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micareads123's reviews
282 reviews
Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
WELL! I can see why so many readers are conflicted about this one.
I think Emezi set out to tackle a big moral question with this book, and there was really only one way to ask it.
To get there, we meet a motley crew of very troubled characters who are bad people at worst and morally questionable at best. At times it felt like there were too many POVs, some of them not seeming to add much to the plot. I enjoyed some of the character POVs much more than others and would have loved to spend more time with those characters, learning about what brought them to the situation of the book.
For a long time I had no idea where this was going, but after about the halfway mark, I was hooked with my popcorn in hand, waiting to see how the drama would unfold.
Ultimately, I think what Emezi was trying to do here was really interesting. Good concept and decent execution but not my favourite book of theirs.
I think Emezi set out to tackle a big moral question with this book, and there was really only one way to ask it.
To get there, we meet a motley crew of very troubled characters who are bad people at worst and morally questionable at best. At times it felt like there were too many POVs, some of them not seeming to add much to the plot. I enjoyed some of the character POVs much more than others and would have loved to spend more time with those characters, learning about what brought them to the situation of the book.
For a long time I had no idea where this was going, but after about the halfway mark, I was hooked with my popcorn in hand, waiting to see how the drama would unfold.
Ultimately, I think what Emezi was trying to do here was really interesting. Good concept and decent execution but not my favourite book of theirs.
A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacaby
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.5
An absolutely heartbreaking life story of an extremely resilient Indigenous elder. It’s a story worth telling that provides important insight into the experiences of the Indigenous populations whose lands we live on.
Ma-Nee Chacaby has demonstrated a deep sense of empathy and caring for those in need throughout her life, and I am grateful she has shared her story with all of us.
Based on the title, I would have loved if the book dug a little deeper into Chacaby’s 2-spirit identity, but I think this is without a doubt a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Ma-Nee Chacaby has demonstrated a deep sense of empathy and caring for those in need throughout her life, and I am grateful she has shared her story with all of us.
Based on the title, I would have loved if the book dug a little deeper into Chacaby’s 2-spirit identity, but I think this is without a doubt a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
emotional
reflective
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
This book has been a favourite of mine since I first read it in 2023. Rereading it now, it feels as important as ever, if not more so. And given the current climate, this book is urgent. Everyone needs to read it.
“The whole world was on the verge of some cataclysmic shift, it seemed, and he could only cling on to what was around him as they all hurtled towards the breaking point.”
This is first and foremost a book about revolution. It’s about making significant sacrifices in the name of the greater good. It’s about calling out the oppressor and using what collective power we have to overcome oppression. It argues a case for the necessity of violence in the face of violence, and it does so with clarity and accessibility while remaining engaging.
But second to revolution, this is a book about language and translation. In a world where translators create magic by inscribing silver bars with match pairs (equivalents) to extract the meaning lost in translation, silver underpins society, and translators monopolize the silver industry.
It’s clear from the extensive inclusion of language facts and etymology, and from care taken to accurately portray the real work that goes into translation, that Kuang is a translator herself and cares deeply about the subject.
“The poet runs untrammelled across the meadow. The translator dances in shackles.”
A common critique I have seen for this book over the years is that it’s too long, too dry, too boring. But for me, being a translator, the long lectures on etymology and translation are indulgent reprieves from the heavier political side of the book.
Another common critique is that the messaging is too heavy handed, but in the face of the present moment, I would argue it’s not heavy handed enough. People are still reading this and missing the message. Everyone needs to read this and understand it.
This is a book I can see myself reading many more times over the years to come, and it’s one I think has the potential to become a modern classic. It was relevant when it was released, it’s even more relevant now, and it will remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
“The whole world was on the verge of some cataclysmic shift, it seemed, and he could only cling on to what was around him as they all hurtled towards the breaking point.”
This is first and foremost a book about revolution. It’s about making significant sacrifices in the name of the greater good. It’s about calling out the oppressor and using what collective power we have to overcome oppression. It argues a case for the necessity of violence in the face of violence, and it does so with clarity and accessibility while remaining engaging.
But second to revolution, this is a book about language and translation. In a world where translators create magic by inscribing silver bars with match pairs (equivalents) to extract the meaning lost in translation, silver underpins society, and translators monopolize the silver industry.
It’s clear from the extensive inclusion of language facts and etymology, and from care taken to accurately portray the real work that goes into translation, that Kuang is a translator herself and cares deeply about the subject.
“The poet runs untrammelled across the meadow. The translator dances in shackles.”
A common critique I have seen for this book over the years is that it’s too long, too dry, too boring. But for me, being a translator, the long lectures on etymology and translation are indulgent reprieves from the heavier political side of the book.
Another common critique is that the messaging is too heavy handed, but in the face of the present moment, I would argue it’s not heavy handed enough. People are still reading this and missing the message. Everyone needs to read this and understand it.
