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kolorful_kay_reads's reviews
123 reviews
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
“‘If a woman fell ill and was unable to tend her garden, then her garden would be planted by the other women,’ he said. ‘They would do it for her, allowin’ the sick woman to rest and get better because when they planted her garden, they planted her chance to get back her strength.’”
📝: Describing this book is difficult. First, the book is fiction. Much of the story is born in truth of what was passed-down as memories; these memories are then modified and told by the author (Tiffany) who is a generation down the line from those who lived these stories. In terms of describing the content, I would call this a starkly depressing coming-of-age novel set in Ohio in the 1950s and probably stop there.
👩: This was a book that I read wth my feminist book club! We picked this based on interviews with the author (who said she had trouble publishing it due the female-centric storylines); additionally, other people have noted the content itself is very empowering to women. Overall, this book failed my feminism assessment. More on this later.
🎨: Every artist makes decisions that aren't necessarily right or wrong - but will hit or not hit certain people. For my own experience with this novel, numerous choices simply didn't work. The first-person, past-tense narrative was chosen for this story but with *very little* future insight from our narrator. This works well for readers who want to read about the conversations of an 8-12 year old girl for 450 pages. In my viewpoint, this child views the people in her life with very little exploration; her family members are little more than their hobbies or trauma in her eyes - the actor, artist, victim, or ill. This is probably a very precise artist approach to take; however, this limits the amount of insight allowed to the reader and is a stagnant choice considering the length of the book. I personally have no desire for 450 pages of a children's view on the world, regardless of how "adult" her problems may be. That's my own beef - not necessarily something the author did "wrong."
❓This book left me with so many questions!
* What about this is a feminist novel? The eight year old demands to wear pants and not be a victim of sexual assault, sure. But the majority of feminist theory is directly related to the father's re-telling of his matriarchal and indigenous roots. Betty never sees her sisters as humans but in the rare moments they bond over trauma; I get that she's eight... but an 8 year old's version of feminism is not necessarily what fits the bill as outright "feminist."
* Why - in this book in which the family is seemingly not at all religious - is every chapter led by a biblical quote? I get that it foreshadows the chapter... but why the bible?
* What little future insight we received from our narrator was random and confusing. She would let you know that a character would die of xxx and the next page they're alive again! What's the point of future plot if there is no future insight? Why were those choices made?
* Did any readers find the value of the newspaper storyline to equate to the amount of space it took-up? If so, why?
* Why did characters appear for 2-10 pages, only to be never seen again? And their impact seemingly never carrying through the remainder of the novel?
* What would future Betty tell us about her father? He received so much kindness in her eyes as a child but clearly had his own issues with dissociation, like most other members of the family; she accepted his dissociation for most of the novel because he rooted himself in his religion and culture. But there's a difference between being observant and oblivious and I'd be curious to know what the Betty of today thinks of him. Did it change? Is it the same? Based on the authors interviews, I would assume that Betty's opinion has not changed with time.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
📝: Describing this book is difficult. First, the book is fiction. Much of the story is born in truth of what was passed-down as memories; these memories are then modified and told by the author (Tiffany) who is a generation down the line from those who lived these stories. In terms of describing the content, I would call this a starkly depressing coming-of-age novel set in Ohio in the 1950s and probably stop there.
👩: This was a book that I read wth my feminist book club! We picked this based on interviews with the author (who said she had trouble publishing it due the female-centric storylines); additionally, other people have noted the content itself is very empowering to women. Overall, this book failed my feminism assessment. More on this later.
🎨: Every artist makes decisions that aren't necessarily right or wrong - but will hit or not hit certain people. For my own experience with this novel, numerous choices simply didn't work. The first-person, past-tense narrative was chosen for this story but with *very little* future insight from our narrator. This works well for readers who want to read about the conversations of an 8-12 year old girl for 450 pages. In my viewpoint, this child views the people in her life with very little exploration; her family members are little more than their hobbies or trauma in her eyes - the actor, artist, victim, or ill. This is probably a very precise artist approach to take; however, this limits the amount of insight allowed to the reader and is a stagnant choice considering the length of the book. I personally have no desire for 450 pages of a children's view on the world, regardless of how "adult" her problems may be. That's my own beef - not necessarily something the author did "wrong."
❓This book left me with so many questions!
* What about this is a feminist novel? The eight year old demands to wear pants and not be a victim of sexual assault, sure. But the majority of feminist theory is directly related to the father's re-telling of his matriarchal and indigenous roots. Betty never sees her sisters as humans but in the rare moments they bond over trauma; I get that she's eight... but an 8 year old's version of feminism is not necessarily what fits the bill as outright "feminist."
* Why - in this book in which the family is seemingly not at all religious - is every chapter led by a biblical quote? I get that it foreshadows the chapter... but why the bible?
* What little future insight we received from our narrator was random and confusing. She would let you know that a character would die of xxx and the next page they're alive again! What's the point of future plot if there is no future insight? Why were those choices made?
* Did any readers find the value of the newspaper storyline to equate to the amount of space it took-up? If so, why?
* Why did characters appear for 2-10 pages, only to be never seen again? And their impact seemingly never carrying through the remainder of the novel?
* What would future Betty tell us about her father? He received so much kindness in her eyes as a child but clearly had his own issues with dissociation, like most other members of the family; she accepted his dissociation for most of the novel because he rooted himself in his religion and culture. But there's a difference between being observant and oblivious and I'd be curious to know what the Betty of today thinks of him. Did it change? Is it the same? Based on the authors interviews, I would assume that Betty's opinion has not changed with time.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
“I imagined our lives together, our buying a house close to my parents, shopping at a Cambo grocery store every week. We would be an openly gay couple in the community, a radical symbol of love for the youth, for anyone who ever thought they had to quit their home, their family, their lives, just to be themselves.”
💭 Have you ever met one of those people - perhaps they're a bit of a #NegativeNancy or consider themselves a pragmatist - and they see the depth of the world in a much different way than most other people? They are likely empaths who are able to see and feel the emotions that float around them? I can't confirm that Anthony was one of those people before his passing last year (the book is published posthumously), but his stories READ like he was. He has a way to make simple words seem like large concepts and to explore characters unlike himself.
❤️ For example, the opening story is my favorite; he tells the experience through the eyes of two teenage girls and their mother. Each girl has a different perception, kindness, and patience with her mother that is so genuine; I actually read that story three times because I enjoyed it so much. It is STUNNING.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
🎁 Thank you to my partners at Bibliolifestyle and Ecco Books for getting this notable work into my hands ahead of its release date in exchange for an honest review. It is available to the public this coming Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021.
💭 Have you ever met one of those people - perhaps they're a bit of a #NegativeNancy or consider themselves a pragmatist - and they see the depth of the world in a much different way than most other people? They are likely empaths who are able to see and feel the emotions that float around them? I can't confirm that Anthony was one of those people before his passing last year (the book is published posthumously), but his stories READ like he was. He has a way to make simple words seem like large concepts and to explore characters unlike himself.
❤️ For example, the opening story is my favorite; he tells the experience through the eyes of two teenage girls and their mother. Each girl has a different perception, kindness, and patience with her mother that is so genuine; I actually read that story three times because I enjoyed it so much. It is STUNNING.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
🎁 Thank you to my partners at Bibliolifestyle and Ecco Books for getting this notable work into my hands ahead of its release date in exchange for an honest review. It is available to the public this coming Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021.
The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“I fucked them because I liked predictable men, the guarded and repressed. Sensitive men wouldn’t be trusted; they assumed their sensitivity made them special, deserving of praise. Most sensitive men were, at their cores, narcissists who constructed elaborate expectations for how relationships were meant to evolve. When those expectations weren’t met, the facade of sensitivity deteriorated into a petulant rage.”
📝: A "cancelled" health/spiritual influencer (Sasha) gets swooped-up by her best friend from childhood (Dyson) after some online drama. He has the perfect plan: they're going to start a cult. But not just ANY cult; they're going to start a *good* cult that will reform men. They are the key to saving the world from toxic masculinity! What could go wrong?
🙀 This book goes well beyond its base description both in plot and speculative considerations/musings on the world - to the point that I don't know who to recommend this book to. Like, everybody?
🏃 I'm not one for thrillers - and this book doesn't fit that bill in the traditional way; however, Alex (the author) provides us with a masterclass in building tension. Our main character (and sole perspective, Sasha) is somebody who likes to "bury the lead." She'll just casually drop the BIGGEST statement in a relaxed manner and keep talking. She has a flair for the dramatics and it fits so nicely with the culty, unassured atmosphere the reader wades through.
💁 I hated every character... and couldn't stop reading. Every character is deeply unlikeable but is investigated with sincerity. This is what I always want out of Ottessa Moshfegh books but never quite get. If you like her books, you may enjoy this one. If you want to enjoy her books but don't, definitely give this one a try.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
📝: A "cancelled" health/spiritual influencer (Sasha) gets swooped-up by her best friend from childhood (Dyson) after some online drama. He has the perfect plan: they're going to start a cult. But not just ANY cult; they're going to start a *good* cult that will reform men. They are the key to saving the world from toxic masculinity! What could go wrong?
🙀 This book goes well beyond its base description both in plot and speculative considerations/musings on the world - to the point that I don't know who to recommend this book to. Like, everybody?
🏃 I'm not one for thrillers - and this book doesn't fit that bill in the traditional way; however, Alex (the author) provides us with a masterclass in building tension. Our main character (and sole perspective, Sasha) is somebody who likes to "bury the lead." She'll just casually drop the BIGGEST statement in a relaxed manner and keep talking. She has a flair for the dramatics and it fits so nicely with the culty, unassured atmosphere the reader wades through.
💁 I hated every character... and couldn't stop reading. Every character is deeply unlikeable but is investigated with sincerity. This is what I always want out of Ottessa Moshfegh books but never quite get. If you like her books, you may enjoy this one. If you want to enjoy her books but don't, definitely give this one a try.
View my full review and conversation at KolorfulKayReads on Instagram
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition by Emma Dabiri
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
challenging
informative
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"The future of intelligence must be about search, while the future of ignorance must be about the inability to evaluate information. But when she looked at the smoking landscape of fathers laid out by cable news, it seemed no longer a question of intelligence or ignorance, but one of infection."
Conversations💬: This is a mix of literary fiction and auto fiction. The novel is almost entirely a series of short musings. Think if your mind thought in Tweet format. That means unfinished thoughts are left on the table (without resolution or 'answers'). Do you ever think about something on a loop because there is no ultimate truth? How do we solve the "news cycle" crisis? What about global warming? The main character has accessibility to every crisis because of the portal - but her exposure only leads her to analysis paralysis or (as I like to say) the Chidi syndrome (#TheGoodPlace ).
I thought 💭: This book was a masterpiece, a work of art. This novel can be interpreted in many ways and I'm sad to not have buddy-read it; it's a perfect #BookClubPick . I think that some readers will find it "unfulfilling" or "incomplete." It's very much a dollhouse view of the brain and how it shifts through social media usage - but not in a clinical way. I would go as far as to wager that this will be required reading for future students; to my knowledge, this is the first novel that showcases exactly what its like to live in this moment of information overload. This is a whole new genre.
Also I cried like a baby at the end. So, you know, I loved it. 🤣😍
Conversations💬: This is a mix of literary fiction and auto fiction. The novel is almost entirely a series of short musings. Think if your mind thought in Tweet format. That means unfinished thoughts are left on the table (without resolution or 'answers'). Do you ever think about something on a loop because there is no ultimate truth? How do we solve the "news cycle" crisis? What about global warming? The main character has accessibility to every crisis because of the portal - but her exposure only leads her to analysis paralysis or (as I like to say) the Chidi syndrome (#TheGoodPlace ).
I thought 💭: This book was a masterpiece, a work of art. This novel can be interpreted in many ways and I'm sad to not have buddy-read it; it's a perfect #BookClubPick . I think that some readers will find it "unfulfilling" or "incomplete." It's very much a dollhouse view of the brain and how it shifts through social media usage - but not in a clinical way. I would go as far as to wager that this will be required reading for future students; to my knowledge, this is the first novel that showcases exactly what its like to live in this moment of information overload. This is a whole new genre.
Also I cried like a baby at the end. So, you know, I loved it. 🤣😍