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marlzipan's reviews
368 reviews
DallerGut Dream Department Store: The Dream You Ordered is Sold Out by Mi-Ye Lee 이미예
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
I am fascinated by the world of dreams. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that I enjoyed this unusual fantasy tale. We follow Penny, a bright-eyed new employee at the DallerGut Dream Department Store. Penny inhabits a world parallel to our own that revolves around an industry of dreammaking and selling. When people fall asleep, they visit this dreamworld and may browse for a dream they’d like to experience. For such a fantastical concept, author Miye Lee does a great job of grounding us through a cast of loveable characters. The worldbuilding featured was an excellent start, but the fantasy reader in me has a lot of questions about the mechanics of those who inhabit the dreamworld. This is the first book of a duology - so I’ll hold my questions for now!
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Feminist protest can take all kinds of forms - Diary of a Void is an unusual yet highly effective take from Japanese author Emi Yagi. We follow Shibata-san, a fed-up, worn-out office worker as she (accidentally) attempts the ultimate workplace heist - faking a pregnancy. This is a darkly funny, poignantly relatable and thought-provoking book, tackling themes of loneliness, work-life balance and gender norms in modern Japan. It was so refreshing to see a woman’s voice like this in translation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A great ‘closed room mystery’ setup with heaps of potential and an interesting payoff. While the logic of the solution was plausible, the characterisation could have been much stronger throughout the novel, who would have led to a better, more believable story.
Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood by Satya Doyle Byock
5.0
Gives language and context to the quarterlife crisis. Feeling stuck in your 20s and 30s? This book will help you feel sane again and give you language and tools to start moving again.