I am kicking myself in waiting so long to pick up. Teenage me would have probably loved this even more than current me !
Everything is Fine Volume One by Mike Birchall
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you so much to the Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.
So this started off as a Webtoon Comic, but is now being published in a graphic novel format like Heartstopper and Lore Olympus were. However, this is a completely different genre ! I will probably have to find the webtoon to read, because I am very intrigued in where this story is going, as this volume ended on a rather huge cliffhanger.
It seemingly takes place in a dystopian society where everything is monitered à la Big Brother in the book 1984. At the beginning I actually thought these were supposed to be cat people, as in those are actually their heads, but we quickly find out they are simply masks that everyone has to constantly wear. There is constant talk of, "We must forget", and it's slowly revealed what that actually means. There is a lot of subtle horror and tension, as the characters fight with themselves to be these perfect beings.
Overall, I find this to be really well done. The way it handles the horror and reveals is done in one of my favorite styles. The masks everyone wears are expressionless, yet you can 100% feel what the characters are thinking and feeling. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for future volumes !
So this started off as a Webtoon Comic, but is now being published in a graphic novel format like Heartstopper and Lore Olympus were. However, this is a completely different genre ! I will probably have to find the webtoon to read, because I am very intrigued in where this story is going, as this volume ended on a rather huge cliffhanger.
It seemingly takes place in a dystopian society where everything is monitered à la Big Brother in the book 1984. At the beginning I actually thought these were supposed to be cat people, as in those are actually their heads, but we quickly find out they are simply masks that everyone has to constantly wear. There is constant talk of, "We must forget", and it's slowly revealed what that actually means. There is a lot of subtle horror and tension, as the characters fight with themselves to be these perfect beings.
Overall, I find this to be really well done. The way it handles the horror and reveals is done in one of my favorite styles. The masks everyone wears are expressionless, yet you can 100% feel what the characters are thinking and feeling. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for future volumes !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
They Came to Slay: The Queer Culture of DnD by Thom James Carter
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
(I will be using the word "queer" as the book does; as a word that encompasses all of the LGBTQIA+ community)
As someone who has played D&D for several years now, and is also a part of the queer community, I felt that this book was more geared towards those who are either new or just interested in D&D, and/or may only be starting to discover who they are. As a "veteran" of sorts I finished this book not feeling like I learned anything new.
You can go into this knowing nothing about D&D and be completely fine. There is quite a lot of explanation on how the game works, and what's important to know. (Hence why I said what I did above) When it comes to the queer aspects of the book though, I found it to be incredibly repetitive. Just looking at the title of the book my first thought was, "Oh, this is going to talk about how important character creation can be for queer folks !" and that's it, that's the book. Almost every chapter is just that sentence explained again. Due to this I thought the book was a little surface level, as I think I was expecting something a little more analytical. Instead, the vibe of this book definitely feels like reading a friend's blog post.
My favorite chapter ended up being Chapter 7: Raise a tankard to the homebrewers, creators, and community. There are a lot of names dropped in this chapter, but since they are all queer D&D content creators I am interested in looking up every single one.
There is actually a sentence in this book that I feel really brings down the equality that the queer community strives for. It is located on page 72 and is as follows, "Maybe all queer people are viewed as powerful beings and held in higher respect than cishet folk." This is in reference to creating your own worlds within D&D. I had to do a double take when I read it, because what ? Personally I do not believe anyone should ever be viewed as "better" due to their sexuality, or gender they wish to present as (or not). I would not participate in a campaign with this element. We don't want the reverse, so promoting this feels quite icky to me.
Overall, I am happy that there is more literature about D&D, and it's a huge bonus that it's so queer-centric. I do look forward to checking out some more of the 404 Inklings series, and will be keeping an eye on future titles as well.
As someone who has played D&D for several years now, and is also a part of the queer community, I felt that this book was more geared towards those who are either new or just interested in D&D, and/or may only be starting to discover who they are. As a "veteran" of sorts I finished this book not feeling like I learned anything new.
