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sauvageloup's reviews
526 reviews
The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
i really wanted to love it but i just... yeah, no
Pros:
- the premise is brilliant and it had such good potential, it just doesn't hit it
- i did like Luke being a supportive brother, his and Matt's relationship was cool
- i did find myself vaguely smiling at Matt and Jason's cuteness at times
- it did go by fast, but that was just the simple writing i think
cons:
- THE WRITING. it's just really flat, there's way too many sentence breaks, the dialogue is so dull. real life talking might be full of awkwardness and 'bye.' 'okay, bye' type dialogue but you can't write a book like that. it doesn't work. there's SO much telling all the time, too. everything we hear about the characters, we're told.
- Jason and Matt's early friendship was incredibly second-hand awkward, it just doesn't work like that. I get that it's hard to write that early part of a relationship, but that's a writer's job
- there's very little plot at all and it's not gripping.
- as others have said, the ending was really unsatifying. Matt's dad didn't give a shit about Matt leaving, and i didn't get that Luke already knew about Matt being gay or bi and never said anything. as another review said, it felt like they treated it like a difference in career, not choosing to reject a life of murder. Matt's dad was totally chill with it, it was really weird and made the main conflict throughout the whole book seem pointless.
- Matt also is apparently fine with just leaving. no concern for keeping his family safe, or the Donovans either. and it just so happens that his dad goes from deciding to murder them all to just.. not. I thought a way better ending would've been Matt telling Jason's mum about the meeting and getting them all arrested. way more angst and conflict.
- Matt kinda has some PTSD symptoms from what he sees, but there's no long-term repercussions of this in his new life, it's just sorted.
- others also talked about the lack of realism of it being a mafia/crime family and just, yeah.
So, i was disappointed by this one. The writing didn't live up to the premise and i just feel a bit sad that it wasn't better.
Pros:
- the premise is brilliant and it had such good potential, it just doesn't hit it
- i did like Luke being a supportive brother, his and Matt's relationship was cool
- i did find myself vaguely smiling at Matt and Jason's cuteness at times
- it did go by fast, but that was just the simple writing i think
cons:
- THE WRITING. it's just really flat, there's way too many sentence breaks, the dialogue is so dull. real life talking might be full of awkwardness and 'bye.' 'okay, bye' type dialogue but you can't write a book like that. it doesn't work. there's SO much telling all the time, too. everything we hear about the characters, we're told.
- Jason and Matt's early friendship was incredibly second-hand awkward, it just doesn't work like that. I get that it's hard to write that early part of a relationship, but that's a writer's job
- there's very little plot at all and it's not gripping.
- as others have said, the ending was really unsatifying. Matt's dad didn't give a shit about Matt leaving, and i didn't get that Luke already knew about Matt being gay or bi and never said anything. as another review said, it felt like they treated it like a difference in career, not choosing to reject a life of murder. Matt's dad was totally chill with it, it was really weird and made the main conflict throughout the whole book seem pointless.
- Matt also is apparently fine with just leaving. no concern for keeping his family safe, or the Donovans either. and it just so happens that his dad goes from deciding to murder them all to just.. not. I thought a way better ending would've been Matt telling Jason's mum about the meeting and getting them all arrested. way more angst and conflict.
- Matt kinda has some PTSD symptoms from what he sees, but there's no long-term repercussions of this in his new life, it's just sorted.
- others also talked about the lack of realism of it being a mafia/crime family and just, yeah.
So, i was disappointed by this one. The writing didn't live up to the premise and i just feel a bit sad that it wasn't better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
dark
funny
slow-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
2.5
tricky one to rate and i'm not sure how i feel about it really
[spoilers throughout]
Pros:
- the imagination of it really was excellent. the mythic gods were brilliantly described and creepy, with the Bird Woman lurking in the field from Charlie's train and generally being very spooky
- the characters were done well, especially Daisy and Maeve, I thought. they were brought in rather randomly and then woven in to be intricately part of the story and that was very effective and satisfying. Graham Coats was a convincing and awful villain, mundane enough to be realistic but still so uneasily disturbing at the same time. Him being the human equivalent of Tiger was clever and cool
- how the story all tied up was my favourite part, very satisfying. there was a great deal of character growth in Charlie and Spider, and to a lesser extent Rosie and Daisy too. Charlie and Spider's arc reminds me of the two sisters in that children's story I read - where one reckless sister learns to be more thoughtful, and the too-careful sister learns to be a little brave. they were two parts of the same whole (loved that reveal) and they needed to come together to balance each other out a bit.
- Charlie's magic coming into itself, and him becoming more confident with it, was great to see too. he had his own sort of magic, as long as he could believe in it he could make others believe it too. and i'm glad he wasn't totally healed, ie. he still got a bit of stage fright beforehand.
- in the interview questions, Gaiman says that he never intended for it to go as dark as it does with Maeve's muder, but I'm glad it did. I enjoyed the dark punch of the Bird Woman's sinister awfulness, Tiger's violence, and Graham being frighteningly terrible. it definitely upped the stakes and gave the book a real bite - the gods felt like convincingly powerful and also callous beings.
cons:
- so I hated the start and middle of this book. Charlie was painful to read, Spider I loathed and Rosie frustrated me (and continued to throughout the book). I understand that there was a satisfying arc for the brothers' characters and Spider definitely got his comeuppance, but I still wanted to DNF it because i was so fed up with them.
