stellabyproxy's reviews
105 reviews

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

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mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Going into this I expected an action-packed Gothic novella with lesbian undertones. What I got was a long, drawn out tale told in hindsight that was so predictable it was almost painful. 

Maybe it’s Le Fanu’s writing or the fact that it was written in the 1800s but it truly wasn’t at all captivating as I thought it would be based on other Gothic novels I had read from that time period. Sure, there were ancient schlosses secluded in the scenic countryside, a coffin filled with blood, and stark lesbianism however the novel didn’t provide much else.
It is, however, the commentary on suicide and it’s connection to vampirism that truly swayed my perceptions and left me feeling uneasy at the conclusion of this story.


Despite my opinions, I am happy to have finally gotten around to reading this and would recommend Carmilla to anyone. It is still a marvel of its time and deserves its flowers in helping lay the foundation for tales such as Dracula and Twilight to exist. 
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Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-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? Yes

5.0

“There is a catharsis to grief, though we don’t usually see that in the midst of it.” 

I started writing this review when I was only 30% into the book. If that doesn’t show how much I love this book, I don’t know what will. 

Klune has a gift for writing some of life’s greatest tragedies in such a hopeful manner. Similar to The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under The Whispering Door follows a male protagonist journeying through a difficult situation: death. Or more specifically, what comes after death. We see Wallace Price as he moves on to what comes next with the help of some unique characters and even aids a few characters along his journey.

Klune’s characters are always captivating and have unique quirks that truly make the reader feel invested in not only the storyline and all it’s little twists and turns, but the wonderful characters and their developments. He alludes to The House in the Cerulean Sea several times through pictures of “an island in the middle of the sea, a strange home set on its cliffs” that are hung on the walls of the house and that is a minor detail which really stuck out to me. 

Klune has a striking voice that comes out on his pages and it has only gotten stronger in his second novel. His attention to detail in the timing of his plot and how to better construct his story doesn’t go unnoticed and I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us.
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Animal Farm by George Orwell

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dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The praise given to George Orwell’s Animal Farm is certainly well deserved. This political allegory on revolution and the abuse of power fully encompasses the corruption of ideas and the power of language when rising to high leadership ranks. 

The capacity for ordinary individuals to be easily swayed and manipulated in continuing to support a revolution that has clearly been poisoned is a truly powerful social commentary. The systems in Animal Farm reflect those of today’s political climate with a chilling accuracy, and can be a great lesson as to the class system we uphold. 
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The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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? Yes

5.0

The feeling of reading this book is akin to watching my favourite childhood movie, truly a heartwarming experience that leaves me in a puddle of happy tears. 

TJ Klune has created something special here and I hope everyone has the pleasure of enjoying this little slice of home. His dialogue has to be the best part of his writing, equal parts witty and endearing. Lucy is probably my favourite character in the book, quite possibly my favourite fictional six-year-old. 
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Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

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

3.0

This is a book I thought I would absolutely love and I was slightly disappointed to find it merely okay. 

Something about the writing style just didn’t connect with me and made it difficult to build any sort of connection with the characters because it felt like I was being given sporadic fact-filled paragraphs instead of scenes that flowed. Overall, Such A Fun Age is a decent novel and very clear in its approach to racism, micro aggressions, fetishisation and other topics. The fact that most of the main characters are unlikeable is something I appreciated because it really showed how in these sort of discussions most people (especially white people) don’t always come across as the most knowledgeable, accommodating, or trustworthy, no matter how convinced they are of their moral standing. The white saviourism was heavily present yet introduced with a real life nuance that is to be valued. 

My favourite part of the book would probably be the relationship between Emira and Briar. Their moments were the most beautiful interactions in the book and truly a saving grace for me. Regardless, I would still recommend this book because it lays a good foundation for important conversations. 
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

There is a simplistic nostalgia in Kawaguchi’s writing that I can’t help but fall in love with.

Before The Coffee Gets Cold is a unique twist on time travel limited to the small antique comfort of a café. The characters cannot change the present but the future holds endless possibilities and the willingness to do anything for love is absolutely heart wrenching. Although The Lovers, Husband & Wife, The Sisters and Mother & Child all have their own background stories and motives, their one commonality is that this little café houses an infinite love for each of them. 

I did not expect to cry but my tears were well deserved. Thank you, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, for allowing my heart to receive this story and for opening my mind to the wonders of magical realism. 
The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy

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emotional reflective 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

5.0

With a great commentary on death and the events preceding and succeeding it, Tolstoy unravels the life of a man who, in his own opinion, has lived “well and pleasantly and [with decorum].” Starting the book with the perspective of a friend in attendance of Ivan Ilyich’s funeral before backtracking and showing the progression of Ivan Ilyich’s life and his terminal illness, Tolstoy shows the melancholic loneliness in reaching great heights in life, only to fall at the feet of death. He gives remarkable insight into the way we address our own mortality and the spectrum of emotions experienced by the person dying as well as those around them. He also challenges what it means to truly live a fulfilling life and whether a life of achievements truly means anything in the end. 

“It is as if I had been going downhill while I imagined I was going up. And that is really what it was. I was going up in public opinion, but to the same extent life was ebbing away from me. And now it is all done and there is only death.”

An absolute must-read for anyone who is alive and capable. 
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You by Caroline Kepnes

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dark tense fast-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

1.0

I thought I would enjoy YOU, having watched the Netflix series. However, something about the writing just didn’t do it for me. Maybe because I already know the characters and the story, or maybe because the show articulated Joe’s internal dialogue in a way that doesn’t make it weird to hear. 

Regardless, it just isn’t as good as I thought it would be. 
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Temper by Layne Fargo

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challenging dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Gillian Flynn wrote, “Female violence is a special brand of ferocity,” and after finishing Temper at 2:52 AM I could not agree more. This book is nothing like anything I’ve ever read. 

This artful crescendo of fictional mastery is a twisted, suspenseful look into the female psyche and the dual narration has a sinister way of leaving the reader wanting more. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” doesn’t even begin to describe the rollercoaster of events and emotions in Fargo’s writing. Her writing penetrates every crevice of your mind and the last chapters of this book truly left me breathless, feelings as though my next breath hung at the end of the next sentence. 

Temper is definitely not for everyone, but then again that’s one of the book’s main themes…
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Damaged by Vera Micic, Vera Hollins

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challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

1.0

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