You can go into this knowing nothing about D&D and be completely fine. There is quite a lot of explanation on how the game works, and what's important to know. (Hence why I said what I did above) When it comes to the queer aspects of the book though, I found it to be incredibly repetitive. Just looking at the title of the book my first thought was, "Oh, this is going to talk about how important character creation can be for queer folks !" and that's it, that's the book. Almost every chapter is just that sentence explained again. Due to this I thought the book was a little surface level, as I think I was expecting something a little more analytical. Instead, the vibe of this book definitely feels like reading a friend's blog post.
My favorite chapter ended up being Chapter 7: Raise a tankard to the homebrewers, creators, and community. There are a lot of names dropped in this chapter, but since they are all queer D&D content creators I am interested in looking up every single one.
There is actually a sentence in this book that I feel really brings down the equality that the queer community strives for. It is located on page 72 and is as follows, "Maybe all queer people are viewed as powerful beings and held in higher respect than cishet folk." This is in reference to creating your own worlds within D&D. I had to do a double take when I read it, because what ? Personally I do not believe anyone should ever be viewed as "better" due to their sexuality, or gender they wish to present as (or not). I would not participate in a campaign with this element. We don't want the reverse, so promoting this feels quite icky to me.
Overall, I am happy that there is more literature about D&D, and it's a huge bonus that it's so queer-centric. I do look forward to checking out some more of the 404 Inklings series, and will be keeping an eye on future titles as well.
Grimoire of the Four Impostors by Coy Hall
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Let's just take a second and applaud this fantastic cover. It's the first thing that caught my eye and drew me into this story. The author's note at the beginning also had me questioning what I was getting into here. I love that the grimoire is presented as real, and the concept of a book that is known to change what's written inside it, while not new, is always interesting.
The format of the book honestly reminded me of the Bible with the thin, column-like structure. I feel like that might be intentional considering the nature of the grimoire, and the knowledge it's supposed to hold.
Unfortunately, I don't think the four stories are equal in terms of how they held my interest, but this was definitely one of the more unique reads of the year for me. I will for sure be looking into this authors other stories, and keeping an eye on future works.
The format of the book honestly reminded me of the Bible with the thin, column-like structure. I feel like that might be intentional considering the nature of the grimoire, and the knowledge it's supposed to hold.
Unfortunately, I don't think the four stories are equal in terms of how they held my interest, but this was definitely one of the more unique reads of the year for me. I will for sure be looking into this authors other stories, and keeping an eye on future works.
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Based on how this began I am actually surprised I ended up enjoying this as much as I did. It is a very slow, dense read. It felt like it took me forever to get through for how short it is. There really is no plot here; it is very much a character study, and we spend the entire time in the head of the MC.
A good chunk of this book is simply just the MC laying on the floor and thinking. Since she is a vampire, but was born as a human baby, she contemplates the two sides of herself: human and demon. She analyzes her mother's self hatred, and how that was poured into her. She debates the meaning of where her source of blood comes from. She thinks about what she wants from this extended life of hers, and other subjects along these lines.
I think you definitely have to be in a pensive mood to pick this one up. There's nothing fast paced, or action packed about this book. It will take you on a meandering journey with a woman who's just trying to figure out who she is.
A good chunk of this book is simply just the MC laying on the floor and thinking. Since she is a vampire, but was born as a human baby, she contemplates the two sides of herself: human and demon. She analyzes her mother's self hatred, and how that was poured into her. She debates the meaning of where her source of blood comes from. She thinks about what she wants from this extended life of hers, and other subjects along these lines.
I think you definitely have to be in a pensive mood to pick this one up. There's nothing fast paced, or action packed about this book. It will take you on a meandering journey with a woman who's just trying to figure out who she is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Animal death
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I cannot believe this journey is finally over ! I participated in the 365 days of Les Miserables challenge, where I read one chapter of Les Mis a day, since there are 365 chapters in the book. I did finish a few days early, so I have had days where I read more than one chapter, but also days where I didn’t read at all.
