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jillselwyn's reviews
208 reviews
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
TL; DR: very sapphic, very twisty, very lyrical, very human condition.
I need more stories told like this. Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's writing style clearly work together brilliantly, beautifully. It is one that only becomes more poetic as Red and Blue write to one another. And not <i> just </i> in the letters, but also in the third person narrative. As their story proceeds, they both begin to observe and think about the world in love and wonder - seeming to seep into their experiences of the world around them - both of them.
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This is How You Lose the Time War is one of the most uniquely told stories I've ever read - and not just in the writing style, but also simply the plot revolving around a sapphic romance developing between people who should be enemies, as they travel through time and write to one another. While there were a couple of plot points or events that I predicted, and went "oh dang saw that one coming," it never stayed that way for long, as by the end of the scene, the result was shocking and unexpected enough that I was still excited and eager to flip through the book.
This is yet another short (under 300 pages) novel(la) that explores humanity through a very different lens. Questions of wonder and love and awe, the feeling of falling in love, the urge to protect each other even if it meant tearing themselves apart (for one of them nearly literally) through the braids of time to do so. This book is absolutely heartbreaking. Even the "addressing" to one another alters - and in fun and unique ways.
Despite the twist in the last twenty-ish pages - I still sobbed when I finished this book. I loved it and I'm so glad I finally picked it up.
I need more stories told like this. Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's writing style clearly work together brilliantly, beautifully. It is one that only becomes more poetic as Red and Blue write to one another. And not <i> just </i> in the letters, but also in the third person narrative. As their story proceeds, they both begin to observe and think about the world in love and wonder - seeming to seep into their experiences of the world around them - both of them.
-----
This is How You Lose the Time War is one of the most uniquely told stories I've ever read - and not just in the writing style, but also simply the plot revolving around a sapphic romance developing between people who should be enemies, as they travel through time and write to one another. While there were a couple of plot points or events that I predicted, and went "oh dang saw that one coming," it never stayed that way for long, as by the end of the scene, the result was shocking and unexpected enough that I was still excited and eager to flip through the book.
This is yet another short (under 300 pages) novel(la) that explores humanity through a very different lens. Questions of wonder and love and awe, the feeling of falling in love, the urge to protect each other even if it meant tearing themselves apart (for one of them nearly literally) through the braids of time to do so. This book is absolutely heartbreaking. Even the "addressing" to one another alters - and in fun and unique ways.
Despite the twist in the last twenty-ish pages - I still sobbed when I finished this book. I loved it and I'm so glad I finally picked it up.
Lesbian Love Story by Amelia Possanza
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of my first ever translated work.
What else is vampirism but the human body betraying itself?
With the combined talents of Argentinian author Marina Yuszczuk and English translator Heather Cleary, Thirst delivers a deep stab to the gut as grief, motherhood, mortality, humanity, and the lack of control all too well known to humanity - are all exquisitely explored through the lens of a centuries old vampiress known by the alias "María," and a modern day Argentinian woman named Alma grieving the loss of her not-yet-dead mother.
A short yet slowly paced read, the topics of grief and mortality are made complex with the added layers of motherhood, generational trauma, and what it means to be human. When we think of grief, we usually think of finding out someone has just died, and the immediate aftermath. Yet things such as cancer, degenerative disease, dementia, among other terminal illnesses - while certainly suddenly diagnosed - each act as a sort of dragged out death sentence.
Naturally, euthanasia becomes a new layer to the grief Alma experiences as a result of this. Throughout, Alma almost seems to believe she can protect Santiago from experiencing a natural part of being human - the idea of grief and fear.
Alma and María are incredibly different women, separated by the centuries between them. Yet Marina Yuszczuk use both of them, individually, to explore what it means to be human, as well as the very abstract idea that is mortality, bringing the pair together around the final 10-20% of the book. I also think that the multiple different themes are enhanced by the idea that Alma has no idea what a vampire is - almost painting María as human.
Especially as we are given a unique view of María as a person. The stereotype of the vampire seems to include being willing to do just about anything to feed themselves. Yet, when Alma finds her in Santi's bedroom, María insists that she would never, could never, hurt him. While not entirely clear as to whether or not María just refused to drink from or kill children, or if it was because he was her son, she clearly has limits. We also are given the knowledge that she didn't know how to feel about Alma's mother, other than knowing she'd have wanted a moment of privacy herself, María isn't just a vampire.
