rnbhargava's reviews
407 reviews

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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 book is as informative as it is engaging and heartbreaking. I’m mostly leaving it at 4.5 rather than a 5 because there’s always another side or opinion to any highly accurate fictional depiction of a certain time period

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

The whole narrative of this novel is about ways that women in South Korea aren’t valued, even abused in their professional and personal lives by various males in their lives. From fathers, brothers, partners, husbands, coworkers even if they’re subordinates to them or generally younger (age is a big thing in Korea in interpersonal relationships) This book is fantastic, especially given its brief length. Jiyoung could be any woman you know and she just wants to be valued and acknowledged as a person but she isn’t just because she’s a woman, a hard worker, a mother, among any number of things she could also be. Fantastic novel.

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (Vizbig Edition) by Akira Toriyama

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

5.0

This is such a nostalgic manga for me. I love it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

The sexism via lecherous old master is kind of a trope of manga of the time. Same thing with Bulma and other women presuming all guys are interested in seeing them naked or semi-undressed. There’s also a tragic backstory but the protagonist is so happy go lucky he hasn’t figured out the implications of what he does know. I love this series. It’s nostalgic for me. It’s mostly just a fun action adventure.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I quite liked this entire book. However, the reveal of the victim and the perpetrator could have been handled more effectively. The author’s habit of jumping around the day’s timeline was mostly effective but it also released some tension of the reveal of the victim and who did it. Overall, really good mystery.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

This book involves a character that preys upon late teens/early 20 somethings aged females that are just barely not minors anymore, SA and suicidal ideation resulting from this character’s actions so be aware of that.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

This romcom book is lovely and full of charm alongside some real emotion about family connections and how they guide the characters’ present day.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

There is a death by suicide that’s central to the protagonist’s mindset throughout this book.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing is mostly quite well done. The characters are wonderful and there’s a lot of diversity in the cast. My only gripe is that the absolute ending of the main driving plot feels a bit rushed thus slightly anticlimactic. I even really like the denouement. Overall, this book is highly recommended 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

The triggers are mostly of the variety of time displaced individuals saying, showing or doing things that they either were allowed to do that are no longer appropriate in the contemporary world of most of the rest of the story or the opposite, indulging in things that they weren’t allowed to do openly before.

Spy x Family, Vol. 12 by Tatsuya Endo

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Really fun and action packed volume with a hell of a cliffhanger for the main multiparter which will spill into the next volume.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

The main conflict of this volume involves someone potentially having intel that can expose Operation Strix. There’s an inventive fight between 2 main featured characters too. The threat here is quite capable as well. The kids material is fun as well. Yor having ideas in her head thanks to a coworkers dinner is amusing. I quite liked this volume. Obviously to get to 4 more developments would have to happen

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is great. It’s not like Ready Player One. It’s kind of like The Social Network but with mildly more sympathetic characters at its core. It’s ultimately about the work/life balance of three friends that start a video game company together told through the eyes of 2 out of the 3 of them. It also might be peak late Gen-X/Early Millennial nostalgia in terms of the video games referenced and it essentially inserts itself into how things actually happened in reality. Please note the sexism, misogyny and racist tendencies the characters Sam, Marx and their family members came across is realistically depicted. There’s also an active shooter situation depicted in the novel so be aware if it triggers you. One character also engages in an inappropriate relationship with a person with authority over them and mind if it triggers you. One character has a mobility disability and there’s vivid depictions of his struggles with medical care and health. There is suicide and car accidents depicted as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, 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, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Triggers are either actively in there or suggested somewhere throughout the book. I honestly might have missed some but I really enjoyed this book and its depiction of the years shown and how Zevin’s characters lived through those times.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This mostly character based crime story about a former army sniper hit man is surprisingly quite charming and tender in some aspects, tense, hard boiled and action packed in others. Excellent read. I’m glad this is my first Stephen King. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

There’s child death, rape, various abuses and war throughout the story as key elements. There’s also a pedophile that’s a target in the story. They share base information about his heinous acts to fully condemn him. This is a crime story so many characters are unsavoury in varying ways. I may have missed some triggers.

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book has a fantastic story that has you see the narrative of the story from a multitude of points of view but honestly it doesn’t get confusing. There’s even points where you recontextualize earlier points in the story where things weren’t exactly what you thought they were.
This is honestly one of my favorite reads in years. I now need to find Simon Jimenez’s first novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

The layering of potential triggers is heavy in this book. There are figures that are dead/potentially dead. There are figures that are mixed with animal appearance. There’s cannibalism. There’s borderline self loathing/coming to grips with being homosexual. There are points where characters are in each other’s heads. The villains are brutal and unforgiving. Even some of the supporting characters aren’t fully trustworthy at points. This book’s narrative is intense.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

3.5

Seeing how Lily and Atlas fully commit despite Ryle’s behaviour which he comes to work on is beautiful in a way. I like both books equally for slightly different reasons.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Gaslighting

There is some slight forms of domestic abuse in this sequel albeit it’s all briefer because it’s in different contexts compared to the first book. There is some violence and vandalism depicted in the book as well.