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raitherabbit's reviews
19 reviews
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping
Babel by R.F. Kuang
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A solid mix for a short story collection. My lowest rating was 3/5, and my highest was 5/5. It’s not my favorite collection of short stories, but some of these are my favorite— that is, Cursed Bunny, Home Sweet Home, and Reunion are now all-time favorites.
Should you buy the entire book just to read these 3? Yes. However, I’d say compared to other short story collections I’ve read, this one was the easiest to read. BUT I wouldn’t say it’s a good introduction to SS, as people might be off-put by how short and straightforward the stories are (which I liked, though).
Should you buy the entire book just to read these 3? Yes. However, I’d say compared to other short story collections I’ve read, this one was the easiest to read. BUT I wouldn’t say it’s a good introduction to SS, as people might be off-put by how short and straightforward the stories are (which I liked, though).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Death
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I started out reading this book so slowly… as in, barely getting in 10 pages a day (for 3 days across 2 weeks). After consulting a local reading facebook group, strangers on the internet convinced me to tough it out and read it fully.
I am so glad I did. Thank you, kind strangers.
Trust me when I say this book starts quite slowly but picks up VERY quickly. As soon as I reached a certain point in the plot, I literally could not put it down.
The characters are lovable, and while I don’t agree with All of them, I see where their decisions come from. As a science nerd, I was also fascinated by the lengthy explanations throughout the book (even if I didn’t understand them 100%).
I absolutely love this book. I’m glad I’m ending the year with it.
I am so glad I did. Thank you, kind strangers.
Trust me when I say this book starts quite slowly but picks up VERY quickly. As soon as I reached a certain point in the plot, I literally could not put it down.
The characters are lovable, and while I don’t agree with All of them, I see where their decisions come from. As a science nerd, I was also fascinated by the lengthy explanations throughout the book (even if I didn’t understand them 100%).
I absolutely love this book. I’m glad I’m ending the year with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first of Sally Rooney’s books I’ve read, and definitely not the last. I like the exploration of humanity and our flaws. While there wasn’t a “plot” per se, it was still very interesting to read about the mundane interactions of the characters and how their relationships with each other push and pull.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was a good story, unfortunately, I wasn’t the target audience for this. It’s very YA-coded mystery. While it was fun to see the plot unravel, I found there were some plot holes I couldn’t wrap my head around (which may be entirely my fault, but anyway).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this hoping it would be a romance— it was and wasn’t. Dang Young Park and Anton Hur have such a way with words that I felt every single smidge of emotion in those pages. It felt almost invasive, reading about someone’s life like that.
I didn’t expect for there to be so much packed in such a small package. 200 pages went by too quickly. I felt that a complete stranger could understand what I was feeling.
The poetry of the writing cannot go unnoticed. Reading the last few chapters and watching them unfold was heart wrenching. That last paragraph will be something stuck in the back of my mind for the foreseeable future.
I didn’t expect for there to be so much packed in such a small package. 200 pages went by too quickly. I felt that a complete stranger could understand what I was feeling.
The poetry of the writing cannot go unnoticed. Reading the last few chapters and watching them unfold was heart wrenching. That last paragraph will be something stuck in the back of my mind for the foreseeable future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nine Lives: A Story by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this for a class assignment and I thank my professors every day for introducing me to this short story. It’s so well written, Le Guin’s storytelling is so vivid. I love the quotes that came from this and the topics it raises. Anyone who likes sci-fi, or even is just interested in a story that will leave you wrecked, what can you do but hold your hand out in the dark? Read it, trust me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
All's Well by Mona Awad
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As someone who does theatre, this book wrecked me. As someone who also has a degree in psychology, this book was fascinating and kept me asking for more. Watching the slow downfall of someone you supposedly root for is excruciating, but also satisfying. There was no way I would predict how any of this ended (both the play and the plot itself). I do think things will get better after this. In other news, female rage is a powerful thing and it was made more interesting by the intricate interpersonal relationships Ms. Fitch had with her students and coworkers. I rooted for everyone but also wished for their downfall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent