ninaprime's reviews
2443 reviews

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

dark emotional

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

4.0

I hadn't realized this was a fictionalized depiction of Ted Bundy until late in the book, which changed my perception of the story. Despite being into true crime, that's not a story I've gotten into so I didn't know many of the details. I wish Knoll had either gone fully fictional or fully fact-based because it felt like an injustice to the real people involved to blur the lines.

However, I really appreciated Knoll's focus on the victims and how she constructed the character of Pamela especially, the ambitious, caring president of the FSU sorority that the Defendent (murderer) attacks. Some of the best parts of the book were witnessing Pamela's growth as the events alter her sense of self and her relationships.  While Knoll's characters were distinct enough in voice, the switching POVs and time periods robbed the story of tension in an attempt to generate pointless cliffhangers, though it does allow Knoll to examine societal perception shifts around gender based violence, queerness, and criminal investigation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Grief

Minor: Dementia, Death of parent

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Sluggishly paced examination of average people's mundane lives, resulting in no enlightening revelations. The saving grace is the mystery plotline and the character of Matt Beach, who was multifaceted and relatable. Only those who loved Olive Kitterage and Lucy Barton as characters would enjoy this and their interaction. 

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Eye-rollingly ridiculous plot. A little too similar to 'The Silent Patient' but with less narrative tension.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Disturbing and horrific read but thematically interesting in it's examination of Korean patriarchal culture and its constraints on women, human cruelty and desires, and our connection with the natural world. The lyrical translation was a highlight. The book was constructed in a clever way, almost three mini-novellas, but the terrible male characters narrating the first two sections turned me off and increased my empathy for poor In-hye whose perspective comes through in the third section. I really don't know what to make of it - it wasn't fun, but it was thought-provoking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Medical trauma

Moderate: Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt

The Art of Power: My Story as America's First Woman Speaker of the House by Nancy Pelosi

3.0

Unfortunately not very engaging. Politician's memoirs are always self-aggrandizing, even though Pelosi has had quite the impressive career. I was most fascinated by the chapters on the passage of the ACA, the Iraq War, and the attack on her husband Paul. However, most of the content felt surface level. Molly Ball's biography at least demonstrated some of Pelosi's layers, crafting a much more intimate portrayal.

The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber

adventurous mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

The writing was poetic but the plot confused me as the magical realism was not really explained. I enjoyed the first half of the novel as Aisha found the strength to pursue her father into the sea, confronting monsters to bring him back from death. But the second half loses momentum with the departure of Hamza the talking cat, the shift in POV to the crows, and the snake demon Almassi - I had no idea why all the animals were scared of Aisha or what the House of Rust ended up being. Aisha was a fascinating character as she rebelled against societal expectations and dared to try to identify her dreams, and learning more about Mombasa was interesting, but I felt disoriented more than engaged in the story.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

adventurous funny mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

3.75

A humorous globe-trottting mystery with eccentric characters, who unfortunately lacked the depth or loveability of the Thursday Murder Club crew. It still made for a fun read and I look forward to seeing how the adorable relationship between Amy and Steve develops in future installments.

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

mysterious fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Beautifully illustrated with an interesting premise of a saint-like girl who seeks closeness to nature, but it's so short that there is minimal characterization and the plot goes nowhere.

Truman by David McCullough

informative medium-paced

4.5

Listened to the audio book, which was a great experience because of McCullough engaging writing style and soothing narration. McCullough traces the entire course of Truman's life from his pioneering ancestors to death. I think he could've devoted more time to Truman's presidency, specifically the criticisms about corruption in his administration, his experience at the little White House, and relationship with Eisenhower. Ultimately it was a strong biography that brought Truman's character and his era to life and made me admire Truman as a person and President even more than I already did.

We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets

dark

• Loveable characters? No

3.25

An interesting take at a relevant contemporary topic - content moderation and deep fakes in social media. The story is horrifying in how it depicts people as getting so quickly detached from reality and desensitized to depravity. However, I also felt detached from the characters given how they were written and the ending was jarringly abrupt.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Stalking, Suicide attempt