- and the biggest part of why I hated it, and the point that was never dealt with, was how Spider raped Rosie. She never wanted sex with Charlie and she knew him and planned to marry him. Spider had sex with her under false presences (legally rape) and using his "miracle" magic on her. He influences her to go away or do as he wishes with no compunction and there's no consequences for this except him being a bit sad he lost her for a spell. She slaps him and its forgotten about. Charlie also makes little to no effort to save Rosie from getting duped and influenced by Spider and is only pissed that *he's* losing his fiancée. he gives absolutely no shits that she, a woman who would never have had sex with Charlie when she's herself, got magicked into having sex. Really disgusting
- I know this was written in 2005, but there are some horrible little asides or so called jokes. One I remember was saying something derogatory about people who see things, ie. making a mean-spirited joke of schizophrenia, another about cross-dressing, and there were many other places I winced. Gaiman says Anansi is meant to be about 'the revenge of the weak', but the book is still cruel to people already trodden on by society, and it's treatment of Rosie was shit as hell
- Gaiman also says in the interview notes at the back that it's a comic book. I found very little in it funny. There was one point I chuckled and that was it, I think. the jokes just didn't land for me.
so... very mixed feelings. Hated the start and middle, but the end was very satisfying and I stayed up late to finish it.
[spoilers throughout]
Pros:
- the imagination of it really was excellent. the mythic gods were brilliantly described and creepy, with the Bird Woman lurking in the field from Charlie's train and generally being very spooky
- the characters were done well, especially Daisy and Maeve, I thought. they were brought in rather randomly and then woven in to be intricately part of the story and that was very effective and satisfying. Graham Coats was a convincing and awful villain, mundane enough to be realistic but still so uneasily disturbing at the same time. Him being the human equivalent of Tiger was clever and cool
- how the story all tied up was my favourite part, very satisfying. there was a great deal of character growth in Charlie and Spider, and to a lesser extent Rosie and Daisy too. Charlie and Spider's arc reminds me of the two sisters in that children's story I read - where one reckless sister learns to be more thoughtful, and the too-careful sister learns to be a little brave. they were two parts of the same whole (loved that reveal) and they needed to come together to balance each other out a bit.
- Charlie's magic coming into itself, and him becoming more confident with it, was great to see too. he had his own sort of magic, as long as he could believe in it he could make others believe it too. and i'm glad he wasn't totally healed, ie. he still got a bit of stage fright beforehand.
- in the interview questions, Gaiman says that he never intended for it to go as dark as it does with Maeve's muder, but I'm glad it did. I enjoyed the dark punch of the Bird Woman's sinister awfulness, Tiger's violence, and Graham being frighteningly terrible. it definitely upped the stakes and gave the book a real bite - the gods felt like convincingly powerful and also callous beings.
cons:
- so I hated the start and middle of this book. Charlie was painful to read, Spider I loathed and Rosie frustrated me (and continued to throughout the book). I understand that there was a satisfying arc for the brothers' characters and Spider definitely got his comeuppance, but I still wanted to DNF it because i was so fed up with them.
- and the biggest part of why I hated it, and the point that was never dealt with, was how Spider raped Rosie. She never wanted sex with Charlie and she knew him and planned to marry him. Spider had sex with her under false presences (legally rape) and using his "miracle" magic on her. He influences her to go away or do as he wishes with no compunction and there's no consequences for this except him being a bit sad he lost her for a spell. She slaps him and its forgotten about. Charlie also makes little to no effort to save Rosie from getting duped and influenced by Spider and is only pissed that *he's* losing his fiancée. he gives absolutely no shits that she, a woman who would never have had sex with Charlie when she's herself, got magicked into having sex. Really disgusting
- I know this was written in 2005, but there are some horrible little asides or so called jokes. One I remember was saying something derogatory about people who see things, ie. making a mean-spirited joke of schizophrenia, another about cross-dressing, and there were many other places I winced. Gaiman says Anansi is meant to be about 'the revenge of the weak', but the book is still cruel to people already trodden on by society, and it's treatment of Rosie was shit as hell
- Gaiman also says in the interview notes at the back that it's a comic book. I found very little in it funny. There was one point I chuckled and that was it, I think. the jokes just didn't land for me.
so... very mixed feelings. Hated the start and middle, but the end was very satisfying and I stayed up late to finish it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
I think what happens with Rosie counts as sexual assault or rape, but others may not see it that way
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
a slow start but a fun read overall and surprisingly dark
(spoilers throughout this review)
Pros:
- it was the plot that most kept me going with this one, since I just wanted to know what'd happen next and how it'd finish! I thought for a minute near the end that we weren't gonna see Kaven dead in this book, but we did, so I'm interested to see if there'll be a new villain in the sequel or if it'll just be Amora struggling against the curse.
- though fairly simple, the different islands with their different magics was a lot of fun, as was the magical history and lore that went with it.
- I liked how surprisingly dark it was, with Amora being all stabby and having her gory magic. despite the younger YA way it was written, there was still plenty of guts and glory! especially when Amora randomly severs Ferrick's limbs at will.
- the side characters were fun, and I especially liked the mermaid, Vataea, and her and Amora's friendship. Amora is lacking in female friends but she and Vataea worked well in their little scenes
- there's also a fairly strong feminist message throughout this. Amora and Vataea are the strongest members of the crew, Amora's ability to run the country as a woman is never questioned, she's passionate, driven and powerful and Ferrick never tries to limit or control her. she might have faults, but Amora is definitely confident and that's good to see
- Amora also randomly gets her period in the middle and isn't embarrassed much at all about this, brushing off the boys being flustered and just sorts it out. it's not treated as a big deal at all, which was cool
- the plot twist with Sira's generational curse was cool, I hadn't anticipated that at all and I'm interested to see how Amora will break it. We also got to see a very different side to Amora without her magic
cons:
- it did feel like a young YA book overall, by which I mean it read too simplistically, without much flair to the writing or much depth of ideas or message to the book. it was exactly as it said on the surface. so while it was fun, it didn't really get my emotions involved at all or make me think much
- the love triangle, though not handled very badly, was a bit trite. Grace mentions Twilight in the acknowledgements and well... that says a lot
- Amora does have issues as a character that didn't feel like they were addressed, like how Ferrick gives up limbs for her and she doesn't even thank him, or be honest with him about how she doesn't love him. I guess she definitely seems like an entitled royal, but it would've been nice to see her change or realise this.
- she has a bit of a crisis over her use of her soul magic on prisoners, but I'm not sure it was fully explored
- I got a bit confused a couple of times. at the start, I thought Amora had never practiced soul magic before her performance, but that wasn't it at all, so that wasn't clear. I'm not entirely sure how Vataea got them onto Zuzoh in the end, and surely the sea monster should've sunk the minute it was frozen? I liked the creativity of Grace's use of her worldbuilding and magic, but it did get a bit far fetched or confusing at times
so overall, I don't think the writing was anything special, but it was a fun read and did keep me reading
(spoilers throughout this review)
Pros:
- it was the plot that most kept me going with this one, since I just wanted to know what'd happen next and how it'd finish! I thought for a minute near the end that we weren't gonna see Kaven dead in this book, but we did, so I'm interested to see if there'll be a new villain in the sequel or if it'll just be Amora struggling against the curse.
- though fairly simple, the different islands with their different magics was a lot of fun, as was the magical history and lore that went with it.
- I liked how surprisingly dark it was, with Amora being all stabby and having her gory magic. despite the younger YA way it was written, there was still plenty of guts and glory! especially when Amora randomly severs Ferrick's limbs at will.
- the side characters were fun, and I especially liked the mermaid, Vataea, and her and Amora's friendship. Amora is lacking in female friends but she and Vataea worked well in their little scenes
- there's also a fairly strong feminist message throughout this. Amora and Vataea are the strongest members of the crew, Amora's ability to run the country as a woman is never questioned, she's passionate, driven and powerful and Ferrick never tries to limit or control her. she might have faults, but Amora is definitely confident and that's good to see
- Amora also randomly gets her period in the middle and isn't embarrassed much at all about this, brushing off the boys being flustered and just sorts it out. it's not treated as a big deal at all, which was cool
- the plot twist with Sira's generational curse was cool, I hadn't anticipated that at all and I'm interested to see how Amora will break it. We also got to see a very different side to Amora without her magic
cons:
- it did feel like a young YA book overall, by which I mean it read too simplistically, without much flair to the writing or much depth of ideas or message to the book. it was exactly as it said on the surface. so while it was fun, it didn't really get my emotions involved at all or make me think much
- the love triangle, though not handled very badly, was a bit trite. Grace mentions Twilight in the acknowledgements and well... that says a lot
- Amora does have issues as a character that didn't feel like they were addressed, like how Ferrick gives up limbs for her and she doesn't even thank him, or be honest with him about how she doesn't love him. I guess she definitely seems like an entitled royal, but it would've been nice to see her change or realise this.
- she has a bit of a crisis over her use of her soul magic on prisoners, but I'm not sure it was fully explored
- I got a bit confused a couple of times. at the start, I thought Amora had never practiced soul magic before her performance, but that wasn't it at all, so that wasn't clear. I'm not entirely sure how Vataea got them onto Zuzoh in the end, and surely the sea monster should've sunk the minute it was frozen? I liked the creativity of Grace's use of her worldbuilding and magic, but it did get a bit far fetched or confusing at times
so overall, I don't think the writing was anything special, but it was a fun read and did keep me reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
pretty gory descriptions of repeated amputations
Spirited by Julie Cohen
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
a strange one, because it had all the elements of books i like, and nothing really was wrong with it as i read, but i still had to tug myself through it at times. it could just be that i'm not in the best reading mood.
[this review contains spoilers throughout]
Pros:
- I did really like the characters. Jonah is a bit of coward, as he admits, but he's a good person with a good heart and this come through throughout. His love story with Pavan and his reunion with Viola near the end, when they finally talk openly to each other, was lovely. He and Viola were best as brother and sister and it was touching to see them when they had stopped keeping secrets. the side characters were great too, Pavan, Nan, Madame, etc.
- Jonah's PTSD after his horrible experiences in the war was well represented in his nightmares, his shame, his depression, and that was never healed just by love, but by talking and being given space to accept his feelings
- though i didn't necessarily like her, Hetty/Harriet/Henriette was a fascinating character and her blooming romance with Viola was lovely, even if her past trauma had made her somewhat selfish in self-preservation
- Once Viola's talent was introduced into the story, I did enjoy seeing that a lot, it was well-written and interesting. I would've loved if there had been more focus on this, on Viola learning about the limits of what she could do (could someone else prepare the plates? take the photo? need Viola only be in the room? could the spirits communicate with her through the photographs?), but there was more focus on interpersonal relationships
- it was fascinating and awful to learn about the british in India and the riots in Dehli. i know somewhat about colonialism and how bad it was, but i know very little about how it came to an end in India and enjoyed the glimpses of history we got there.
cons:
- my predominant, but unfortunately vague, complaint about this was just that it seemed to drag. Perhaps the plot didn't have enough stakes or enough twists and turns, or I was frustrated with Jonah for lying to his wife, or maybe I'm just not in the right mood. But for a short book (340 pages), it did drag. It did get better as it went on - once Viola had to go to jail and Jonah raced back home from london, I was much more gripped - but the lack of anything magical or hopeful at the start just felt hard to get through.
so this book had a lot of potential but just never fulfilled it quite. the spirits were there, but not enough, there were stakes, but not enough, and the romance was slow building. still, i'd be interested to know if the author writes more.
