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libraryofavirgo's Reviews (153)
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
As an avid reader, I usually don’t struggle this much with writing reviews but this book blew my mind in all of the best ways. Long story short–I utterly loved this book and no words will do it justice, but nevertheless I will still try!
From the beginning, Seven dives into the action in this intense dark romance. Our main character Less, is far from some weak-minded girl who needs a man, she wants a man and is willing to pay any cost, even sacrificing her own wellbeing. Tate is our morally grey man, possibly a bit psychotic, but that’s all part of his charm, right? Both characters have particularly interesting means for justifying what they would do to achieve their goals.
Powerful, horrifying, superb, unputdownable—this book will haunt you, arouse you, and leave you begging for more. I was completely captivated from beginning to end. I’ve read a fair amount of dark romance books in the past, so I’m not unfamiliar with darker tones, and this book delivers everything I could ever want. The execution of the plot and character development will leave you flabbergasted, and so so very satisfied. Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Mine. It is everything I wanted it to be and more. Incredible job, Seven. This novel is truly amazing.
For the love of all things (un)holy, read this book!!!!
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The eeriness of reading about a pandemic while having recently experienced a pandemic... And let me tell you, this book was not the easiest thing to read in 2023. The writing style and story were beautiful, but the content hit a bit close to home.
An absolutely haunting tale of a potential future for humanity. It really highlights all that we have to lose, but at the same time shows a fondness for humanity in its portrayal of resilience and compassion in the collapse of everything we know. It showed humanity at its worst both before and after the collapse but wove decades of time together into a seamless depiction of what it means to have a society.
This book tackles a lot of hard questions. What is the point of art in crisis? How do we survive? Why do we survive? What do we know when everything we have known is gone? While COVID-19 is not as bad as the Georgian Flu, these questions still resonate for us, especially those of us who lost people or have been permanently affected by the virus. This book can be a hard read for people, but I would definitely recommend it.
An absolutely haunting tale of a potential future for humanity. It really highlights all that we have to lose, but at the same time shows a fondness for humanity in its portrayal of resilience and compassion in the collapse of everything we know. It showed humanity at its worst both before and after the collapse but wove decades of time together into a seamless depiction of what it means to have a society.
This book tackles a lot of hard questions. What is the point of art in crisis? How do we survive? Why do we survive? What do we know when everything we have known is gone? While COVID-19 is not as bad as the Georgian Flu, these questions still resonate for us, especially those of us who lost people or have been permanently affected by the virus. This book can be a hard read for people, but I would definitely recommend it.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
This was a highly unusual and thought provoking book. This is a translation, Kang is a South Korean author. Kang tells the story of Yeong-hye, a part-time graphic artist and home-maker, whose decision to stop eating meat after a particularly violent dream, and how her husband, family, and surrounding people react to it. It is shown that it is rare to become a vegetarian in South Korea as meat is a such a big part of their meals.
Despite the title, this novel doesn’t really have anything to do with vegetarianism, rather more of the link between trauma and mental health, and how easy it is to loose ourself when we no longer feel that we are in control of our own lives.
This novel is broken into three parts, each being told through a different perspective. We don’t really get to see Yeong-hye’s point of view more than a few sprinkles in the beginning, but rather it is told by the view of her husband, brother-in-law, and sister. With each part we get to see how Yeong-hye’s new diet is effecting those around her and as the story continuous we see a breakdown in her mental health.
Kang’s writing style is thought-provoking, where questions are followed with more questions instead of answers. This short book was able to build this reality that blurred the lines between fantasy and mental illness. We are presented with so many distinct voices and a roster of morally grey characters.
I do recommend this novel, though not for the faint of heart. This novel does not hesitate to go into the gory details, while relatively short, it deals with some very intense and heavy themes. So, if you are planning to read, I urge you to review the trigger warnings.
Despite the title, this novel doesn’t really have anything to do with vegetarianism, rather more of the link between trauma and mental health, and how easy it is to loose ourself when we no longer feel that we are in control of our own lives.
This novel is broken into three parts, each being told through a different perspective. We don’t really get to see Yeong-hye’s point of view more than a few sprinkles in the beginning, but rather it is told by the view of her husband, brother-in-law, and sister. With each part we get to see how Yeong-hye’s new diet is effecting those around her and as the story continuous we see a breakdown in her mental health.
Kang’s writing style is thought-provoking, where questions are followed with more questions instead of answers. This short book was able to build this reality that blurred the lines between fantasy and mental illness. We are presented with so many distinct voices and a roster of morally grey characters.
I do recommend this novel, though not for the faint of heart. This novel does not hesitate to go into the gory details, while relatively short, it deals with some very intense and heavy themes. So, if you are planning to read, I urge you to review the trigger warnings.
slow-paced
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Handmaid's Tale is like no other. One of the biggest and most controversial books in the world, tackling difficult topics head on and has stayed in the media mainstream for decades. Atwood has written a novel that has broken boundaries and has led to it being one of the most censored books in the world.
Atwood’s work aims to show how a government led by a fundamentalist regime would pan out. She is a master in creating this world and giving it a realistic and understandable structure. It’s chilling, it’s believable, and the narration makes it even more so.
It’s hard to offer any new insight to a book that has been so meticulously read and studied over the years since it was published. It features description and imagery that pairs perfectly with the emotion-ridden narrative to create a harrowing view of this oppressive new world.
