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pewter's reviews
97 reviews
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a really different book, with a lot of things to both enjoy and dislike.
On one hand, we have two intriguing parallel plots, both of which explore gender and identity thoroughly while painting a loving picture of the setting. We rarely enjoy this kind of treat. On the other hand, the characters themselves come off as wooden and a tad unlikeable. Interestingly, the main character really reads as someone who lacks empathy (and is aware of that), so that at least makes for an interesting perspective.
Though I was invested and intrigued at the characters and development during the first 50% of the book, the second half really fell flat. The plot is so heavily fate driven that there were no surprises whatsoever - every character did what they said they'd do, and that's that. We may hope certain characters to make a change of heart, but this is not a book for a romantic reader. It is very literal and to the point.
There are also many moments with questionable pacing - we may take pages to lead up to moments (important, plot heavy and character heavy moments) that blink by in a paragraph, and are never reflected on or discussed again. So much seemed squished into the last 15 pages or so that it felt like a sprint to fit it in. This is a story that could have been concluded here but seems to just stop.
All in all, this read was... different. Not bad, but also has 0 re-readability and I probably wouldn't grab a sequel.
On one hand, we have two intriguing parallel plots, both of which explore gender and identity thoroughly while painting a loving picture of the setting. We rarely enjoy this kind of treat. On the other hand, the characters themselves come off as wooden and a tad unlikeable. Interestingly, the main character really reads as someone who lacks empathy (and is aware of that), so that at least makes for an interesting perspective.
Though I was invested and intrigued at the characters and development during the first 50% of the book, the second half really fell flat. The plot is so heavily fate driven that there were no surprises whatsoever - every character did what they said they'd do, and that's that. We may hope certain characters to make a change of heart, but this is not a book for a romantic reader. It is very literal and to the point.
There are also many moments with questionable pacing - we may take pages to lead up to moments (important, plot heavy and character heavy moments) that blink by in a paragraph, and are never reflected on or discussed again. So much seemed squished into the last 15 pages or so that it felt like a sprint to fit it in. This is a story that could have been concluded here but seems to just stop.
All in all, this read was... different. Not bad, but also has 0 re-readability and I probably wouldn't grab a sequel.
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
An absolutely phenomenal sequel. It's more accessible than the first, and I found myself easily invested in all of the converging plots. I'm in love with the series, the characters, the chapter epigraphs! Colloquial writing (even all the parentheses!), the dialogue and entire world. A MUST READ Sci-fi/political adventure. Absolutely needs to be on a sci-fi fan's shelf.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Just because it's a foundational pillar in sci-fi worldbuilding doesn't mean it's a good book. It's dense, poorly written, and it didn't age well. In 2021, there's no point in subjecting yourself to it's terrible dialogue and not-so-subtle fatphobia/homophobia/religious allegory?
Go grab something better these days.
Go grab something better these days.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
- 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? It's complicated
1.0
The concept promises intrigue and dark twists, but it reads more like a Dan Brown knock off mixed with what a 17-year-old thinks feminism is. Every character is either a womb or an evil man. Nothing in-between.
Does the main character make incredulous, unbelievable leaps of logic and deduction? Somehow?? Does the author forget how the world actually works? Seems so. Are there filler chapters everywhere? Inexplicably. Don't waste your time.
The sheer amount of amazing coincidences in this book are just absolutely beyond belief. Protagonist can literally google really basic/vague keywords and get magic context with full backstory.
Some specific spoiler-y complaints below.
Why is there a filler chapter where the police show up and try to arrest her for a murder (that didn't happen) with no warrant or evidence or no process? That's not how police work. At all.
Get into Cambridge overnight? That's not how Master's level universities work. At all.
Why is Gaynor BFFs all of a sudden with this aggravating woman?
Why did she chuck that vial back into the river? Why didn't she share her magic knowledge with anyone? Why is she taking an unrelated degree? Why would her husband admit to making himself sick with oils? What???
Why did we even have to have Eliza's narrative whatsoever? She literally didn't do anything except jump off a bridge, but she was OK because magic - I had no emotional connection whatsoever so it didn't matter.
Old woman doesn't believe in magic, but DOES believe that she deserves to get ill for all her murders. So I guess she does believe in magic. Luckily, a child made her a potion so she's OK.
Seriously, is this an adult book?
Pretentious recipe for cookies from a character that had 3 lines and we literally can't care about. Ugh.
Does the main character make incredulous, unbelievable leaps of logic and deduction? Somehow?? Does the author forget how the world actually works? Seems so. Are there filler chapters everywhere? Inexplicably. Don't waste your time.
The sheer amount of amazing coincidences in this book are just absolutely beyond belief. Protagonist can literally google really basic/vague keywords and get magic context with full backstory.
