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luluwoohoo's reviews
366 reviews
Funny Story by Emily Henry
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Funny Story by Emily Henry
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
Emily Henry delivers another romance hit, proving she's one of the best in the genre, though it's not without its faults.
The setup for this novel is more involved than her previous stories, veering into a plot that's arguably more commercial but requires a lot of time spent on establishing Daphne's backstory and its relevance. This is all done skillfully and is emotional to read - Daphne is another wonderfully thought through MC, and totally relatable - but it did come at the expense of the third act.
Daphne's relationship with Miles is the definition of slow burn to the point where I had a bit of whiplash between their getting together, falling apart and coming back together again at the end, which all occurred in the last ~20% of the book. It's actually not dissimilar to other EH novels but I felt this story needed a more grounded third act after all of the introspection we'd seen from both Daphne and Miles regarding their personal hangups, which weren't resolved satisfactorily enough. (Also, Miles doesn't feel like a guy in his 30s, he just doesn't)
As I've come to expect, the supporting characters are all wonderful and amusing, adding opportunities for the signature banter I love. The library provides a nice setting, though I'd have liked more interaction between Daphne and the kids to better justify her passions.
Overall this is probably my least favourite of Henry's, but the bar is set so high that I would still recommend this highly to those who like the genre because it was an enjoyable read that had me hooked and delivered on brand humour and romance.
☀️☀️☀️🌤️
Emily Henry delivers another romance hit, proving she's one of the best in the genre, though it's not without its faults.
The setup for this novel is more involved than her previous stories, veering into a plot that's arguably more commercial but requires a lot of time spent on establishing Daphne's backstory and its relevance. This is all done skillfully and is emotional to read - Daphne is another wonderfully thought through MC, and totally relatable - but it did come at the expense of the third act.
Daphne's relationship with Miles is the definition of slow burn to the point where I had a bit of whiplash between their getting together, falling apart and coming back together again at the end, which all occurred in the last ~20% of the book. It's actually not dissimilar to other EH novels but I felt this story needed a more grounded third act after all of the introspection we'd seen from both Daphne and Miles regarding their personal hangups, which weren't resolved satisfactorily enough. (Also, Miles doesn't feel like a guy in his 30s, he just doesn't)
As I've come to expect, the supporting characters are all wonderful and amusing, adding opportunities for the signature banter I love. The library provides a nice setting, though I'd have liked more interaction between Daphne and the kids to better justify her passions.
Overall this is probably my least favourite of Henry's, but the bar is set so high that I would still recommend this highly to those who like the genre because it was an enjoyable read that had me hooked and delivered on brand humour and romance.
"'Maybe we should date,' Miles says.
[...] 'Yes,' I finally manage. 'a shared cuckolding is the most fertile ground from which love could ever spring.'"
"There's being bad at small talk, and then there's being so reticent that your coworkers assume you've recently testified against a mob boss, and I never knew how thin the line between the two was."
The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer (audiobook narrated by Kelly Burke, Madeline Pell)
☀️☀️🌥️
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC audiobook!
A queer romance that had potential to be short and sweet, but lacklustre writing and almost no plot left not much to like.
The conflict of the novel lies solely in the transition of friends to lovers, to the extent that we aren't really given subplots or exploration of Kendall or Peyton's lives that don't end up relating directly back to their relationship. Lacking that makes both characters feel two-dimensional and also too codependent to connect with for me.
The writing itself is pedestrian. The dialogue is quite hit or miss, and the inner voices of each character often veered too much towards the dramatic to be anything but eye roll-worthy. The biphobia is really difficult to read, and there is also deeply inappropriate use of the r-word a handful of times.
The narrators both did a good job with the content they had, and it was definitely better for having two narrators for the dual POV, but that couldn't save the book itself.
I can see how this book might have spoken to me a bit differently if I read it ten years ago, but I was let down by the lack of empathy or creativity for the main characters and their experiences.
☀️☀️🌥️
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC audiobook!
A queer romance that had potential to be short and sweet, but lacklustre writing and almost no plot left not much to like.
The conflict of the novel lies solely in the transition of friends to lovers, to the extent that we aren't really given subplots or exploration of Kendall or Peyton's lives that don't end up relating directly back to their relationship. Lacking that makes both characters feel two-dimensional and also too codependent to connect with for me.
The writing itself is pedestrian. The dialogue is quite hit or miss, and the inner voices of each character often veered too much towards the dramatic to be anything but eye roll-worthy. The biphobia is really difficult to read, and there is also deeply inappropriate use of the r-word a handful of times.
