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rieriereads's reviews
135 reviews
This Winter by Alice Oseman
I'm in my semi-reading slump. Heartstopper is always the solution to this problem. This is such a heartwarming novella. It's reflective and sad as well. I love reading the Spring siblings points of view, especially Oliver's. Although I really like it, it's particularly not as memorable compared to the others books by Alice Oseman. It was still a good and fast read. Highly recommend!!
๐ | 48
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
3.5
Hugs always make everything better.
I'm in my semi-reading slump. Heartstopper is always the solution to this problem. This is such a heartwarming novella. It's reflective and sad as well. I love reading the Spring siblings points of view, especially Oliver's. Although I really like it, it's particularly not as memorable compared to the others books by Alice Oseman. It was still a good and fast read. Highly recommend!!
๐ | 48
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
I couldn't finish it. The description was okay. I liked the pacing, but everything else felt so confusing to me. There was so much happening in such a short time. I skimmed towards the end, and I'm somewhat glad I decided to do it. Maybe rich and heavy fantasy books like this aren't for me.
Hotel Iris by Yลko Ogawa
๐ท๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐ by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Synder) is an eerie, haunting, and disturbing novel. The story starts one night when Mari, a 17-year-old girl, hears a man's loud voice in the hotel her family owns. Captivated by the man's voice, pristine suit, and calm nature. Together, Mari and the old man, whom she calls Translator, slowly start an odd relationship full of pleasure and pain.
To start, this book is not for everybody. Although beautifully written, it is full of heavy themes such as BDSM, pedophilia, loneliness, and so much more. The plot gives off a whirlwind of emotions that makes you either want to read more or stop and DNF it. I was in the middle of both. I'm not easily disturbed by trigger warnings, but this did. Overall though I still wanted to finish it, and it was a ride I probably wouldn't go again.
Honestly, writing a review for Hotel Iris is difficult. Unlike the two other books I've read of Yoko Ogawa, this sticks out like a sore thumb. I significantly like those two more than this. Hotel Iris left me with a queasy feeling after finishing it. It made me wonder, reflect, and question. It is disgusting, and yet I see the odd beauty in it. Especially from the writing; no matter how heavy the story is, I know I would never be disappointed by Ogawa's writing. I highlighted so many lines and have so many thoughts on this book. I do believe though that because Yoko Ogawa is a woman, it makes me say and question less than more (if you get what I mean).
Overall, it was an interesting and thought-provoking book. I would not recommend this because although I liked it, again, this is a book someone should thoroughly check the trigger warnings There is also a thin line between liking and hating it. To those interested in reading this, please tag me, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. It's a good book to discuss between friends.
๐ | 45
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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
3.5
๐๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ข๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด, ๐ช๐ต ๐ฎ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ. ๐๐ฏ ๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ต, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐บ ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐จ๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ. ๐๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต, ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฎ๐บ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ข๐ด ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐บ
๐ท๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐ by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Synder) is an eerie, haunting, and disturbing novel. The story starts one night when Mari, a 17-year-old girl, hears a man's loud voice in the hotel her family owns. Captivated by the man's voice, pristine suit, and calm nature. Together, Mari and the old man, whom she calls Translator, slowly start an odd relationship full of pleasure and pain.
To start, this book is not for everybody. Although beautifully written, it is full of heavy themes such as BDSM, pedophilia, loneliness, and so much more. The plot gives off a whirlwind of emotions that makes you either want to read more or stop and DNF it. I was in the middle of both. I'm not easily disturbed by trigger warnings, but this did. Overall though I still wanted to finish it, and it was a ride I probably wouldn't go again.
Honestly, writing a review for Hotel Iris is difficult. Unlike the two other books I've read of Yoko Ogawa, this sticks out like a sore thumb. I significantly like those two more than this. Hotel Iris left me with a queasy feeling after finishing it. It made me wonder, reflect, and question. It is disgusting, and yet I see the odd beauty in it. Especially from the writing; no matter how heavy the story is, I know I would never be disappointed by Ogawa's writing. I highlighted so many lines and have so many thoughts on this book. I do believe though that because Yoko Ogawa is a woman, it makes me say and question less than more (if you get what I mean).
