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literalottie's reviews
133 reviews
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a fantastic sequel. While I thought The Poppy War had some issues with pacing, and I do think some of those issues carry through mildly to this book, I thought The Dragon Republic largely improved on this - the plot feels cohesive and drives forward at a natural speed. I don't think there was a single moment of peace in this book, the tension and stakes just continue to build and build as the story unfolds and it made for a truly brilliant experience. As in the previous book, the historical allegories are powerful and thought-provoking, and I greatly appreciate that R.F. Kuang took it upon herself to represent this time and these events in her work. I love the characters, particularly the bond between Rin and Kitay - I think they might just be one of my favourite fictional friendships I've ever read about. I just know that the final book in this series is going to devastate me, and I can't wait to find out how it does that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and War
Moderate: Genocide
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
dark
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
It always feels nice to read a highly-hyped book and have it actually be good. After seeing praise upon praise for The Poppy War, I finally got around to picking it up and I can understand why so many people love it. I'll definitely be jumping right into books 2 and 3 to see where this series goes.
The Poppy War feels like a book made up of two halves. Technically, the book is actually made up of three parts, but to me there were two distinct sections of story that are pretty separate in tone. The first half deals with Rin's schooling at elite military academy Sinegard, which is very straightforward in its writing and feels very much like a YA story. The second half, in the interest of remaining as spoiler-free as possible, I will just say follows what comes after Rin's schooling, and takes on a much darker tone.
Some of the major events in this book are heavily based off of historical events during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly the Nanjing Massacre. I knew about this historical influence before reading, but didn't really know much about the history itself - reading this got me to look into and educate myself further on these events. Obviously as a non-expert on the history I'm not in much of a position to fully critique her representation of these events, but from a writing perspective I have to commend R.F. Kuang on how she handled the difficult subject matter. Parts of this book were uncomfortable to read, but it never crossed the line into gratuitous or sensationalistic.
Another high point of this book is the characterisation, particularly of the protagonist Rin. She is strong and determined, but also impulsive and ruthless. As the story progresses, she is increasingly driven by anger and blinded by rage, making increasingly destructive decisions. The surrounding cast are equally complex - some of the characters are firmly aligned with her worldview, while others fundamentally disagree. I really loved the complexity of the morality in this story - the ending took me completely by shock and I'm now left wondering whether Rin will ultimately become a hero, a villain, or something in between.
My only sizable issue with The Poppy War is the pacing. I'm not sure what the next two books are like with regard to this, but it seems like a lot of ground is covered here and I can't help but think that the story could have been better served had this first book been split in two. As I mentioned, this book feels like two halves with different stories placed into one. Especially in the first half, it feels at times like several months worth of tension and plot development occurs in the span of a few pages or paragraphs and the tone shifts rather quickly. I can appreciate that there's a fine line to walk before readers complain about a book's pace being too slow, but personally I don't mind a book that takes its time and so I would not have complained if this book was split into two so that the plot and characters could have had more time to breathe.
The Poppy War feels like a book made up of two halves. Technically, the book is actually made up of three parts, but to me there were two distinct sections of story that are pretty separate in tone. The first half deals with Rin's schooling at elite military academy Sinegard, which is very straightforward in its writing and feels very much like a YA story. The second half, in the interest of remaining as spoiler-free as possible, I will just say follows what comes after Rin's schooling, and takes on a much darker tone.
Some of the major events in this book are heavily based off of historical events during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly the Nanjing Massacre. I knew about this historical influence before reading, but didn't really know much about the history itself - reading this got me to look into and educate myself further on these events. Obviously as a non-expert on the history I'm not in much of a position to fully critique her representation of these events, but from a writing perspective I have to commend R.F. Kuang on how she handled the difficult subject matter. Parts of this book were uncomfortable to read, but it never crossed the line into gratuitous or sensationalistic.
Another high point of this book is the characterisation, particularly of the protagonist Rin. She is strong and determined, but also impulsive and ruthless. As the story progresses, she is increasingly driven by anger and blinded by rage, making increasingly destructive decisions. The surrounding cast are equally complex - some of the characters are firmly aligned with her worldview, while others fundamentally disagree. I really loved the complexity of the morality in this story - the ending took me completely by shock and I'm now left wondering whether Rin will ultimately become a hero, a villain, or something in between.
