seyoban's reviews
245 reviews

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

Grace is fairly entertaining as a main character because of just how dislikable she is - be prepared to be insulted by her narration because she’s judgmental enough to leave literally nobody unscathed. Some of her monologue-esque chapters felt too long and repetitive after a while though, and her constant negativity was getting hard to read at the end.

For some reason I felt certain that all of this would pay off when it all came together in the end but that is by far the most infuriating and unsatisfying end to a book I’ve ever read. It felt like the author pulled the rug from under our feet for no solid reason other than she could????

Momma and the Meaning of Life: Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I appreciate what Yalom was doing with the blend of fiction and non-fiction in this book. Having read some of his other work, the non-fiction sections appealed to me much more - I get so much from reading his accounts of how to work with clients and address certain issues in the therapeutic relationship. Being familiar with his other works like Staring at the Sun, the fictional chapters had less of an impact - the messages around death and death anxiety are ones I’ve encountered before through him. 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

5.0

Every. Single. Chapter. In this book contains beautifully-written lines which are full of profound wisdom. I’ve never read a book like it and I can’t wait to read more from Barbara Kingsolver. 

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

I did not find this book enjoyable at all. I have no idea why it was named after Elektra when her role in the story was little more than a passive, angry character who spent the best part of the book whining. She also had almost no character development by the end. The recapping of the Trojan war felt long and mostly unnecessary. Why did Cassandra have such a large part of the book when she didn’t even interact with Elektra at any point? I’m confused by a lot of the choices made with this book. 

The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

So many twists and turns I’m left feeling dizzy. Some twists more predictable than others. Some of the finer details of the plot started to feel confusing during the middle but it all came together in a very satisfying way. 

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Beautiful writing and I enjoyed reading about how

the weaknesses of each character were taken advantage of by the spirit of the house

but it was a little slow, and the ending was very anticlimactic considering all the build-up. 

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

adventurous tense medium-paced

2.75

This felt like a cheesy action or horror movie where there are plot holes everywhere, stereotypical characters, shoddy writing, but a plot that’s cool and exciting enough to keep it all going. 

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.75

I get the feeling that this book would eventually be worth a second read. I feel like lots of it would become more meaningful once you know the context of Greta’s emotions, which you don’t truly find out until the very end. A good exploration of a very messy and traumatised person, and the author’s humour managed to make a deeply unlikeable character endearing enough to root for. A bit of an unsatisfying ending but I think that was purposefully done - self-development and healing from deep trauma rarely has a satisfying conclusion. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Heft by Liz Moore

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This book has left me sitting with a lot of sadness, but it was so beautiful. The depiction of each character’s mental health struggles was written realistically and with a lot of compassion. I would have loved there to be more direct interactions between Kel and Arthur but I appreciate how so much connection was created between them without their knowledge and despite their lack of contact. I feel like I’ll be thinking of the main cast of characters for a long time.