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leonalikesliterature's reviews
314 reviews
The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Boy Meets Maria by PEYO, Kōsei Eguchi
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A heart-wrenching and beautiful manga that explores how one’s gender identity intersects with their personhood.
I felt conflicted about Yuu’s character. I sort of wish Yuu’s story hadn’t been just based on their r@pe and that their gender confusion wasn’t rooted in multiple layers of trauma, because the story does perpetuate the idea that people are trans or nonbinary because they are traumatized. There are also a lot of questionable scenes or words said between the two leads that I think crossed multiple lines, which is a shame because Taiga and Arima were so cute together when they were sweet.
Overall, this story was tragic, and at times also funny and up-lifting, however, it was definitely imperfect.
I felt conflicted about Yuu’s character. I sort of wish Yuu’s story hadn’t been just based on their r@pe and that their gender confusion wasn’t rooted in multiple layers of trauma, because the story does perpetuate the idea that people are trans or nonbinary because they are traumatized. There are also a lot of questionable scenes or words said between the two leads that I think crossed multiple lines, which is a shame because Taiga and Arima were so cute together when they were sweet.
Overall, this story was tragic, and at times also funny and up-lifting, however, it was definitely imperfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
slow-paced
2.0
What I like most about memoirs is that they are introspective, reflective, and personal, and although Maid perfectly depicted how poverty entraps individuals into endless cycles of suffering, I found the rest of the memoir lacking.
The writing wasn’t very good. The timeline was very confusing and often jumped from place to place without smooth transitions, and I often felt that things were always either over or under explained, and after finishing it, I still didn’t feel connected to the author. There were a lot of questions I had while reading that never got answered, like what was Stephanie Land doing during her early and mid twenties? Why did she continue working as a maid despite the poor pay and high transportation costs? Had she considered working at a restaurant or a grocery store or even the daycares her daughter went to? Why did she wait until her late twenties and early thirties to go to college? Did she consider her financial situation before deciding to have Mia? I’m not asking these questions because I want to criticize and judge her, but there were huge gaps in my understanding of her life and it was hard to grasp the whole picture.
Honestly, I think this book focused more on being poverty inspiration than anything else, which is why it lacked both self-reflection and systemic critique. Although Land explains well how the government fails impoverished people, she doesn’t critique the system itself. I feel like this book is popular because it’s a “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” story, but lots of people live in poverty and never get book deals. I expected this book to be a mix of nonfiction and memoir, but it disappointed on both fronts.
The writing wasn’t very good. The timeline was very confusing and often jumped from place to place without smooth transitions, and I often felt that things were always either over or under explained, and after finishing it, I still didn’t feel connected to the author. There were a lot of questions I had while reading that never got answered, like what was Stephanie Land doing during her early and mid twenties? Why did she continue working as a maid despite the poor pay and high transportation costs? Had she considered working at a restaurant or a grocery store or even the daycares her daughter went to? Why did she wait until her late twenties and early thirties to go to college? Did she consider her financial situation before deciding to have Mia? I’m not asking these questions because I want to criticize and judge her, but there were huge gaps in my understanding of her life and it was hard to grasp the whole picture.
Honestly, I think this book focused more on being poverty inspiration than anything else, which is why it lacked both self-reflection and systemic critique. Although Land explains well how the government fails impoverished people, she doesn’t critique the system itself. I feel like this book is popular because it’s a “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” story, but lots of people live in poverty and never get book deals. I expected this book to be a mix of nonfiction and memoir, but it disappointed on both fronts.
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
slow-paced
2.0
Reading this poetry collection was a chore. 90% of it is redundant and repetitive and though a handful of poems are really, really good, I’m still debating whether those handful of good poems can make up for the rest of it.
The lyricism is really beautiful, but the poetry itself was overly pedantic. So many references and definitions that were unnecessary and just felt like academic flexing, rather than providing something insightful and personal, which is what I like about poetry.
Some of the best advice I’ve heard about poetry is: When you try to write about everything, you write about nothing. I feel like Amanda Gorman was trying to make really powerful and generalized statements about every single injustice that was happening in America and although she was successful with a handful of poems, the majority of them felt shallow, impersonal, and superficial. Especially all the COVID poems.
All of the COVID poems were boiled down to “it sucks we had to wear masks and stay inside and lots of people died from illness,” and they were incredibly cheesy. Not even addressing the most egregious injustices and tragedies during the pandemic, like the government’s lack of care for COVID affected incarcerated people or how hospitals didn’t have enough space or how people went to Target to shop for fun because they were bored during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. Also, I think it’s presumptuous that someone who went to private school from K-12 felt they were able to speak on behalf of the American pandemic experience, when the Americans who COVID hit the hardest were poor and still had to work at the height of the pandemic. I can appreciate what she was trying to achieve with this collection, but it was a let down.
The lyricism is really beautiful, but the poetry itself was overly pedantic. So many references and definitions that were unnecessary and just felt like academic flexing, rather than providing something insightful and personal, which is what I like about poetry.
Some of the best advice I’ve heard about poetry is: When you try to write about everything, you write about nothing. I feel like Amanda Gorman was trying to make really powerful and generalized statements about every single injustice that was happening in America and although she was successful with a handful of poems, the majority of them felt shallow, impersonal, and superficial. Especially all the COVID poems.
All of the COVID poems were boiled down to “it sucks we had to wear masks and stay inside and lots of people died from illness,” and they were incredibly cheesy. Not even addressing the most egregious injustices and tragedies during the pandemic, like the government’s lack of care for COVID affected incarcerated people or how hospitals didn’t have enough space or how people went to Target to shop for fun because they were bored during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. Also, I think it’s presumptuous that someone who went to private school from K-12 felt they were able to speak on behalf of the American pandemic experience, when the Americans who COVID hit the hardest were poor and still had to work at the height of the pandemic. I can appreciate what she was trying to achieve with this collection, but it was a let down.
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
adventurous
funny
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
Another amazing Regency-Era romance from Sophie Irwin.
I love how Sophie Irwin writes female leads. Kitty is calculated, ambitious, and shameless, and I loved her throughout the entire story. You truly understand her and sympathize with her motivations, despite the rest of the ton judging her for her “fortune-hunting.” James is such a compliment to her character, and I love how she challenges him and helps him become a better person. This book was a perfect enemies to lovers, and I loved it so much! I wish we had more time with James and Kitty throughout the book and towards the end, but it wrapped up so well.
This book had everything for me. A slow-burn romance, a lovable cast of characters, and regency era drama! This book was genuinely so funny too. I adored Kitty’s bluntness and laughed at her lack of tact.
I will sit in wait for Sophie Irwin to write another book.
I love how Sophie Irwin writes female leads. Kitty is calculated, ambitious, and shameless, and I loved her throughout the entire story. You truly understand her and sympathize with her motivations, despite the rest of the ton judging her for her “fortune-hunting.” James is such a compliment to her character, and I love how she challenges him and helps him become a better person. This book was a perfect enemies to lovers, and I loved it so much! I wish we had more time with James and Kitty throughout the book and towards the end, but it wrapped up so well.
This book had everything for me. A slow-burn romance, a lovable cast of characters, and regency era drama! This book was genuinely so funny too. I adored Kitty’s bluntness and laughed at her lack of tact.
I will sit in wait for Sophie Irwin to write another book.
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Did not finish book. Stopped at 1%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 1%.
I think I need to read the first one first.