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melchior's reviews
89 reviews
Athena's Child by Hannah Lynn
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Moderate: Rape
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook -- What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us about Loss, Love, an by Bruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
A deeply informative book on how children experience and process traumatic events. Bruce D. Perry is a leading child psychiatrist, and the cases presented in this book are very compelling and unique. Because Perry is stationed in Texas, his past patients include the children who survived Waco. At times a challenging book due to its content, but the traumatic events described in the book are handled with grace and in no more detail than is necessary to educate you.
This book drastically reshaped how I can view others, even adults, who have experienced trauma at a young age. My only regret is not reading it sooner.
This book drastically reshaped how I can view others, even adults, who have experienced trauma at a young age. My only regret is not reading it sooner.
Alles wat er was by Hanna Bervoets
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Absolutely devoured the entire thing in one sitting because I was unable to put it down. An enthralling book! Bervoets really knows how to dose information to keep you hooked in this thrilling novel. Recommended with a capital 'R'.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Cannibalism
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.75
A helpful, practical intro into psychological science in the beginning, but it eventually completely lost me as it got too far up its own ass with its analysis of a "vertical dimension of divinity"; which seems to me like an unscientific hypothesis about spirituality. The first half is worth the read, though.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
dark
tense
fast-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
4.5
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
An understated, meditative book. A book that spends lengths setting scenes for seemingly trivial details, and then omits the passage of time or change of scenery. I've had to work to make sense of the book, and I didn't always manage. Even though I am left with a feeling of not having fully grasped the story, I can't stop thinking about it now that I've finished it. The book is lush with poetic descriptions of the titular snow country, and the mood between the main characters is always morose, even when you don't understand what is being implied. The translations of the dialogues are very close to the original Japanese, making the reading a little awkward at first, but I gradually fell into the trance of its cadence and I appreciate the choice to have it like this. It adds to the dreamlike quality that the entire book has.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was through a thin, smooth skin that man loved.
An understated, meditative book. A book that spends lengths setting scenes for seemingly trivial details, and then omits the passage of time or change of scenery. I've had to work to make sense of the book, and I didn't always manage. Even though I am left with a feeling of not having fully grasped the story, I can't stop thinking about it now that I've finished it. The book is lush with poetic descriptions of the titular snow country, and the mood between the main characters is always morose, even when you don't understand what is being implied. The translations of the dialogues are very close to the original Japanese, making the reading a little awkward at first, but I gradually fell into the trance of its cadence and I appreciate the choice to have it like this. It adds to the dreamlike quality that the entire book has.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book cannot be put down. It is a wild, emotional, butt-clenching rollercoaster from start to finish. Loved it. Laughed. Cried. Immediately started the next book in the series. To say I'd recommend it would be an understatement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism