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rubybereading's reviews
76 reviews
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m not even sure what to say about this. It was so confusing and disjointed that I wasn’t even sure what the book was about all the way. And, by the end, I was just left wondering why. I can appreciate the themes of tokenism, racism, micro aggressions, and self-reflection with regard to potentially self-sabotaging choices we make in our own lives, so I don’t have completely negative feelings about it. It just left me feeling unfulfilled. Oddly enough, though, I’d actually give this author another chance. She seems to be a good writer. This one just was…idek.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This wasn’t a bad book. It just didn’t do for me what I thought it would. I did like the focus on mental health and therapy and the importance of having a strong support system, but I also thought the support system was a little unrealistic. All of her friends and family, and even her wife’s friends who she’d just met, were all so loving and caring and patient and accepting of her selfishness and the emotional and even physical (though unintentional) harm she sometimes caused them. But they were all such extremely tight knit, perfectly fitting pieces that were always exactly what she needed to cope. Everyone loved everything about her and talked to and about her like she was a perfectly imperfect ray of sunshine that they all wanted to hold and protect and be her perfectly fitting cushion wherever she emotionally spiraled and needed some place to land. They all loved each other and got along 100% of the time. Both her and her wife’s friends, roommates, even coworkers were all just perfect spheres of perfect queerness that saw nothing but light in all her darkness. I honestly was waiting for some big reveal that they were all imaginary friends. And I honestly didn’t see what was so great about her. She just moped and complained, ran from her problems, ghosted the people she loved “so much it hurts”, and was extremely selfish and whiny. Kind of insufferable, BUT that part was actually realistic considering her mental health issues. Other things were a little odd. Everyone in her life, including people she barely knew, all affectionately calling her by either her full name or just last name all the freaking time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character’s name that much in any book. It was unnecessarily excessive. And, though I actually enjoy flowery language, that was a bit much too. It also read very YA or even younger—minus the one sex scene. Still, I didn’t hate it. It just didn’t move me at all. I was pretty bored and got tired of rolling my eyes. I was kind of glad when it was over honestly.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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
Wow...this book did a whole lot to me. Smh! I smiled and laughed. Was CRYING laughing at times! Literal tears! But it was also so heartbreaking. Like, it literally hurt! I was in ACTUAL pain at some parts! And then happy again a chapter later. There was so much balance. It was so well done. And the way I just ADORED Eleanor! Why do I love her so much?? It was so easy to root for her. Idek what else to say really, I'm just rambling because I just finished it and my heart is still in knots! 😥 But I'll just say that this is gonna be one of them ones! The ones that stick with me. A new fave for sure. 10 outta 10! Hugs to Eleanor! 💞💞💞
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m honestly shocked at how much of a departure this was from the first book. I get that they’re 2 different characters with different characteristics, but this felt like a forced attempt to push some kind of envelope. It felt like they were just trying to check off a whole bunch of “diversity” boxes, and was also trying to prove they could write a lot of smut. That’s fine, but “penis”, “vagina”, “p*ssy”, “c*ck”, “c*m”, and “c*nt” every 2 seconds made me roll my eyes every other page after a while. Though it did start out cute and made me chuckle out loud a couple of times, it lost me very quickly. Where the Chloe book was adorable and sweet and we could see on page how and why Chloe and her guy (can’t remember his name) fell in love, Dani and dude’s (already can’t remember his either) felt like the “love” part was a whole lot of tell and not enough show. Also, why is the bisexual sister the one that’s overly hung up on getting laid?? Is that why they believe bisexuals are bisexual ?? They’re just so horny all the time that they just simply CANNOT choose! 😒 Then the fake dating trope was getting jammed down our throats so hard. Every interaction: “He kissed me??…Oh wait this is fake”…”She smiled…oh never mind. That’s only for show….”His cock is so hard…Oh but wait, is his cock REALLY hard for me, or is he faking that too??” “We’re fake dating.” “Our dating is fake.” “Our fake is dating.” “Dating our fake is!” Whole time I’m like “gotdamnit girl! We get it! IT’S THE FAKE DATING TROPE! BIG F*CKING WHOOP! WHAT ELSE?? 🙄 Chloe’s gave me high hopes. I gave a VERY unexpected 5⭐️, but this one makes me wanna go back and reconsider. Lol! Damn! I hope Eve’s saves the day. I definitely am not a series finisher, so the fact that I went straight on to this one just to be disappointed kinda sucks. I mean, I’ll get over it. It ain’t that deep, but still. 😖
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To be honest, I only finished this book because Libby wouldn’t let me renew it (someone else was waiting for it) and I’m trying not to dnf anything for the next year. And it’s a good thing it was an audiobook because, if I would’ve had to read it on paper, it would’ve taken at least a month or 2 to get through it because MY GOD it started out boring as crap! Even though I had watched 50-75% (can’t remember exactly how many episodes I got in before IT bored me to death also) of the Hulu show a couple of years ago, and already knew a lot of at least the first half, since I never finished the series I still didn’t know what the “twist” was gonna end up being. So that was another motivating factor to finish. Once I got through to the last 3rd, I was pretty intrigued because I was finally about to get all the deets! And I can say, though it was pretty predictable and kind of corny, I didn’t mind it. I actually ended up being relatively entertained by it, which pleasantly surprised me. Now I want to rewatch/finish the Hulu series so I can see if it’s more enjoyable (or at least bearable). Mostly because I hate getting through more than half a series and not finishing it. Plus I’m always bored and looking for something to watch. G-damn this review is as anti-climactic and long-winded as the book was. I’m not even sure why I ended up liking it. Wth?