This is a book I can see myself reading many more times over the years to come, and it’s one I think has the potential to become a modern classic. It was relevant when it was released, it’s even more relevant now, and it will remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I came for the vampires-meet-dark-academia vibes, but unfortunately, I just don’t think this one was for me.
While I appreciated that the enemies in this enemies-to-lovers vampire tale were real enemies (I mean they hated each other), I otherwise had a hard time keeping my interest in the story. The magic system seemed to lack clear boundaries, and the plot felt a bit directionless at times.
I’d say it’s worth the read for someone looking for a real enemies-to-lovers story with dark themes and oodles of mystery, twists and turns.
While I appreciated that the enemies in this enemies-to-lovers vampire tale were real enemies (I mean they hated each other), I otherwise had a hard time keeping my interest in the story. The magic system seemed to lack clear boundaries, and the plot felt a bit directionless at times.
I’d say it’s worth the read for someone looking for a real enemies-to-lovers story with dark themes and oodles of mystery, twists and turns.
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book took some work to get through, but I knew what I signed up for. Ultimately, I found it a very entertaining, if unhinged, SFF with great political intrigue/commentary.
Marney is lustertouched. This is an affliction experienced by the children of those who mine ichorite, a metal deposited deep in the earth and widely exploited by the world’s dominating industry. Being lustertouched, Marney can manipulate ichorite, but at a cost. It causes her great pain to be in contact with the metal.
Throughout the book, being lustertouched is equated to being “allergic to ichorite.” I didn’t know I needed to read about allergies being a cursed superpower, but I did. The way ichorite is increasingly used in everything, making the world less and less inhabitable for the lustertouched (who are the workers fuelling the industry), and the industry’s total lack of regard for their lives, let alone well-being, sends a powerful message about ableism.
Marney is a complex character who is steadfast in her determination to effect change and spur a better “Hereafter.” She is loyal to a fault (relatable) and inspiring in her commitment to her cause.
While this book is definitely unique in its delivery, I would recommend it to those who have enjoyed books like the Locked Tomb series, the Broken Earth Trilogy, The Spear Cuts Through Water and The Traitor Baru Cormorant.
Marney is lustertouched. This is an affliction experienced by the children of those who mine ichorite, a metal deposited deep in the earth and widely exploited by the world’s dominating industry. Being lustertouched, Marney can manipulate ichorite, but at a cost. It causes her great pain to be in contact with the metal.
Throughout the book, being lustertouched is equated to being “allergic to ichorite.” I didn’t know I needed to read about allergies being a cursed superpower, but I did. The way ichorite is increasingly used in everything, making the world less and less inhabitable for the lustertouched (who are the workers fuelling the industry), and the industry’s total lack of regard for their lives, let alone well-being, sends a powerful message about ableism.
Marney is a complex character who is steadfast in her determination to effect change and spur a better “Hereafter.” She is loyal to a fault (relatable) and inspiring in her commitment to her cause.
While this book is definitely unique in its delivery, I would recommend it to those who have enjoyed books like the Locked Tomb series, the Broken Earth Trilogy, The Spear Cuts Through Water and The Traitor Baru Cormorant.
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A beautiful collection of essays on a wide range of topics but mostly centring on music, culture, living in a Black body in America and grief.
As someone who was heavily into third-wave emo music during my adolescence, I especially appreciated all of the essays about that era. Abdurraqib’s decision to critique the toxic masculinity of third-wave emo through the lens of Cute Is What We Aim For in “The Return of the Loneliest Boys in Town” couldn’t have been more on the nose. “Curse of Curves” was beloved by me in the mid 2000s, and divorcing myself from that nostalgia after learning about the lead singer’s support for Brock Turner, and his belief that “rape culture isn’t real,” sucked. And that’s not to mention the terrible message behind the song’s lyrics. I know I’m not the only one who has conflicting feelings of about that nostalgic era of emo music, and Abdurraqib captured that sentiment perfectly.
But there are also essays in this book about how emo music brought people together, how it fostered community. In “Death Becomes You: My Chemical Romance and Ten Years of the Black Parade,” the author offers some very interesting reflections on the many forms of death. And in “Fall Out Boy Forever,” he uses the common thread of Fall Out Boy concerts to take the reader on a heartbreaking journey through a friendship, from start to finish.
In the essays on his experience as a Black person, Abdurraqib’s descriptions of the fear that goes along with having a Black body in American society were powerful, and some of the images he paints, such as the first time he gets stopped by the police in “My First Police Stop,” will stick with me for a long time.
Finally, closer to the end of the book, another standout essay for me was “Survivng on Small Joys,” which speaks to the challenges of being queer and trans and the need for community. In its opening paragraph, the author questions how some among us have no trouble asking “how will I explain this person in the bathroom to my child?” or “how will I explain those two people kissing to my child?” but too rarely ask “how will I explain to my child that people die and we do nothing?”
As is always the case with essay collections, some of these resonated with me more than others, but the ones that did made the read worth five stars. This is definitely a book I see myself revisiting.
