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solitaryandunsustained's reviews
162 reviews
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
3.0
I wasn't sure in the beginning, but the second half pulled through. Definitely YA fantasy, and not so much historical fiction, but I still enjoyed it. I'm ordering the second book now...
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
1.0
Idk this book just felt very pointless. I'm fine with character studies, where not much happens, but it's hard when you don't connect with or like any of the characters. My main attraction to this book was the fact that the main character was an expat in Hong Kong, but it turned out that was not all that relevant to the story. The main character just ended up being kind of annoying. Idk, not for me
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by Arthur Rackham, J.M. Barrie
1.0
The only good part is that you learn a little bit about Peter pan's origins, but besides that it is overly descriptive of Kensington gardens, while no real plot happens. Then there is some repeated elements of peter's relationship with Wendy with some other girl in the garden (the whole kiss and thimble thing happens again, word for word), and then the story ends warning children not to stay in the gardens after dark or they will die from the cold, and Peter will make a tombstone for them. Two random children's names are mentioned having died at the end and Peter made tombstones. This one was just weird lol
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
I really enjoyed circe as a character and was excited leading up to her exile on her island of lions and witchcraft. I was really hoping that there would be some main conflict for her to face, but miller took things in a different direction in which circe observed others face many conflicts over a long span of time. In the end circe's biggest conflict was the curse of her immortality as a divinity and her attachment to various mortals through the span of her life, who would ultimately leave and die away. Much of this book reminded me of the invisible life of addie larue, in how circe had been trapped and cursed by higher divinities and forced to live many lives from afar never truly achieving what she wanted in her relationships. I thought her relationship with her son was most touching, and i almost wished her son leaving had been one of the final scenes to wrap up her life and story. I felt the development of a romantic relationship between her and her son's half brother in the final chapters (although expected through various conversations) was rushed and a little weird to include, even if it is from the source material (which i am not sure because i have not read the iliad or the odyssey). Overall it was a very atmospheric and well written book, but i wish it had been structured differently to create more impact.
Severance by Ling Ma
3.5
Was really interesting as somewhat of a dark satire. Made interesting comments on consumerism and capitalism in the time of crisis, especially in regards to Americanism and our lack of empathy for other countries facing crisis (unless it begins to pose threats of affecting us). I'd love for this book to be made into a movie with awkwafina, she just seems great for the role, and she's already done the movie "the farewell" that deals with family and personal identity in response to being a Chinese immigrant in America.