My only sizable issue with The Poppy War is the pacing. I'm not sure what the next two books are like with regard to this, but it seems like a lot of ground is covered here and I can't help but think that the story could have been better served had this first book been split in two. As I mentioned, this book feels like two halves with different stories placed into one. Especially in the first half, it feels at times like several months worth of tension and plot development occurs in the span of a few pages or paragraphs and the tone shifts rather quickly. I can appreciate that there's a fine line to walk before readers complain about a book's pace being too slow, but personally I don't mind a book that takes its time and so I would not have complained if this book was split into two so that the plot and characters could have had more time to breathe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, and Genocide
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Sexism
Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
This was the first Discworld book, and the first solo Pratchett book, that I've read. I'm kind of in two minds about it - I enjoy Pratchett's writing style and his sense of humour, but the two plotlines in this book were miles apart in terms of enjoyment for me. I really enjoyed the plotline with Death the character, and I found myself being excited whenever I saw we were back to him again. However, the second plotline with with wizards I didn't enjoy as much; I had a hard time following what was going on and eventually I found myself trying to get through these sections so I could go back to the plotline about Death. I'm not sure how much my experience of this book would have changed had I read previous Discworld novels - the only reason I picked this up as my first is because it's the one I have a copy of in my house - maybe if I'd had more experience with the setting and style of the series I would have found it to be an easier read!
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Absolutely beautiful. After I read (and loved) Never Let Me Go I knew I had to read more of Ishiguro's work, and I figured his most acclaimed novel would be the best place to start. While this didn't floor me quite as much as the former did, I am still amazed by how beautiful Ishiguro's writing is.
Much of what made Never Let Me Go brilliant also makes this brilliant, despite them also being so different and distinct from each other. To borrow a phrase I used in my review of the formed, The Remains of the Day is a similarly "quietly heartbreaking" novel. The voice of our main character, Stevens, feels so authentic and compelling, and despite me not being an aging English butler, I found him strangely relatable. I felt like I learnt a lot from Stevens, and also learnt a lot beside him.
I love how Ishiguro frames the story around memories and the recollection of them - how one moment can inspire recollection of another, which in turn leads to another. Despite it being incredibly genuine to how people think and feel, you'd think it would make for unruly and messy storytelling, but Ishiguro pulls it off expertly. I already have my next book of choice of his on order, and I look forward to seeing more of what he has to offer.
Much of what made Never Let Me Go brilliant also makes this brilliant, despite them also being so different and distinct from each other. To borrow a phrase I used in my review of the formed, The Remains of the Day is a similarly "quietly heartbreaking" novel. The voice of our main character, Stevens, feels so authentic and compelling, and despite me not being an aging English butler, I found him strangely relatable. I felt like I learnt a lot from Stevens, and also learnt a lot beside him.
I love how Ishiguro frames the story around memories and the recollection of them - how one moment can inspire recollection of another, which in turn leads to another. Despite it being incredibly genuine to how people think and feel, you'd think it would make for unruly and messy storytelling, but Ishiguro pulls it off expertly. I already have my next book of choice of his on order, and I look forward to seeing more of what he has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: War
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
These short stories were surprisingly fun! I don't have a whole lot to say about them - except that this collection worked better for me when I read the stories one-at-a-time rather than trying to binge through them all at once. I think that might be because there's a certain formula to them, but they're enjoyable and it's always fun to see how the many little details come together in the end of each one. Holmes is, of course, an iconic character, and given how many times he's been reimagined throughout the past century it's nice to see what the "original" is like (more eccentric than I was expecting!). I can definitely see myself coming back to the rest of the Holmes canon to see what else it has to offer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
This was an incredible thriller - after having a fairly slow reading month where even books that I'm enjoying are struggling to hold my attention, I absolutely flew through this. I just couldn't put it down. The "Gossip Girl meets Get Out" description that this book is marketed with set my expectations very high, and it turned out to be perfectly apt, with the combination working extremely well to tell a truly chilling story.
As expected of a YA contemporary, the writing of this book is very "current", with modern teen references and slang sprinkled in, however unlike many of the YA books I read this one manages to be believable and avoids coming across as cringeworthy or "how do you do fellow kids". I think this is a book that will age very well compared to some of its peers.
Also, I really felt like this was a well-plotted thriller, with an adequate trail being laid for the reader to work things out, while also creating plenty of ambiguity and confusion to keep us guessing. Some of the twists I felt became clear to me a bit too early on due to the hints that I picked up on, however that's better than the alternative where authors just pull revelations out of their ass.
I did feel a few of the "breadcrumbs", so to speak, were not adequately revisited - I think this might have been a deliberate choice by the author to not treat the reader like an idiot and allow them to make connections by themselves, but a couple of things I feel could've at least been mentioned in the text for the sake of tying them up in a satisfying way For example, I felt thatBelle mentioning she's good at picking locks was an obvious hint that she was involved and was likely the one who stole the science supplies, but unless it was a blink-and-I-missed-it moment this never actually gets brought up again once her true nature is revealed . Of course, as a reader having finished the book I am aware of this detail, and in the grand scheme of things its only a minor one, but it would've been nice to have the characters themselves acknowledge and come to realise it too.