The narrators both did a good job with the content they had, and it was definitely better for having two narrators for the dual POV, but that couldn't save the book itself.
I can see how this book might have spoken to me a bit differently if I read it ten years ago, but I was let down by the lack of empathy or creativity for the main characters and their experiences.
"I guess it doesn’t matter how well you think you know someone, there’s always a fear that they’ll abandon you. After all, it’s the people you care about the most who can cut you the deepest."
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
☀️☀️⛅
I really wanted to like this. A relatively short page count and a fascinating concept should have been enough to make this thoroughly readable, but I struggled from start to finish.
The writing is lovely but there was too damn much of it for this plot. I like purple prose in certain contexts but the novel spent so much time on unnecessary dinner parties and self-congratulatory philosophical discussions that often only vaguely related to the themes of the story that I was pretty much bored most of the time. It took approximately half the book for Dorian's portrait to change, and even after that we were subjected to an entire chapter detailing his many irrelevant hobbies as a way of showing the passing of time before anything else happened.
To its credit, the parts of the book that actually contained plot were well written, and the queer subtext throughout is interesting to examine, but it's difficult to appreciate a book that spends more time describing historical tapestries than on giving the main character, or any character, depth or growth. Harry as a representation of temptation and sin works somewhat but I was so sick of listening to him talk bullshit that I didn't even care by the end. Dorian's downfall was dramatic but not emotionally moving, considering we were barely shown his life and personality beforehand.
With Wilde himself admitting that the book is too wordy, I think I'm comfortable saying that it would have been significantly more successful as a 100 page short that actually spent time on Dorian's psychological failure rather than repetitive societal observation.
☀️☀️⛅
I really wanted to like this. A relatively short page count and a fascinating concept should have been enough to make this thoroughly readable, but I struggled from start to finish.
The writing is lovely but there was too damn much of it for this plot. I like purple prose in certain contexts but the novel spent so much time on unnecessary dinner parties and self-congratulatory philosophical discussions that often only vaguely related to the themes of the story that I was pretty much bored most of the time. It took approximately half the book for Dorian's portrait to change, and even after that we were subjected to an entire chapter detailing his many irrelevant hobbies as a way of showing the passing of time before anything else happened.
To its credit, the parts of the book that actually contained plot were well written, and the queer subtext throughout is interesting to examine, but it's difficult to appreciate a book that spends more time describing historical tapestries than on giving the main character, or any character, depth or growth. Harry as a representation of temptation and sin works somewhat but I was so sick of listening to him talk bullshit that I didn't even care by the end. Dorian's downfall was dramatic but not emotionally moving, considering we were barely shown his life and personality beforehand.
With Wilde himself admitting that the book is too wordy, I think I'm comfortable saying that it would have been significantly more successful as a 100 page short that actually spent time on Dorian's psychological failure rather than repetitive societal observation.
"The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollection of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (audiobook narrated by Moira Quirk)
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A wickedly unique and daring novel that pushes boundaries in many ways, but it's hulking page count and strange pacing prevents it from becoming an instant classic.
The phrase 'style over substance' is too harsh a summary for this story but it does go towards explaining my feelings. Firstly, I found the world building lacking in context and struggled significantly for the first half to comprehend the strange combination of space, necromancy, religion and Hunger Games-style challenges all rolled into one; for such a unique concept, I needed to be given more footholds.
The book wasn't too long in theory - not when there's so much to cover - but in execution most of the first half is wasted not adequately explaining the plot or the stakes quite enough to get the pace going. Things picked up in the second half well but by then I wasn't as invested as I wanted to be at the carnage.
The characterisation was genuinely impressive - with far too many characters to keep track of, Muir gives everyone memorable and identifiable traits (and Quirk performs their various accents and deliveries with impeccable style). Gideon's humour was amusing but could at times come off as too juvenile. Her relationship with Harrow was appropriately complicated and I found their arc very well developed.
I think this is a case of a good book that simply missed the mark for me. It's appropriately intriguing and tense and laugh out loud funny at points, but over its length it couldn't maintain the same level of quality it deserved.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A wickedly unique and daring novel that pushes boundaries in many ways, but it's hulking page count and strange pacing prevents it from becoming an instant classic.
The phrase 'style over substance' is too harsh a summary for this story but it does go towards explaining my feelings. Firstly, I found the world building lacking in context and struggled significantly for the first half to comprehend the strange combination of space, necromancy, religion and Hunger Games-style challenges all rolled into one; for such a unique concept, I needed to be given more footholds.
The book wasn't too long in theory - not when there's so much to cover - but in execution most of the first half is wasted not adequately explaining the plot or the stakes quite enough to get the pace going. Things picked up in the second half well but by then I wasn't as invested as I wanted to be at the carnage.
The characterisation was genuinely impressive - with far too many characters to keep track of, Muir gives everyone memorable and identifiable traits (and Quirk performs their various accents and deliveries with impeccable style). Gideon's humour was amusing but could at times come off as too juvenile. Her relationship with Harrow was appropriately complicated and I found their arc very well developed.
I think this is a case of a good book that simply missed the mark for me. It's appropriately intriguing and tense and laugh out loud funny at points, but over its length it couldn't maintain the same level of quality it deserved.
"Maybe it's that I find the idea comforting...that thousands of years after you're gone...is when you really live. That your echo is louder than your voice."
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.5
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall
☀️☀️☀️⛅
This romantic comedy was significantly more comedy than romance, sometimes to its detriment, but it was an enjoyable ride all the same.
Alexis Hall knows how to write funny characters, quick-witted banter and the organised chaos of large groups, so having all of those elements within this novel was a great starting point. The amnesia plot was unsurprisingly ridiculous but it slotted right in alongside the wacky supporting characters and whatnot.
Though I found the support characters to be entertaining and decently fleshed out, there were simply too many of them and it is probably the main reason this novel is as long as it is - verging on too long for a romantic comedy. The antics of Jonathan's family could have been condensed to allow more time for the romance subplot, which did suffer in comparison.
I think Hall handled the enemies-to-friends aspect well enough, but I found the transition into being romantically interested a bit haphazard - balancing that alongside the difficult to navigate topic of their power imbalance being boss and employee wasn't given enough consideration and then was subsequently steamrolled by the late emergence of Sam's character arc and backstory. I didn't mind the late introduction to his family history but it did feel uncomfortable dealing with that and the stereotypical third act break up/make up in one scene feel cramped and rushed.
I think this book did manage to find a good balance of humour and the doses of reality between, but the odd pacing and lack of believable chemistry hindered the overall effect for me.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
This romantic comedy was significantly more comedy than romance, sometimes to its detriment, but it was an enjoyable ride all the same.
Alexis Hall knows how to write funny characters, quick-witted banter and the organised chaos of large groups, so having all of those elements within this novel was a great starting point. The amnesia plot was unsurprisingly ridiculous but it slotted right in alongside the wacky supporting characters and whatnot.
Though I found the support characters to be entertaining and decently fleshed out, there were simply too many of them and it is probably the main reason this novel is as long as it is - verging on too long for a romantic comedy. The antics of Jonathan's family could have been condensed to allow more time for the romance subplot, which did suffer in comparison.
I think Hall handled the enemies-to-friends aspect well enough, but I found the transition into being romantically interested a bit haphazard - balancing that alongside the difficult to navigate topic of their power imbalance being boss and employee wasn't given enough consideration and then was subsequently steamrolled by the late emergence of Sam's character arc and backstory. I didn't mind the late introduction to his family history but it did feel uncomfortable dealing with that and the stereotypical third act break up/make up in one scene feel cramped and rushed.
I think this book did manage to find a good balance of humour and the doses of reality between, but the odd pacing and lack of believable chemistry hindered the overall effect for me.
"It reminds me how much I like being with him. It makes me wish he could let himself be this man more often, with more people. Don't get me wrong, he's still a sour bastard. It's just sour isn't necessarily bad. That's why everybody likes sherbet lemons."
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
2.75
A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
☀️☀️🌤️
Part fairy tale, part psychological mystery, this novel gets lost in the woods it so beautifully created.
This is difficult to write, because I admire Reid's work here and can really see the time and care she's taken to craft such beautiful writing throughout. The prose is rich and atmospheric and appropriate for the gothic style.
But that's where it starts to fall apart - this book doesn't quite fit within its genre. It purports to be mature and mysterious and whimsical, but the plot itself is pedestrian and predictable with no plot twists or interesting interpretations to justify its existence. The magical, fairy-tale aspects are nice, and that part of the world building does maintain some interest, but ultimately the rest of this universe is constantly at odds with itself - does it want to be reality, or fantasy? Straddling both was obviously the point at first, but even by the end it doesn't feel like it chooses a victorious side.