Some specific spoiler-y complaints below.
Why is there a filler chapter where the police show up and try to arrest her for a murder (that didn't happen) with no warrant or evidence or no process? That's not how police work. At all.
Get into Cambridge overnight? That's not how Master's level universities work. At all.
Why is Gaynor BFFs all of a sudden with this aggravating woman?
Why did she chuck that vial back into the river? Why didn't she share her magic knowledge with anyone? Why is she taking an unrelated degree? Why would her husband admit to making himself sick with oils? What???
Why did we even have to have Eliza's narrative whatsoever? She literally didn't do anything except jump off a bridge, but she was OK because magic - I had no emotional connection whatsoever so it didn't matter.
Old woman doesn't believe in magic, but DOES believe that she deserves to get ill for all her murders. So I guess she does believe in magic. Luckily, a child made her a potion so she's OK.
Seriously, is this an adult book?
Pretentious recipe for cookies from a character that had 3 lines and we literally can't care about. Ugh.
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It's fun. It's not a masterclass in writing, but it's good. Karigan is a fun main character who is easy to relate to. Quick witted, but isn't unbearable or snarky. The world is fun, and the mysteries that are presented here are called back to time and time again through the series, so it was fun to revisit this book on a second read-through. And the author's work has certainly changed over time too.
Sodom Road Exit by Amber Dawn
3.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from the first few chapters of Sodom Road Exit. Now, it's a tough read - trigger warnings all over this book would be appropriate, and the first chapters had me worried that I was just not in the right headspace for this type of adventure. However, the characters felt real (specifically, the dialogue really sold it for me) and the plot felt promising (and queer) enough that it kept me in the game.
Especially near the beginning, the chapters occasionally feel like a series of rapid short stories - an encounter here, an encounter there, building to a point but rather separate; this makes for some slow moments where I was a little skeptical. That being said, Dawn does not treat her readers like they're stupid - it's crisp writing that needs attention, and rewards with nice parallels between the main plot and the protagonists other struggles, especially as the book comes to a close. The occasional narrative-swapping could be reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes, but ghostly. It works alright.
As for the characters, we have a small but interesting crew to work with. The protagonist, Star, was a love-hate relationship. Her decisions and character developed over the course of the book, and her narration is what shows this best, and as an artist I loved her references. Occasionally we have a background character that enters and exits and has no weight on the plot, but the rest are emotional and generally well-rounded. My only complaint may be that everyone seems to take the supernatural goings-on in stride; personally I would imagine less suspension of disbelief in real life, but I'm not reading this book for classic "skeptic-turned-believer" arcs, so it works. I'm rooting for the cast, and their motivations make sense.
All in all, it was a good read that ended too soon - I would've taken a bit more of the adventurous beginnings throughout the entire story. If you're looking for a queer story (and you're prepared/in the headspace for some DARK territory), then this will do you just fine.
Especially near the beginning, the chapters occasionally feel like a series of rapid short stories - an encounter here, an encounter there, building to a point but rather separate; this makes for some slow moments where I was a little skeptical. That being said, Dawn does not treat her readers like they're stupid - it's crisp writing that needs attention, and rewards with nice parallels between the main plot and the protagonists other struggles, especially as the book comes to a close. The occasional narrative-swapping could be reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes, but ghostly. It works alright.
As for the characters, we have a small but interesting crew to work with. The protagonist, Star, was a love-hate relationship. Her decisions and character developed over the course of the book, and her narration is what shows this best, and as an artist I loved her references. Occasionally we have a background character that enters and exits and has no weight on the plot, but the rest are emotional and generally well-rounded. My only complaint may be that everyone seems to take the supernatural goings-on in stride; personally I would imagine less suspension of disbelief in real life, but I'm not reading this book for classic "skeptic-turned-believer" arcs, so it works. I'm rooting for the cast, and their motivations make sense.
All in all, it was a good read that ended too soon - I would've taken a bit more of the adventurous beginnings throughout the entire story. If you're looking for a queer story (and you're prepared/in the headspace for some DARK territory), then this will do you just fine.
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.0
The blurb on the jacket promises a thrilling mystery, but don't be fooled. While you read this book, you're going to feel like you're sitting shifts on your watch, just like the main character.
The main character Lib is intended to be relate-able and interesting - the author insists upon it by telling us over and over how interesting her life was, how scientific she thinks, and how much she hates the "primitive" religious folks around her. And I could probably get behind that for a while for a bit of character building, but a third of the way through the book and we're still on this? It might have landed better if the author wouldn't turn around and then repetitively give us moments where Lib would be very slow to catch onto conversations ("I realized later they were talking about..", "oh, they must have meant...") Give your readers some credit, please. Lib can't keep up, but I can.
