You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
minibabble's Reviews (121)
1.5 stars.
I normally love books with an unlikeable/questionable narrator. They're fun to read. This one simply didn't make sense. There was essentially no plot.
Maybe I'm not intellectual enough, but I didn't understand the purpose of this book or the motivations behind why the main character wanted to sleep though as much time as possible. She's rich, spoiled, attractive, educated, etc. and has everything going for her. Yet, she remains unhappy with her life. This is somewhat relatable.
All of us are living someone else's dream life, but we often remain dissatisfied. I don't understand the purpose of sleeping through time and the necessity of excessive "rest and relaxation."
Maybe I'm not a fan of literary fiction. This one just didn't hit for me whatsoever. If you like a "no plot, just vibes" book and are looking for something dark or unsettling, this would be a good fit. If you don't like literary fiction or want more plot/reasoning behind character choices, skip this.
I normally love books with an unlikeable/questionable narrator. They're fun to read. This one simply didn't make sense. There was essentially no plot.
Maybe I'm not intellectual enough, but I didn't understand the purpose of this book or the motivations behind why the main character wanted to sleep though as much time as possible. She's rich, spoiled, attractive, educated, etc. and has everything going for her. Yet, she remains unhappy with her life. This is somewhat relatable.
All of us are living someone else's dream life, but we often remain dissatisfied. I don't understand the purpose of sleeping through time and the necessity of excessive "rest and relaxation."
Maybe I'm not a fan of literary fiction. This one just didn't hit for me whatsoever. If you like a "no plot, just vibes" book and are looking for something dark or unsettling, this would be a good fit. If you don't like literary fiction or want more plot/reasoning behind character choices, skip this.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's honestly really hard to rate this book. Readers should know that this is NOT sci-fi or traditional dystopian. We learn next to nothing about the world this takes place in, the social structure, what led to all these women being held in a bunker, etc. This book just states the setting as fact because it focusses more on the philosophy of human nature-- what it means to be a human, how humans interact with each other, sisterhood, motherhood, childhood, and what we lose as humans when we are totally isolated from culture, friendship, music, love, art, etc.
It's not my favorite book, but something about sticks with you because of how unsettling the world that is described is, and the lack of answers to the countless questions I have like:
It's not my favorite book, but something about sticks with you because of how unsettling the world that is described is, and the lack of answers to the countless questions I have like:
- How did the women end up in the bunker
- Why are they in the bunker
- What were the circumstances of
them getting out of the bunker? What was the alarm? - Why were the soldiers keeping them there
How did they end up on a totally different planet Why were there so many other bunkers full of people, and separated by gender? Did our group of women simply get lucky because the guards dropped the keys close to their cell? Or were they the only ones that were supposed to survive, since everyone else in other bunkers starved to death?
It's really hard to describe this book and the weird feeling it leaves. It's not a good nor bad book, nor feeling. Perhaps, that's what makes this a modern classic.
This book is not for everyone, but for the people that love no plot just characters & vibes + dwelling on the philosophy of human nature/humanness/existence, it's a perfect fit.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very compelling narrative about the false promises, broken trust, found family, hope, and complications of parent/child, sibling, and spousal relationships.
Each character is very flushed out and unique, and the decisions that the characters make are sensible given their backgrounds/perspectives, but not necessarily sensible broadly speaking. This nuance is exactly what makes each character humanistic, realistic, and interesting for the plot. The pacing is fantastic. Like a lot of other TJR books, this one was very binge-able because a lot happens in each chapter, and the chapters aren't long. I like lots of short chapters over a few really long ones.
I think each character's arc, voice, decisions, and interactions with other characters was relatively realistic and well fleshed out. The book also had some interesting commentary on what we inherit from our parents-- the famous nature vs nurture conversation-- and what do we owe to other family members at the end of the day.
Each character is very flushed out and unique, and the decisions that the characters make are sensible given their backgrounds/perspectives, but not necessarily sensible broadly speaking. This nuance is exactly what makes each character humanistic, realistic, and interesting for the plot. The pacing is fantastic. Like a lot of other TJR books, this one was very binge-able because a lot happens in each chapter, and the chapters aren't long. I like lots of short chapters over a few really long ones.
I think each character's arc, voice, decisions, and interactions with other characters was relatively realistic and well fleshed out. The book also had some interesting commentary on what we inherit from our parents-- the famous nature vs nurture conversation-- and what do we owe to other family members at the end of the day.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Fantastic storytelling with bit and pieces of easy humor. A realistic, compelling, and resonating account of navigating the world as a closeted queer woman of color in an environment that detests any aspect of those identities, and certainly the intersection of those identities together. Showcasing the anxieties rooted in the reality of some queer kids that are outed or will be kicked out of their home/disowned if they come out is important for the public to understand why LGBTQ+ advocacy is still important today.
Every possible thing for Yami goes wrong, but she perseveres despite the toughest circumstances. She is a very inspiring character, and her internal dialogue and decision making is super relatable-- including moments of gay panic, wanting to come out but feeling trapped within your own body and brain, the pressure on immigrant kids to achieve extraordinary success, fear of disappointing parents, and understanding what we owe each other.
I loved this book and think it is a compelling read for people of all ages, backgrounds, and sexualities.
Every possible thing for Yami goes wrong, but she perseveres despite the toughest circumstances. She is a very inspiring character, and her internal dialogue and decision making is super relatable-- including moments of gay panic, wanting to come out but feeling trapped within your own body and brain, the pressure on immigrant kids to achieve extraordinary success, fear of disappointing parents, and understanding what we owe each other.
I loved this book and think it is a compelling read for people of all ages, backgrounds, and sexualities.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF at 70%.
For a book that is supposed to be about the forgotten and taken-for-granted female veterans of the Vietnam war, this book overwhelmingly centers the male gaze, rushed insta-love romantic relationships, and femme-fatale tropes that undermine the strength of the female characters. It turns an otherwise resilient and strong character into a joke. There was so much potential, and it completely fell apart. I'm shocked this book has raving reviews.
Likes:
For a book that is supposed to be about the forgotten and taken-for-granted female veterans of the Vietnam war, this book overwhelmingly centers the male gaze, rushed insta-love romantic relationships, and femme-fatale tropes that undermine the strength of the female characters. It turns an otherwise resilient and strong character into a joke. There was so much potential, and it completely fell apart. I'm shocked this book has raving reviews.
Likes:
- Womanhood, sisterhood, and a female perspective/experience of the Vietnam war/war veteran
- Touches on the intersection of the civil rights and anti-war movements, and how it influences women
- Had so much more potential to be fleshed out
- Portraying challenges of breaking out of social expectations for white, wealthy women who were "not supposed" to go to war/challenge the "good girl" narrative
- Descriptions of the destruction of war
Dislikes:
- Overt emphasis on the romantic relationships
- Excessive number of relationships, all of which were the same predictable pattern
- Insta-love, and moving on from previous "meaningful" relationships extremely quickly
- Femme-fatale and unrealistic depiction of dating within the military
- Very repetitive and predictable pattern of falling "in love" with every and any male character that even briefly interacts/passes through the story
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Starts off and builds much stronger than the end. All the conflict gets very quickly wrapped up or clarified which weakens an otherwise very strong plot and compelling story.
I love the characters voice, personality, and perspective especially in the beginning and middle of the story. That strong writing, voice, and plot falls a little flat at the end but is still enjoyable. There could’ve been more mysterious hints throughout the story. There are two possible stories that explain the ending, but it would’ve been harder to pick between which one to believe if there were more suspicious hints sprinkled throughout
I love the characters voice, personality, and perspective especially in the beginning and middle of the story. That strong writing, voice, and plot falls a little flat at the end but is still enjoyable. There could’ve been more mysterious hints throughout the story. There are two possible stories that explain the ending, but it would’ve been harder to pick between which one to believe if there were more suspicious hints sprinkled throughout
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A sweet short read with fundamental Fredrick backman storytelling— the importance of community, friendship, and funny flaws about human preferences & human nature. Not a standout from Backman’s collection, which is a very high bar, but still very much worth a read.
Descriptions about HOA residential drama, admin, etc are super funny and accurate! If you want a quick funny read about human nature, this is for you.
Descriptions about HOA residential drama, admin, etc are super funny and accurate! If you want a quick funny read about human nature, this is for you.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A brilliant satirical critique of racism and white-washing of narratives in the publishing industry. We can tell that parts of RF Kuang's personal narrative are embedded in June and Athena's characters.
People criticize this book by saying the main character, June, is insufferable, unlikeable, racist, and delusional. That's literally the whole point. June also has a few good points, and her decisions make sense from her perspective. They're not moral/good. But they make sense. Simultaneously, Athena is not completely innocent either. There's a lot of interesting conversation about which groups are allowed to tell which stories, and who is more culturally accepted to profit from past traumas.
Others say the book knocks you over the head by too explicitly describing what's wrong about particular situations. That's also kind of the point. Stop trying to make every piece of literature an overtly nuanced, flowery, or open to interpretation. Some things need to be explicitly said, and there's sufficient reasoning/build up that the arguments described are valid. The creation of this book seems to be, in part, RF Kuang's subtle response to criticisms of Babel, which I think are very valid.
Overall, this was a pretty binge-able, fun, satirical read that accurately describes the dangers/harms of cancel culture, racism in the publishing industry, and nuance/discussions in who's allowed/not allowed to tell certain stories. The audiobook is fun and the narrator gives a fun voice to all characters.
People criticize this book by saying the main character, June, is insufferable, unlikeable, racist, and delusional. That's literally the whole point. June also has a few good points, and her decisions make sense from her perspective. They're not moral/good. But they make sense. Simultaneously, Athena is not completely innocent either. There's a lot of interesting conversation about which groups are allowed to tell which stories, and who is more culturally accepted to profit from past traumas.
Others say the book knocks you over the head by too explicitly describing what's wrong about particular situations. That's also kind of the point. Stop trying to make every piece of literature an overtly nuanced, flowery, or open to interpretation. Some things need to be explicitly said, and there's sufficient reasoning/build up that the arguments described are valid. The creation of this book seems to be, in part, RF Kuang's subtle response to criticisms of Babel, which I think are very valid.
Overall, this was a pretty binge-able, fun, satirical read that accurately describes the dangers/harms of cancel culture, racism in the publishing industry, and nuance/discussions in who's allowed/not allowed to tell certain stories. The audiobook is fun and the narrator gives a fun voice to all characters.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Brain rot in book format. But not that entertaining, clever, or funny.
Not as funny as I thought it was gonna be. Each essay has a couple of pages or single lines of brutal honesty/realness that’ll make you snort or sharply exhale, but nothing is truly belly-laugh worthy.
Not as funny as I thought it was gonna be. Each essay has a couple of pages or single lines of brutal honesty/realness that’ll make you snort or sharply exhale, but nothing is truly belly-laugh worthy.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ugh. I hope you’re hungry… FOR NOTHING. DNF at 65%.
I had such high hopes, esp with the raving reviews and premise. I liked the writing style that mixed English and Hindi super naturally. It makes the story more immersive.
The plot is terrible. Literally nothing happens for half the book. I googled the rest of it and it seemed like the main part of the book came out of left field. There are no hints or meaningful buildup to what happens. It was such a chore to read this. Skip it.
I had such high hopes, esp with the raving reviews and premise. I liked the writing style that mixed English and Hindi super naturally. It makes the story more immersive.
The plot is terrible. Literally nothing happens for half the book. I googled the rest of it and it seemed like the main part of the book came out of left field. There are no hints or meaningful buildup to what happens. It was such a chore to read this. Skip it.