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river69rat's reviews
63 reviews
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
So so good! So so weird! I hate how much incest pops up in these books even if keeping bloodlines pure is a historical truth. I love that Leto is turning into a worm?
White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Nasty Business: Average work Christmas Party and the regrets afterwards
The Meek One: Loved this, the protagonist is infuriating, but the story is beautifully written
White Nights: Unfortunately, a bit too overhyped, not Dostoevsky's best writing or romance. Protagonist was just too cringe. I really wanted to love White Nights so I'm sad it didn't really click for me.
The Meek One: Loved this, the protagonist is infuriating, but the story is beautifully written
White Nights: Unfortunately, a bit too overhyped, not Dostoevsky's best writing or romance. Protagonist was just too cringe. I really wanted to love White Nights so I'm sad it didn't really click for me.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I've been avoiding this book mostly because the name Galaxy for the main character is absolutely awful lol
It's a bit odd and confusing, I wasn't fully able to get my head around it. Also my British brain thinks Yale is just a small step below Harvard so bit baffled by all the Yale/New Haven hate, and also how multiple societies run by silly students could possible be kept secret
Overall a good book though. Sometimes disturbing and uncomfortable, had a lot of intrigue with the mystery. I wasn't expecting a detective style investigation book but it was really fun that that's what this book is. Looking forward to picking up the second book soon - I need more Darlington!
It's a bit odd and confusing, I wasn't fully able to get my head around it. Also my British brain thinks Yale is just a small step below Harvard so bit baffled by all the Yale/New Haven hate, and also how multiple societies run by silly students could possible be kept secret
Overall a good book though. Sometimes disturbing and uncomfortable, had a lot of intrigue with the mystery. I wasn't expecting a detective style investigation book but it was really fun that that's what this book is. Looking forward to picking up the second book soon - I need more Darlington!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
Carrie by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Idk they kinda deserved it...
Very disturbing but also quite sad in weird and horrible ways. This is my second Stephen King and I'm realising his writing isn't simply to horrify. There's detailed characters and a lot of empathy in this novel, he's a brilliant writer beyond just being a horror author.
Very disturbing but also quite sad in weird and horrible ways. This is my second Stephen King and I'm realising his writing isn't simply to horrify. There's detailed characters and a lot of empathy in this novel, he's a brilliant writer beyond just being a horror author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Not my usual kinda book, but I finally gave in to the booktok hype and thought I'd give it a go. Absolutely raced through it, a very fun and easy read. The main character was less annoying than I was expecting which was impressive, she made choices I didn't agree with but I understood where she was coming from. Thought it would end on more of a cliffhanger, I feel happy to just read this as a stand alone but I may pick up the next two at some point if I want another fun quick read. Overall good fun book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
I'm fatherless and I've known forever that I don't want kids so a lot of the themes in this book simply didn't resonate with me. Saying that, it's beautifully written and very introspective. I wished we'd got more of Midoriko and Makiko in part 2, should've kept Midoriko's diary as part of the book.
Mostly made me desperate to go back to Japan. The author describes so many ordinary things about Tokyo and Osaka like the little tune that plays before a train arrives and it filled me with memories. Also the descriptions of the heat, the heat does not mess about in Japan!
Mostly made me desperate to go back to Japan. The author describes so many ordinary things about Tokyo and Osaka like the little tune that plays before a train arrives and it filled me with memories. Also the descriptions of the heat, the heat does not mess about in Japan!
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Definitely not the book I was expecting but loved the book I got. I thought this was more of a thriller-crime vibe for some reason, but it's a pretty in-depth dive into what it means to be a parent and a mother, about adoption and surrogacy and what it means to give a child the best life possible.
The characters are believable, it's pretty thought provoking and almost impossible to chose a side. Except my hatred for Mrs Richardson made it really easy to choose the side that she wasn't on.
I will say sometimes Mrs Richardson felt comically 'bad guy character' but she still had some depth so I choose to let it slide. Good book, super readable!
The characters are believable, it's pretty thought provoking and almost impossible to chose a side. Except my hatred for Mrs Richardson made it really easy to choose the side that she wasn't on.
I will say sometimes Mrs Richardson felt comically 'bad guy character' but she still had some depth so I choose to let it slide. Good book, super readable!
Babel by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
An absolutely fantastic and clearly deeply researched novel surrounding the power of language at the height of British colonialism.
The way past colonial actions shape our world today is something I'm really interested in, this book opened my mind up to so many perspectives and challenged me at points. I also loved the use of ideas around the 'good' immigrant and the way that means assimilating yourself entirely to a culture that will never actually respect you.
I think this book is especially poignant with the current extremely hostile atmosphere around immigrants in the UK, and a rise in the racist depiction of who is 'actually' British.
I had one small gripe that stopped this being 5* and that's the authors notes. Personally I did not need the authors own voice and I found it very distracting throughout.
Still a fantastic book that I'm ashamed I'd put off reading until now!
The way past colonial actions shape our world today is something I'm really interested in, this book opened my mind up to so many perspectives and challenged me at points. I also loved the use of ideas around the 'good' immigrant and the way that means assimilating yourself entirely to a culture that will never actually respect you.
I think this book is especially poignant with the current extremely hostile atmosphere around immigrants in the UK, and a rise in the racist depiction of who is 'actually' British.
I had one small gripe that stopped this being 5* and that's the authors notes. Personally I did not need the authors own voice and I found it very distracting throughout.
Still a fantastic book that I'm ashamed I'd put off reading until now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Blood
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Sometimes therapy is running away to the mountains with your husband and your cousin who's also your boyfriend and then doing cannibalism
-
I will say, I think this book needed more explicit content warnings, there is graphic child sexual abuse which I had not been expecting.
-
I will say, I think this book needed more explicit content warnings, there is graphic child sexual abuse which I had not been expecting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was worried as I really didn't love the opening on the boat (I hate boats and ocean traversing) but once it got into the retelling of Frankenstein's story it became absolutely fantastic. Just a really brilliant little book, a near perfect classic.