emotional
funny
informative
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
Wtf this was probably the most unexpected piece of happiness I had never even planned to discover. I literally ONLY read this for a “Disability Pride Month” prompt in 2 different reading challenges I’m doing, and it was available on Libby with no wait. Had those 2 factors not been involved, I likely would’ve NEVER gotten around to reading this. I’m so glad I did!! It was so sweet and heartwarming and it made me smile so much. It was such a good time, I’m upset it’s already over. I loved Chloe and Red together. Even though some of it was a little too perfect (minus the one hiccup that was resolved in just under 2.2 seconds), it was so adorable that I didn’t even care. Even the spice was adorable! Wth?? 😍😍😍
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
Very adorable! I enjoyed the story and a lot of it resonated with my own life so I appreciated that. It was a little wordier than necessary and kind of droned on for a bit in the middle, but even that didn’t bother me. I was never bored. It was so heartwarming and cozy and pleasant. Though some of the themes were pretty heavy, the whimsical nature of it kept it light enough so that it was still a very feel good story.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
This was such a fun read. If it wasn’t for the fact that I have to work and also, you know, parent or whatever, I would’ve ate this book up so quickly! It was just a good time! The plot was interesting, the world-building was simple but still thorough enough to support the story and was well thought out, and the characters were believable and likeable. Some of it was a little redundant and it got slightly boring around 55%, but it picked back up quickly and redeemed itself by the end. And even though it was mostly lighthearted and fun/simple, it was still action packed, adventurous, had a little drama and even a few heartfelt moments. I plan to eventually read more of the writer’s work because one thing I really appreciated about the book is that I could tell he was an actual fan of the genre and the themes in the story. Idk if it was necessarily super well researched in the traditional sense, but I could tell he enjoyed this type of content as a fan of it himself, and that added a certain element to his writing style that I think made it better. It was a good read! And funny too!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was going back and forth on whether to give this 5 stars or not, but my son told me to stand on it, so I’m standing on it. This book initially came onto my radar last summer when I was looking for something to fulfill the “food-related” book prompt in a reading challenge I’m doing, but it was only because it was a book club pick that I ended up doing it and I’m so glad I did. I adored so much about this book. First, the food. Omg! The way they described cooking and eating and how those simple acts, that we perform daily, engages and interacts with all the senses was immaculate. And as someone who already loves butter, especially, it made me want to eat it straight out of a bowl like it was ice cream. Lol! Omg! I was in heaven listening to it. I also think that made it even better. This was an audiobook listen for me, and the way the narrator’s accent and tone played into it almost felt sensual. Don’t judge me, but it did! Lol! It was so satisfying. It was tf sublime! My God!! Smh! That set the tone for the whole book for me. There wasn’t much they could do to ruin it for me after that. I already love to cook, and this gave me so many new menu ideas to try and I can’t wait! There was actually a time back in my early 20s that I considered going to culinary school (Johnson & Wales, specifically, since I was living in Charlotte at the time), and this made me want to consider it again. That’s what the vivid food descriptions did for me. And I wasn’t taught how to cook growing up. I became “self-taught” in my late teens/early 20s (via Food Network, google, and mostly trial and error) at the behest of my boyfriend at the time and have loved cooking ever since, so those parts of the story really resonated with me. Plus I just loved it! Lawd! Anyway, aside from that, this was the first book in a while that I cared about the characters in the way I did with this one. I felt a similar level of compassion I’d feel for myself or a friend that I love. Idk if it was the mommy/daddy issues, the struggles with weight and body image, or the issues they confronted with regard to self-reflection, self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-confidence, but I saw a lot of myself in them—ALL 3 of the main female leads, Rika, Reiko, and even the “villain”, Kajii. I saw so much of myself, my friends, and siblings/aunts/cousins in them, and it was surprisingly very comforting. It was by no means a perfect composition, but I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the reading/listening experience. I want to buy a physical copy for my collection now.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t enjoy reading this, but I respect it. The main character was very unlikeable and infuriated me at times, but he was also very damaged and broken and had been through so much as a child that I couldn’t help but feel empathetic towards him. His notebooks showed a high level of vulnerability, but it lacked a certain level of self-awareness in my opinion. I do know from my own experiences and from dealing with loved ones who suffer or have suffered from debilitating depression that it’s hard to see things for how they truly are and that you can develop a tendency to lie to yourself in order to cope with some of the realities of your existence. The fact that he felt he couldn’t relate to other humans, though, was actually one of the most relatable things about him. Still, this book left a sour taste in my mouth. It was hard getting through some of it and reading about the self-destructive choices he made and the way he nonchalantly and dismissively affected the people in his life in some extremely horrible ways. This book could be very triggering for many reasons, but that’s kind of what makes me respect it more. It’s a raw and uncut depiction of how mental illness can manifest in someone’s life, and is told in a very unapologetic manner that really does make him more honestly “human” than most people would feel comfortable admitting.