sisa_moyo's reviews
195 reviews

Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History by Martin Dugard, Bill O'Reilly

This follows Nazi hunters as they stealth across Europe and South America in search of former Nazi and SS officials to hold them accountable. 
This is a really interesting read as it follows top Nazi beyond Germany’s loss in WW2. As a history enthusiast this was very informative and an intriguing look into the hunt for the SS and their life in the Americas during the Cold War. 
Thoroughly enjoyed. 

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 3 by Koyoharu Gotouge

adventurous funny fast-paced

Absolute fun all round. We go to the Tsuzuki Mansion and are introduced  to Zenitsu and Inosuke. Refreshing to see Tanjiro as he doubts himself and overcomen some of his fears along with a new friend.

Moshi Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.

I think it just wasn’t for me in terms of subject area and just writing style. 
Having read her short stories in Lizard I really enjoyed her ability to hit to the themes so impactfully in such a short space. 
Here I feel like it was too stream of thought and long monologues that feel repetitive and wasn’t for me right now. 

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim

This book was very confusing at first, you are thrown immediately into the world with no building of world or anything. While the first few chapters were so intriguing I felt that it slowed down for most of the rest of the book. Also it having multiple points of view, I found that for most of the book I cared about Cain’s chapters and was trudging through the other ones which made the book feel even slower. I felt that most of the world building was also a bit lax. Key plot drivers were not well explained or established eg. there is sorcery used that the sorcerer does not know where she got the spells from or anything, she just does them? 
However, it kicked into gear in the last hour and a half as the action reaches its peak. I also overall liked the themes tackled, from colonisation, empire and anti-imperialism, to revenge and the resilience of man. Kim artfully handled these topics and issues even though the pace faltered. 
Overall, for the most part it was okay. But, the last act was actually so good and intriguing that I’m looking forward to reading the sequel when it’s published in the English. 

Modern Zimbabwe: The History of Zimbabwe from the Colonial Era to Today by Charles River Editors

informative

This is a very thorough and succinct account of Zimbabwean history from the arrival of Rhodes on the continent, to Lobengula, Nkomo up until the death of Mugabe. 
It’s really good as base introduction to overall Zimbabwean history though I would say that it focuses most of its metal on the early colonial era of the reign of the Khumalos. If you have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of Zimbabwe through the centuries this may not be that helpful, and would serve as a refresher of what you already know. 
Overall, it was well research and touched on the key events and actors that brought about the current state of modern Zimbabwe.  

Snowglobe by Soyoung Park

adventurous

 In this dystopian, post-war world where the chosen few live inside a snow globe as the privileged actors and directors whose lives those living in the outside freezing wasteland watch to distract from their below 0 existence. We follow our main character as she journeys into snow globe to replace a famous actor. 
For the most part I enjoyed this book. For me the world building was thorough and well done and be central plat was really interesting. I was engaged throughout and eager to know what happened to the main actor. 
For me the last act was also well paced and balanced out well with the action. I wish though that we had gotten to see more of some characters, such as the main character’s twin the Killer who closes the book. 
And while some insight was provided on certain subplots, the central plot was not concluded. It seems it’s set up that way not to be a shocking open ending like it had interpreted it as, but because this book is the first in a series. I do still think it makes a pretty compelling open ending for me, in a way that gets you theorising on what happens behind the cameras that we don’t see. (Given how I low-key was okay with the ending I’m anxious to see what direction the sequel will take) 
Overall I think this would be interesting for people who like futuristic, dystopian  YA stories with a compelling main character and a bizarre plot and take on doppelgängers and class privilege. 

The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt

fast-paced

This was such an interesting short little book. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

challenging emotional funny reflective sad

5.0

Absolutely enjoyed this book. A raw, emotional, nuanced portrayal of a young queer man in conservative South Korea navigating love in a big city like Seoul. 
It loved how the narrator, while taking us through his search for live in Seoul, tackles so many other issues and themes from abortion, being HIV +, to friendships and growing older, chronic illness. 
Even though I read this a few days after having watch the show, I found that I was never bored, Park’s writing is so captivating that even the unnamed characters come to life and jump off the page along with our main characters. Anton Hur’s translation also brought the story to life for me and his and Park’s writing in symphony ushered me seamlessly into Young’s big city, into his thoughts. 
This is a great book for people who love introspective, self-searching writing following a flawed yet hopeful queer narrator. 

My Love Mix-Up!, Vol. 3 by Wataru Hinekure

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Funny lighthearted a swell time 
Idk though if I’m committed to finishing the whole series, having watched the show I feel I’ve read up to where I’m genuinely invested with this volume. 

Pageboy by Elliot Page

I loved this memoir for the most part. It was raw, unfiltered into Page’s life, dealing with fame, navigating family, friendships and relationships as a queer and trans person. Page has a gift for encapsulating in words difficult and such specific and particular emotions and feelings. 
I did feel that the overall flow was not for me. The timeline is non-linear and non-chronological jumping from theme to theme rather than across time which took me out of certain chapters. Because of this structure some things felt repetitive, taking up more time than necessary. 
Overall, I did enjoy the book for the message it has and the space it creates and holds for queer people, especially trans people.