I ended up vlogging my entire experience with this, so it has been such a huge part of my life this past year. Because of that, regardless of how I actually feel about the book in the end, it has been a five star experience. I also cried at the end of the book, just like I did at the end of the musical and the movie. Doesn’t matter that I knew what was going to happen; it will always make me emotional !
Alright, now let’s actually get into a few things about the book. Jean Valjean is still the absolute GOAT. He is 100% my favorite character in every media I have experienced this story in. My “ranking” of the characters would probably be as follows:
1. Jean Valjean
2. Gavroche
3. Monsieur Mabeuf
4. Enjolras
5. Thenardier
6. Javert
7. Eponine
8. Marius & Cosette
I ended up disliking book Marius & Cosette so much more than I was expecting. Neither of them are able to come to any correct conclusions on their own, and the lack of communication and assumptions are astonishing. Cosette is only an extension of whatever man she is with, and so is completely useless. Marius, while highly educated and should definitely know better, is as dumb as a brick. He has a few shining moments in the story, but my god are they brought down by how dense he is.
Another thing that is super blatant in Hugo’s writing is his descriptions of women. All of them (except for Cosette of course) are presented in such ugly and twisted ways. He has nothing good to say about them, and they are always just simply obeying the men around them. In the movie and musical Madame Thenardier is portrayed as more of the “boss” in her relationship with Thenardier, but that is not the case in the book. Women are presented as having no thoughts of their own, are ugly and disfigured, and are mostly in the way. It’s something I noticed every single time a new female character was introduced.
One thing that I found funny about the book is that it really makes it seem like there’s only a dozen people living in Paris with how frequently all the characters bump into each other. This story is the epitome of plot convenience, but honestly that’s the only way this story could be told, so it actually works here.
The writing style itself is fine. Hugo loves to go on and on and on, and really dive into the history of things, so you definitely have to have the patience for that or it will drive you mad. I truly do not think I would have been able to get through this monstrosity if I had tried to read it in larger chunks.
A basic knowledge of French is obviously incredibly helpful ! There are some scenes where the significance will be lost on you if you know nothing of the language. The names, streets, places, are all French, so knowing how to pronounce those will make reading a lot smoother. If there is a historical figure, or anything that you are curious about that they are discussing in the book, I highly recommend looking it up and learning more.
Overall I think my rating for just the story itself would be a 4, but like I said above, adding in my journey with the story makes it no less than 5 stars. I would highly recommend this to anyone who lives in Paris, is studying French, enjoys the classics, or loves history. Going to the places talked about in the book as you read is not a common thing to be able to do, so I will forever be grateful for this experience, and to my year of reading Les Miserables.
I ended up vlogging my entire experience with this, so it has been such a huge part of my life this past year. Because of that, regardless of how I actually feel about the book in the end, it has been a five star experience. I also cried at the end of the book, just like I did at the end of the musical and the movie. Doesn’t matter that I knew what was going to happen; it will always make me emotional !
Alright, now let’s actually get into a few things about the book. Jean Valjean is still the absolute GOAT. He is 100% my favorite character in every media I have experienced this story in. My “ranking” of the characters would probably be as follows:
1. Jean Valjean
2. Gavroche
3. Monsieur Mabeuf
4. Enjolras
5. Thenardier
6. Javert
7. Eponine
8. Marius & Cosette
I ended up disliking book Marius & Cosette so much more than I was expecting. Neither of them are able to come to any correct conclusions on their own, and the lack of communication and assumptions are astonishing. Cosette is only an extension of whatever man she is with, and so is completely useless. Marius, while highly educated and should definitely know better, is as dumb as a brick. He has a few shining moments in the story, but my god are they brought down by how dense he is.
Another thing that is super blatant in Hugo’s writing is his descriptions of women. All of them (except for Cosette of course) are presented in such ugly and twisted ways. He has nothing good to say about them, and they are always just simply obeying the men around them. In the movie and musical Madame Thenardier is portrayed as more of the “boss” in her relationship with Thenardier, but that is not the case in the book. Women are presented as having no thoughts of their own, are ugly and disfigured, and are mostly in the way. It’s something I noticed every single time a new female character was introduced.
