rnbhargava's reviews
414 reviews

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

This is quite near a perfect post apocalyptic novel. The only thing keeping it from being considered perfect is that it’s inconclusive. I do look forward to the sequel but it would be nice if this novel was a bit more conclusive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

This is a post-apocalyptic tale where the characters find themselves in relationships with whoever, even potentially cousins and other forms of incest. The violence is very graphic. Much of it is rooted in drug addiction. The racism between characters is rampant too. Well worth the read but please not triggers.

Out There Screaming by Jordan Peele, John Joseph Adams

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-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

4.75

I’m giving this a 4.75 because it’s overall a fantastic collection of short stories with horror and other genre sensibilities done mostly incredibly well. I’m not going to ding the ones that didn’t hit for me too harshly because frankly those might work really well. Overall, I loved my time with this book. Reading it off and on for a year never felt like wasted time. I now have a whole plethora of black authors to check out longer novels and other works from.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

If I missed any triggers, there’s plenty that is spread throughout this book that is an anthology of short stories mostly in horror by Black Authors. Please be aware.

Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.25

Excellent book. Everything you expect from Martial Arts movies and shows in book form. The Dragon Scale powers are a simple, elegant system. Characters are multifaceted, keeping you guessing, very infused with believable psychology. The worldbuilding is excellent too. My only minor gripe is that you can’t help but envision the protagonist as Bruce Lee given Fonda Lee collaborated on this with Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s Daughter. It stands well on its own actually. Can’t wait for the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

A School Frozen in Time, Volume 2 by Naoshi Arakawa, Mizuki Tsujimura

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

This is a great volume. It’s very much a middle volume, we’re not getting full answerd, it’s still developing. Nonetheless, experiencing the doubts and fears of these students is very involving.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

A School Frozen in Time, Volume 1 by Naoshi Arakawa, Mizuki Tsujimura

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense 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

This is a strong first volume. Each character is depicted vividly. You know their type in the group dynamic. The strangeness and suspense of their predicament is quite well done. The comedic asides are welcome but probably could have been minimized. The suspects about who died that day are quite obvious in this volume but perhaps they’re red herrings. I look forward to reading the other volumes.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

There’s suicide and slitting wrists triggers. There’s also smoking.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

The book has themes of genocide and also has a section of the book with the setting in an ongoing riot status. There is a scene that’s a sexual assault. Complicity in institutional segregation and genocide is the major theme of the book.

Spy x Family, Vol. 13 by Tatsuya Endo

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

There’s some brief sections that deal with war, people’s feelings surrounding war and PTSD for both those that fought and their families.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

The end portions feel a bit rushed and contrived but I was gripped and steadily reading for much of this novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

A large aspect of the conclusion of this book’s plot could be described as potentially transphobic, making a kid conform to a gender identity that isn’t their own

Elevation by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

This is a surprising, magical realism tinged, slice of life novelette or novella from Stephen King, a writer who doesn’t get enough credit for his non-horror works. This probably could have been a smidge longer but King probably didn’t want it that way. It’s brisk and effective. I selfishly want a bit more time with these characters. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

I loved reading through this, from deciding how much to trust the characters, the setting amidst a specific point in Chinese History, the character motivations that make you question good or bad or something in between. The central dilemma will certainly be great to go through in the sequels. I’m giving it a 4, plot is thrilling, characters are kind of cold but nonetheless relatable on some level. You really question yourself given which characters you end up relating to. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation