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rudyb's Reviews (242)
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
i found the role of memory in this book to be quite interesting. given the fragmented nature of lee's own understanding of her family's past, the narrative of the book itself comes across the same way, which could be equal parts frustrating and compelling for me. overall, i liked this one, although it did feel like the author struggled a bit with striking the right balance between natural, political, and personal histories.
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
i loved this. a beautiful and melancholy meditation on the anthropocene that overall made me really think about what we owe to the earth and to each other. the audiobook was also really beautifully produced, would highly recommend.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ngl the epilogue got me but i think wallace getting to come back to life at the end was kind of antithetical to the rest of the book talking about accepting death as part of life? just felt like the book wanted to have a nice happy ending where the two leads get to be together when i think it would have been more impactful for wallace to have accepted his death and gone through the door. just kinda cheapened the book overall for me.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i wish i had something more interesting to say about this but honestly it was just kinda boring. i don’t mind a story with little to no plot but i didn’t find the characters interesting enough to carry the story by themselves. i did like how the author uses language/linguistics throughout the book, though. overall, didn’t hate it but definitely didn’t love it.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
this is an incredibly well executed and disturbing book and i was definitely on the edge of my seat the whole time, however, i think i’m learning that the thriller/mystery genre is just never really gonna be my thing.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
it's not even funny how much better these books would be if the main characters were just gay but heterosexuality strikes again i suppose :/
challenging
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
to be a trans person in recent years has been demoralizing. i often find it difficult to pick up books about transness or trans issues because there’s simply only so much pain i’m able to swallow. i would not say that this book is devoid of that pain but there is some kind of solace in seeing it written down on a page in black and white. konemann acknowledges and sits with the reality of existing as a trans person in the world today. the titular joy comes from finding happiness despite the pain and the hardship, and centres trans joy as a radical act. this book is 96 pages and thus cannot incorporate every facet of its subject, but it made me feel a little more seen than i had before.
should be required reading for anyone living in Mi'kma'ki
funny
informative
fast-paced
not entirely sure what it says about me that i picked this up as a lighthearted read, but it was fun! the first person narration worked for me, especially in audiobook format. i enjoyed the chapters on body farms and beating heart cadavers, in particular. i felt that the author could have delved further into the historical aspect of some things, but that may just be because that’s where my own interests lie. the chapter on medical cannibalism was also concerning for me - it felt like the author relied too much on sensational (and sometimes inaccurate) news stories, which i felt she had avoided in her coverage of other topics. overall, i would recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read on the subject, but i also think caitlin doughty’s youtube channel covers some of the same things just as well, if not better.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i enjoyed this one! the climax and ending wrapped up a little quickly for my taste and some of the side characters felt a little empty but overall the story and main relationship between the twins was compelling. ekwuyasi writes beautifully and i am excited to see what she does next.