One thing that I found funny about the book is that it really makes it seem like there’s only a dozen people living in Paris with how frequently all the characters bump into each other. This story is the epitome of plot convenience, but honestly that’s the only way this story could be told, so it actually works here.
The writing style itself is fine. Hugo loves to go on and on and on, and really dive into the history of things, so you definitely have to have the patience for that or it will drive you mad. I truly do not think I would have been able to get through this monstrosity if I had tried to read it in larger chunks.
A basic knowledge of French is obviously incredibly helpful ! There are some scenes where the significance will be lost on you if you know nothing of the language. The names, streets, places, are all French, so knowing how to pronounce those will make reading a lot smoother. If there is a historical figure, or anything that you are curious about that they are discussing in the book, I highly recommend looking it up and learning more.
Overall I think my rating for just the story itself would be a 4, but like I said above, adding in my journey with the story makes it no less than 5 stars. I would highly recommend this to anyone who lives in Paris, is studying French, enjoys the classics, or loves history. Going to the places talked about in the book as you read is not a common thing to be able to do, so I will forever be grateful for this experience, and to my year of reading Les Miserables.
Earthdivers: Kill Columbus #1 by Stephen Graham Jones
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Thank you so much to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.
My dumbass went into this thinking it was a graphic novel, when it is, in fact, a comic book, so imagine my surprise at how few pages there were ! The art style is certainly eye-catching, and we are instantly thrown into the story, but there were elements that I found confusing.
There were several moments where it was difficult to tell what was actual dialogue, and what was someone's thoughts. I'm no stranger to Graphic Novels and Comics, so I was surprised this kept happening. I also had to flip back and forth between pages a few times, because the jump in scences made it seem like a page or two were missing. It just really seemed like we were missing some info.
The motivation for these characters seems to be saving the world, and to do that they need to stop America from being founded. However, we don't really learn more than that in this first volume. If they do succeed on their mission to kill Columbus, then what's stopping someone else from "discovering" America ? What exactly did America do to cause the apocalypse ? The events that the comic describes seem more like the effects of climate change, which is a world wide issue.
Overall, the art and the characters themselves are the main draw for me at the moment. The plot seems weak, but that is something that can be improved as the story progresses. With volume 1 we are definitely left with a ton of questions, and, as always, we'll have to read on to learn more.
My dumbass went into this thinking it was a graphic novel, when it is, in fact, a comic book, so imagine my surprise at how few pages there were ! The art style is certainly eye-catching, and we are instantly thrown into the story, but there were elements that I found confusing.
There were several moments where it was difficult to tell what was actual dialogue, and what was someone's thoughts. I'm no stranger to Graphic Novels and Comics, so I was surprised this kept happening. I also had to flip back and forth between pages a few times, because the jump in scences made it seem like a page or two were missing. It just really seemed like we were missing some info.
The motivation for these characters seems to be saving the world, and to do that they need to stop America from being founded. However, we don't really learn more than that in this first volume. If they do succeed on their mission to kill Columbus, then what's stopping someone else from "discovering" America ? What exactly did America do to cause the apocalypse ? The events that the comic describes seem more like the effects of climate change, which is a world wide issue.
Overall, the art and the characters themselves are the main draw for me at the moment. The plot seems weak, but that is something that can be improved as the story progresses. With volume 1 we are definitely left with a ton of questions, and, as always, we'll have to read on to learn more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Extinction Hymns by Eric Raglin
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you so much to Brigids Gate Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.
I have read my fair share of horror anthologies this year, and I must say this is one of the better ones ! I have found that I have a particular fondness for stories that are only a few pages long, but can still pack such a punch, and most of these delivered. I will admit, I did not realize these were all written by the same author until the end; not sure how I managed that !
Usually for a short story collection I will list out each title, give a summary, and my personal rating for each story, but with 18 titles here I feel that's a bit much. The end of the book lists the content warnings, so this time I am just going to stick to sharing those.
Silver Dollar Eyes: Child death by cancer
The Resurrection Doll: Suicide, Self-Harm
Angel Teeth: Drug Addiction, Torture
Transubstantiation: Graphic Child Death
In His Youth: Brief non-explicit mention of child sexual assault
A Most bulbous Congregation: Child Torture, Conversion Therapy
The Last Summer: None
Elevator Boys: Child Death
Dead Rain: Suicide, Death of a Parent, Child Death
A Coarse Yellow Sea: Child Endangerment and Death, Animal Neglect, Attempted Suicide, Internalized Biphobia, Homophobic Language, Spouse Incarceration, Drug Use
What to Do with Grandpa: Self-Harm, Dementia
A Creature Nailed upon the Corridor of Time: None
The Strangling Ash: Mother death in childbirth, Verbal and physical child abuse
Floaters: Suicide, Extreme Violence, Workplace Misogyny
Boning: Torture, Extreme Violence, Cancer
Heirlooms: Cancer, Self-Harm
'Til the Sun Wheel Turns No More: Self-Harm, Extreme Violence, Parent rejecting gay child, Nazism
The Last of her Kind: Animal Death
Most of these stories felt so fresh and original. Each one was unique from all the others. There were multiple moments where I just sat there for a moment after finishing a story just to process what I just read. I think the first several stories are the ones that will stick with me the most.
This collection was also incredibly easy to read. I could not stop myself from turning the page to read more. This just felt completely up my alley, and what I've been looking for when it comes to anthologies, so I will definitely be picking up Eric Raglin's other work !
I have read my fair share of horror anthologies this year, and I must say this is one of the better ones ! I have found that I have a particular fondness for stories that are only a few pages long, but can still pack such a punch, and most of these delivered. I will admit, I did not realize these were all written by the same author until the end; not sure how I managed that !
Usually for a short story collection I will list out each title, give a summary, and my personal rating for each story, but with 18 titles here I feel that's a bit much. The end of the book lists the content warnings, so this time I am just going to stick to sharing those.
Silver Dollar Eyes: Child death by cancer
The Resurrection Doll: Suicide, Self-Harm
Angel Teeth: Drug Addiction, Torture
Transubstantiation: Graphic Child Death
In His Youth: Brief non-explicit mention of child sexual assault
A Most bulbous Congregation: Child Torture, Conversion Therapy
The Last Summer: None
Elevator Boys: Child Death
Dead Rain: Suicide, Death of a Parent, Child Death
A Coarse Yellow Sea: Child Endangerment and Death, Animal Neglect, Attempted Suicide, Internalized Biphobia, Homophobic Language, Spouse Incarceration, Drug Use
What to Do with Grandpa: Self-Harm, Dementia
A Creature Nailed upon the Corridor of Time: None
The Strangling Ash: Mother death in childbirth, Verbal and physical child abuse
Floaters: Suicide, Extreme Violence, Workplace Misogyny
Boning: Torture, Extreme Violence, Cancer
Heirlooms: Cancer, Self-Harm
'Til the Sun Wheel Turns No More: Self-Harm, Extreme Violence, Parent rejecting gay child, Nazism
The Last of her Kind: Animal Death
Most of these stories felt so fresh and original. Each one was unique from all the others. There were multiple moments where I just sat there for a moment after finishing a story just to process what I just read. I think the first several stories are the ones that will stick with me the most.
This collection was also incredibly easy to read. I could not stop myself from turning the page to read more. This just felt completely up my alley, and what I've been looking for when it comes to anthologies, so I will definitely be picking up Eric Raglin's other work !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Self harm, Drug abuse, Torture, Murder, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Cancer, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Confinement
Minor: Animal death, Dementia, and Misogyny
Sirius: Twin Stars by Ana C. Sánchez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.0
Thank you so much to Tokyopop and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.
This ended up being a cute one-shot that shows you can work through trauma and still find light in your life. One of the characters, Dani, had a heart attack as a teenager, and needed to have open heart surgery, so she is experiencing the loss of what she thought her life was going to be. Then comes in the shining star of Blanca, who shows her that she can still dream, and that the scars of her past are not ugly.
