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nadas's reviews
120 reviews
Babel by R.F. Kuang
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
every single day this book lives in my head rent-free.
Right from the first few chapters I was HOOKED. This had a perfect blend of everything i love seeing in media- academic setting, found family (or are they???), platonic love and friendship, secret societies, a revolution unlike ANYTHING i've ever seen before.
The book reads almost like a fictional textbook packed with research, with the most unfiltered look at academia and the destructive effects of colonialism. While this was a fantasy book, I also think it is not the highlight. This isn't high fantasy. The magic system was so impressive and such an interesting way to show the exploitive nature of colonialsm. Some of the scenes here and some of the things that the characters had to go through made me genuinely sick and so full of rage at the pure audacity of wrecking havoc, raising wars and stripping nations of even their own people for the Empires gains and continue to preach about how they're the smartest most powerful nation for all their "resources".
The ending and the slow build up to it was glorious. You see it coming and yet you keep hoping something will happen and this will end well but it never does. The slow change in Robin's character till the very end was so well written and heartbreaking and honestly the best thing ive ever read in my entire life.
What I found even more impressive is seeing its effect on some people. Reading reviews and the mixed opinions on it from some people who were "uncomfortable" with the subject matter was like a very interesting epilogue to the book.
Overall, genius. I love you RF Kuang.
Right from the first few chapters I was HOOKED. This had a perfect blend of everything i love seeing in media- academic setting, found family (or are they???), platonic love and friendship, secret societies, a revolution unlike ANYTHING i've ever seen before.
The book reads almost like a fictional textbook packed with research, with the most unfiltered look at academia and the destructive effects of colonialism. While this was a fantasy book, I also think it is not the highlight. This isn't high fantasy. The magic system was so impressive and such an interesting way to show the exploitive nature of colonialsm. Some of the scenes here and some of the things that the characters had to go through made me genuinely sick and so full of rage at the pure audacity of wrecking havoc, raising wars and stripping nations of even their own people for the Empires gains and continue to preach about how they're the smartest most powerful nation for all their "resources".
The ending and the slow build up to it was glorious. You see it coming and yet you keep hoping something will happen and this will end well but it never does. The slow change in Robin's character till the very end was so well written and heartbreaking and honestly the best thing ive ever read in my entire life.
What I found even more impressive is seeing its effect on some people. Reading reviews and the mixed opinions on it from some people who were "uncomfortable" with the subject matter was like a very interesting epilogue to the book.
Overall, genius. I love you RF Kuang.
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I only read till the end cause i was curious but wasnt the biggest fan of the ending tbh. didnt like many of the povs or the characters really and overall it was just alright.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Saw many mixed reviews for this but it's actually pretty good I enjoyed it even more than the secret history which it's alway compared to.
Everything is Fine by Mike Birchall
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Bunny by Mona Awad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I mean ok?? I guess??
I'm honestly not mind blown or anything but I do see why people love it so much. honestly kinda upset I don't have a more strong feeling about this like everyone does, I just feel mild satisfaction
it delivered the amount of weird I was expecting. I also loved how Mona explores so many themes so well simultaneously while making it so bizzare.
one issue I had with this was the fact that it's SO open to interpretation where no one is really sure what happens. there are also so many metaphors it's hard to know what's real or what's not, and while that maybe on purpose it would still be nice to have *some* explanations sometimes but maybe that's just me.
now that I think about it this would make a very wild read for a literature class.
I'm honestly not mind blown or anything but I do see why people love it so much. honestly kinda upset I don't have a more strong feeling about this like everyone does, I just feel mild satisfaction
it delivered the amount of weird I was expecting. I also loved how Mona explores so many themes so well simultaneously while making it so bizzare.
one issue I had with this was the fact that it's SO open to interpretation where no one is really sure what happens. there are also so many metaphors it's hard to know what's real or what's not, and while that maybe on purpose it would still be nice to have *some* explanations sometimes but maybe that's just me.
now that I think about it this would make a very wild read for a literature class.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
154 times. that's how many times he's said "god's truth" across 145 pages.
this was so boring and repetitive and tedious to read despite such an interesting premise and title. the execution was so bad it's unbelievable.
Also the writing sucks I'm sorry there's nothing poetic about the lines "the brazen rumour ended up with her legs spread,her ass in the air"
and this is just one example of such stupid sexual imagery that add nothing to the plot or scene and makes this book even harder to read.
genuinely upset I thought I was going to love this.
this was so boring and repetitive and tedious to read despite such an interesting premise and title. the execution was so bad it's unbelievable.
Also the writing sucks I'm sorry there's nothing poetic about the lines "the brazen rumour ended up with her legs spread,her ass in the air"
and this is just one example of such stupid sexual imagery that add nothing to the plot or scene and makes this book even harder to read.
genuinely upset I thought I was going to love this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Torture, and Body horror
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content