millie's reviews
257 reviews

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

challenging dark slow-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? It's complicated

2.25

hesitated between 2 or 3 stars because there's some part of the book that i feel were really good but a lot of also were not good. i would put it at a 2.25.

my main problem with this book is that the author just doesn't know what it want to be : a thriller? contemporary? scifi? horror? they try to sprinkle a little bit of everything but just ends up not sticking to the wall at all or very clumsily. 

i understand the metanarrative of it all and i think it was done very well and effectively, the idea of absorption and consumption pushed to the limits was sort of interesting? however i will say that being in anissa (the mc)'s head was an annoying and pitiful experience and i did not like her which is probably the point but yeah, for a 30-something woman i do find her quite gullible and influencable, doing all of this because of a crush? no thanks.

i just... i am sort of disappointed in a way that i can't seems to explain, except that this book didn't work for me, it may work for other people.

also ... and this is never addressed properly at the end of the book or at any point in the story ever but we never learn for what language does anissa become a storyteller. is it english? is it urdu? literally never adressed ! like you are agreeing to  donate your body to be literally consumed for ... language purpose? and we don't even know what language you're helping with. great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Cannibalism

Moderate: Death, Racism, and Rape

Fils de sorcières by Maxe L'Hermenier, Steven Dhondt

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

Saga, Vol. 11 by Brian K. Vaughan

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Mist-Walker Vol. 1: The Breath of Things by Stéphane Fert

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Le réveil du dragon by Jérôme Pélissier, Carine Hinder

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 1 by Osamu Tezuka, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 2 by Osamu Tezuka, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Le Mot en A: Une histoire mondiale de l'avortement by Elizabeth Casillas

informative medium-paced

5.0

enlightening, interesting and very well researched documentary comics on abortion and its (mostly western/european) history. a must read if available in your language/country.