Since this is a one-shot their romance obviously moves quite quickly, and feels a little insta-love. There is nothing explicit in this manga. There is actually a time skip for the Epilogue, which leaves this story ending on the perfect note. The subject matter could have gone a bit deeper, but I think it works quite well for a younger audience. This really is a cute manga with a good message, and it's as simple as that.
This ended up being a cute one-shot that shows you can work through trauma and still find light in your life. One of the characters, Dani, had a heart attack as a teenager, and needed to have open heart surgery, so she is experiencing the loss of what she thought her life was going to be. Then comes in the shining star of Blanca, who shows her that she can still dream, and that the scars of her past are not ugly.
Since this is a one-shot their romance obviously moves quite quickly, and feels a little insta-love. There is nothing explicit in this manga. There is actually a time skip for the Epilogue, which leaves this story ending on the perfect note. The subject matter could have gone a bit deeper, but I think it works quite well for a younger audience. This really is a cute manga with a good message, and it's as simple as that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Medical trauma and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol and Bullying
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 Stars
I went into this without reading the description, so everything was a surprise for me. Despite the page count this is actually a pretty quick read. The font is quite large, so I was flying through the pages. The pacing was weirder though; it simultaneously felt fast and slow. It's one of those where it feels like there's always something happening, but also not at the same time. It's hard to describe.
Who needs enemies when you have these people as friends ? My god, everyone was the absolute worst friend in this book. What awful people ! It felt like the characters in this club were trying to force themselves together even though they only had one common interest. We also never really got to see who they were outside of the club, so it just seemed like everyone was being miserable the whole time.
Don't get me started on the Fear Tests ! Once they explained what those were all I could think was, "This is the US, someone is going to get fucking shot". I have absolutely no idea why they never thought that people would fight back, or maybe have a gun in the house. It really just seemed incredibly stupid and naive. I was never surprised when someone got hurt.
I did really enjoy the horror references ! I think there was only one that went over my head as I had not seen the movie before. Usually books only reference horror classics, so it was neat to actually see some very modern movies represented. I did find it unbelievable though that that many people in the same grade were obsessed with horror and had seen every movie. I would have jumped on a group like that in a second if it existed when I was in high school though.
I did end up being quite engrossed in this book. It made me feel anxiety as to what was going to happen next, and it raised my heart rate a few times. However, the plot is predictable, none of the characters are likable, and I wasn't a fan of the ending. I closed this book thinking about how dumb the Mary Shelley Club actually is, and how their whole concept is actually quite disrespectful to the horror genre rather than embracing it. However, in the end, it does keep with the theme: people are the true monsters.
I went into this without reading the description, so everything was a surprise for me. Despite the page count this is actually a pretty quick read. The font is quite large, so I was flying through the pages. The pacing was weirder though; it simultaneously felt fast and slow. It's one of those where it feels like there's always something happening, but also not at the same time. It's hard to describe.
Who needs enemies when you have these people as friends ? My god, everyone was the absolute worst friend in this book. What awful people ! It felt like the characters in this club were trying to force themselves together even though they only had one common interest. We also never really got to see who they were outside of the club, so it just seemed like everyone was being miserable the whole time.
I did really enjoy the horror references ! I think there was only one that went over my head as I had not seen the movie before. Usually books only reference horror classics, so it was neat to actually see some very modern movies represented. I did find it unbelievable though that that many people in the same grade were obsessed with horror and had seen every movie. I would have jumped on a group like that in a second if it existed when I was in high school though.
I did end up being quite engrossed in this book. It made me feel anxiety as to what was going to happen next, and it raised my heart rate a few times. However, the plot is predictable, none of the characters are likable, and I wasn't a fan of the ending. I closed this book thinking about how dumb the Mary Shelley Club actually is, and how their whole concept is actually quite disrespectful to the horror genre rather than embracing it. However, in the end, it does keep with the theme: people are the true monsters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Gaslighting, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide and Vomit