vatsal_was_here's reviews
72 reviews

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

4.25

The Rats in the Walls by H.P. Lovecraft

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror by Mitchell Lüthi, Mitchell Lüthi

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child death

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

5.0

My mom must've been very confused, watching me reading this book's ending and one moment having the widest smile on my face, the next moment having tears in my eyes, then back to smiling again.

A beautiful, beautiful book. 

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

4.5

Books of Blood: Volume One by Clive Barker

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

Eifelheim by Michael Flynn

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Good book

So you have the idea: Aliens crashing near a 14th German century village.
Now you have to execute it in the form of a full length novel.

Does Michael Flynn do it well? I'd say yeah.
 
There are flaws, yes; the pacing is irregular; the present-day plotline—though I somewhat liked it—could've been better; at one point, the various plot conviences simply pile up too much, threatening to cross the limits of my suspension of disbelief.

But at the end of the day, I enjoyed it. The characters are the heart of this book. Everyone in the village felt like their own person, with their own peculiarities. The interactions really helped bring out the strong sense of community. 

The book does slow down in the middle but that is only fitting for a book set in medieval times. I do have to admit that despite the slow pace in these parts, I never felt bored.

In the end, Eifelheim is at its core, a deeply human(and krenkish) story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Vomit, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Body horror, Child death, and Blood

No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was..... intriguing.

Miranda July clearly has a way with words. The prose is very witty and the book is filled with quotable lines. 

The stories themselves however, were a mixed bag. There were some pretty good ones in there, but there were others that just felt awkward.  There is a thin line between graceful randomness and being all over the place. This book crossed it in some places. 

But nonetheless, it was a fun read, even if it was a little too icky at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays by Albert Camus

challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5