In this way, I very much read Yuszczuk's use of vampirism as a parallel for what Alma's ailing mother was experiencing, a mortal body betraying itself along its own slow crawl toward the end - a lonely, painful existence, and the horror that is the complete and utter lack of control - of their situation, even of when and how death will finally find them.
The plot and conflict completely revolves around the development and inner conflict of feelings that Alma experiences - and a bit of finding out what the key her mother told her not to use to open something, actually opens and the results of that choice. In fact, this is where the book lost one star - I wish there was a more concrete reason that Alma decided to go against her mother's wishes in that way. I know character study's aren't everyones cup of tea - but I think that this is an excellent example of the genre well explored.
I enjoyed reading about a place I didn't know about - having been born and raised in America my whole life - and there were many beautiful lines of prose that captured my heart throughout. I think this view of the vampire was extremely unique and heart-wrenching.
Overall, buy this book when it's out in March. Seriously.
What else is vampirism but the human body betraying itself?
With the combined talents of Argentinian author Marina Yuszczuk and English translator Heather Cleary, Thirst delivers a deep stab to the gut as grief, motherhood, mortality, humanity, and the lack of control all too well known to humanity - are all exquisitely explored through the lens of a centuries old vampiress known by the alias "María," and a modern day Argentinian woman named Alma grieving the loss of her not-yet-dead mother.
A short yet slowly paced read, the topics of grief and mortality are made complex with the added layers of motherhood, generational trauma, and what it means to be human. When we think of grief, we usually think of finding out someone has just died, and the immediate aftermath. Yet things such as cancer, degenerative disease, dementia, among other terminal illnesses - while certainly suddenly diagnosed - each act as a sort of dragged out death sentence.
Naturally, euthanasia becomes a new layer to the grief Alma experiences as a result of this. Throughout, Alma almost seems to believe she can protect Santiago from experiencing a natural part of being human - the idea of grief and fear.
Alma and María are incredibly different women, separated by the centuries between them. Yet Marina Yuszczuk use both of them, individually, to explore what it means to be human, as well as the very abstract idea that is mortality, bringing the pair together around the final 10-20% of the book. I also think that the multiple different themes are enhanced by the idea that Alma has no idea what a vampire is - almost painting María as human.
Especially as we are given a unique view of María as a person. The stereotype of the vampire seems to include being willing to do just about anything to feed themselves. Yet, when Alma finds her in Santi's bedroom, María insists that she would never, could never, hurt him. While not entirely clear as to whether or not María just refused to drink from or kill children, or if it was because he was her son, she clearly has limits. We also are given the knowledge that she didn't know how to feel about Alma's mother, other than knowing she'd have wanted a moment of privacy herself, María isn't just a vampire.
In this way, I very much read Yuszczuk's use of vampirism as a parallel for what Alma's ailing mother was experiencing, a mortal body betraying itself along its own slow crawl toward the end - a lonely, painful existence, and the horror that is the complete and utter lack of control - of their situation, even of when and how death will finally find them.
The plot and conflict completely revolves around the development and inner conflict of feelings that Alma experiences - and a bit of finding out what the key her mother told her not to use to open something, actually opens and the results of that choice. In fact, this is where the book lost one star - I wish there was a more concrete reason that Alma decided to go against her mother's wishes in that way. I know character study's aren't everyones cup of tea - but I think that this is an excellent example of the genre well explored.
I enjoyed reading about a place I didn't know about - having been born and raised in America my whole life - and there were many beautiful lines of prose that captured my heart throughout. I think this view of the vampire was extremely unique and heart-wrenching.
Overall, buy this book when it's out in March. Seriously.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.75
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Girls Can Kiss Now: Essays by Jill Gutowitz
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
so pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was, and the little "Sankt of the Book" which if the art accompanying it is accurate, I believe is meant to represent Leigh Bardugo herself, and I thought that was such a beautiful ending, come on!
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Often referred to as the original haunted house story or the original modern haunted house story, The Haunting of Hill House - by a woman aptly nicknamed "The Queen of Horror"- is indeed a masterclass in horror via the lens of the unknown, isolation, the (potentially) unreliable narrator, atmosphere, and allowing the reader's imagination to be what truly terrifies them.
In under 200 pages (182 to be exact), Shirley Jackson explores the terrors of isolation and mental illness. Through Eleanor Vance, we see underlying sapphic subtext, the fear of being completely and utterly alone, and the complications of human emotion. All of this lends itself to a shockingly well-rounded character in Eleanor, and what is almost a discussion of humanity itself.
