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theabundantword's reviews
6 reviews
Work-Life Balance: Malevolent Managers and Folkloric Freelancers by Wayne Rée, Benjamin Chee
adventurous
funny
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? No
3.5
If you’ve ever had the urge to have a drink after work because of awful bosses, experienced the vague sensation of missing some small part of your soul because of the 9-5, or realised that the everlasting hustle was stealing time from your social life, then this book might be for you!
Combining Southeast Asian folklore and reality, comic book layout and prose, this tale brings you the contrasts between being who you feel you have to be and being who you can be and the results are unusual, interesting, and funny in places.
I think to get the best from this book, you will already need to know a little something about the folklore being referenced, or read the back portion first and be prepared to do a little research to get the full context. Also check if the line art is to your taste. I like books that combine illustrations and prose for adults (like Alison by Lizzy Stewart or How to Have Feminist Sex by Flo Perry) but I lean more towards the illustrations being more integrated with the text. This felt quite separate to me, like I was reading two independent interpretations of the same brief, rather than one flowing story.
There were parts that I could relate to and it made me chuckle a couple of times. I did like how the ‘monsters’ were squeezed into a corporate model and for that I’m glad I got to read this.
Combining Southeast Asian folklore and reality, comic book layout and prose, this tale brings you the contrasts between being who you feel you have to be and being who you can be and the results are unusual, interesting, and funny in places.
I think to get the best from this book, you will already need to know a little something about the folklore being referenced, or read the back portion first and be prepared to do a little research to get the full context. Also check if the line art is to your taste. I like books that combine illustrations and prose for adults (like Alison by Lizzy Stewart or How to Have Feminist Sex by Flo Perry) but I lean more towards the illustrations being more integrated with the text. This felt quite separate to me, like I was reading two independent interpretations of the same brief, rather than one flowing story.
There were parts that I could relate to and it made me chuckle a couple of times. I did like how the ‘monsters’ were squeezed into a corporate model and for that I’m glad I got to read this.
Manorism by Yomi Sode
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
I often see a lot of reviewers use the word visceral when reviewing books and I feel like it’s such a big, beautiful, deep word that it makes me long to feel something this deeply as well.
Then here comes this book.
Typically, I read books that offer me distance from my daily life. Not necessarily escapism but maybe some new angle that allows me to reflect on society or scenarios that happen in life with a certain detachment that ensures I won’t have to feel any daily pain twice.
This book was different. It provoked a visceral reaction that shattered me. It spoke to my pain. My particular pain. As a Black British woman from London. As a mother to a Black son, who is almost a man and who I can’t protect from all that a young Black man has to deal with. As a person who, at 39, really only recently understood the uncertainty and inevitably of death and finds it upsetting. Terrifying.
It spoke of the frustrations most of us will understand in the Black community, the issues in families, the modern culture and events that make Black masculinity be seen as both blessing and curse, the daily and generational pain we carry in a landscape that is so often hostile to us.
Most importantly, I think, is that it gives Black men a voice. In a place, in a manner that isn’t really heard enough. Through poetry. Art. Through a testimony so tender, personal and vulnerable that I wanted to reach through the page and hug the writer and try to absorb some of that pain and grief.
And I cried. I cried for my son. I cried for my brother. I cried for my uncles, and for this writer and Londoners and for our many Black communities. I cried because it was so raw, so beautiful, so deep… A safe space to feel anger and grief and love in a voice that I recognised spiritually.
For me this is a modern classic.
Then here comes this book.
Typically, I read books that offer me distance from my daily life. Not necessarily escapism but maybe some new angle that allows me to reflect on society or scenarios that happen in life with a certain detachment that ensures I won’t have to feel any daily pain twice.
This book was different. It provoked a visceral reaction that shattered me. It spoke to my pain. My particular pain. As a Black British woman from London. As a mother to a Black son, who is almost a man and who I can’t protect from all that a young Black man has to deal with. As a person who, at 39, really only recently understood the uncertainty and inevitably of death and finds it upsetting. Terrifying.
It spoke of the frustrations most of us will understand in the Black community, the issues in families, the modern culture and events that make Black masculinity be seen as both blessing and curse, the daily and generational pain we carry in a landscape that is so often hostile to us.
Most importantly, I think, is that it gives Black men a voice. In a place, in a manner that isn’t really heard enough. Through poetry. Art. Through a testimony so tender, personal and vulnerable that I wanted to reach through the page and hug the writer and try to absorb some of that pain and grief.