Overall, it was an interesting and thought-provoking book. I would not recommend this because although I liked it, again, this is a book someone should thoroughly check the trigger warnings There is also a thin line between liking and hating it. To those interested in reading this, please tag me, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. It's a good book to discuss between friends.
๐ | 45
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
This is my first R.F. Kuang book, and I really get why she is hyped, beloved, and famous.
Yellowface was, overall, a good read. It started off strong and fast-paced. From the start, you can see June's characteristics, and I love how she was both unreliable and unlikable. Most of the characters were.
From the first pages, it sucks you in so easily. It's a satire of the publishing industry and companies. And it includes so many themes, such as xenophobia, cancel culture, racism, white and pretty privilege, and more.
What I loved the most was June's personality and thoughts. I loved how she fought and tried to show us through her thoughts the "good" part of what she did. It makes us readers cringe, maybe be gaslighted, yet also feel included more, if you get what I mean. I see that how she defended herself was a very human thing to do. Something, not all but most likely, some of us will do when we are in a similar situation.
I also loved reading about her anxious thoughts and her point of view on how she struggled, rose to fame, was hated, and much more. There was no hero in this story; everyone was a villain and a victim in their own way.
I am on 50-50 of how it ended, though. If it continued, I knew the book would be longer and go on like an unending circle. Overall, I liked the story, and I would definitely recommend it, especially to those who are curious to try this and love an unlikable character.
I can't wait to read more of Kuang's work. I have a bright feeling that she'll be one of my favorite authors.
๐ | 46
โญ | 4
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to other lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.
This is my first R.F. Kuang book, and I really get why she is hyped, beloved, and famous.
Yellowface was, overall, a good read. It started off strong and fast-paced. From the start, you can see June's characteristics, and I love how she was both unreliable and unlikable. Most of the characters were.
From the first pages, it sucks you in so easily. It's a satire of the publishing industry and companies. And it includes so many themes, such as xenophobia, cancel culture, racism, white and pretty privilege, and more.
What I loved the most was June's personality and thoughts. I loved how she fought and tried to show us through her thoughts the "good" part of what she did. It makes us readers cringe, maybe be gaslighted, yet also feel included more, if you get what I mean. I see that how she defended herself was a very human thing to do. Something, not all but most likely, some of us will do when we are in a similar situation.
I also loved reading about her anxious thoughts and her point of view on how she struggled, rose to fame, was hated, and much more. There was no hero in this story; everyone was a villain and a victim in their own way.
I am on 50-50 of how it ended, though. If it continued, I knew the book would be longer and go on like an unending circle. Overall, I liked the story, and I would definitely recommend it, especially to those who are curious to try this and love an unlikable character.
I can't wait to read more of Kuang's work. I have a bright feeling that she'll be one of my favorite authors.
๐ | 46
โญ | 4
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Islamophobia, Grief
Minor: Death of parent
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.25
They're Nick and Charlie. And ladies and gentlemen don't forget communication is key.
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol
My Husband by Maud Ventura
สแดแดแด๊ฑ แดกษชแดส แดแดสแดสสส ษขสแดส แดสแดสแดแดแดแดส๊ฑ แดสแด แดสแดกแดส๊ฑ แด แดสแดแด๊ฑแดสแด แดแด สแดแดแด .
๐ผ๐ข ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐ by Maud Ventura (translated by Emma Ramadan) is a fresh novel about a 40-year-old woman who is obsessed with her husband. She loves him, the idea of him, and would die without him.
Stunning looks, a beautiful house, two children, and 15 years of marriage with an ideal man are a dream for many. No matter how perfect life can get, sometimes our unnamed protagonist doubts whether her husband is truly in love with her, like she is madly in love with him.