Most people, whether they express it or not, have extremely complex feelings and even more complicated relationships - especially with family members - and Eleanor Vance is no different. Within her are two seemingly warring feelings: deep resentment for her mother whom she was forced to care for - for over a decade - meaning she never properly lived alone - and a deep seated fear that seems to be what makes her so susceptible to the horrors of Hill House. Being too afraid to truly be alone is (or so it seems) why she accepts Dr. Montague's invite in the first place, and is the one thing she never wants to feel - seemingly driving (pun unintended) her to her death.
The house itself, is an unknown. It can't be known. We don't even know if it is truly haunted or if it just so happened that Eleanor was, and it was all in her own head. There isn't much in the way of a warning once all four of the main characters are on the premises. The doctor does not specify to be wary of anything in particular - in ways that the house might affect them. The only sort of "hint" is his response to Eleanor's uncharacteristic acts in the last stretch of the novel, almost appearing to know something that the others do not, when he insists to Eleanor that she must leave immediately, and not just that, but to forget all of them, and the house especially.
Throughout the book, each character appears to believe that they are in control - that each odd occurrence is explainable by a tilt in the floorboards or Mrs Dudley disliking the doors being open and closing them herself. But truly the house is the only one with any real power, with any true control int heir situation. In fact, even Theodora's suggested explanation for why Mrs. Dudley would even dislike the doors being left open in the first place, revolves around the house. Theodora suggests that it might be the same reason as to why they'd begun propping doors open - that perhaps she preferred to know that she had already closed the doors herself, than to turn around and find a door suddenly shut behind her.
I know that Shirley Jackson's writing style is not for everyone, and I'm sure some might consider the way things are left to interpretation as a form of underwriting but I think the absolute masterpiece of craft that this novel is displays just how terrifying humanity can be, how terrifying the human mind can be, and how terrifying the human imagination can be. I absolutely cannot wait to dive deeper into The Queen of Horror's novels in the future and had such a fun time reading this book.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
5.0
Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/kO5ikpm8ts8
Often referred to as the original haunted house story or the original modern haunted house story, The Haunting of Hill House - by a woman aptly nicknamed "The Queen of Horror"- is indeed a masterclass in horror via the lens of the unknown, isolation, the (potentially) unreliable narrator, atmosphere, and allowing the reader's imagination to be what truly terrifies them.
In under 200 pages (182 to be exact), Shirley Jackson explores the terrors of isolation and mental illness. Through Eleanor Vance, we see underlying sapphic subtext, the fear of being completely and utterly alone, and the complications of human emotion. All of this lends itself to a shockingly well-rounded character in Eleanor, and what is almost a discussion of humanity itself.
Most people, whether they express it or not, have extremely complex feelings and even more complicated relationships - especially with family members - and Eleanor Vance is no different. Within her are two seemingly warring feelings: deep resentment for her mother whom she was forced to care for - for over a decade - meaning she never properly lived alone - and a deep seated fear that seems to be what makes her so susceptible to the horrors of Hill House. Being too afraid to truly be alone is (or so it seems) why she accepts Dr. Montague's invite in the first place, and is the one thing she never wants to feel - seemingly driving (pun unintended) her to her death.
The house itself, is an unknown. It can't be known. We don't even know if it is truly haunted or if it just so happened that Eleanor was, and it was all in her own head. There isn't much in the way of a warning once all four of the main characters are on the premises. The doctor does not specify to be wary of anything in particular - in ways that the house might affect them. The only sort of "hint" is his response to Eleanor's uncharacteristic acts in the last stretch of the novel, almost appearing to know something that the others do not, when he insists to Eleanor that she must leave immediately, and not just that, but to forget all of them, and the house especially.
Throughout the book, each character appears to believe that they are in control - that each odd occurrence is explainable by a tilt in the floorboards or Mrs Dudley disliking the doors being open and closing them herself. But truly the house is the only one with any real power, with any true control int heir situation. In fact, even Theodora's suggested explanation for why Mrs. Dudley would even dislike the doors being left open in the first place, revolves around the house. Theodora suggests that it might be the same reason as to why they'd begun propping doors open - that perhaps she preferred to know that she had already closed the doors herself, than to turn around and find a door suddenly shut behind her.
I know that Shirley Jackson's writing style is not for everyone, and I'm sure some might consider the way things are left to interpretation as a form of underwriting but I think the absolute masterpiece of craft that this novel is displays just how terrifying humanity can be, how terrifying the human mind can be, and how terrifying the human imagination can be. I absolutely cannot wait to dive deeper into The Queen of Horror's novels in the future and had such a fun time reading this book.