unfiltered_fiction's reviews
457 reviews

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a really enjoyable listen, and I would definitely pick up this author's work again. It was a good adventure with an expansive register of interesting characters interacting against very immersive backdrops. However, I did feel that perhaps too much had been squeezed into a standalone book to allow different elements to shine - the world building and some characters came across as occasionally cramped. Individual scenes were really strong, but the overall structure and through-thread were a little wobbly. Still worth a read, especially for fans of magical realism and dark academia.

The Heavens by Sandra Newman

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

I really struggled to find much in this book that I could connect with as a reader - I think it was just not one for me. The characters came across as deeply selfish, which I usually find limits how interesting inter-character relationships can be, and generally not at all likeable. The concept of dream-bourne time travel was really interesting and at first I found it emotionally provocative, but after a while it just began to feel like a trauma-dependent lowlight reel of 21st century history without any clear narrative purpose. There were parts I thought were good (I found the final on-page appearance of side character Oksana beautiful and moving) but overall this was just not for me.

Content Warnings

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this book. The wry narrative style had me instantly hooked, and the infinitely varied, complex characters soon drew me in even deeper. The author shows immense dexterity in handling the tonal slalom between bloody and brutal scenes with moments of aching tenderness. The writing does leave the reader to put in some work; occasionally I found sections hard to follow, as the author leaves a fair few things off the page as ambiguous or unresolved. Those choices do make sense against the wider narrative approach and thematic exploration of truth and immutability, but this was a minor drawback for me as I find inference in fiction tricky to follow. Overall, this is a book rich in emotion, excitement and provocation; I'll sit for a good long while with the line that "It can get better, but you must allow yourself to imagine a world in which you are better."

Content Warnings

Sea Bean by Sally Huband

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emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

Sea Bean reckons with profoundly difficult questions about the way we live, ranging from the macro (the climate emergency) to the micro (the author's experience of chronic illness) in terms of social scales, and encountering each of these challenges with the same depth. The loss of a single seal cub swept out to sea is recorded with the same resonant grief as the author describes the almost or entirely complete loss of species on the islands she calls home. It is a moving, intelligent read. I sometimes felt that it struggled a little to maintain momentum, and had to put it down for a while. When I returned to it, I found I was most able to engage with the chapters where the focal theme was more clearly presented. The author often takes side tracks and circular routes in her writing, which took me a little getting used to, but says something provocative about how practises such as beachcombing defy modern expectations of linear routes and answers which can only be right or wrong.

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

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hopeful reflective medium-paced