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thuyr98's reviews
6 reviews
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really like the characterization of Wei Wuxian, just cheerfully annoying everyone while being the it boy 🤣
The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I'm confused by the over explanation of why need-love is also a form of love. I simply don't think of love as solely sarcrificing and being selfless. If you feel safe around someone, and seek them for comfort, that's undoubtedly love. I'm also nonreligious, and thus, puzzled by the need to explain and define love using God.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Could not continue with the story about the Vietnam war veteran. He murdered innocent Vietnamese families then got haunted by seeing his own family doing mundane tasks. He deserved the guilt. Am I supposed to sympathise? I know the book is about how we keep trauma in our bodies, but seriously, cannot keep reading about how this guy would be healed. He shouldn't be healed.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I cannot form emotional attachment to these characters because the author did too much telling and not enough showing. Right from the beginning, the characters' distinctive traits are presented to me in plain sight, and their arcs just go from there. Even though the story is of loss and sacrifice and bravery, I don't feel emotional at all. The proses don't get to me. Most of the time, it's just reciting events. I don't feel the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, War, Torture, and Violence
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This review is written on the second time I've read this book, when I'm far away from home, and more than ever, feel closer to my heritage and identity as a Vietnamese.
Now living in a foreign land, in a country deemed First World and developed, I'm thinking of that passage in On Earth, where an US general said they would bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age. I'm thinking of how VN did not go back to the Stone Age, how I am here, just one generation later, receiving the same education as my western peers. I'm thinking of how fast we are actually developing. I'm thinking of how we are developing despite the constant wars, one colonizer after another, yet we are developing fast and well.
Now, away from the time of war, I'm thinking of how peaceful I feel looking up at the sky. The book mentioned the total amount of bombing VN received was more than that of World War II. How many planes must there have been, flying above the sky, just to rain bombs down at my people? How terrifying the sky must have been back then? Now, I, as the next generation, find peace looking up at the sky. I'm thinking of how beautiful and tragic the passage of time is.
To Ocean Vuong, thank you, my heart is filled with poignancy and pride. We survive and thrive, despite, despite, despite.
Now living in a foreign land, in a country deemed First World and developed, I'm thinking of that passage in On Earth, where an US general said they would bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age. I'm thinking of how VN did not go back to the Stone Age, how I am here, just one generation later, receiving the same education as my western peers. I'm thinking of how fast we are actually developing. I'm thinking of how we are developing despite the constant wars, one colonizer after another, yet we are developing fast and well.
Now, away from the time of war, I'm thinking of how peaceful I feel looking up at the sky. The book mentioned the total amount of bombing VN received was more than that of World War II. How many planes must there have been, flying above the sky, just to rain bombs down at my people? How terrifying the sky must have been back then? Now, I, as the next generation, find peace looking up at the sky. I'm thinking of how beautiful and tragic the passage of time is.
To Ocean Vuong, thank you, my heart is filled with poignancy and pride. We survive and thrive, despite, despite, despite.
Human Acts by Han Kang
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
What struck and stayed with me the most was the fact that these civilians were asking for their human rights, to work and live in better and more humane conditions. They came forward asking for a shred of humanity, thinking that the soldiers wouldn’t kill unarmed kids, that they wouldn’t be so cruel. But the soldiers were rewarded for their violent acts. So one side was asking for and relying on their belief of humanity, while the other was just focusing on preserving power.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
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