So the main cast is dull; I expected there to be some turn-about where the crowd she sneers at might actually prove useful, but they don't change. So between the arrogant and sneering main character and the intensely, harmfully, backwardly religious supporting cast, who is there to root for? Nobody.
Surprise, if you skimmed the first half of the book you might have missed the over-saturated foreshadowing in every conversation about the main conflict, but I unfortunately invested with hopes that something extraordinary would happen. It did not, and the plot did exactly as expected. There IS a wrong way to do foreshadowing, and this is it. I won't even touch on the "maternal woman" trope that is dripping all over this novel.
This book is as thrilling as Lib's job watching a child not eat. A complete waste of time.
The main character Lib is intended to be relate-able and interesting - the author insists upon it by telling us over and over how interesting her life was, how scientific she thinks, and how much she hates the "primitive" religious folks around her. And I could probably get behind that for a while for a bit of character building, but a third of the way through the book and we're still on this? It might have landed better if the author wouldn't turn around and then repetitively give us moments where Lib would be very slow to catch onto conversations ("I realized later they were talking about..", "oh, they must have meant...") Give your readers some credit, please. Lib can't keep up, but I can.
So the main cast is dull; I expected there to be some turn-about where the crowd she sneers at might actually prove useful, but they don't change. So between the arrogant and sneering main character and the intensely, harmfully, backwardly religious supporting cast, who is there to root for? Nobody.
Surprise, if you skimmed the first half of the book you might have missed the over-saturated foreshadowing in every conversation about the main conflict, but I unfortunately invested with hopes that something extraordinary would happen. It did not, and the plot did exactly as expected. There IS a wrong way to do foreshadowing, and this is it. I won't even touch on the "maternal woman" trope that is dripping all over this novel.
This book is as thrilling as Lib's job watching a child not eat. A complete waste of time.
Sub Rosa by Amber Dawn
3.0
Sub Rosa had a lot to say, but rather dropped the execution. That's not to say that it wasn't worth reading, but I think I rather fell for the hype that it would be meaningful and well executed.
To begin: this is a dark book, hard to read as an outsider of the sex industry because the life that the protagonist has fallen into is magical but devastating. Her admiration and excitement for her own abuse and oppression makes it all the more realistic and difficult to read. This is probably the strongest aspect of this book - not the story, characters, or world building, but this horrific juxtaposition of what the reader feels in exact opposition of the protagonists motivations.
Beyond this excellent reversal, however, we follow almost 1/2 of the book of this exact set-up. A very grinding, slow, beginning is followed by... the main story? Actually, it's hard to tell where exactly the main plot is supposed to take off; at one point, I thought we might move towards a very adventurous "hero's journey" style dive, but then it's cancelled out, and we're back to the beginning with no real growth whatsoever until the final ~20 pages or so.
Why wait so long? Why spend 50% of a book world building and 4% with actual payoff? Well, it's realistic, at least. Often, real life doesn't have story climaxes and tangible growth and nice wrap-ups; character arcs and conclusions are left out here entirely, a "slice of life" story with very little loose-ends satisfied. Just like real life, but not like novels I generally want to read.
If you are/were part of the sex industry, or are studying sex trafficking, you could probably appreciate the interesting social commentary on the emotional ties of pimping and the trafficking world... otherwise, maybe not.
To begin: this is a dark book, hard to read as an outsider of the sex industry because the life that the protagonist has fallen into is magical but devastating. Her admiration and excitement for her own abuse and oppression makes it all the more realistic and difficult to read. This is probably the strongest aspect of this book - not the story, characters, or world building, but this horrific juxtaposition of what the reader feels in exact opposition of the protagonists motivations.
Beyond this excellent reversal, however, we follow almost 1/2 of the book of this exact set-up. A very grinding, slow, beginning is followed by... the main story? Actually, it's hard to tell where exactly the main plot is supposed to take off; at one point, I thought we might move towards a very adventurous "hero's journey" style dive, but then it's cancelled out, and we're back to the beginning with no real growth whatsoever until the final ~20 pages or so.
Why wait so long? Why spend 50% of a book world building and 4% with actual payoff? Well, it's realistic, at least. Often, real life doesn't have story climaxes and tangible growth and nice wrap-ups; character arcs and conclusions are left out here entirely, a "slice of life" story with very little loose-ends satisfied. Just like real life, but not like novels I generally want to read.
If you are/were part of the sex industry, or are studying sex trafficking, you could probably appreciate the interesting social commentary on the emotional ties of pimping and the trafficking world... otherwise, maybe not.
John Dies at the End by David Wong
3.0
Dated, now, but fun. It meanders a bit too much in the middle - it's clearly Wong's first book - but sticks the ending. If you can get past the fucked-up threshold, it's a decent series that isn't for everyone.