[this review contains spoilers throughout]
Pros:
- I did really like the characters. Jonah is a bit of coward, as he admits, but he's a good person with a good heart and this come through throughout. His love story with Pavan and his reunion with Viola near the end, when they finally talk openly to each other, was lovely. He and Viola were best as brother and sister and it was touching to see them when they had stopped keeping secrets. the side characters were great too, Pavan, Nan, Madame, etc.
- Jonah's PTSD after his horrible experiences in the war was well represented in his nightmares, his shame, his depression, and that was never healed just by love, but by talking and being given space to accept his feelings
- though i didn't necessarily like her, Hetty/Harriet/Henriette was a fascinating character and her blooming romance with Viola was lovely, even if her past trauma had made her somewhat selfish in self-preservation
- Once Viola's talent was introduced into the story, I did enjoy seeing that a lot, it was well-written and interesting. I would've loved if there had been more focus on this, on Viola learning about the limits of what she could do (could someone else prepare the plates? take the photo? need Viola only be in the room? could the spirits communicate with her through the photographs?), but there was more focus on interpersonal relationships
- it was fascinating and awful to learn about the british in India and the riots in Dehli. i know somewhat about colonialism and how bad it was, but i know very little about how it came to an end in India and enjoyed the glimpses of history we got there.
cons:
- my predominant, but unfortunately vague, complaint about this was just that it seemed to drag. Perhaps the plot didn't have enough stakes or enough twists and turns, or I was frustrated with Jonah for lying to his wife, or maybe I'm just not in the right mood. But for a short book (340 pages), it did drag. It did get better as it went on - once Viola had to go to jail and Jonah raced back home from london, I was much more gripped - but the lack of anything magical or hopeful at the start just felt hard to get through.
so this book had a lot of potential but just never fulfilled it quite. the spirits were there, but not enough, there were stakes, but not enough, and the romance was slow building. still, i'd be interested to know if the author writes more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Classism
Minor: Lesbophobia
The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Another marvel from Arnott, i love his work so damn much
Pros:
- the writing is gorgeous, vivid, imaginative and poignant, whilst still being direct and crisp
- the myth of the rain heron is beautiful and Arnott's own invention as far as I can tell. The descriptions of it and the squids were just beautiful and I loved the overlap between the real, the speculative and the mythological - Arnott treads the lines so well
- the landscapes they travel through are well-described too, I could perfectly imagine each of them.
- I really enjoyed the side characters, or the earlier POVS. I loved Ren, liked Daniel and was interested in Alec in his brief appearance. I'm pretty sure Alec was meant to be Ren's estranged son and it was so sad that they came so close to reuniting. I suppose Daniel getting his happy ending with his farmer parents (i assume), and Harker reuniting with him too, was a stand in for the reunion Ren and Alec were denied.
- the themes of the deteriorating environment and collapse of government control were an interesting addition to the background of the main story, setting the stage against which the characters were sized up. They all reacted differently to the military control, to the damaged weather, and that showed who they were. It seems to me that Harker acts as a kind of reflection of general humanity - she follows the path of least resistance after suffering loss in childhood. She sees herself as not being evil and yet causes great harm through her bland competency within the military's cogs. it takes the loss of an eye (like Odin, gaining his wisdom?) for her to gain clarity and try to set things right as far as she can. The return of the heron doesn't fix the overall environment, but its shows a glimpse of light.
- the squid harvesting also seemed to speak to sustainable farming using traditional methods, and the damage outsiders do when they come in with their greed. what Harker's aunt's inappropiate laughter represented, I don't know, but it was an interesting addition to her character
Cons:
- I thought the book could have been longer, with more focus on environment and backstory. There were flashes of it, but nothing very satisfying. the talk of the human and animal cost was minimal apart from at the very start, and the vague mentions of weird weather just didn't feel quite... woven in enough? resolved? addressed? And nor did this mysterious coup. And yet I don't know whether more backstory would've just weighed it down, hard to say.
- I didn't like later Harker much, not because of her morality really, I just didn't find her very intriguing. As a child, placed next to her aunt, she was absolutely fine, but as an adult, she lacked something for me. Too burnt out or passive maybe. I liked the characters in this one, but I did like the <i> Flames </i> characters more and was more invested in them.
- whilst I liked the landscape descriptions, I felt the travelling phrase was a bit filler-y. Parts 0, 1 and 2 were definitely my favourite.
Overall, an excellent and beautiful read, but not quite up to the standard of <i> Flames </i> imo.
Pros:
- the writing is gorgeous, vivid, imaginative and poignant, whilst still being direct and crisp
- the myth of the rain heron is beautiful and Arnott's own invention as far as I can tell. The descriptions of it and the squids were just beautiful and I loved the overlap between the real, the speculative and the mythological - Arnott treads the lines so well
- the landscapes they travel through are well-described too, I could perfectly imagine each of them.
- I really enjoyed the side characters, or the earlier POVS. I loved Ren, liked Daniel and was interested in Alec in his brief appearance. I'm pretty sure Alec was meant to be Ren's estranged son and it was so sad that they came so close to reuniting. I suppose Daniel getting his happy ending with his farmer parents (i assume), and Harker reuniting with him too, was a stand in for the reunion Ren and Alec were denied.
