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tinstae's reviews
48 reviews
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating this 4 stars after rating TBoSaS 3 feels off but what can I say other than I just really liked it? A novella is the perfect size for Bree's story, and contrary to what some of the other reviews say, I think that none of the characters were truly useless, at least not Diego and Fred, anyway. Everyone named had a role and purpose and I like it that way.
It's a nice little filler for the Twilight Saga, it didn't drag on too long, and it really made you feel for Bree in her innocence, good nature, and the fact thatshe never got to say goodbye to Diego , for Diego in that he never got to say goodbye to Bree and was used in Riley's manipulation games, and finally for Fred, who wanted to protect Bree and enjoyed her company, and who is waiting uselessly for her in Vancouver .
I really enjoyed reading Eclipse from Bree's POV - I personally can't remember the reattachment of limbs being mentioned in the main books - and I enjoyed reading in depth about her brief interactions with the Cullens. It's a shame things turned out the way they did.
It's a nice little filler for the Twilight Saga, it didn't drag on too long, and it really made you feel for Bree in her innocence, good nature, and the fact that
I really enjoyed reading Eclipse from Bree's POV - I personally can't remember the reattachment of limbs being mentioned in the main books - and I enjoyed reading in depth about her brief interactions with the Cullens. It's a shame things turned out the way they did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Dr. Gaul herself pretty much sums this one up. The book was an absolute drag for over 200 pages, only picking up, if I remember right, around p. 240ish. I really wanted to love it, but slogging through those pages was an absolute challenge and makes it a kind of an underwhelming footnote in an otherwise amazing series. I actually only picked it up yesterday at around p. 100 with the sole intention of just getting through it for the sake of having read and being done with it (I'm a chronic completionist).
The basic political and moral philosophy found in the text were the most interesting parts, though I also enjoyed the multiple nods to the fact that Snow never once thought of Lucy Gray as existing beyond and outside of himself; he thought of her as his possession and always had since their first meeting. Collins no doubt encourages us to think on our own about the consequences of power and freedom, how Panem reflects countless of our own governments, if there's truly a way to rebel against their clutches with minimal casualties, and how women are disposable under the current hegemony. It's impossible to read it, especially today, without drawing parallels of your own.
Snow starts out apparently sympathetic to a certain extent, but within the first couple of chapters it's clear his only
frame of reference for what constitutes suffering is a fall from power and wealth: the districts are a world away from his world and deserve whatever comes to them; no one is exempt from Capitol propaganda. He doesn't get developed much beyond this... the evil has always been there as is made clear by his narration later on, though I think Lucy Gray's observation is astute: it's the world that formed his frame of reference, his principles, his values, and what ultimately made him who he is by the end. Snow crossed that line into evil and failed the mission to stay on the right side, dragged right down by a desire to maintain the Snow family name, in honour of his father.
A powerful woman entirely erased from the history of Panem, only for her ghost to return and dethrone Snow decades later... Gray obscures the pure driven snow.
I can't imagine myself reading this again unlike with the previous books, but I am still looking forward to Sunrise on the Reaping and can only hope that it will be much much better than this one.
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"A lot of fluff. Drivel, really. Until that bit in the end. The part about control."
Dr. Gaul herself pretty much sums this one up. The book was an absolute drag for over 200 pages, only picking up, if I remember right, around p. 240ish. I really wanted to love it, but slogging through those pages was an absolute challenge and makes it a kind of an underwhelming footnote in an otherwise amazing series. I actually only picked it up yesterday at around p. 100 with the sole intention of just getting through it for the sake of having read and being done with it (I'm a chronic completionist).
The basic political and moral philosophy found in the text were the most interesting parts, though I also enjoyed the multiple nods to the fact that Snow never once thought of Lucy Gray as existing beyond and outside of himself; he thought of her as his possession and always had since their first meeting. Collins no doubt encourages us to think on our own about the consequences of power and freedom, how Panem reflects countless of our own governments, if there's truly a way to rebel against their clutches with minimal casualties, and how women are disposable under the current hegemony. It's impossible to read it, especially today, without drawing parallels of your own.
Snow starts out apparently sympathetic to a certain extent, but within the first couple of chapters it's clear his only
frame of reference for what constitutes suffering is a fall from power and wealth: the districts are a world away from his world and deserve whatever comes to them; no one is exempt from Capitol propaganda. He doesn't get developed much beyond this... the evil has always been there as is made clear by his narration later on, though I think Lucy Gray's observation is astute: it's the world that formed his frame of reference, his principles, his values, and what ultimately made him who he is by the end. Snow crossed that line into evil and failed the mission to stay on the right side, dragged right down by a desire to maintain the Snow family name, in honour of his father.
A powerful woman entirely erased from the history of Panem, only for her ghost to return and dethrone Snow decades later... Gray obscures the pure driven snow.
I can't imagine myself reading this again unlike with the previous books, but I am still looking forward to Sunrise on the Reaping and can only hope that it will be much much better than this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
Minor: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit
KinnPorsche (Novel) Vol. 2 by Daemi
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
90% of this one was just sex,,, but hey! special interest earns it 4 starts once again.
also the first time in my life i've devoured 2 novels in less than a day,,,,
unlike vol.1, i doubt time will increase the rating to 5,, ðŸ˜
also the first time in my life i've devoured 2 novels in less than a day,,,,
unlike vol.1, i doubt time will increase the rating to 5,, ðŸ˜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
KinnPorsche (Novel) Vol. 1 by Daemi
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
i read ts in like 5 hours,,, the writing is meh but anyone who knows me knows kp is a special interest so the plot alone earned this rating. fuck kinn and vegas tho ! daemi write good nc,, it's a shame their first one is in the context that it is.
eligible for 5 stars but i need to sit on it for a while x
eligible for 5 stars but i need to sit on it for a while x
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit, Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Cultural appropriation
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. The battle between Juniper knowing she was doing something wrong versus her own self-interests was compelling, and I found myself smiling every time Kuang cleverly interwove Juniper's microaggressions into the prose.
It's a descent into self-interested madness and delusion and how one cannot come back from it; how one continues to feed into the viscious cycle even when they know they are beaten and finished, convinced that they are always the victim, and grappling for sympathy where there is none. I found myself struggling to root for any one character in the book, and perhaps that's what made it so loveable. Everyone is working for only themselves, sacrificing their own principles and values in the gruesome fight for success in a brutal industry.
This was my first reading of Kuang's work and it is safe to say that I am now very much looking forward to reading Babel.
It's a descent into self-interested madness and delusion and how one cannot come back from it; how one continues to feed into the viscious cycle even when they know they are beaten and finished, convinced that they are always the victim, and grappling for sympathy where there is none. I found myself struggling to root for any one character in the book, and perhaps that's what made it so loveable. Everyone is working for only themselves, sacrificing their own principles and values in the gruesome fight for success in a brutal industry.
This was my first reading of Kuang's work and it is safe to say that I am now very much looking forward to reading Babel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Racism, Grief, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting
Sybil: The True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Separate Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
cute and wholesome! but i think i might just be too old now to relate to the childish and sometimes incomprehensible decisions made by characters. there wasn't much beyond surface level. still, a meaningful book, and i absolutely breezed through it in around 3 reading sessions and it left me feeling all warm inside ♡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Racism
White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75