Overall, I believe this is a debut worthy of the hype its receiving, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Àbíké-Íyímídé.
As expected of a YA contemporary, the writing of this book is very "current", with modern teen references and slang sprinkled in, however unlike many of the YA books I read this one manages to be believable and avoids coming across as cringeworthy or "how do you do fellow kids". I think this is a book that will age very well compared to some of its peers.
Also, I really felt like this was a well-plotted thriller, with an adequate trail being laid for the reader to work things out, while also creating plenty of ambiguity and confusion to keep us guessing. Some of the twists I felt became clear to me a bit too early on due to the hints that I picked up on, however that's better than the alternative where authors just pull revelations out of their ass.
I did feel a few of the "breadcrumbs", so to speak, were not adequately revisited - I think this might have been a deliberate choice by the author to not treat the reader like an idiot and allow them to make connections by themselves, but a couple of things I feel could've at least been mentioned in the text for the sake of tying them up in a satisfying way For example, I felt that
Overall, I believe this is a debut worthy of the hype its receiving, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Àbíké-Íyímídé.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Blood, Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I found this to be a pretty stock-standard, average YA fantasy, without anything special to make it stand out. It has many of the common tropes, but doesn't really execute them in any particularly amazing way. I was particularly disappointed by the setting, which was a lot more generic than I was expecting.
The diverse cast is nice to see, but that alone isn't enough to carry the book, and the commentary on societal issues was very simplistic and on occasion a bit too on the nose for my liking (though this isn't an uncommon trend in YA books). Overall, this wasn't terrible, but I struggle to think of anything here that I haven't seen done before, and better
The diverse cast is nice to see, but that alone isn't enough to carry the book, and the commentary on societal issues was very simplistic and on occasion a bit too on the nose for my liking (though this isn't an uncommon trend in YA books). Overall, this wasn't terrible, but I struggle to think of anything here that I haven't seen done before, and better
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Death, Body horror, and Sexism
Moderate: Rape, Racism, and War
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"I don't know, it's stupid being 20," she said. "I'm just not ready. It feels weird. Like somebody's pushing me from behind."
I'll start with the positive - without a doubt, Murakami's writing style is beautiful. What finally encouraged me to pick up this book was seeing the above quote out of context, and I can say that there were many moments that this book really captured the feeling of being lost at that age, the feeling of being stuck while others around you seem to move through life effortlessly. That's something that really resonates with me, and I really appreciated how Murakami captured it so well. I found the characters to all feel very believable and human - although there is definite room for improvement in how Murakami writes women... from what I've heard though, this is a prevalant issue in his work.
However, I disliked the way this book handled sex. Sex, of course, is a natural and healthy part of life, and given that this book could be boiled down in simplest terms to a "love triangle" romance, sex is somewhat of a given, but this book seemed to hyperfocus on it to a fault, and presented sex as an inevitable or necessary part of any male-female relationship or friendship. This particularly came into play at the end, which I won't elaborate on because of spoilers, but suffice to say I felt disappointed at what happened in that last chapter.
And while we're on the topic of sex, there is also a strange, highly disturbing passage in the middle of the book (view spoiler). It was just so unnecessary, had it not been there my rating could have very well been a whole star higher.
This isn't to say I would never want to read a Murakami again - again, he writes beautifully. I do feel like there was a lot to love about Norwegian Wood, but unfortunately it was held back by some more unsavoury aspects that I struggled to look past. I know this is somewhat of an outlier in his bibliography, as he's known for more "surreal" works, which I would definitely be interested in.
I'll start with the positive - without a doubt, Murakami's writing style is beautiful. What finally encouraged me to pick up this book was seeing the above quote out of context, and I can say that there were many moments that this book really captured the feeling of being lost at that age, the feeling of being stuck while others around you seem to move through life effortlessly. That's something that really resonates with me, and I really appreciated how Murakami captured it so well. I found the characters to all feel very believable and human - although there is definite room for improvement in how Murakami writes women... from what I've heard though, this is a prevalant issue in his work.
However, I disliked the way this book handled sex. Sex, of course, is a natural and healthy part of life, and given that this book could be boiled down in simplest terms to a "love triangle" romance, sex is somewhat of a given, but this book seemed to hyperfocus on it to a fault, and presented sex as an inevitable or necessary part of any male-female relationship or friendship. This particularly came into play at the end, which I won't elaborate on because of spoilers, but suffice to say I felt disappointed at what happened in that last chapter.