And I cried. I cried for my son. I cried for my brother. I cried for my uncles, and for this writer and Londoners and for our many Black communities. I cried because it was so raw, so beautiful, so deep… A safe space to feel anger and grief and love in a voice that I recognised spiritually.
For me this is a modern classic.
The Goddess Twins by Yodassa Williams
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
I impulse-bought this book because I liked the cover and I didn't do any of the checks I should have done. Let's just say it's been a lesson for me!
This was actually a good premise which, with some research and robust editing, could have been a great way to highlight some issues between (Black) men and women.
Unfortunately, I believe this book was published far too early. There was a typo on the back cover for a start, which can perhaps be forgivable, but in this case it was the first red flag.
Apart from the fact that the different narrative voices were both the same voice and the character motivations were ambiguous, with a nearly pointless moment of insta-love that added very little to the story, a bunch of telling, a wotless, flat antagonist (which really should have been the Fates because they were the ones who messed up and bounced), and a general lack of depth, there were major issues with setting and dialogue.
I'm a Londoner. One of Jamaican descent at that. Why am I mentioning this? Well, the MCs spend most of the story in London, UK, after flying from Ohio for the first time. There, they meet their Jamaican and Black-British family.
The patois was all incorrectly spelled and then the character who spoke it dropped it after a few pages (wagwan or whagwan would be understood, wagoan, not so much). It was a mystery why the Jamaican grandad didn't speak it (but probably a mercy). The other issue was that the London dialect/s typically used by Black British Londoners (MLE, or RP, or a mixture of both usually) were not present here. And for the record, there is not one British accent (there are over 40 dialects), and I'm pretty sure that there is no London accent that anyone would accuse of being 'melodious'.
The little information about London didn't seem to be correct either. The 'skinny houses (I'm guessing town houses) in central West London just didn't fit the description of what one would expect. Jamaicans living in central West London with black gnomes in the picket-fenced garden playing reggaeton instead of reggae... This would be uncommon, even for a goddess.
Also, we say curry chicken, not curried chicken.
There was actually no reason for the story to even be set in the UK... It could have stayed in the States without impacting the story at all (besides to make it more accurate and seem less like Black British people and Jamaicans aren't worth being correctly represented).
The ending seemed odd to me as well. It was incels vs goddess and none of the issues were resolved. Even the one that was arguably 'resolved' didn't actually face or deal with the issue at all. It was just conveniently moved out of the way.
There seemed to be room left for a second book but I feel that this one would need to be rewritten, finished, and remarketed first and despite everything I've said, I'd give it a second chance it this work were done.
This was actually a good premise which, with some research and robust editing, could have been a great way to highlight some issues between (Black) men and women.
Unfortunately, I believe this book was published far too early. There was a typo on the back cover for a start, which can perhaps be forgivable, but in this case it was the first red flag.
Apart from the fact that the different narrative voices were both the same voice and the character motivations were ambiguous, with a nearly pointless moment of insta-love that added very little to the story, a bunch of telling, a wotless, flat antagonist (which really should have been the Fates because they were the ones who messed up and bounced), and a general lack of depth, there were major issues with setting and dialogue.
I'm a Londoner. One of Jamaican descent at that. Why am I mentioning this? Well, the MCs spend most of the story in London, UK, after flying from Ohio for the first time. There, they meet their Jamaican and Black-British family.
The patois was all incorrectly spelled and then the character who spoke it dropped it after a few pages (wagwan or whagwan would be understood, wagoan, not so much). It was a mystery why the Jamaican grandad didn't speak it (but probably a mercy). The other issue was that the London dialect/s typically used by Black British Londoners (MLE, or RP, or a mixture of both usually) were not present here. And for the record, there is not one British accent (there are over 40 dialects), and I'm pretty sure that there is no London accent that anyone would accuse of being 'melodious'.
The little information about London didn't seem to be correct either. The 'skinny houses (I'm guessing town houses) in central West London just didn't fit the description of what one would expect. Jamaicans living in central West London with black gnomes in the picket-fenced garden playing reggaeton instead of reggae... This would be uncommon, even for a goddess.
Also, we say curry chicken, not curried chicken.
There was actually no reason for the story to even be set in the UK... It could have stayed in the States without impacting the story at all (besides to make it more accurate and seem less like Black British people and Jamaicans aren't worth being correctly represented).