So in order to spark their romance, she does things above and beyond for her husband. She plans every encounter she will have with him. And do things one may think are already beyond the line. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐, ๐๐จ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐?
I enjoyed the short novel. I loved how our main character was unreliable. I also really liked seeing her thoughts and how she processed everyday situations. She analyzes a certain encounter over and over again. She overthinks that she is on the verge of panicking, then reassures herself a little while later. I found it fascinating to know her thoughts, reassurances, and doubts.
Over the span of a week, I could see how the dynamics worked in their family. And many reviews say the ending was unexpected. For me, it was predictable, but it was still okay.
Overall, the book was okay. A read that is fast, analytical, pathetic, and, of course, obsessive. I'd only half-recommend this since I didn't love it. But still, it is a novel that many should try to read. Especially those who loved ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ | 44
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
๐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถโ๐ท๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ด๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ
สแดแดแด๊ฑ แดกษชแดส แดแดสแดสสส ษขสแดส แดสแดสแดแดแดแดส๊ฑ แดสแด แดสแดกแดส๊ฑ แด แดสแดแด๊ฑแดสแด แดแด สแดแดแด .
๐ผ๐ข ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐ by Maud Ventura (translated by Emma Ramadan) is a fresh novel about a 40-year-old woman who is obsessed with her husband. She loves him, the idea of him, and would die without him.
Stunning looks, a beautiful house, two children, and 15 years of marriage with an ideal man are a dream for many. No matter how perfect life can get, sometimes our unnamed protagonist doubts whether her husband is truly in love with her, like she is madly in love with him.
So in order to spark their romance, she does things above and beyond for her husband. She plans every encounter she will have with him. And do things one may think are already beyond the line. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐, ๐๐จ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐?
I enjoyed the short novel. I loved how our main character was unreliable. I also really liked seeing her thoughts and how she processed everyday situations. She analyzes a certain encounter over and over again. She overthinks that she is on the verge of panicking, then reassures herself a little while later. I found it fascinating to know her thoughts, reassurances, and doubts.
Over the span of a week, I could see how the dynamics worked in their family. And many reviews say the ending was unexpected. For me, it was predictable, but it was still okay.
Overall, the book was okay. A read that is fast, analytical, pathetic, and, of course, obsessive. I'd only half-recommend this since I didn't love it. But still, it is a novel that many should try to read. Especially those who loved ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ | 44
โญ | 3.5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
This is my Bible.
5 stars.
I highly recommend.
And it will ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต pass.
๐ | 43
โญ | 5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
๐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ถ๐ด. ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต'๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ.
This is my Bible.
5 stars.
I highly recommend.
And it will ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต pass.
๐ | 43
โญ | 5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide, Death of parent
Priest by Sierra Simone
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I honestly found it boring. I usually read at least the first 50 pages of the book before deciding to DNF or to not continue it but unfortunately, for Priest didn't happen.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐, written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translated to English by Geoffrey Trousselot, was a heartwarming and equally heartbreaking novel.
In a back alley in Tokyo, there's a cafe called Funiculi Funicula that has served coffee for more than a century. What makes this little cafe special, though, is the urban legend that it is known for. The cafe is believed to offer its customers a chance to travel back in time.
The short novel was divided into four chapters. Each part was magical, quirky, and mysterious. And by the first chapter, I had fallen in love with the book.
There are many different reasons why I loved this book. First and foremost, there is the plot. Simple and maybe not so special to some, I found it perfect. To me, it was perfectly paced, and it makes you keep wondering what will happen next. How the book was narrated is another reason. Some reviews say that the writing felt repetitive, and I quite agree. But what makes it tolerable is how Arina Ii executed the narration of the audiobook version.
Additionally, I loved the characters and the little details each one had. Their characteristics and individual descriptions made them who they were. And the final reason is rather simple: I loved that it made me cry. I empathize with the characters' regrets and shortcomings. I also felt their love for their partners, sister, and child. And right after finishing, I wanted to hug them all.
Overall, this was such a great book. I regret not reading this sooner. For those who are looking for a heartwarming book that could be read this weekend and that will also squeeze your heart and make you think someone is cutting onions, I highly recommend checking this out.
๐ | 42
โญ | 5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ณ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐บ ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฎ
๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐, written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translated to English by Geoffrey Trousselot, was a heartwarming and equally heartbreaking novel.
In a back alley in Tokyo, there's a cafe called Funiculi Funicula that has served coffee for more than a century. What makes this little cafe special, though, is the urban legend that it is known for. The cafe is believed to offer its customers a chance to travel back in time.
The short novel was divided into four chapters. Each part was magical, quirky, and mysterious. And by the first chapter, I had fallen in love with the book.
There are many different reasons why I loved this book. First and foremost, there is the plot. Simple and maybe not so special to some, I found it perfect. To me, it was perfectly paced, and it makes you keep wondering what will happen next. How the book was narrated is another reason. Some reviews say that the writing felt repetitive, and I quite agree. But what makes it tolerable is how Arina Ii executed the narration of the audiobook version.
Additionally, I loved the characters and the little details each one had. Their characteristics and individual descriptions made them who they were. And the final reason is rather simple: I loved that it made me cry. I empathize with the characters' regrets and shortcomings. I also felt their love for their partners, sister, and child. And right after finishing, I wanted to hug them all.
Overall, this was such a great book. I regret not reading this sooner. For those who are looking for a heartwarming book that could be read this weekend and that will also squeeze your heart and make you think someone is cutting onions, I highly recommend checking this out.
๐ | 42
โญ | 5
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Grief, Car accident
Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Revenge: Stories by Yลko Ogawa
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is a collection of 11 short stories written by Yoko Ogawa and translated by Stephen Snyder. The short stories were beautifully written and perfectly mysterious. I loved how each story was connected to the other. Reading through the stories and seeing the eerie cycle of the little details was fascinating.
Most of the time, a short story collection would have hits and misses for me. But this was the first time that I thoroughly enjoyed every story. My favorite of the 11 would be ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐ and ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ.
I liked the characters and the overall weird plot of ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐. It's filled with kiwis, carrots, stories, and, of course, hands. I loved it even more when I could see the connection between this short story and the following ones. The ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ was about the relationship between an uncle and his nephew. The short story shows the joyful and sorrowful moments of the eccentric yet also lovable uncle's life.
Overall, I would recommend this short story collection. And if you ever consider checking it out, I also suggest checking the trigger warnings. I'm looking forward to reading more of Yoko Ogawa's books. She's becoming one of my favorite authors.
๐ | 41
โญ | 4
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ. ๐๐ต ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐บ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ณ ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ is a collection of 11 short stories written by Yoko Ogawa and translated by Stephen Snyder. The short stories were beautifully written and perfectly mysterious. I loved how each story was connected to the other. Reading through the stories and seeing the eerie cycle of the little details was fascinating.
Most of the time, a short story collection would have hits and misses for me. But this was the first time that I thoroughly enjoyed every story. My favorite of the 11 would be ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐ and ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ.
I liked the characters and the overall weird plot of ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐. It's filled with kiwis, carrots, stories, and, of course, hands. I loved it even more when I could see the connection between this short story and the following ones. The ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ was about the relationship between an uncle and his nephew. The short story shows the joyful and sorrowful moments of the eccentric yet also lovable uncle's life.
Overall, I would recommend this short story collection. And if you ever consider checking it out, I also suggest checking the trigger warnings. I'm looking forward to reading more of Yoko Ogawa's books. She's becoming one of my favorite authors.
๐ | 41
โญ | 4
โขโขโข
My Rating System
5 ๐ - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 โญ - I loved it
3 โญ - I liked it
2 โญ - It was okay
1 โญ - I hated it but decided to not dnf