Scan barcode
literaryjunarin's reviews
455 reviews
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
4.0
So what just happened? This read like a folktale and a lot of unbelievable events happened and somehow I just accepted all of them. There's a man who came back to life because he got sad as a ghost, and then a girl eats dirt when she's stressed, and then a man started a war and had seventeen children who are all named Aureliano, and then a girl who was so pretty that all men turn crazy but then that girl just floated to the sky like an angel, and what's with all the incestuous relationships?
A lot of times I was tempted to drop this but I'm glad I finished it. The ending closed the loop perfectly.
A lot of times I was tempted to drop this but I'm glad I finished it. The ending closed the loop perfectly.
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, it is impossible not to feel Clytemnestra's rage and sorrow when you read this book. I know of Agamemnon's cruelty when I read The Song of Achilles but I didn't know the whole story. Wow. Clytemnestra is strong, clever, brave, and resilient and after all the loss and grief she endured, you can't help but root for her to execute her vengeance.
Very well-written. Powerful debut.
As of today, this is the most impactful feminist retelling of a Greek myth for me. I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy Homer's works when I read them now. 🥲
Very well-written. Powerful debut.
As of today, this is the most impactful feminist retelling of a Greek myth for me. I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy Homer's works when I read them now. 🥲
The Schrödinger Girl by Laurel Brett
3.0
The quantum physics parts and the idea of parallel universes merging in front of Garrett's eyes are interesting to read but the rest is boring. I was hyped by the plot but it didn't really deliver.
Seed by Ania Ahlborn
dark
slow-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
Man, that ending!
All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother by Danielle Teller
dark
sad
slow-paced
4.0
"I no longer believe that people are born without virtue. It gets beaten out. Misfortune threshes our souls as a flail threshes wheat, and the lightest parts of ourselves are scattered to the wind."
A fresh and realistic version of Cinderella's story where there is no fairy but an actual rich godmother. Of how, maybe, the "evil" stepmother is not wicked at all. Cinderella will never be the same for me again. And I'm not complaining.
A fresh and realistic version of Cinderella's story where there is no fairy but an actual rich godmother. Of how, maybe, the "evil" stepmother is not wicked at all. Cinderella will never be the same for me again. And I'm not complaining.
This Is Not Your City by Caitlin Horrocks
3.0
Loved that story about a woman who remembers all her 127 past lives. In her 127th life, she got pregnant and found out that her baby is someone from her past life (clue: murder). The other stories are hit or miss.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I loved the premise of this book. One day, everyone in the whole world aged 22 and above, received a wooden box with a note saying "The measure of your life lies within". And it didn't stop on that day. The box continues to come to everyone who turns 22 years old. Inside the box is a single string representing their lifespan. Some have long strings meaning they will live to old age but some have really short strings and died in their 20s. Scientists collected thousands of samples and successfully created a program to convert the length of the string to the number of years up to the exact age when the owner will die.
Interweaving 8 characters, the story showed how different people and nations reacted when faced with their own mortality. Suddenly, couples broke up when they found out their partner has a short string. People with short strings can no longer take loans or insurance. Police and the military only allow people with long strings to take on dangerous tasks. The dating scene got more difficult with everyone sidestepping the "string" question because most don't want to date someone with a short string. When you don't know when you will die, it is easier to vow not to leave your partner in sickness and in health. But when you know exactly when death will come for you, it is hard to even start dating.
This is poignant, thought-provoking, heartbreaking but hopeful. It left me thinking: will I open my box?
Interweaving 8 characters, the story showed how different people and nations reacted when faced with their own mortality. Suddenly, couples broke up when they found out their partner has a short string. People with short strings can no longer take loans or insurance. Police and the military only allow people with long strings to take on dangerous tasks. The dating scene got more difficult with everyone sidestepping the "string" question because most don't want to date someone with a short string. When you don't know when you will die, it is easier to vow not to leave your partner in sickness and in health. But when you know exactly when death will come for you, it is hard to even start dating.
This is poignant, thought-provoking, heartbreaking but hopeful. It left me thinking: will I open my box?