Despite its relatively slow pace, Atwood’s frequent use of flashbacks that only begin to truly make sense as you piece all the little nuggets of information together make for a fascinating – and horrifying – story of what the world could be like if we allowed patriarchal values to dominate society after the progress of feminism in the last century or so.
There are so many interesting qualities that this book has to offer, but to look at it from a purely book-lovers point of view, it encapsulates this sense of wistful resentment that isn’t really alleviated until the very end of the story, and even then you have to read the historical notes to be sure that your frustration is released.
It is a famous book for a reason. If you’re after a political, gripping novel that captures your imagination through intricate detail more than thrilling action, then this is definitely one you should pick up.
Atwood’s work aims to show how a government led by a fundamentalist regime would pan out. She is a master in creating this world and giving it a realistic and understandable structure. It’s chilling, it’s believable, and the narration makes it even more so.
It’s hard to offer any new insight to a book that has been so meticulously read and studied over the years since it was published. It features description and imagery that pairs perfectly with the emotion-ridden narrative to create a harrowing view of this oppressive new world.
Despite its relatively slow pace, Atwood’s frequent use of flashbacks that only begin to truly make sense as you piece all the little nuggets of information together make for a fascinating – and horrifying – story of what the world could be like if we allowed patriarchal values to dominate society after the progress of feminism in the last century or so.
There are so many interesting qualities that this book has to offer, but to look at it from a purely book-lovers point of view, it encapsulates this sense of wistful resentment that isn’t really alleviated until the very end of the story, and even then you have to read the historical notes to be sure that your frustration is released.
It is a famous book for a reason. If you’re after a political, gripping novel that captures your imagination through intricate detail more than thrilling action, then this is definitely one you should pick up.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first Morrison novel, I’m honestly surprised that I made it this far without reading anything by Morrison, but then again I’m kind of glad for my first taste to be as an adult. In her first book, Toni Morrison explores the meaning of beauty, and how destructive attempting to conform to beauty standards can be, with lyrical language that grips the soul.
Morrison is a powerhouse of showcasing the hard realities no one wants to face in such a way that we must always be confronted with it. Never, in a Morrison novel, are we allowed to forget what the central problem is. There is no lull into some false sense of security. There is only facing the harsh reality and the consequences of how we choose to deal with it.
This novel has been banned across schools in the U.S. since 1999 and continues to be. While I say this is an amazing read, there are heavy trigger warnings that everyone should check before picking this up. If working through this book, has taught me anything about the way we try to filter what we want society to be — whether it be through banning books that make us uncomfortable or through ostracizing people we classify as Other because they make us afraid — it’s that doing so has nothing but horrendously negative results. Pecola’s story is fiction, but just how fictitious is it, really? And what does it mean when we won’t listen? What does it mean when we won’t look her in the eye?
Morrison is a powerhouse of showcasing the hard realities no one wants to face in such a way that we must always be confronted with it. Never, in a Morrison novel, are we allowed to forget what the central problem is. There is no lull into some false sense of security. There is only facing the harsh reality and the consequences of how we choose to deal with it.
This novel has been banned across schools in the U.S. since 1999 and continues to be. While I say this is an amazing read, there are heavy trigger warnings that everyone should check before picking this up. If working through this book, has taught me anything about the way we try to filter what we want society to be — whether it be through banning books that make us uncomfortable or through ostracizing people we classify as Other because they make us afraid — it’s that doing so has nothing but horrendously negative results. Pecola’s story is fiction, but just how fictitious is it, really? And what does it mean when we won’t listen? What does it mean when we won’t look her in the eye?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you’ve read any Vonnegut, you know writing a review for this book is so difficult without spoiling any major parts of the plot. Nevertheless, I will do my best.
Two rich, privileged men, one who seems to have divine luck, and one who has perhaps found how to manufacture such luck, sit at the center of this novel. An alien invasion, interplanetary travel, an ether between what we know and what we will see in the future, and the question of predestination: this novel covers a variety of topics in a short span of time.
To spare any spoilers from this absolute ride, I can only recommend this. This is Vonnegut’s second published book and it didn’t take him very long in his career to find his voice. The short paragraphs, snappy sentences, black humor, and satirical wit are all on show here, it’s astounding that he was able to develop his unique style so early in his career. Vonnegut seemingly allowed his thoughts to flow more freely, jumping from the implications of time travel, to love and purpose and happiness, to the centered question: does mankind truly have free will?
It’s absurd, it’s funny, it’s meaningful without making declarations: it’s an often overlooked triumph. Read this if you like stories low on stakes but high in sci-fi concept with a satirical twist.
Two rich, privileged men, one who seems to have divine luck, and one who has perhaps found how to manufacture such luck, sit at the center of this novel. An alien invasion, interplanetary travel, an ether between what we know and what we will see in the future, and the question of predestination: this novel covers a variety of topics in a short span of time.
To spare any spoilers from this absolute ride, I can only recommend this. This is Vonnegut’s second published book and it didn’t take him very long in his career to find his voice. The short paragraphs, snappy sentences, black humor, and satirical wit are all on show here, it’s astounding that he was able to develop his unique style so early in his career. Vonnegut seemingly allowed his thoughts to flow more freely, jumping from the implications of time travel, to love and purpose and happiness, to the centered question: does mankind truly have free will?
It’s absurd, it’s funny, it’s meaningful without making declarations: it’s an often overlooked triumph. Read this if you like stories low on stakes but high in sci-fi concept with a satirical twist.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, War