- the themes of the deteriorating environment and collapse of government control were an interesting addition to the background of the main story, setting the stage against which the characters were sized up. They all reacted differently to the military control, to the damaged weather, and that showed who they were. It seems to me that Harker acts as a kind of reflection of general humanity - she follows the path of least resistance after suffering loss in childhood. She sees herself as not being evil and yet causes great harm through her bland competency within the military's cogs. it takes the loss of an eye (like Odin, gaining his wisdom?) for her to gain clarity and try to set things right as far as she can. The return of the heron doesn't fix the overall environment, but its shows a glimpse of light.
- the squid harvesting also seemed to speak to sustainable farming using traditional methods, and the damage outsiders do when they come in with their greed. what Harker's aunt's inappropiate laughter represented, I don't know, but it was an interesting addition to her character
Cons:
- I thought the book could have been longer, with more focus on environment and backstory. There were flashes of it, but nothing very satisfying. the talk of the human and animal cost was minimal apart from at the very start, and the vague mentions of weird weather just didn't feel quite... woven in enough? resolved? addressed? And nor did this mysterious coup. And yet I don't know whether more backstory would've just weighed it down, hard to say.
- I didn't like later Harker much, not because of her morality really, I just didn't find her very intriguing. As a child, placed next to her aunt, she was absolutely fine, but as an adult, she lacked something for me. Too burnt out or passive maybe. I liked the characters in this one, but I did like the <i> Flames </i> characters more and was more invested in them.
- whilst I liked the landscape descriptions, I felt the travelling phrase was a bit filler-y. Parts 0, 1 and 2 were definitely my favourite.
Overall, an excellent and beautiful read, but not quite up to the standard of <i> Flames </i> imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
the self harm is a long mention and plot point in part 2. extension discussion of a lost eye, infection and injury detail in latter parts of the book
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
a good read with a lot to recommend it
pros:
- the characters were probably the best part, particularly Marie-Laure and Werner, and all the side characters of Jotta, Frau Elena, Etienne, etc. Even ones like Volkheimer were compelling. There was a lot of feeling behind each of them, their struggles of fear and whether to rebel or comply felt very human, and i never felt frustrated with them despite some of their mistakes or foibles.
- the plot was good too, it stayed tight and interesting throughout and I always wanted to know what would happen next. the idea for the diamond and the model city was clever and fresh, against some of the more familiar tropes of a war novel
- i liked the characters talking about their interests - Werner and Etienne's fascination with radios, Marie-Laure with her books and her snails, Jotta with her art, Volkheimer's music, even.
- the writing was excellent too, very poetic at times, especially on discussing nature. the loss of Frederick's mind felt the most poignant, because of the pointlessness of it, how he was such a sweet boy and a dreamer, and Werner's guilt of it
- the epilogues were good, satisfying because they weren't too sad or too unrealistic. the sense of the randomness of who survives and who doesn't was palpable
- I also liked that the idea of their being a curse on the Sea of Flames was never really confirmed or not, just left as a question of belief. it was more representative whether or not the characters kept the stone than what the stone actually was.
- also, the placing of a blind character centre stage and presenting her as brave, capable and important, was good to read. while it wasn't easy for her, there wasn't a huge amount of bullying or abelism she went through, which I think makes for a change. sometimes authors seem to include disabled characters only to make them suffer, to make everyone else feel better about not being disabled.
cons:
- somehow it just didn't touch me as much as some others, particularly Life after Life which I read recently. That really showed the horror of the war somehow, whereas this felt surface level? too much like tropes? I'm not sure.
- as lovely as it was when Marie-Laure and Werner finally met, I wish they'd had more time together
- perhaps Marie-Laure was a little too perfect, though that is the point of her I suppose. Werner sees her as the pure thing the men at his school talked of. saving her was him saving the last bit of innocent goodness
- the scene were Jotta, Fray Elena and the others were abruptly raped by the Russians felt.. gratuitous. the horror of it wasn't conveyed in the short segment and it felt like an add on, like the author thought - oh and rape must happen at some time in war, and stuck it in without any emotional lead up or conclusion.
- the shortness of each chapter or segment did frustrate me a bit, always chopping and changing. I also got confused between the times, not sure how Von Rubel had in one chapter crushed the model house and in the next, couldn't find it (one was in the Paris, the other in Saint-Malo)
- whilst I (as a non-disabled person) thought Marie-Lauren's disability was written well, I did think that for Etienne's 20years of claustrophobia to disappear just like that, because he loves Marie-Laure so much he just overcomes it, wasnt a great depiction.
all in all, a very good read, but not as emotionally poignant as it might have been (or else I'm just a bit numb rn)
pros:
- the characters were probably the best part, particularly Marie-Laure and Werner, and all the side characters of Jotta, Frau Elena, Etienne, etc. Even ones like Volkheimer were compelling. There was a lot of feeling behind each of them, their struggles of fear and whether to rebel or comply felt very human, and i never felt frustrated with them despite some of their mistakes or foibles.
- the plot was good too, it stayed tight and interesting throughout and I always wanted to know what would happen next. the idea for the diamond and the model city was clever and fresh, against some of the more familiar tropes of a war novel
- i liked the characters talking about their interests - Werner and Etienne's fascination with radios, Marie-Laure with her books and her snails, Jotta with her art, Volkheimer's music, even.
- the writing was excellent too, very poetic at times, especially on discussing nature. the loss of Frederick's mind felt the most poignant, because of the pointlessness of it, how he was such a sweet boy and a dreamer, and Werner's guilt of it
- the epilogues were good, satisfying because they weren't too sad or too unrealistic. the sense of the randomness of who survives and who doesn't was palpable
- I also liked that the idea of their being a curse on the Sea of Flames was never really confirmed or not, just left as a question of belief. it was more representative whether or not the characters kept the stone than what the stone actually was.
