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stellabyproxy's reviews
102 reviews
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
dark
tense
fast-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
4.0
Night Train To Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
after a chance encounter with a portuguese woman on a bridge on a rainy school morning, Gregorius enters a 2nd hand bookstore and discovers a book written by de Prado in which, “he seems to begin, passage after passage, to dig for all the buried experiences. to be the archaeologist of himself.” upon purchasing the book, Gregorius experiences a great liberation and chooses to leave everything he knows behind, learn português and take a train to Lisboa in search of the author de Prado.
what he discovers about de Prado, and himself, is so much more than anyone can put into words. this novel is riddled with profound truths and hidden realities and allows us as readers to dig a little deeper into ourselves as well. there is a wisdom like nothing i have ever seen, but also a grief simply unmournable.
a mourning of past and present, others and self.
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
sometimes i read a book and question the standard of literature today. other times i am left speechless with the knowledge that i will never be as i was before i absorbed those words and that i am, indeed, a better person for it.
the journey i have travelled through Pascal Mercier’s writing is incomparable to anything i have ever encountered. a reoccurring quote in Night Train to Lisbon is,
“nós homens, que sabemos uns dos outros?”,
the core belief of this novel, as we follow Raimund Gregorius on his journey to unearthing the life of Amadeu de Prado.
after a chance encounter with a portuguese woman on a bridge on a rainy school morning, Gregorius enters a 2nd hand bookstore and discovers a book written by de Prado in which, “he seems to begin, passage after passage, to dig for all the buried experiences. to be the archaeologist of himself.” upon purchasing the book, Gregorius experiences a great liberation and chooses to leave everything he knows behind, learn português and take a train to Lisboa in search of the author de Prado.
what he discovers about de Prado, and himself, is so much more than anyone can put into words. this novel is riddled with profound truths and hidden realities and allows us as readers to dig a little deeper into ourselves as well. there is a wisdom like nothing i have ever seen, but also a grief simply unmournable.
a mourning of past and present, others and self.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Abortion
Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Pedophilia
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Child death, Grief, and Suicide
Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.0
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Survive, whatever it takes.”
“The Baby Factory produces humans connected by flesh and blood. Eventually we children will also leave the factory and be shipped out. Once shipped out, male and female humans are trained how to take food back to their own nests. They become society’s tools, receive money from other humans, and purchase food. Eventually these young humans also form breeding pairs, coop themselves up in new nests, and manufacture more babies.”
never in my 19 years of life have i read a book so brutally grotesque. a book so vulgar and violent and unexpected, yet so well written that i could do nothing else if not push through and keep reading. i urge all future readers to look at the content warnings before subjecting themselves to this fever dream…
earthlings was not what i was expecting! the cover portrayed a cute novel and it was anything but. being so different from convenience store woman, yet having similar themes of conformity and culture coming through in both (murata has a clear infatuation with society and it’s rules). at 65 pages i closed the book and cried. everything in me wanted to leave the book closed forever, to never again read another word. however, self destruction is my favourite past time and so i persevered against my better judgment. a visceral curiosity kept me going, while my entire body screamed for freedom. i guess in that way murata connects the reader to natsuki, the protagonist. just as we observe her story and her desperate attempts at escaping the abuse she endures in her childhood, every fibre of my being desperately fought to look away, to gain peace.
the concept of “earthlings” and brainwashing is perfectly formulated, as the reader is thrown into the deep end of natsuki’s philosophy, which she later shares with her husband tomoya. their marriage of convenience falling under the mutual understanding that they wish to reject the ways of the world, to be defiant in not subscribing to the “baby factory”. although, we also see that natsuki wishes nothing more than to be an earthling and have a simple existence, devoid of pain or awareness.
the dialogue between natsuki and tomoya brought a sense of humour to the story that was definitely needed, if not to give the reader a break from the seriousness of the content. however, the satirical aspect of the storyline is slightly overshadowed as i spent very little time contemplating how we are societally programmed and more time in utter shock at the places murata is willing to take their story, as every new plot point just adds to the disturbing, traumatic existence that is natauki’s life.
yuu bluntly tells natsuki that she is “frozen in time” and this is an ideal that is repeated by multiple characters. though subtle, murata is able to perfectly integrate the reality of child abuse and sexual assault victims as we see natsuki rationalise her world through the eyes of a child and question the morality of earthlings as their laws and rules directly contradict what she was subjected to by her mother and her teacher. we see how this shapes her view of adults, especially having not been believed by her own mother (an experience which many rape victims go through). though unsettling in how raw her depiction of natsuki’s abuse is, murata draws attention to an issue that has always and continues to be a part of society, giving a voice to the voiceless.
this is a book that i wish to never catch a glimpse of ever again, a book that i wish i had never laid eyes on, but ultimately a book i am glad to have finished.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Child abuse
The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
jeffrey archer has once again managed to fully immerse the reader into the clifton chronicles and leave me wanting more!
The second book of this series, the sins of the father, follows the lives of harry, giles, hugo and emma following harry’s fake death, emma’s pursuit to one him, giles’ grief and huho’s continued deceit. we are drawn into the family drama as an estranged hugo struggles to survive and a hopeful emma shows a resilience that has not been explored yet.
the timeline ventures into harry’s murder charge as thomas bradshaw and the beginning, middle and end of WWII. Although being a period piece, it doesn’t feel like a boring, dragged out history lesson and archer is able to keep the reader captivated with each chapter and perspective.
i truly never know what to expect from him and that is the best thing an author can implement into their writing…
The second book of this series, the sins of the father, follows the lives of harry, giles, hugo and emma following harry’s fake death, emma’s pursuit to one him, giles’ grief and huho’s continued deceit. we are drawn into the family drama as an estranged hugo struggles to survive and a hopeful emma shows a resilience that has not been explored yet.
the timeline ventures into harry’s murder charge as thomas bradshaw and the beginning, middle and end of WWII. Although being a period piece, it doesn’t feel like a boring, dragged out history lesson and archer is able to keep the reader captivated with each chapter and perspective.
i truly never know what to expect from him and that is the best thing an author can implement into their writing…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, War, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Grief
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
3.0
jeffrey archer has an amazing ability to fully immerse the reader in the his world, in the world of barringtons, cliftons and all those that fall in between… each plot point is so well written and so meticulously executed that you can’t help but love his story. maisie and old jack have been a pleasure to meet and an even greater pleasure to love and i cannot begin to express how gut wrenching their stories were to read. to watch characters that you have built a connection to go through so much adversity and still be the epitome of love and sacrifice.
i cannot wait to see how the series unfolds, thank you M for introducing me to this gem. i love you bestie <3.
i cannot wait to see how the series unfolds, thank you M for introducing me to this gem. i love you bestie <3.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Stalking, and Infidelity
Minor: Gaslighting, War, and Suicidal thoughts
Shine by Jodi Picoult
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0