Both main characters are bland and unexceptional. Effy is intolerably emotional, crying at nothing all the time (which could have been good character work if her traumatic backstory was given enough work beyond face value examination). Preston's single defining quality is that he's....not a creep? Apparently the bar is that low. They had zero chemistry and the romance made no sense.
The location and the house itself were lovingly described, and as I said before, Reid doesn't lack talent when it comes to prose. It's just unfortunate that it came at the expense of the important bits that actually connect readers to the book. If I'm not rooting for them, if I don't care about the outcome, gorgeous metaphors don't matter.
For a book of 'vibes' it's not awful, but it had great potential to be something much more exciting than it ultimately is.
☀️☀️🌤️
Part fairy tale, part psychological mystery, this novel gets lost in the woods it so beautifully created.
This is difficult to write, because I admire Reid's work here and can really see the time and care she's taken to craft such beautiful writing throughout. The prose is rich and atmospheric and appropriate for the gothic style.
But that's where it starts to fall apart - this book doesn't quite fit within its genre. It purports to be mature and mysterious and whimsical, but the plot itself is pedestrian and predictable with no plot twists or interesting interpretations to justify its existence. The magical, fairy-tale aspects are nice, and that part of the world building does maintain some interest, but ultimately the rest of this universe is constantly at odds with itself - does it want to be reality, or fantasy? Straddling both was obviously the point at first, but even by the end it doesn't feel like it chooses a victorious side.
Both main characters are bland and unexceptional. Effy is intolerably emotional, crying at nothing all the time (which could have been good character work if her traumatic backstory was given enough work beyond face value examination). Preston's single defining quality is that he's....not a creep? Apparently the bar is that low. They had zero chemistry and the romance made no sense.
The location and the house itself were lovingly described, and as I said before, Reid doesn't lack talent when it comes to prose. It's just unfortunate that it came at the expense of the important bits that actually connect readers to the book. If I'm not rooting for them, if I don't care about the outcome, gorgeous metaphors don't matter.
For a book of 'vibes' it's not awful, but it had great potential to be something much more exciting than it ultimately is.
"Many years ago, before the first Drowning, the people of the Bottom Hundred had executed their criminals by tying them up on the beach at low tide. Then they all watched and waited as the waves came up. They brought picnic blankets and bread. They fed themselves as the sea fed the sinner, pouring water down her throat until she was pale and gorged."
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
An unashamedly bold, uncomfortable, and laugh out loud satire exposing the publishing industry for its dark underworld.
Told through the lens of a self-important white woman who resorts to plagiarism to fulfil her dreams of literary stardom, June is truly a wonderful character to read. She is undeniably awful and her level of delusion is utterly cringeworthy, but these characteristics make her a car crash we want to see explode into flames. There are just enough hints of legitimacy to her emotional frustrations and her mental health struggles to keep you on your toes until the end, but like everyone else in Yellowface, you don't root for June's success, but rather revel in the downfall.
Having read Babel last month I was already familiar with Kuang's style, and this is no less ballsy and confronting. She pulls no punches when it comes to spotlighting racism, xenophobia, trauma porn, tokenism and the viciousness of social media clapback. Is it self-inserty to the max? Sure. I don't think I really care because I had a lot of fun. The bold simplicity of the storytelling and the multiple pop culture references won't work for everyone, but they felt appropriate within the confines of this story.
The background of publishing is obviously incredibly meta, but I appreciated the industry as a backdrop for the scandal. Through the examination of art as a commodity under the capitalist system, Kuang does build sympathy for June and others who are statistically unlikely to succeed in the business at all, and portrays characters like Athena as lucky more so than just talented. Much of June's success relies on white publishers, and the subsequent backlash comes from primarily Chinese sources, but Kuang paints a nuanced picture of how subtle racism can be without also acknowledging the complexity of ownership and voice.
This is a razor sharp and witty tale that keeps you equally uncomfortable and enthralled the whole way through. It felt a bit too real at times, in the best way. A truly wonderful achievement that I'd happily read again and again.
"I worked my ass off doing blog interviews and podcasts, hoping that the more sweat I put into publicity, the more my publisher would reward my efforts. But now, I see, the author effects have nothing to do with a book's success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way."
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
An unashamedly bold, uncomfortable, and laugh out loud satire exposing the publishing industry for its dark underworld.
Told through the lens of a self-important white woman who resorts to plagiarism to fulfil her dreams of literary stardom, June is truly a wonderful character to read. She is undeniably awful and her level of delusion is utterly cringeworthy, but these characteristics make her a car crash we want to see explode into flames. There are just enough hints of legitimacy to her emotional frustrations and her mental health struggles to keep you on your toes until the end, but like everyone else in Yellowface, you don't root for June's success, but rather revel in the downfall.
Having read Babel last month I was already familiar with Kuang's style, and this is no less ballsy and confronting. She pulls no punches when it comes to spotlighting racism, xenophobia, trauma porn, tokenism and the viciousness of social media clapback. Is it self-inserty to the max? Sure. I don't think I really care because I had a lot of fun. The bold simplicity of the storytelling and the multiple pop culture references won't work for everyone, but they felt appropriate within the confines of this story.
The background of publishing is obviously incredibly meta, but I appreciated the industry as a backdrop for the scandal. Through the examination of art as a commodity under the capitalist system, Kuang does build sympathy for June and others who are statistically unlikely to succeed in the business at all, and portrays characters like Athena as lucky more so than just talented. Much of June's success relies on white publishers, and the subsequent backlash comes from primarily Chinese sources, but Kuang paints a nuanced picture of how subtle racism can be without also acknowledging the complexity of ownership and voice.
This is a razor sharp and witty tale that keeps you equally uncomfortable and enthralled the whole way through. It felt a bit too real at times, in the best way. A truly wonderful achievement that I'd happily read again and again.
"I worked my ass off doing blog interviews and podcasts, hoping that the more sweat I put into publicity, the more my publisher would reward my efforts. But now, I see, the author effects have nothing to do with a book's success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way."
Those Who Wait by Haley Cass
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Those Who Wait by Haley Cass
☀️☀️☀️🌥️
An opposites-attract romance that had great potential, but failed to live up to the hype.
Firstly, I found this book to be far too long for the plot. I liked the elements at play - political backdrop, the romantic setup and the friendship foundation - but there was too much filler happening in and around those.
The relationship between Sutton and Charlotte has pros and cons for me. I like their dynamic for the most part, and there was some character growth from both throughout, but the sex scenes were too repetitive and the constant miscommunication/misinterpretation during conversations grew tiring. And the thorn in their sides for the length of this novel didn't feel important enough to warrant the sneaking around and the third act break up - as a progressive politician surrounded by queer and supportive people, hiding that part of Charlotte's life as if would completely destroy her career should have at least had some consequences beyond her deciding to come out publically and everything magically being okay in the end. For a story with a political subplot as significant as this, that needed to be addressed head on, but it was squashed on at the end despite the 600ish page length of this book.
I was disappointed by Cass' writing in general. The style is quick and relatively easy to read but she fails at mastering punctuation and has a repetitive set of words and phrases that became more and more cringey as the story went on.
This book obviously appeals significantly to a lot of people but the quality of the writing and the strange pacing/plotting left me wanting more.
☀️☀️☀️🌥️
An opposites-attract romance that had great potential, but failed to live up to the hype.
Firstly, I found this book to be far too long for the plot. I liked the elements at play - political backdrop, the romantic setup and the friendship foundation - but there was too much filler happening in and around those.
The relationship between Sutton and Charlotte has pros and cons for me. I like their dynamic for the most part, and there was some character growth from both throughout, but the sex scenes were too repetitive and the constant miscommunication/misinterpretation during conversations grew tiring. And the thorn in their sides for the length of this novel didn't feel important enough to warrant the sneaking around and the third act break up - as a progressive politician surrounded by queer and supportive people, hiding that part of Charlotte's life as if would completely destroy her career should have at least had some consequences beyond her deciding to come out publically and everything magically being okay in the end. For a story with a political subplot as significant as this, that needed to be addressed head on, but it was squashed on at the end despite the 600ish page length of this book.
I was disappointed by Cass' writing in general. The style is quick and relatively easy to read but she fails at mastering punctuation and has a repetitive set of words and phrases that became more and more cringey as the story went on.
This book obviously appeals significantly to a lot of people but the quality of the writing and the strange pacing/plotting left me wanting more.
"There’s a difference between being happy about something and being happy. One of them is fleeting."
The Dinner by Herman Koch
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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
The Dinner by Herman Koch
☀️☀️
A glaringly dark and drawn out story that didn't do anything for me.
I can see what Koch was trying to do...I just didn't enjoy it. Unlikeable characters can be done well, with depth and growth, but here I couldn't find redeemable qualities in almost anyone throughout the whole novel. Even the 'good guy' wasn't given enough to be sympathetic.
The plot is painfully slow to the point of being irritating - it's not an exaggeration to say that nothing significant occurs until the final 50 pages. The build up was interesting in the beginning but by the end I was convinced the payoff wouldn't be enough for all of the palaver, and I was right. The flashbacks, at least, were spaced well to reveal Paul's character, but the reveal itself didn't evoke anything in me.
Koch's take on mental health and medical issues throughout were uneducated and downright harmful. There was so little care taken with the examination that I was left deeply uncomfortable by the portrayal.
For a book whose pitch was enticing, I was bitterly disappointed and couldn't really identify any aspects that I enjoyed other than that it was a quick read to finish.
☀️☀️
A glaringly dark and drawn out story that didn't do anything for me.
I can see what Koch was trying to do...I just didn't enjoy it. Unlikeable characters can be done well, with depth and growth, but here I couldn't find redeemable qualities in almost anyone throughout the whole novel. Even the 'good guy' wasn't given enough to be sympathetic.
The plot is painfully slow to the point of being irritating - it's not an exaggeration to say that nothing significant occurs until the final 50 pages. The build up was interesting in the beginning but by the end I was convinced the payoff wouldn't be enough for all of the palaver, and I was right. The flashbacks, at least, were spaced well to reveal Paul's character, but the reveal itself didn't evoke anything in me.
Koch's take on mental health and medical issues throughout were uneducated and downright harmful. There was so little care taken with the examination that I was left deeply uncomfortable by the portrayal.
For a book whose pitch was enticing, I was bitterly disappointed and couldn't really identify any aspects that I enjoyed other than that it was a quick read to finish.
"Something had now taken place that kept alive my hopes of an explosion later in the evening. It's like a pistol in a stage play: when someone waves a pistol during the first act, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone will be shot with it before the curtain falls. That's the law of drama."
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (audiobook narrated by James Fouhey)
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A dark and confronting sci-fi that achieves a lot more than it first suggests, but also not as much as it had the potential to do.
Firstly, the book that this is marketed as and the book itself feel very different - I'd been pre-warned by some non-spoiler reviews, which helped, but this definitely isn't the simple YA space romance they want you to believe it is. The only aspect that makes this book sit in YA is the protagonist's age, which is essentially irrelevant to the plot but also managed to make me a bit uncomfortable at points given the occa ional focus on their previous sexual exploits.
Speaking of the plot: I thought the mystery was well executed, though I saw the reveals coming from a mile away. The world building was a bit too simple and on the nose for my liking - I kept waiting for more of a deep dive into their respective backstories in a way that would develop beyond the stereotype, but then the mystery took over and we never got that.
For such a harrowing, emotionally driven story, I also struggled to connect with the characters in the way that I was obviously supposed to. The first act being significantly more character driven should have helped more, but ultimately I wasn't convinced by the time we learned more about the mission, and I also found some of the information left behind by each character a bit loose and awkward which didn't help the characters in their current state.
The end was quite rushed in comparison and felt convenient by sci-fi standards, but given what we'd been set up for I wasn't surprised.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
A dark and confronting sci-fi that achieves a lot more than it first suggests, but also not as much as it had the potential to do.
Firstly, the book that this is marketed as and the book itself feel very different - I'd been pre-warned by some non-spoiler reviews, which helped, but this definitely isn't the simple YA space romance they want you to believe it is. The only aspect that makes this book sit in YA is the protagonist's age, which is essentially irrelevant to the plot but also managed to make me a bit uncomfortable at points given the occa ional focus on their previous sexual exploits.
Speaking of the plot: I thought the mystery was well executed, though I saw the reveals coming from a mile away. The world building was a bit too simple and on the nose for my liking - I kept waiting for more of a deep dive into their respective backstories in a way that would develop beyond the stereotype, but then the mystery took over and we never got that.
For such a harrowing, emotionally driven story, I also struggled to connect with the characters in the way that I was obviously supposed to. The first act being significantly more character driven should have helped more, but ultimately I wasn't convinced by the time we learned more about the mission, and I also found some of the information left behind by each character a bit loose and awkward which didn't help the characters in their current state.
The end was quite rushed in comparison and felt convenient by sci-fi standards, but given what we'd been set up for I wasn't surprised.
"Nowhere is truly empty. The thought makes me feel lavishly alone. Somehow, space is so deeply melancholy that it's not at all sad, like a note so low it ceases to sound. Even my sorrow about my insignificance feels insignificant."