rubydeadyridge's reviews
3 reviews

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

The form evolves and is played with by Gray, but sometimes to an extent that the story he is telling gets lost in complication narrative voices. But overall is done to an intriguing effect. Bella Baxter is a character who cannot help but stay with you.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The editor must have been on annual leave. This insipid novel aims to be realist, but is at no point even believable. The characters are cringe-worthily written, self-absorbed cliches. The side characters and their traumatic backstories only exist to serve under the leads, and leaves a taste of tone deaf racism in the mouth. It take traumatic events and conditions- from addiction to suicide- and exploits them recklessly. So much so that it feel sensationalist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

August Blue by Deborah Levy

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad 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

3.75

It felt like a holiday of a book: suprising, softly intriguing, melancholy and flitting across Europe. I didn't really want it to end, though the ending was right.