pickledponyo's reviews
5 reviews

Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

silly narrator who was totally in love w macabéa’s being, change my mind. 

only lost the one star bc my dude kept rambling about how ugly maca was, LIKE CHILL PLEASE FOR TWO SECONDS.

Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafał Kosik

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

a good read for if you want more of the cyberpunk universe because you definitely need to know the universe in order to understand pieces of it. it can get a bit confusing as the author jumps around from different povs without explaining who is who until halfway into the pov. also some pieces that were irrelevant (the weird posts at the beginning of chapters) and then a lot of the pieces of the book explaining tech or cyberspace were odd. it’s a great expansion on the universe though. 
personally i enjoyed the characters as well but the end felt very lack luster and felt very “what was the point?” which may have been the point?? not sure. i enjoyed zor’s character as well as ron.
ALSO the author seemed to have attempted some romance and OMG I’m so sorry but he fits into the “science fiction authors are virgins” category because it was so dry and immediately rushed.. all the romances had no connections and all rushed to awkward sex scenes. just a warning because it gave me second hand embarrassment. 

ps, the word “fucksicle” is used around 5-6 times in this book sooo do with that information what you want

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Theories Of Relativity by Barbara Haworth-Attard

dark slow-paced

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

1.5

characters were bland with no personality and the ending was so cheap and lazy. I loved this book as a kid but it does not hold up. 

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

it’s a very raw and beautifully written story about bullying that shows how weak and how isolated it can make people feel. loved it so so much, wished there was more as it captured the feelings perfectly.

it also shows us the inevitable and slow deterioration of kojima and it felt so real. i do wish i could have known more of her ending.

beware though… there is like two scenes of the main kid jerking off…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Sexual violence, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, and Torture

Diary of an Oxygen Thief by Anonymous

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

2.0

main character is garbage and so is his book