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kijatai's reviews
3 reviews
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book got me out of a reading slump of a few years. You know when you used to read all the time as a teenager and then you became an adult and don’t anymore? That was my situation.
I started being interested in the Dark Academia trend. I wanted to explore why it became so popular and I always liked a university setting in my stories. I was intrigued also of how classism could be represented in these kind of stories.
So I bought this book because it was referred as kind of the blue print of dark academia books and I started reading.
From the start, I knew I wouldn’t like the main character. But I liked exploring his mind. I love an imperfect, or just unlovable, character. Makes things interesting. He’s definitely an unreliable narrator. This is also a slow paced book so I took my time taking in all the descriptions of the surroundings and characters but as well of the mental charge and guilt that a murder can have on someone. (No spoiler there. It literally begins with the mention of the murder and we already know who died and who killed.)
Overall, I really enjoyed taking my time reading this book. I definitely want to read it a second time to interpret the story with the knowledge of what happens later on and catch some things I might have missed. It’s also beautifully written. English is my second language and Donna Tartt’s writing made me want to read even more books in English.
Sure there is a time towards the end of the story that it starts getting a little long. Like why are we still continuing the story? But what I realized was that it was not about the murder and the suspense. It was, at least for me, about how it affects the characters in the story. The guilt, the denial, the toxicity… It’s definitely a character driven story that explores friendships.
I started being interested in the Dark Academia trend. I wanted to explore why it became so popular and I always liked a university setting in my stories. I was intrigued also of how classism could be represented in these kind of stories.
So I bought this book because it was referred as kind of the blue print of dark academia books and I started reading.
From the start, I knew I wouldn’t like the main character. But I liked exploring his mind. I love an imperfect, or just unlovable, character. Makes things interesting. He’s definitely an unreliable narrator. This is also a slow paced book so I took my time taking in all the descriptions of the surroundings and characters but as well of the mental charge and guilt that a murder can have on someone. (No spoiler there. It literally begins with the mention of the murder and we already know who died and who killed.)
Overall, I really enjoyed taking my time reading this book. I definitely want to read it a second time to interpret the story with the knowledge of what happens later on and catch some things I might have missed. It’s also beautifully written. English is my second language and Donna Tartt’s writing made me want to read even more books in English.
Sure there is a time towards the end of the story that it starts getting a little long. Like why are we still continuing the story? But what I realized was that it was not about the murder and the suspense. It was, at least for me, about how it affects the characters in the story. The guilt, the denial, the toxicity… It’s definitely a character driven story that explores friendships.
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
This was actually the first audio book I ever finished. I started listening to it while on a walk and then I couldn’t get it out of my bed and finished it during the night.
I really liked the narrator, Sophie Amoss. I felt like I was in the head of the main character when she was narrating and I could easily picture all the different characters by the voices she used. Her voice is also soothing.
As for the story itself, I loved it. What I actually enjoyed about it was the psychology of the main character and the depiction of creative block and the depression that can be linked to it. I’m an artist and I could relate to some things she said. How we can feel like an impostor sometimes and feel blocked or not good enough and then craving a connection to others to get out of our self-made isolation but also not wanting to.
I liked how all Sam’s emotions : fear, uncertainty, desires… were represented. Without spoiling anything, I interpreted the rituals depicted (please check content warnings) in the book more as a representation of creativity and desire. And I thought it was really interesting.
It has strong dark academia vibes. Which I’m a sucker for. I like also exploring the mentality and struggles behind cults and this book definitely and intimately explores that. It has mean girl vibes and it was nice to see how the author explores the meaning of sisterhood, girlhood, love and desires.
The relationship between Ava and Sam was what kept me hooked. I hoped for more to be honest but I won’t spoil too much. I guess that their relationship is… complex.
I’m definitely gonna get a physical copy, re-read it and annotate the hell out of it.
I really liked the narrator, Sophie Amoss. I felt like I was in the head of the main character when she was narrating and I could easily picture all the different characters by the voices she used. Her voice is also soothing.
As for the story itself, I loved it. What I actually enjoyed about it was the psychology of the main character and the depiction of creative block and the depression that can be linked to it. I’m an artist and I could relate to some things she said. How we can feel like an impostor sometimes and feel blocked or not good enough and then craving a connection to others to get out of our self-made isolation but also not wanting to.
I liked how all Sam’s emotions : fear, uncertainty, desires… were represented. Without spoiling anything, I interpreted the rituals depicted (please check content warnings) in the book more as a representation of creativity and desire. And I thought it was really interesting.
It has strong dark academia vibes. Which I’m a sucker for. I like also exploring the mentality and struggles behind cults and this book definitely and intimately explores that. It has mean girl vibes and it was nice to see how the author explores the meaning of sisterhood, girlhood, love and desires.
The relationship between Ava and Sam was what kept me hooked. I hoped for more to be honest but I won’t spoil too much. I guess that their relationship is… complex.
I’m definitely gonna get a physical copy, re-read it and annotate the hell out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
3.5
I enjoyed it. The world building was good and the main character was interesting. I preferred the story towards the end. I won’t spoil but this is where I could finally feel what the characters were experiencing and I started rooting for them. I actually liked the change of the scenery.
I just recently started reading again and it’s been hard to get out of my reading slump but this book was easy to read for me and it was nice to just immersed myself in the story. The moment I could see myself pausing, something happened that hooked me back in.
On the other end, I guess I didn’t really like the heteronormative dynamics. There are depictions of violence against women. And graphic images of violence in general. So be aware to read these on your own terms. But I knew all that before hand. It’s a book about an arranged marriage between a man in a woman in a religious context where they are hunting witches. Just be sure to check the trigger warnings first. And the reason for them to be married is… questionable. Even though it’s explained more later on.
There are representations of relationships between women though. I just hope in the next book it will be explored more.
I liked the magic as well in this world.
I’m actually wondering how things will develop in the next book and if we will be able to see more on the side of the witches. I was honestly more interested in the political intrigue than the romance itself. Even if it was a great love story with all the tropes (guilty pleasures) that I enjoyed (the tall man that will do anything to protect his love for example).
In all, I had a nice time reading it on my kobo in my bed with my cats on a snowy snd stormy night. It felt like I was in the world itself since it’s set in Winter.
*about the content warnings
These are mentioned and described. The main characters are loving and caring to each other. it’s just the world around them and what happened to them that are ugly and triggering.
I just recently started reading again and it’s been hard to get out of my reading slump but this book was easy to read for me and it was nice to just immersed myself in the story. The moment I could see myself pausing, something happened that hooked me back in.
On the other end, I guess I didn’t really like the heteronormative dynamics. There are depictions of violence against women. And graphic images of violence in general. So be aware to read these on your own terms. But I knew all that before hand. It’s a book about an arranged marriage between a man in a woman in a religious context where they are hunting witches. Just be sure to check the trigger warnings first. And the reason for them to be married is… questionable. Even though it’s explained more later on.
There are representations of relationships between women though. I just hope in the next book it will be explored more.
I liked the magic as well in this world.
I’m actually wondering how things will develop in the next book and if we will be able to see more on the side of the witches. I was honestly more interested in the political intrigue than the romance itself. Even if it was a great love story with all the tropes (guilty pleasures) that I enjoyed (the tall man that will do anything to protect his love for example).
In all, I had a nice time reading it on my kobo in my bed with my cats on a snowy snd stormy night. It felt like I was in the world itself since it’s set in Winter.
*about the content warnings
These are mentioned and described. The main characters are loving and caring to each other. it’s just the world around them and what happened to them that are ugly and triggering.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Blood, Vomit, Sexism, Cursing, Physical abuse, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Medical content, Genocide, Classism, Trafficking, and War
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