And while we're on the topic of sex, there is also a strange, highly disturbing passage in the middle of the book (view spoiler). It was just so unnecessary, had it not been there my rating could have very well been a whole star higher.
This isn't to say I would never want to read a Murakami again - again, he writes beautifully. I do feel like there was a lot to love about Norwegian Wood, but unfortunately it was held back by some more unsavoury aspects that I struggled to look past. I know this is somewhat of an outlier in his bibliography, as he's known for more "surreal" works, which I would definitely be interested in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief and Terminal illness
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I read Stuart Turton's previous book, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, a couple of years back, and found that the ending let it down for me (purely a matter of personal taste, it has a twist that didn't work for me but that I know a lot of other people love). However, I was still impressed by the ambitious and unique concept, and when I read the synopsis of The Devil and the Dark Water I found it also had an exciting premise (helped by the fact that it is heavily reminiscent of Return of the Obra Dinn, one of my favourite video games which also happens to feature a big mystery centred around a ship in a historical setting that sets out on a catastrophic journey that is plagued by potentially-supernatural happenings). So, I was more than willing to give the author another chance. And I'm glad that I did, because this was a really good mystery.
The setting of this book is executed brilliantly - you can really feel the growing tension on the ship as the rumours of a devil grow and become more frantic. The characters are all also really well written - I particularly really enjoyed the companionship that Sammy and Arent had. I also liked how Arent was the main "investigator" due to Sammy being imprisoned, it was an interesting subversion of the usual "detective & sidekick" trope.
I'm still trying to work out exactly how I feel about the ending - it was good but there were maybe a couple of details that I didn't quite pick up on throughout the book that I really should have in order for the reveals to have their intended impact. However, I will say that I did love how it kept me guessing, and how there were a number of little things that were slowly tied together as the truth came to be revealed. Overall, this was a great read, and I'll definitely be looking out for future books by Stuart Turton
The setting of this book is executed brilliantly - you can really feel the growing tension on the ship as the rumours of a devil grow and become more frantic. The characters are all also really well written - I particularly really enjoyed the companionship that Sammy and Arent had. I also liked how Arent was the main "investigator" due to Sammy being imprisoned, it was an interesting subversion of the usual "detective & sidekick" trope.
I'm still trying to work out exactly how I feel about the ending - it was good but there were maybe a couple of details that I didn't quite pick up on throughout the book that I really should have in order for the reveals to have their intended impact. However, I will say that I did love how it kept me guessing, and how there were a number of little things that were slowly tied together as the truth came to be revealed. Overall, this was a great read, and I'll definitely be looking out for future books by Stuart Turton
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, and Vomit
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence
Looking for Alaska by John Green
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is still one of my all-time favourites - it takes a special book to get me to sit and read it all in one night, but this is one of those books (granted, it's short, which helps, but still). Now that I've given it a long-overdue reread, I can actually leave a gushing, effusive review for it, so here goes!
There's just so much about Looking for Alaska that resonates with me. The characters are all so flawed and yet so real, their actions and interactions throughout this book are equal parts heartbreaking, heartwarming, and, sometimes, hilarious. I watched the miniseries last year and absolutely loved it. I'm so grateful they got it right, because this story deserves it.
Whenever I think about this book, I think about the overarching motifs - the labyrinth of suffering, and the "Great Perhaps". The idea that we ultimately don't get out of the labyrinth, but we have to choose to be in it, always in search of our next "Great Perhaps". There are plenty of people who deride this book, along with John Green's other works, as "fake deep". I'm not going to say I adore all of his work (see my 2 star review of Paper Towns I posted a mere few hours ago), nor will I say anyone who dislikes his books are "wrong". But this book speaks to me in a matter that's, at least to me, real. And that's what matters in the end.
There's just so much about Looking for Alaska that resonates with me. The characters are all so flawed and yet so real, their actions and interactions throughout this book are equal parts heartbreaking, heartwarming, and, sometimes, hilarious. I watched the miniseries last year and absolutely loved it. I'm so grateful they got it right, because this story deserves it.
Whenever I think about this book, I think about the overarching motifs - the labyrinth of suffering, and the "Great Perhaps". The idea that we ultimately don't get out of the labyrinth, but we have to choose to be in it, always in search of our next "Great Perhaps". There are plenty of people who deride this book, along with John Green's other works, as "fake deep". I'm not going to say I adore all of his work (see my 2 star review of Paper Towns I posted a mere few hours ago), nor will I say anyone who dislikes his books are "wrong". But this book speaks to me in a matter that's, at least to me, real. And that's what matters in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying