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the_midwest_library's Reviews (796)
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
What a great collection of short stories in the Greatcoats world! Most of them are easily 5 stars but a few didn't wow me. So overall well worth the read. I'm biased of course but all the stories that centered our main trio were just fabulous and I need 50 more. Thank you so much, Sebastien please get right on that for me 😂😂😂
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So I loved this, but man is it a read. It almost reads autobiographical in a way while also feeling a bit cold and distanced from the MC. Which given the subject matter of the book I can't decide if it's purposeful or not in the prose structure. I don't know how much of the story is self-insert as I went into this pretty blind, but I have to imagine, unfortunately, that this story was born of trauma in one way of another.
Regardless, it's a really good read. While sexual assault against women is not an uncommon narrative the exploration of control, trauma and ethnic and racial complexities into the story were so well done. The last few chapters especially were well crafted, there's a tragically beautiful monologue we get from the MC towards the end that reminded me of America's monologue in Barbie....just more brutal.
Regardless, it's a really good read. While sexual assault against women is not an uncommon narrative the exploration of control, trauma and ethnic and racial complexities into the story were so well done. The last few chapters especially were well crafted, there's a tragically beautiful monologue we get from the MC towards the end that reminded me of America's monologue in Barbie....just more brutal.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So this would probably be a really great book for people who love Norse mythology. I tend to not....and yet I keep trying hahaha
Unfortunately while this book has some strengths I just found it a bit boring. I love a character driven story and the characters just felt a bit flat for me, and not very memorable. Especially the female characters which I just overall was not for me.
The writing was good though, I would read something else by this author. I thought the narrative voice was strong and the plot was enjoyable overall.
Unfortunately while this book has some strengths I just found it a bit boring. I love a character driven story and the characters just felt a bit flat for me, and not very memorable. Especially the female characters which I just overall was not for me.
The writing was good though, I would read something else by this author. I thought the narrative voice was strong and the plot was enjoyable overall.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked this weird little book. I'm a big fan of these like sultry written female forward fantastic literary fiction books. They always are so random yet charming. This one explored aging parents, grief, and love from a really unusual way. I didn't hate it at all. I also thought the trippy reality bending was neat. It was so quick too, very very short. I don't think the MC character was the strongest. She wasn't unlikable enough and wasn't likeable enough so she just kinda floated in her own story. But overall a good one.
challenging
informative
If you are looking for an in depth critique as well as historical overview of the "issue of gender" we currently seemed trapped in as a society this is a fabulous read. This is my first book by Butler and I really enjoyed it, I especially think the look at how the Catholic Church has woven their ideologies into this issue across the globe is particularly fascinating. I would recommend you have a bit of a gender studies baseline going into this since some of the chapters are quite complex. I think pairing this with other broader feminist histories would make this book feel a little more well rounded. But honestly a solid read, plus if Naomi Klein is blurbing it, I have to pick it up!!!
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this, it's poetic and classic in presentation but juxtaposed against a modern setting. That blend just really worked for me, it's not really a coming of age story, but it's a coming to self story if that makes sense. Our main character is struggling with emotional detachment from her childhood trauma, balancing her friendships and her strained relationship with her father/instructor. It's a simple book in presentation but I found the entire experience really wonderful, there was a passage I particularly enjoyed where the main character critiques the use of "love you" because without the "I" the phrase is meaningless. Idk this just worked for me, it's what I want in literary fiction all encased in lyrical writing.
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
A generous 3 stars (2.75 feels more accurate)
2014 Tumblr would have loved this. 2024 me did not. I felt like I read someone's environmental fan fiction
2014 Tumblr would have loved this. 2024 me did not. I felt like I read someone's environmental fan fiction
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
This is also an excellent installment in the Witcher Graphic Novel world. I will say the art style of the last story included was not for me. I found it distracting to the story, but the middle story, Fading Memories was my absolute favourite 👏👏
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
This was stunning, beautiful art and the stories feel like classic Witcher tales but I don't believe these are direct adaptations from the books or short stories. I wouldn't say that the stories were blowing me out of the water but the art was lovely and they felt like coming back to the Witcher
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Okay so I did enjoy this, but I didn't love it. I think this is a dense but beautifully written historical fiction. I would say the magical realism elements are very small and so if you are reading this for the "fantasy" tags this book has I think you'll be disappointed.
I just don't know I was the audience for this at the time I read it. I do think that historical fiction lovers who want lyrical writing would ADORE this. The history was so fascinating and the note at the end about Hild being a real historical figure whose story Griffith created was really fascinating. It reminded me of how The Book of Longings was written. I just think it's a bit long and dense for what I wanted.
I just don't know I was the audience for this at the time I read it. I do think that historical fiction lovers who want lyrical writing would ADORE this. The history was so fascinating and the note at the end about Hild being a real historical figure whose story Griffith created was really fascinating. It reminded me of how The Book of Longings was written. I just think it's a bit long and dense for what I wanted.