- also, the placing of a blind character centre stage and presenting her as brave, capable and important, was good to read. while it wasn't easy for her, there wasn't a huge amount of bullying or abelism she went through, which I think makes for a change. sometimes authors seem to include disabled characters only to make them suffer, to make everyone else feel better about not being disabled.
cons:
- somehow it just didn't touch me as much as some others, particularly Life after Life which I read recently. That really showed the horror of the war somehow, whereas this felt surface level? too much like tropes? I'm not sure.
- as lovely as it was when Marie-Laure and Werner finally met, I wish they'd had more time together
- perhaps Marie-Laure was a little too perfect, though that is the point of her I suppose. Werner sees her as the pure thing the men at his school talked of. saving her was him saving the last bit of innocent goodness
- the scene were Jotta, Fray Elena and the others were abruptly raped by the Russians felt.. gratuitous. the horror of it wasn't conveyed in the short segment and it felt like an add on, like the author thought - oh and rape must happen at some time in war, and stuck it in without any emotional lead up or conclusion.
- the shortness of each chapter or segment did frustrate me a bit, always chopping and changing. I also got confused between the times, not sure how Von Rubel had in one chapter crushed the model house and in the next, couldn't find it (one was in the Paris, the other in Saint-Malo)
- whilst I (as a non-disabled person) thought Marie-Lauren's disability was written well, I did think that for Etienne's 20years of claustrophobia to disappear just like that, because he loves Marie-Laure so much he just overcomes it, wasnt a great depiction.
all in all, a very good read, but not as emotionally poignant as it might have been (or else I'm just a bit numb rn)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Torture, Excrement, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
a beautiful and thought-provoking book with a great plot and writing, the whole package
(spoilers throughout this review)
pros:
- the writing is just stunning, so visual it's like seeing a misty video in your mind, but with all the emotions attached. I'm not sure I even appreciated it all properly, only stopping to really linger on phrases a couple of times because I was so into the story
- the plot was great too, totally gripping and keeps you guessing till the last page and I was so hooked at the trial, literally couldn't put it down
- part of that was the characters, which were beautiful. I desperately wanted to meet kya in real life, to have someone love me like Tate does her. their relationship and characters were so starkly beautiful. even when they do wrong, you can't stop loving them
- I think Kya's upbringing was respected too. even when she was an adult, she still had that lingering, abandoned girl in her. she thrived despite or because of it, but it still was visibly part of her, not pushed to the side or grown out of. her trauma was still there in her wariness and defiance and silence
- I loved that Mabel and Jumpin were the ones to step up for Kya when she was little. your heart just aches for that little girl, all alone until she's not. the tiny kindnesses of people that should've been so much more
- i loved the ending. it felt almost inevitable, in a perfectly plotted way. it seemed like it couldn't have been her during he trial, but it feels like it must have been at the same time. she knows that Chase won't leave her alone, and she talks about the female insects. that she buried her secret for so long is not unsurprisingly, though I hope she knew Tate would've forgave her. maybe he already guessed.
- also it was just very well done all around. I can't quite say it felt wholly original in all its parts, but it came together in an original and impressive whole. I loved the descriptions of the South that bled through in the food, writing and nature. there was such love there despite the injustice.
- oh I did appreciate that Kya's period and her sexual desire wasn't tip-toed around, though I thought we might get a masturbation scene - Kya is so independent, the idea that she'd let Chase leave her wanting and not fix it or explore herself felt not right. I was glad however that Kya and Tate had a complete life even without children, that's often the heterosexual happy ending and I'm glad they still were happy without that. I wonder if Kya's early malnutrition might've damaged her fertility, since she never conceived with Chase and there was no mention of contraception
- OH and I just loved the nature info, and the poetry quotes. anything chance to learn, I enjoy, but particularly about nature and it was woven so well into the story. I love characters with strong interests.
cons:
- perhaps at the start, the time jumping confused me a bit, but not too bad
- I did find it a bit sad that her growing up was defined a lot by sex and her period. there's other defining features of adulthood than that, more subtle, but there's a lot of focus on those bits
- while I loved Jumpin's character hugely and I know the times in which it was set, if reality was bent enough for Kya to get a perfect love, I wish Jumpin and the other POCs on the story had gotten more justice, more of a plot line somehow. but I guess that would've made the book too big
overall, loved it, would read again. and somebody pls get Kya a cat!!
(spoilers throughout this review)
pros:
- the writing is just stunning, so visual it's like seeing a misty video in your mind, but with all the emotions attached. I'm not sure I even appreciated it all properly, only stopping to really linger on phrases a couple of times because I was so into the story
- the plot was great too, totally gripping and keeps you guessing till the last page and I was so hooked at the trial, literally couldn't put it down
- part of that was the characters, which were beautiful. I desperately wanted to meet kya in real life, to have someone love me like Tate does her. their relationship and characters were so starkly beautiful. even when they do wrong, you can't stop loving them
- I think Kya's upbringing was respected too. even when she was an adult, she still had that lingering, abandoned girl in her. she thrived despite or because of it, but it still was visibly part of her, not pushed to the side or grown out of. her trauma was still there in her wariness and defiance and silence
- I loved that Mabel and Jumpin were the ones to step up for Kya when she was little. your heart just aches for that little girl, all alone until she's not. the tiny kindnesses of people that should've been so much more
- i loved the ending. it felt almost inevitable, in a perfectly plotted way. it seemed like it couldn't have been her during he trial, but it feels like it must have been at the same time. she knows that Chase won't leave her alone, and she talks about the female insects. that she buried her secret for so long is not unsurprisingly, though I hope she knew Tate would've forgave her. maybe he already guessed.
- also it was just very well done all around. I can't quite say it felt wholly original in all its parts, but it came together in an original and impressive whole. I loved the descriptions of the South that bled through in the food, writing and nature. there was such love there despite the injustice.
- oh I did appreciate that Kya's period and her sexual desire wasn't tip-toed around, though I thought we might get a masturbation scene - Kya is so independent, the idea that she'd let Chase leave her wanting and not fix it or explore herself felt not right. I was glad however that Kya and Tate had a complete life even without children, that's often the heterosexual happy ending and I'm glad they still were happy without that. I wonder if Kya's early malnutrition might've damaged her fertility, since she never conceived with Chase and there was no mention of contraception
- OH and I just loved the nature info, and the poetry quotes. anything chance to learn, I enjoy, but particularly about nature and it was woven so well into the story. I love characters with strong interests.
cons:
- perhaps at the start, the time jumping confused me a bit, but not too bad
- I did find it a bit sad that her growing up was defined a lot by sex and her period. there's other defining features of adulthood than that, more subtle, but there's a lot of focus on those bits
- while I loved Jumpin's character hugely and I know the times in which it was set, if reality was bent enough for Kya to get a perfect love, I wish Jumpin and the other POCs on the story had gotten more justice, more of a plot line somehow. but I guess that would've made the book too big
overall, loved it, would read again. and somebody pls get Kya a cat!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Mental illness
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
a fun and gripping book
pros:
- I loved the worldbuilding and the intrigue, with the descriptions of the different faeries with their ears and horns and the ways the thwart their spells
- there were plenty of twists and turns though some I guessed or half-way did. it was certainly gripping and I read it very fast. there was angst there too, in the reveal of Cardan's misery, and how Jude had to turn her back on her sister.
- I liked Vivi and Jude's relationship with her a lot, they clearly supported each other
- and I liked Jude too overall, she was active and tricksy and very devoted to her goal, even if that mean murder, and she didn't back down at all. the bargains she made were good and even though she was impulsive and immature, her decisions never felt stupid or frustrating to a reader.
- Cardan and Jude's little fucked up relationship was good, and grew naturally I thought
cons:
- 1st person is never my fav and I still prefer 3rd,but it was carried off fine
- I felt like Jude's past and trauma wasn't addressed in the same good way as in 'the Coldest girl in Coldtown', but maybe Jude's upbringing made her not react on a human way.
- Jude did also feel immature at times, not exactly a criticism, just maybe that the book is more aimed at teens than me
- Jude's little flirt with Locke never felt believable and I didn't really believe her being angry at her sister about it and she didn't seem actually upset either.
overall, I want to read the rest but not a new fav yet, maybe the other books will grow on me more
cw:suicide, death, gore, murder, abuse, violence
pros:
- I loved the worldbuilding and the intrigue, with the descriptions of the different faeries with their ears and horns and the ways the thwart their spells
- there were plenty of twists and turns though some I guessed or half-way did. it was certainly gripping and I read it very fast. there was angst there too, in the reveal of Cardan's misery, and how Jude had to turn her back on her sister.
- I liked Vivi and Jude's relationship with her a lot, they clearly supported each other
- and I liked Jude too overall, she was active and tricksy and very devoted to her goal, even if that mean murder, and she didn't back down at all. the bargains she made were good and even though she was impulsive and immature, her decisions never felt stupid or frustrating to a reader.
- Cardan and Jude's little fucked up relationship was good, and grew naturally I thought
cons:
- 1st person is never my fav and I still prefer 3rd,but it was carried off fine
- I felt like Jude's past and trauma wasn't addressed in the same good way as in 'the Coldest girl in Coldtown', but maybe Jude's upbringing made her not react on a human way.
- Jude did also feel immature at times, not exactly a criticism, just maybe that the book is more aimed at teens than me
- Jude's little flirt with Locke never felt believable and I didn't really believe her being angry at her sister about it and she didn't seem actually upset either.
overall, I want to read the rest but not a new fav yet, maybe the other books will grow on me more
cw:suicide, death, gore, murder, abuse, violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide
the slavery is in a fantasy context. the suicide part is short but explicit. sexual content is limited to kissing and fumbling
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.75
I thought I might struggle to get into this since it's partly historical and I thought it might be a bit heavy, but I've raced through it
Pros:
- gripping and interesting writing throughout, which hooked me in right away. felt enormous sympathy for Norman from the first pages and for Jesse as we got to know him.
- the characters were painted so vividly that it felt like non-fic at times, like I could look them up online
- Mendez doesn't balk at any of grim realities Jesse faced, the abuse, some of the sex, the homophobia and internalised racism. there's never any shame put on Jesse for his choices by any of the decent characters and it really creates empathy
- I wanted so very badly for Jesse to do well, though I was afraid he wouldn't as there were so many ways he could've gone wrong - overdose, AIDS, or killed by a client. he wasn't like any other character I've read and I loved him
- it was strange but good to hear about the west Midlands in a book, the names of Dudley, Wolverhampton, merry Hill shopping centre, etc. all being familiar. and learning a bit more history of the area from a non-White perspective
- the book is also firmly placed in time through the music, a lot of which I didn't know, but still created an atmosphere. moving towards the 2000s felt like coming into familiar territory as I knew much more of those ones.
- as books like these always do, it made me think about my whiteness and what I can do to try to avoid the racism, personal and systemic, that Jesse faces.
- I did like how the book was structured, with the kind of prologue flashback of Norman's life at the start which eventually linked to Jesse.
- the book also raises the issue of beating kids as punishment, threatened by Norman and brutally carried out by Graham on Jesse. it's not confronted head on exactly, but I think it was clear it didn't work.
- oh and I did appreciate that there wasn't any biphobia, since bi people sometimes seem to slip by the wayside, but here were main characters and never dismissed or not included or acknowledged.
cons:
- I wish we had seen a bit more of Norman, since i liked him a lot, and it was tragic (but understandable I guess) that Jesse didn't get to meet his father.
- I felt that the shift from Jesse being 'Not Okay' to him being 'Okay' was too sudden, skipped over in time hops and summerised through flashbacks. After all of Jesse's suffering, to have seen that growth and recovery in the present tense would've been more rewarding I think, though I suppose Mendez thought it was the boring part of Jesse's story, his stay with Derrick, finding Owen and Ginika again, etc. I felt a bit robbed that we didn't get that part of the story.
- the part with Jean-Alain and Nick's dinner party right at the end, threw me a little too, but I suppose it was for the purpose of Jesse having that chat with J-A about the past. did feel stuck on the end though, like it was an extra scene randomly shoved into the main story.
overall, though, it was hugely readable and gripping, with a lot of important narratives and ideas in there, stories which haven't been the focus in the past, and highlighting the everyday racism and homophobia people still experience.
Pros:
- gripping and interesting writing throughout, which hooked me in right away. felt enormous sympathy for Norman from the first pages and for Jesse as we got to know him.
- the characters were painted so vividly that it felt like non-fic at times, like I could look them up online
- Mendez doesn't balk at any of grim realities Jesse faced, the abuse, some of the sex, the homophobia and internalised racism. there's never any shame put on Jesse for his choices by any of the decent characters and it really creates empathy
- I wanted so very badly for Jesse to do well, though I was afraid he wouldn't as there were so many ways he could've gone wrong - overdose, AIDS, or killed by a client. he wasn't like any other character I've read and I loved him
- it was strange but good to hear about the west Midlands in a book, the names of Dudley, Wolverhampton, merry Hill shopping centre, etc. all being familiar. and learning a bit more history of the area from a non-White perspective
- the book is also firmly placed in time through the music, a lot of which I didn't know, but still created an atmosphere. moving towards the 2000s felt like coming into familiar territory as I knew much more of those ones.
- as books like these always do, it made me think about my whiteness and what I can do to try to avoid the racism, personal and systemic, that Jesse faces.
- I did like how the book was structured, with the kind of prologue flashback of Norman's life at the start which eventually linked to Jesse.
- the book also raises the issue of beating kids as punishment, threatened by Norman and brutally carried out by Graham on Jesse. it's not confronted head on exactly, but I think it was clear it didn't work.
- oh and I did appreciate that there wasn't any biphobia, since bi people sometimes seem to slip by the wayside, but here were main characters and never dismissed or not included or acknowledged.
cons:
- I wish we had seen a bit more of Norman, since i liked him a lot, and it was tragic (but understandable I guess) that Jesse didn't get to meet his father.
- I felt that the shift from Jesse being 'Not Okay' to him being 'Okay' was too sudden, skipped over in time hops and summerised through flashbacks. After all of Jesse's suffering, to have seen that growth and recovery in the present tense would've been more rewarding I think, though I suppose Mendez thought it was the boring part of Jesse's story, his stay with Derrick, finding Owen and Ginika again, etc. I felt a bit robbed that we didn't get that part of the story.
- the part with Jean-Alain and Nick's dinner party right at the end, threw me a little too, but I suppose it was for the purpose of Jesse having that chat with J-A about the past. did feel stuck on the end though, like it was an extra scene randomly shoved into the main story.
overall, though, it was hugely readable and gripping, with a lot of important narratives and ideas in there, stories which haven't been the focus in the past, and highlighting the everyday racism and homophobia people still experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
heavy, graphic sex and drug use, along with child abuse by a parent and religious bigotry
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
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
3.75
considering I got this book by accident, it was a great read!
pros:
- the concept is a great one and I loved that we really get a feel for the setting of shanghai through the story
- also rly enjoyed learning about the history of what was going on at the time in the country.
- I did like Juliet and Roma a lot, although not so much at the start. Roma is the softer one, which was cool to see, and Juliette the harder one. I liked when she really got to lean into her ferocity and be a bit unhinged.
- the mystery unfolds well and there were twists and turns i didn't expect
- the side characters on both sides were fab and yay for trans rep.
- the multilingual bit was great, and I liked the political commentary.
cons:
- the characters at the start didn't feel very coherent, though that did improve.
- there was other things but they've gone out of my head
overall, I did really like this one and I'd read the second one if it was at the library, definitely, but i don't think I'll buy it.
pros:
- the concept is a great one and I loved that we really get a feel for the setting of shanghai through the story
- also rly enjoyed learning about the history of what was going on at the time in the country.
- I did like Juliet and Roma a lot, although not so much at the start. Roma is the softer one, which was cool to see, and Juliette the harder one. I liked when she really got to lean into her ferocity and be a bit unhinged.
- the mystery unfolds well and there were twists and turns i didn't expect
- the side characters on both sides were fab and yay for trans rep.
- the multilingual bit was great, and I liked the political commentary.
cons:
- the characters at the start didn't feel very coherent, though that did improve.
- there was other things but they've gone out of my head
overall, I did really like this one and I'd read the second one if it was at the library, definitely, but i don't think I'll buy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Transphobia