violetturtledove's reviews
410 reviews

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I mistakenly thought from the description of this story as a 'fairytale' it might be a bit too cute and saccharine. It is not. The best fairytales are actually a mix of magic and horror, and so is this book. And although I have no personal experience I believe the same could be said for motherhood! 

You've got to suspend your disbelief for this one and not ask too many questions. Is the narrator reliable? How much of this is literal and how much is metaphor? Is this our world seen through a different lens, or do different rules apply here? How do we reconcile Tiny's experiences with the reactions of those around her (are they overreacting at something slightly out of the ordinary, or being shockingly calm in the face of a medical marvel?). The morals of the story, and the balance of magic and horror, changes quite a bit depending on how literally you take it. 

Does the owl-baby represent a trans child, a disabled child, an autistic child? All of these fit in some ways but not others. Some of the details of the book may recall some of these experiences, but it's not a straightforward allegory of anything more specific than 'letting your child be themself'. Or maybe just 'this is what being a parent is like'. In the words of the author 'the child in the novel is an owl'. 

It's sweet but also very unsettling, and I felt frustrated on Tiny's behalf as her opinions are constantly ignored, her feelings dismissed and her actions misinterpreted. And fair warning (hopefully not too much of a spoiler in a book about an apex predator), there's a lot of animal death. But if you can handle these aspects it's well worth reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

adventurous challenging funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

I had a lot of fun reading this, it's a weird one. It's explicit but not pornographic, the plot sounds really uncomfortable but I wasn't cringing while reading it, and it's funny even though there's some very dark stuff in there (the dog is ok though).

I'm usually not good with storylines based on this sort of deception, especially when it's played for laughs, and I don't know if I'd feel differently watching a tv version, but this one didn't seem to contain the usual anxiety about such things. The plot seemed a bit muddled though, it seemed at times like it might go into a more serious situation, and then at the end some of these points seemed unresolved. This might be a touch of 'unreliable narrator', but the narrator and other characters are quirky and messy enough to make up for any weaknesses in the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.75

So I didn't mean to read more Gillian Flynn, at least not straight away. I was reading 'Sharp Objects' and while I had some problems with the style, the plot had me quite invested by the end. And at that point I was in bed with my kobo, the sample chapter for 'Dark Places' was included, and I couldn't face the decision of what to read next so I just went with it. Before I'd finished reading the sample chapter I had gone onto the kobo store to buy the full book. It had me intrigued that quickly.

There's a lot of grim stuff in here, but it's also darkly funny and the characters are just unlikable enough to be entertaining. I didn't know where it was going, every chapter dropped another hint that kept me reading, even if some of them turned out to be red herrings. 

It might be a bit too twisty and 'soap opera' for some, and there's certainly uncomfortable moments with rumours and accusations flying around, but I was engrossed the whole way through. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

dark mysterious tense fast-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

I didn't think much of this one at first but it grew on me. The plot was definitely my sort of thing (small town history, dysfunctional families, murder) but the writing style wasn't. At the start especially it seemed like there wasn't much atmosphere to it, and some of the plot points just felt too obvious in the way they were introduced. 

The main character is quite unlikable and there's a definite 'ick' factor to some of the descriptions, but it all fits fairly well with the dynamic of the setting. 

It's messed up enough to be interesting but it took me about half the book to really feel invested in the outcome. I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending; it felt a little clumsy and like there were some bits that didn't quite add up. But as I was reading I had the feeling that I was missing the significance of some of the many little clues, so it would probably stand up well to a re-read.

For all it's faults it had me fairly well gripped by the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Murder, Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Fancies and Goodnights Vol 1 by John Collier, Ray Bradbury

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

I pretty much wanted to give some John Collier a go just because of the name, although there's no relation as far as I'm aware! On the whole these were pretty good,   they're quite whimsical and there's often no effort made to explain away the more fantastical elements of the story: these things simply happen because that's the way they happen. Maybe explaining magic is more of a modern style, but it was a little jarring for me to not know what I was supposed to be questioning, and what was just to be accepted as part of the story's internal logic. Some of the endings fell a little flat for me too, I could tell there had been a twist, or it ended on a witty remark, but I couldn't quite make out what the twist had been or what exactly the remark signified. Again, it's probably just the style of storytelling that I'm not used to, but I'm used to ambiguous endings and this was different. It felt like I'd missed something that the reader was clearly expected to pick up. 

They're not bad stories though, maybe not completely to my taste but they're fairly light and some of the characters are very entertaining. 

The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada

challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

The closest comparison I can think of for this book is Twin Peaks - the atmosphere is spot-on, there are lots of little intriguing details, and the mysteries pile up but never get solved. 

 I'm aware that it's  allegory and symbolism relating to modern, corporate life and I'm probably missing some layers of it but it still felt incomplete to me. I loved all the little details like the animals and strange side characters, and I was really intrigued by it all, but when I got close to the end I realised there probably wasn't going to be a satisfactory explanation. And it just.. ends. It's in a sad and symbolic way, but I don't think any of the many mysteries are really explained.

It's also very confusing in the way the story changes point of view - there are three main characters but it's often hard to tell at the start of a chapter who it relates to, and throughout the chapter there are unclear jumps in dialogue, inner monologue and chronology. Again, I understand how this reflects the confusion of the characters, but it doesn't make for an easy read. 

I think the ambiguity is very much intentional so I wouldn't say these are faults with the book, it is very successful in creating atmosphere and intrigue, making the reader question things. But at the same time, I know some of these aspects are deal-breakers for some readers so I think it's only fair that they are mentioned. 

Starship Titanic by Terry Jones

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

This is a hard one to review because on one hand it is a lot of fun, it's silly and light and there's a couple of particularly hilarious sex scenes. And it is the result of two great comedy minds working together so I can't really criticise. However it is a novelisation of a point-and-click computer game and this really shows in the pacing and plot points. 

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

4.5

This book is a complex and often confusing journey, but worth sticking with. I don't completely understand everything that happened, but I'm actually tempted to jump back in and read from the start just to absorb more of it. 

The supernatural is mixed well with the political history of the story, and the characters are flawed, screwed up and completely believable. There's some very simple naming- the cult is called 'The Order' and the dark god they worship is 'The Darkness' but I think it works as a stylistic choice, it keeps the story grounded. Despite the fantastical elements it's a story about family, secrets and dealing with the past. And when it comes to horror, people outdo monsters every time. 

It jumps around a lot: it's not always clear at first whether a gap between paragraphs signifies a day or several months. The six parts of the book aren't in chronological order, mostly this does help build the sense of mystery but some sections drag a little.  It's a slow, atmospheric build up rather than a tense thriller. 

I imagine some people will be frustrated by the lack of clear answers on some points, there's a lot going on and I could have done with a little more clarification but again, it fits with the style of the book. Human relationships are complicated and you can't expect easy answers. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts

The Life and Times of Francie Nichol of South Shields by Joe Robinson

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

A good, plain-spoken personal history. It avoids feeling either tragic or falsely nostalgic, it's just a record of things as they happened. That's not to say it's without feeling, it's touching but without being overly sentimental. 

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.5

This definitely had it's funny moments but it also dragged in some places - for instance when it pokes fun of the repetitive, rambling style of the legends by... telling the story in that style. It works as satire but isn't the most enjoyable part to read. 

It was sometimes difficult to tell who was being poked fun at, the medieval English or the 'modern' American - both were rather ridiculous at times!

On the whole it was fun but I didn't find it particularly engaging.