As someone who was heavily into third-wave emo music during my adolescence, I especially appreciated all of the essays about that era. Abdurraqib’s decision to critique the toxic masculinity of third-wave emo through the lens of Cute Is What We Aim For in “The Return of the Loneliest Boys in Town” couldn’t have been more on the nose. “Curse of Curves” was beloved by me in the mid 2000s, and divorcing myself from that nostalgia after learning about the lead singer’s support for Brock Turner, and his belief that “rape culture isn’t real,” sucked. And that’s not to mention the terrible message behind the song’s lyrics. I know I’m not the only one who has conflicting feelings of about that nostalgic era of emo music, and Abdurraqib captured that sentiment perfectly.
But there are also essays in this book about how emo music brought people together, how it fostered community. In “Death Becomes You: My Chemical Romance and Ten Years of the Black Parade,” the author offers some very interesting reflections on the many forms of death. And in “Fall Out Boy Forever,” he uses the common thread of Fall Out Boy concerts to take the reader on a heartbreaking journey through a friendship, from start to finish.
In the essays on his experience as a Black person, Abdurraqib’s descriptions of the fear that goes along with having a Black body in American society were powerful, and some of the images he paints, such as the first time he gets stopped by the police in “My First Police Stop,” will stick with me for a long time.
Finally, closer to the end of the book, another standout essay for me was “Survivng on Small Joys,” which speaks to the challenges of being queer and trans and the need for community. In its opening paragraph, the author questions how some among us have no trouble asking “how will I explain this person in the bathroom to my child?” or “how will I explain those two people kissing to my child?” but too rarely ask “how will I explain to my child that people die and we do nothing?”
As is always the case with essay collections, some of these resonated with me more than others, but the ones that did made the read worth five stars. This is definitely a book I see myself revisiting.
Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price
informative
medium-paced
3.75
I really appreciated learning about the new (to me) perspectives presented by Dr. Price in this book. The standout takeaway was what he refers to as “subclinical autism,” also known as the broader autism phenotype. This is a term for when people exhibit some autistic traits but have no support needs and are therefore not diagnosable as autistic. He likened this sort of in-between state to being bisexual, even comparing the confusion that comes before that realization.
Going hand in hand with this, the author also argues that many neurotypical people also exhibit some neurodivergent traits and that shifting the perspective of society would benefit everyone, not just the neurodiverse.
The book provides many other interesting insights that helped deepen my understanding of autism, especially in adults. However, while I found it started out very strong in the first few chapters, it fell off a bit in the second half, when the writing became more anecdotal and lacked the same clear direction as the first half. And as a language person myself, I also found the constant switching of pronouns (from “they” to “we” or “our”) halfway through a sentence very jarring.
All in all, though I found myself wishing the book had a little more direction, was a little more scientific and had been better edited, I did find it an insightful read. I can see myself recommending it to those looking to learn more about how autism can present in adults, which is something I think everyone could stand to do.
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It’s absolutely amazing to me that Octavia E. Butler conceived of the contents of the Earthseed series in the 1990s. The dystopia doesn’t feel so dystopian now that we’re living the timeline. 🫠
While it may feel that Butler was outstandingly prescient in her day, I feel these books really stand out as reminders that the warning signs for the circumstances under which we are living today were present long before we realized.
This book is heavy. Very heavy. And maybe reading it at the beginning of 2025 is actually not the best idea. But ultimately, the book stands for radical hope in the face of the most horrendous conditions you could conceive of. And right now, we could use a little radical hope.
This book offers a lot of really timely food for thought on religion, politics, the place of religion in politics, personal values and that pesky sunk-cost fallacy (I’m looking at you, Uncle Marc 👀).
Anyway, this is definitely a worthwhile read and a series I will absolutely be revisiting. And I’m sad that the author never had the chance to finish it.
While it may feel that Butler was outstandingly prescient in her day, I feel these books really stand out as reminders that the warning signs for the circumstances under which we are living today were present long before we realized.
This book is heavy. Very heavy. And maybe reading it at the beginning of 2025 is actually not the best idea. But ultimately, the book stands for radical hope in the face of the most horrendous conditions you could conceive of. And right now, we could use a little radical hope.
This book offers a lot of really timely food for thought on religion, politics, the place of religion in politics, personal values and that pesky sunk-cost fallacy (I’m looking at you, Uncle Marc 👀).
Anyway, this is definitely a worthwhile read and a series I will absolutely be revisiting. And I’m sad that the author never had the chance to finish it.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okay, I love Murderbot. 🥹
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
I enjoyed this one even more than Priory! The explorations of familial bonds and expectations, motherhood and relationships in all their forms was beautiful.
This is a complex, sweeping fantasy perfect for escaping into for weeks at a time. I loved the way Shannon wove everything together in the end.
This is a complex, sweeping fantasy perfect for escaping into for weeks at a time. I loved the way Shannon wove everything together in the end.