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ladybugwrites's reviews
218 reviews
Penance by Eliza Clark
This perfectly encapsualted how we view true crime. We may not be the hand that killed, but the way we view true crime as entertainment, is us "jacking off to the memory of their pain and suffering."
On top of that, I want to highlight another thing I think this book is about that lies maybe more between the lines than as obvious as the critcism of true crime. This book goes into detail about four teenage girls, both victims and perpetrators in their own ways, and I think that's a smaller but important part to take away from this. The moment someone is a little different from us, a little weirder in a way that stands out, we pick on it, we judge it the same way we're judge for our own weirdness. This book also offers commentary on how soceity treats and deems those different and how we're all victims of it at the same time as we perpetuate it. I really like this commentary and how it's done.
Now, I didn't give this five stars despite what I think is a pretty good review and I can't really explain why that is. I have a rating system that works weirdly in my head and on my excel sheet, and a combination of a few annoyances here and there and everything added together, and the fact that, whilst this is a great book with a lot of important things to note (many of which I have not commented on here), this isn't the vibe of a five star book for me. It has it's flaws and in some ways wears them proudly.
I do know, though, that I will be picking up Boy Parts soon.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
When I started this book, it was really interesting to me. The way it's written reads so nicely in a unique and fascinating way, almost hiding the fact that this is pure fiction. Everything feels so real, down to the tiniest detail, and I think that's one of the reasons this book is a good as it is.
Now, unfortunately, I ended up going into somewhat of a reading slump where I didn't pick this back up for something close to a month, which was stupid because I don't remember everything very well from the first half of it, but I know I liked it, enjoyed it.
For the second half, I finished it all in about a day. (It is currently 3am as I write this review bc I just had to finish the book, and reviews are easiest just right after, because I have thoughts and I just, need to write them out).
This book has a clear purpose that I think is most obvious at the end of it, completely at the end after the book within the book is over. This is the picture perfect moment where we see exactly what Clark is criticizing. And I think it's very well done. At this point, the way true crime is presented to us, comes out clearly as a somewhat disregard for the people involved, and often more about monetary gain and fame than anything else. I think it's very well done, and even more shown in a murder referenced in the book (I am not highlighting this as a spoiler because I don't deem it to be one):
Now, unfortunately, I ended up going into somewhat of a reading slump where I didn't pick this back up for something close to a month, which was stupid because I don't remember everything very well from the first half of it, but I know I liked it, enjoyed it.
For the second half, I finished it all in about a day. (It is currently 3am as I write this review bc I just had to finish the book, and reviews are easiest just right after, because I have thoughts and I just, need to write them out).
This book has a clear purpose that I think is most obvious at the end of it, completely at the end after the book within the book is over. This is the picture perfect moment where we see exactly what Clark is criticizing. And I think it's very well done. At this point, the way true crime is presented to us, comes out clearly as a somewhat disregard for the people involved, and often more about monetary gain and fame than anything else. I think it's very well done, and even more shown in a murder referenced in the book (I am not highlighting this as a spoiler because I don't deem it to be one):
"The hand that killed your children jacks me off to the memory of their pain and suffering"
This perfectly encapsualted how we view true crime. We may not be the hand that killed, but the way we view true crime as entertainment, is us "jacking off to the memory of their pain and suffering."
On top of that, I want to highlight another thing I think this book is about that lies maybe more between the lines than as obvious as the critcism of true crime. This book goes into detail about four teenage girls, both victims and perpetrators in their own ways, and I think that's a smaller but important part to take away from this. The moment someone is a little different from us, a little weirder in a way that stands out, we pick on it, we judge it the same way we're judge for our own weirdness. This book also offers commentary on how soceity treats and deems those different and how we're all victims of it at the same time as we perpetuate it. I really like this commentary and how it's done.
Now, I didn't give this five stars despite what I think is a pretty good review and I can't really explain why that is. I have a rating system that works weirdly in my head and on my excel sheet, and a combination of a few annoyances here and there and everything added together, and the fact that, whilst this is a great book with a lot of important things to note (many of which I have not commented on here), this isn't the vibe of a five star book for me. It has it's flaws and in some ways wears them proudly.
I do know, though, that I will be picking up Boy Parts soon.
Vår ære og vår makt by Nordahl Grieg
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
3.5
Valgslektskapene by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5