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peeled_grape's reviews
143 reviews
Babel by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
4.5
how do you write something like this and then go to Yale LMAOOO
My only quarrels with the book are in the world building. It’s never explained why translation is the thing that powers the silver, and why silver is the thing that’s used. What about translation is supernatural? That’s what I kept wanting to know.
But I loved this otherwise! Except maybe the ending. It’s a retelling of the Tower of Babel, though it seemed to lose sight of everything it had built up before then. As someone who has taught at one of the institutions mentioned in the novel, I, too, would be very happy to see the whole thing go down lollll. Although I would like to see more queer people (or, you know, just ONE) in Kuang’s books cause I promise you our fights are the same. It’s relevant, I promise!
It was also cool to see how she poked fun at Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. There were definitely some direct references to that book that made me laugh.
My only quarrels with the book are in the world building. It’s never explained why translation is the thing that powers the silver, and why silver is the thing that’s used. What about translation is supernatural? That’s what I kept wanting to know.
But I loved this otherwise!
It was also cool to see how she poked fun at Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. There were definitely some direct references to that book that made me laugh.
Call Me Cassandra: A Novel by Marcial Gala
dark
mysterious
sad
5.0
Reading the excerpt, I thought it would be strange like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but it wasn’t what I expected at all. Cassandra is reborn in the body of a young Cuban boy, and his entire life is lived all in one moment, him being able to see his own future and the future of everyone around him. LOVED this. I’ll add it to a syllabus of mine eventually. Surrealist and sad and full.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
1.75
A really quick read but I also didn’t like it all that much. I have some pet peeves in writing, and they were here in this book. I hate when the main character and the love interest are almost immediately in love with each other. I hate when people come back to life. And I didn’t like the “it wasn’t real”/wake up and realize it was all a nightmare bullshit. I think it could’ve been really interesting but it just wasn’t.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
435 pages in and I am just not liking it as much as I wanted to. I loved The Secret History, and am generally a fan of Pulitzer Prize books, but Theo was so anxious that it was making me anxious too lol. It also is very similar to Demon Copperhead, which, unfortunately for this book, I read first, and I just don't want to read it again. Very slow-paced and not really for fans of The Secret History.
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
don't like the "power is tied to genetics" thing. all the growling and snarling from everyone is making me cackle, too. you can't tell me rowan wouldn't be so cringey in real life lollllll
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
"Let's go back to the old ways" is not the rallying cry you think it is lollll. Also I'm screaming at SJM stealing the "hand of the king" position from Game of Thrones
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Oh that's fucked up. Murata is so iconic for this LMAOOOO
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Incest, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Suicide