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sydreading's reviews
44 reviews
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
i have a lot of opinions about this book. i really enjoyed the representation though i wish that the author wouldn’t have waited until the end of the book to really let the characters express themselves. this is YA and for that reason i think i struggled with the lack of contextual interpretation left to the reader to decipher. solving plotline issues in a single paragraph with unexplained solutions grew old and the best part of the book for me was really the middle of it. the beginning felt slow, i wish we would have gotten more of sade’s motivation and emotion to begin with. the ending felt rushed but drawn out at the same time. lots of thoughts lmao. i was disappointed with the sudden injecture of jamila’s character and sade’s motivation to go to ANA felt like it was an afterthought, also wish we would have gotten some more of elizabeth’s pov, something to clue in that april was involved and how she ended up back in aprils room, what happened in the bunker? felt like the author was trying to set up a sequel at some points but it doesn’t feel like there’s anything to go off of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia and Grief
A Void by Georges Perec
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
struggling to make sense of the literary context through the translation
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
this was just really lovely to read the entire time, despite the sad subject matter at points. i genuinely connected with this book and the characters (zee!!) in ways i didn’t think i would going into it only knowing it was a big hit. what a beautiful representative piece of grief, anger, and hitting rock bottom as a racial and sexual minority.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, Vomit, and War
Yellow Barks Spider by Harman Burns
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
this was enjoyable and i appreciate the lens in which transition is acknowledged and described. using nature-inspired pov’s created a cool visual and experience. i’m hung up on the fact that the excessive use of literary prose makes it hard to follow the narrative and sometimes overshadows the point i think the author is trying to make. an interesting queer read with local rep that i wasn’t expecting. big CW for dissociation specifically (re: mental illness cw)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Mental illness, and Dysphoria
Minor: Eating disorder
Grey Dog by Elliott Gish
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
an interesting read, it lost me a bit more as i went on towards the end of it. not sure if it needed some of the graphic detailing it had when some difficult/unnecessary content was discussed. overall i really enjoyed the writing and the slow pace horror, not so much the additional embellishments or lack of side character building. check content warnings before reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Abortion
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexism, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i read this faster than i thought i would and will definitely need a second read to fully digest the impact of the story however this is a great literary piece and quite surprising
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
dark
emotional
informative
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
4.25
a beautiful slow burn in an unknown setting. now i want to get more into historical norwegian viking lit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i really love akwaeke’s writing, this is my third book of theirs and i thoroughly enjoyed how it was formatted. the back and forth perspectives were drawn together well, but some contents of the book definitely caught me off guard in weird ways
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Transphobia
Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
absolutely not what i expected but still somehow what i knew i was getting myself into. the progression of the story felt a bit rushed but i was able to settle into it enough to enjoy the main premise. this might be the reason i start listening to nightvale again
All Things Seen and Unseen: A Novel by RJ McDaniel
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this book is such an incredible representation of the chronically ill body while that is not nearly ever the main focus of the book. but is one of the reasons, along with the incredible storytelling and diversity, that i have quickly come to adore the groups of people i’ve just read about. only disappointed that a few things went unanswered
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Chronic illness and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence