remora's reviews
45 reviews

Greenwood by Michael Christie

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

this was good. i loved the differing narrative voices, and the jumps from person to person, time to time and back again - like tracing the rings of a tree inwards and outwards. hopeful despite everything.

Speaking Bones by Ken Liu

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

good lord. what an ending; what a book; what a series. ken liu crafts these worlds and these characters with so much care and gentleness. i am no good at reviewing books really but towards the end of this several things made me sob out loud

one:

“Love,” the boy said. He unwrapped his arms from around himself and put them around his mother’s neck.”

how heartbreaking! how hopeful!

two: slipping

rati yeraji

in there as if we wouldn't notice. i'm so pleased. it has been so refreshing to see a wheelchair user written so honestly and accurately. 

three: the bones disappearing from the ship's hold!

four:

“Zomi!” She fell to her knees and embraced her wakeful weakness, the mirror of her soul.

&

“The very air seemed to vibrate in sympathy with their joy.”

tender and heartwarming and exactly what we had been yearning for. 

parts of this frustrated me, parts made me so happy i saw beauty in everything, parts made me so sad i cried in empathy. i think if i was being critical i'd give this a 4.75 stars but the majority of flaws come from my own criticism, and i really couldn't have asked for a better conclusion of this series. i don't have the words. 

The Veiled Throne by Ken Liu

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad medium-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

4.25

slower for me to get into that the previous two, but very enjoyable. i love food and cooking and i love my friends. very moving 

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

medium-paced

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

2.0

The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

man. 

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

adventurous emotional tense medium-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

4.25

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

"folx"

---

Content Warnings

performative vocab

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.25

acab

The Overstory by Richard Powers
Did not finish book. Stopped at 78%.

it started very fun and interesting and then i was like 40% in and thinking "there's more than half left? jesus fucking christ". ultimately pretty prose but um. yeah. too much too long doesn't talk enough about The Roots Of The Issues but instead there is a girl who got actual brain damage who is treated like a messiah whos delusions are encouraged. because it makes for a better narrative about deforestation than idk Anything Else dawg

Assembly by Natasha Brown

informative sad fast-paced

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

3.75

capitalism and racism are one and the same