The ending seemed odd to me as well. It was incels vs goddess and none of the issues were resolved. Even the one that was arguably 'resolved' didn't actually face or deal with the issue at all. It was just conveniently moved out of the way.
There seemed to be room left for a second book but I feel that this one would need to be rewritten, finished, and remarketed first and despite everything I've said, I'd give it a second chance it this work were done.
The Chase by Ava Glass
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Do you like action movies? You know the type that come on telly on a Friday or Saturday evening? For me they are the weekend escapism of choice (Rom-com is second, I don’t make the rules). Give me all the car chases, the fights and explosions, the nail-biting stunts, the time-sensitive mission, the punchy dialogue and all of the high-stakes, plot-driven fun that comes with it.
The Chase is that Saturday night action movie, but in book form. It follows operative Emma Makepeace on a 12-hour mission through London where she tries to deliver a doctor to the M16 with the Russians hot on their tails. It certainly makes for a wild night!
This is a book that is really easy to fly through and does exactly what it says on the tin. The only part that stood out to me is that Emma seemed to get saved a lot more than she did the saving to be honest, but it didn’t derail the plot. This is the first book of a series. I actually read the second one first but it doesn’t matter really. It’s an enjoyable read that I think is well suited for reading between a more dense texts as you can’t really go wrong with this.
The Chase is that Saturday night action movie, but in book form. It follows operative Emma Makepeace on a 12-hour mission through London where she tries to deliver a doctor to the M16 with the Russians hot on their tails. It certainly makes for a wild night!
This is a book that is really easy to fly through and does exactly what it says on the tin. The only part that stood out to me is that Emma seemed to get saved a lot more than she did the saving to be honest, but it didn’t derail the plot. This is the first book of a series. I actually read the second one first but it doesn’t matter really. It’s an enjoyable read that I think is well suited for reading between a more dense texts as you can’t really go wrong with this.
Like No Other Boy by Larry Center
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
⚠️CONTAINS SPOILERS ⚠️
I had high hopes for this story - a diverse book with a black, queer lead, challenging patriarchy? I was up for trying it. The first few chapters were absolutely amazing. The description and world building were superb and I was easily drawn in to the picturesque but problematic town of Lille. The book raised the issues in patriarchy and toxic masculinity well and I did like the ‘real’ Cinderella story. However I found it heavy handed with feminist messages. And instead of a balanced picture of what things could look like without oppression, we were delivered more of a direct opposite.
Character wise, all straight men were compromised (bad and/or weak). Women were almost all ‘good’. The main character fell for the very first woman she met after leaving (no better than the typical girls biggest desire is to be in love stereotype). Necromancy and magic worked differently depending on what was convenient to the story without a particularly plausible explanation. The main character seemed selfish and seemed to want to force everyone to think like her (not much different than the men), only redeeming herself very slightly at the end by helping others. The ending seemed convoluted( the double draining, the fire, the random people in the courtyard and really what was Amina even doing). The writing was lovely but I felt that the message shaped the plot more than felt natural. I would also add that the descriptions of the cast were more ambiguous than some reviews would suggest, but I count this as a good thing since it leaves a lot more room to imagine them as one or more ethnicities
I had high hopes for this story - a diverse book with a black, queer lead, challenging patriarchy? I was up for trying it. The first few chapters were absolutely amazing. The description and world building were superb and I was easily drawn in to the picturesque but problematic town of Lille. The book raised the issues in patriarchy and toxic masculinity well and I did like the ‘real’ Cinderella story. However I found it heavy handed with feminist messages. And instead of a balanced picture of what things could look like without oppression, we were delivered more of a direct opposite.
Character wise, all straight men were compromised (bad and/or weak). Women were almost all ‘good’. The main character fell for the very first woman she met after leaving (no better than the typical girls biggest desire is to be in love stereotype). Necromancy and magic worked differently depending on what was convenient to the story without a particularly plausible explanation. The main character seemed selfish and seemed to want to force everyone to think like her (not much different than the men), only redeeming herself very slightly at the end by helping others. The ending seemed convoluted( the double draining, the fire, the random people in the courtyard and really what was Amina even doing). The writing was lovely but I felt that the message shaped the plot more than felt natural. I would also add that the descriptions of the cast were more ambiguous than some reviews would suggest, but I count this as a good thing since it leaves a lot more room to imagine them as one or more ethnicities
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