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lighterthaneyre's reviews
169 reviews
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story telling is really evocative and atmospheric. It honestly took a while for it to sink in that there was no Fairy Tale Logic happening IRL- it was a construct carefully balanced by all the characters, who bought into the ideas and values. But the Fairy Tale Rules were no less strong because of it- almost more so.
Honestly didn't see the twist at the end coming, which is a great sign. Normally I can call endings like this, but it crept up in a nice way.
None of these characters are "likeable" per say. I found the Groomsman off putting due to how he viewed his wife, as a mythical Creature or Being, and not a person. Indigo throughout is shown as self centered, exacting, and vengeful. Azure mostly inspires pity and protectiveness, but she so quickly becomes a shadow, there isn't much substance to cling to. Even though none of them are "likeable", they balance the story they're telling well, and all the decisions seem extremely coming from the people we see them being.
I'm not sure what's keeping me from giving it a full 4 star rating- I liked it, I enjoyed reading it, I was anxious to read the ending when life made me stop halfway through. I will probably think about it for a while. But I don't think I would ever come back to re-read it.
None of these characters are "likeable" per say. I found the Groomsman off putting due to how he viewed his wife, as a mythical Creature or Being, and not a person. Indigo throughout is shown as self centered, exacting, and vengeful. Azure mostly inspires pity and protectiveness, but she so quickly becomes a shadow, there isn't much substance to cling to. Even though none of them are "likeable", they balance the story they're telling well, and all the decisions seem extremely coming from the people we see them being.
I'm not sure what's keeping me from giving it a full 4 star rating- I liked it, I enjoyed reading it, I was anxious to read the ending when life made me stop halfway through. I will probably think about it for a while. But I don't think I would ever come back to re-read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent
RE: Pedophilia One of the narrators, Azure, has a step father. The step father is never directly stated to lust after her (from the ages of around 12 to 18), but she describes how it feels to be the object of sexual interest. She experiences jealousy from her mother. At one point, she is framed for sleeping with her step father. No physical contact is made, but the emotional violation is described.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Cons:
I really enjoyed this book. Maybe not my favorite from Hendrix, but I'm glad I picked it up from the library.
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Pros:
- Extremely good example of an unreliable narrator. And getting the slow reveal of just how unreliable she is via everyone's interactions and dialogue with her, so good
- There's a lot of slasher-movie style action scenes, and they were good to read. Fast paced, frantic energy, clear where they should be, tense.
- I am regularly shocked at how well this author does writing female protagonists. The women all feel different, deep, informed by their (in this case slasher-traumatic) backstories. The book does a weird thing where it shows men in a disgusting light at all times, which is not normal for the author. But honestly I think that's the POV character. And we already know her perception of things is messed up. It was jarring until I resolved that as a reader, but I think it scans.
- There's something about the "support group" angle that felt genuine. Seeing the different women, who have healed at different rates and in different directions, effected by but not defined by the trauma. I don't know but it just really worked for me.
Cons:
- I spoiled a twist for myself. Which made some of the foreshadowing much more obvious because duh, I knew it was coming. Hate when I do that to myself.
- In the setting of the world, the slasher movies exist the way they do in the real world - summer, popcorn thrillers, considered not terribly deep by most but beloved by some true blue horror fans. But then at the same time, they're based on actual mass murder events. The tension there feels. Wrong. The author does play with that a little - how heartless a press circuit can be for victims, stalkers becoming an extension of the original crisis, but it still feels weird. Between chapters there's snippets from in universe articles or interviews, and a lot of it (very heavy handedly) explores why women being murdered is such fun entertainment that we don't examine closely. And on the one hand, sure, I am down for some gender studies style gazing into a mirror at Society TM. But at the same time - we don't have fun summer movies about Columbine. We might have a tense drama, or an emotional drama about a shooter's backstory, but that's fundamentally a different category to the Freddy Krueger cinema universe. When it's "based on a true story", I think audiences expect a certain level of preformed gravitas, and when it's a slasher audiences expect a certain level of preformed camp. That might just be a personal opinion, but that tension really took the winds out of the sails of the themes the book was going for.
- This books themes are not sub text. It's text. It's a lecture in some places.
I really enjoyed this book. Maybe not my favorite from Hendrix, but I'm glad I picked it up from the library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Most content warnings are typical with a slasher movie. One secondary character is terminally ill with cancer, which is shown with respect but a frank, unromantic lens.
Unbreakable by Mira Grant
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Really interesting world building and cosmology.
Mostly I wish I had a little more to chew on. It felt like a bit of an abrupt ending. I would have liked a little more character interaction with the girls, and then with their aliens. It was very internal focused, and I just want a little more to balance it out.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Good setup to for world building, but even better at presenting me characters that I feel for, and want more of. Really glad a lot of the later novellas follow particular characters, it's like setting up a really fun ensemble cast so they will have solo episodes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
A fun look into Nonsense, and a reminder that I would not be suited for Nonsense.
As told through non-Nonsense characters.
As told through non-Nonsense characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Loved the setting
Loved the character dynamics
Loved the character dynamics
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia
The Fixer by Lee Winter
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The main couple... Sort of slow burns. Actually it feels more like exposition for the sequel where the relationship will actually tease out. (So it feels- haven't read book 2.)
Also, every one of Eden's friends were on Tumblr during their formative years, I just sense it.