ida03a's reviews
168 reviews

Scattered All Over the Earth by Yōko Tawada

3.5

This book had such an interesting premise and I really liked the dystopian but also somewhat positive setting. I also enjoyed the structure of the different povs from each chapter. I was somewhat intrigued throughout the whole book, but the ending did disappoint me a little. It felt kind of like the author was just sick of writing and decided to stop out of nowhere. I also didn't really feel any connection to the character, as you didn't get to know them beyond their mission. Still, I liked reading about language and the authors interpretation of the future.

Outline by Rachel Cusk

3.0

This one was hard to rate. Though the writing was beautiful and there were some very insightful and intriguing points throughout, it was also very boring. The story is created from basically monologues with lots of strangers going on and on about different things that happened to them. In many ways this book felt like a short story collection, which I'm usually not a big fan of. I found some of the characters stories interesting, and some very boring and it very much feels like nothing happens.

If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

2.0

Oh my. I honestly hated this so much. I know this is a YA romance but, I really don't think that justifies this. The writing is very bland, but the worst part were the cliches. Every single character was based on some weird cliche stereotype and I hated it. The main characters mindset also just felt very childish, which made sense at the start of the book but then very much didn't at the end of it when she was supposed to be 18. Also what's this authors weird obsession with teen pregnancy? 
The ending also didn't do anything for me, probably because I didn't really care for the characters, but it was also just very short compared to the rest of the book which was very dragged out.
I sadly did not understand how people love this book so much... I would not recommend.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

2.5

I went into this thinking it would be a similar vibe as The secret history, and it kind of was, but not in a good way. It felt in many ways like the author was trying to copy Donna Tarrt and it honestly didn't work for me at all. First of all there are way to many unnecessary characters that don't have any real personality and also don't do anything for the plot. I hated the "manuscript-like" dialogue format. The "twist" felt kind of obvious and there wasn't really anything that made me want to read on. The only thing I found sort of interesting was the relationship between James and Oliver(?), but I still wouldn't recommend it. Read TSH instead :)

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

5.0

Wow!! This book surprised me in such a good way, honestly didn't expect to love it this much. The writing style and way of storytelling was amazingly done. Every persons pov added so much to the story and I was intrigued by every single one. I really liked the slow reveal, and some detail left my jaw on the floor. The story also makes you think and shows different perspectives regarding the death penalty. The last 100 pages were so thrilling that I read it in one sitting. Would absolutely recommend, probably the best thriller/crime book I have read ever.

Misery by Stephen King

2.5

Steven King might not be the author for me. I found this story really dragged out and not at all memorable. The character felt quite one-dimensional and we didn't really get to know him at all outside of the present events. The bits from the book he was writing was sadly also totally uninteresting to me. I did kind of enjoy the crazy parts and Annies character, but I will probably not read another Steven King book.

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

4.0

Starting out this book I really didn't like it and honestly was close to DNF'ing it. It felt a bit like the author was trying to write similarly to Dolly Alderton and some of the jokes weren't really that funny. But as I pushed through, the writing really started to grow on me. People seem to dislike this book because the main character is quite unlikable, and yes, she is, but I could still relate to her a lot, and she felt so real. While reading I realized that Maggie showed sides of myself that I dislike and wish to hide, but reading about someone being so openly unhinged and struggling kind of felt comforting. The book was also very easy to read, and I honestly loved the ending. I love Maggie despite all her faults. Would recommend, but probably not to everyone.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4.5

This was such a interesting, tense and thrilling book. Loved the creepy and eerie vibes. The main character was such a girl boss and I just loved her mindset lol. Really wanted to read more about Francis and the mcs relationship, but I also liked how their love story ended. With the rest of the plot the ending felt a litte abrupt. Would still really recommend and I love this style of weird book!!!

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

2.0

I honestly did not like this. The characters felt very cliche and the story felt slow. There wasn't really anything making me want to read on. A lot of it also just felt unrealistic instead of "disturbing" as I sense it was meant to. Would sadly not recommend this.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

4.5

This was a very interesting book and I really enjoyed it. The main character had such an interesting point of view and I really liked her despite her oddness. The writing was really nice and kept me intrigued. I really wanted to know more than we actually got, but at the same time I understood why the author didn't give us more. Very thought provoking and great themes. Would recommend.

The only thing I found odd was the title, because the book really isn't about the lack of men, but rather the lack of answers and meaning. Still curious as to why the author chose to have "I who have never known men" as the title.