meliemelo's reviews
2271 reviews

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

3.0

It's no easy feat, dealing with seven main characters, but Riordan does it well overall, and with good strategies.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

An overall very well researched must-read, and I wholeheartedly agree with most of its conclusions. I especially appreciated how thorough the research was - which made it all the more disappointing on the very few points where it wasn't. 

My biggest issue rests on a relatively short excerpt where the author links rises in gender dysphoria with social media, citing the comments of detransitionners, but omitting to state how very few people are affected, and how fewer still detransition - a very harmful oversight, even though I appreciate the efforts made to specify that the rise in the number of queer (including trans) people is also helped by broader acceptance.

Apart from that, however, I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and it even brought points to my attention that I hadn't thought of, such as how teens are still affected even when their phone isn't in front of them but in their pocket (as opposed to in another location altogether).

My Hero Academia, Vol. 38 by Kōhei Horikoshi

hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

After the (gleeful) first arrival, the constant "all is lost... but wait, look who's here!!!" unfortunately gets quite repetitive, until the predictable last one.

A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Pretty interesting and well written. I liked that the author presumed either familiarity with the context or willingness to research it (which I did). A good character study overall.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century: Unabridged Selections by Alice Wong

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

It was only available as an audiobook from the library so I decided to give it a chance, even though I struggle with this format.

The main strength of this collection is the very wide array of voices and experiences represented. I learned a lot and was made to think about complex situations that do not align with my own and that I would otherwise overlook.

I would like to come back to some of the essays at some point and revisit them. In the meantime, I can definitely say that this is very important read, or listen.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolutely fascinating from the get-go. I loved all the body horror, and it was all quite well written and woven together. A very original romance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Death's End by Cixin Liu

challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.75

I admire the sheer scale of this, evident from the first pages. Although I was fascinated at the start, I did lose some interest in the last 200 pages of so. I found the end poetic but not transcending. 

Coming Up for Air: What I Learned from Sport, Fame and Fatherhood by Tom Daley

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

Nice and uplifting overall, with some very interesting reflections on performance, drive, body image anongst others. I liked the way the book was structured and the simple writing made it an easy read (apart from all those injuries that made me wince).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia

Das NEINhorn by Marc-Uwe Kling

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Sehr süß und lustig. Der WASbär ist ganz bestimmt meine lieblingsfigur!

Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-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

4.25

An ambitious sequel that purposefully and masterfully refuses to adhere to the beats expected of it. I personally loved all aspects pertaining to the revolution, more so than the science-fiction stuff. The characters are all layered and full of both good and bad surprises. I'm very excited to see where the series goes next!