nincrony1's reviews
55 reviews

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

The third entry in Earthsea is perhaps one of more famous ones in popular culture; mostly as the bones of the novel (in the loosest sense) became the Studio Ghibli film Tales from Earthsea. This instalment is much darker and sadder than previous books, as the world of Earthsea itself becomes consumed by a darkness, the hopeful ending of Tombs of Atuan undone.

In a way, I think this might be the most Earthsea Earthsea book and the strongest exploration of Le Guin’s philosophy for this world. Knowledge does not come without loss. The world works in a fine balance for all life to live and those who seek to unbalance are arbiters of their own doom. Le Guin’s prose is frankly stunning here - it’s crazy that a mere fours years separates this from the first book. I loved the trials of Ged and Arren who lose and gain so much on their journey. It’s easy to see why for so long this felt like the ending of the series, until Tehanu upended that (can’t wait to read that one). My only criticism is that the narrative itself is not as tight as Atuan and can be a victim of its own deliberately slow and occasionally meandering pace at times; though I found it the most thematically rich of the novels. Brilliant stuff. 

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious fast-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

4.75

In terms of just the prose, Ursula Le Guin is just one of my favourites. I love how she imbued Earthsea with this mythical grandeur, where the characters feel like small stars in a wider universe, the world so lived in and rich. It was lovely re-reading The Tombs of Atuan; all the things that worked in A Wizard of Earthsea doubly works here, especially with its sad but ultimately hopeful story. It certainly has a shelf life in that it now (in 2023) reads as a story about de-radicalisation. Ged’s unwavering belief in the inherent good in all hits hard and Guin’s wise words shine through. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I wasn’t too sure at first how I felt about Something Wicked This Way Comes. I found the first half a little muddled, Bradbury expunging in some (admittedly wonderful) autumnal scene-setting. The second half is where a lot of this pays off with some really creepy imagery and very engrossing conclusion. I found the two leads ok enough as main characters but I really enjoyed the rather sad Charles Halloway, library janitor, stepping up to become a hero and figure of respect. 

My father-in-law is an author and he cites this book as the one that made him want to become one way back in the 60s (and continues to write and be published to this day). 

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I’ve only read one short story by Junji Ito so I was well aware of his status as the master of horror manga and fortunately Uzumaki, arguably his most famous work, lived up to the hype. The tour-de-force being Ito’s incredible art style that so evocatively conveys the terror (and occasional dark humour) of the situations the characters find themselves in. I love how the loose individual stories all eventually come together in a suitably unnerving way and also how the plot gives you just enough information about what’s going on but not too much. It’s a masterwork - pure and simple. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I recently saw the stage production of The Ocean At The End of the Lane at The Lowry Theatre in Salford and knew I had to add it my list of holiday reads. Whilst I ultimately preferred the stage version and how it made subtle changes to the story that improved its theming for me (mum-absent-single-dad for one), I still did relish in Gaiman’s lovely prose, how it lucidly told the story and so beautifully captured the voice of a lonely 7 year old. It’s a small story that I think could have done with a bit more development (which actively works to its advantage on stage) but it’s clearly a personal tale that meant a lot to Gaiman. 

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.5

I find it interesting that with the two Secret Projects I have read, Sanderson is almost addressing some criticisms levelled at him throughout his career. The appeal of Tress was its witty, almost Pratchett-esque, prose, which almost felt like a  response to criticisms that he writes too plainly. And in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter he centres the plot about a burgeoning love story inspired by Your Name, Hikaru No Go and Final Fantasy X. The common criticism being that he doesn’t write great romance. But I enjoyed it a lot! Far more than Tress. 

Hoid is still the narrator but the prose is much more within his wheel-house, emphasising the humour, the fast-paced story and the cute romance. I wasn’t a fan of the exposition summary to catch the reader up towards the end but everything that proceeds it is fun, light-hearted but deeply engrossing with a great central mystery, cool locations, and just two highly loveable leads. Yumi and Painter were great and I longed for their happy ending. You can feel how much Brando Sando enjoyed  writing it and I sure as hell enjoyed reading it.  

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Phew. Devastated.

I knew next to nothing about The Grapes of Wrath outside of its setting, the family were called the Joads and the novel’s storied place in the annals of classic literature. I just wasn’t prepared for it be so unrelentingly sad. There are glimmers of hope throughout but Steinbeck pulls no punches and I can imagine reading this in the late 30s/early 40s must have been akin to a radical text. Its almost Biblical ending deeply unnerved me. The book’s ability, through its language and colloquial dialect, to firmly places us in this unforgiving world is staggering. The way the novel’s tone changes (the interlude chapters greatly help with this but I can imagine beleaguered students studying the book in schools skipping these), the goal to reach California morphing into a new kind of nightmare, and the Joad’s unrelenting belief in a better tomorrow despite everything makes it all the harder to bear. I can’t say I always enjoyed actively reading the book but it’s hard to argue what a monumental achievement it still is.

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

Little bit of a mixed bag but positive thoughts overall. I really liked Meche as a main character; definitely flawed and capable of being nasty but I felt she was well rounded and believable. The high school drama stuff is a step above competent and when it channels a bit of a Heathers vibe, the story worked well for me. I actually thought the element that didn’t gel too well was how the magic was worked in; I liked tying it to music (so central to teenage life) but the way it’s visualised and how it ties into wicca stuff all felt a bit jumbled. Then working in a dual future plot line and family drama and family loss along with a clear want to explore a love of 60-80s music and Mexican culture/inheritance and it all felt a little too much; very much like a debut novel where the author has a lot to prove. That sounds like withering criticism as there’s a lot I liked (I’ll definitely read more of their work) but I think a re-focusing could really help the prose shine. Lots of promise though and it’s still a breezy fun read.

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.25

In its structure and execution, The Crossing is a deeply rich book that follows a tragic coming of age story. Billy Parham opens his tale with a naive but noble goal and ends up learning about the harshness of reality and how easily things are taken away from us. This is a far bloodier book than All The Pretty Horses and has more in relation to Blood Meridian prose-wise. However like the first Border Trilogy book, its concerns are on a young man coming up in a turbulent time. 

How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

I think with the context of what author Genzaburo Yoshino was trying to achieve (written during a time when free thinking was on a major crackdown in Japan) along with Neil Gaiman’s introduction, who compares the novel’s structure to Moby Dick, How Do You Live? is an extremely admirable book that has a lot of wise words and lessons for its younger target audience. 

I can’t say I always enjoyed the process of reading it  but I walked away having learned many things and enjoyed pondering its central conceit. I can see why filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki holds it in high regard and indeed how it influenced his films. I liked the slice of life antics of the boys (the section dealing with a poorer school friend was my favourite) but I sometimes found the characters to be ciphers for Yoshino’s philosophical pondering. Certainly the uncle. I don’t know what a modern young audience would make of this but I think it has a lot of good things to say.