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watermelleon's reviews
252 reviews
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
I (mostly) finished this last year, but couldn't bear to finish the last few pages until today. What an incredible novel.
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Reason why I read this:
I had no book and I must read
Feel pretty sick now ngl
I had no book and I must read
Feel pretty sick now ngl
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Just Ignore Him by Alan Davies
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Challenging, emotional, dark, incredible.
Warning: this is not an easy read. There were times I had to pause, and take a breath, or contemplate what was being said. It is very triggering for many reasons, quite graphic in detail, and for this reason I imagine is very difficult for a lot of readers.
One thing I did not expect from this read was how nuanced it would be written. This is not a sob story where someone is feeling forced to sell their journey as trauma porn for others to feel something over. This is a delicate, intelligent, and well thought out commentary on the society we live in, toxic masculinity, the fickle nature of sexuality, the social and physical effects of childhood trauma, the attraction of dangerous volunteers to risky roles, the court system, the police, feminism, and generational trauma (to name just a few!)
At one point, Alan touched upon a particularly sore spot for me that I was not expecting to appear at all. But his conversational voice and facts presented reminded me the reader that survivors of trauma exist everywhere in so many forms and we all have learned lessons that have value when we are ready to reach out and discuss it with others.
I'm so glad to have picked the audio book version, which added another level of expertly guided feelings by Alan. He is a fantastic voice, and had me crying on many many bus journeys and walks.
An incredible last line that will stick with me for a long time as well. I wish for many of my friends and family members to read this.
Warning: this is not an easy read. There were times I had to pause, and take a breath, or contemplate what was being said. It is very triggering for many reasons, quite graphic in detail, and for this reason I imagine is very difficult for a lot of readers.
One thing I did not expect from this read was how nuanced it would be written. This is not a sob story where someone is feeling forced to sell their journey as trauma porn for others to feel something over. This is a delicate, intelligent, and well thought out commentary on the society we live in, toxic masculinity, the fickle nature of sexuality, the social and physical effects of childhood trauma, the attraction of dangerous volunteers to risky roles, the court system, the police, feminism, and generational trauma (to name just a few!)
At one point, Alan touched upon a particularly sore spot for me that I was not expecting to appear at all. But his conversational voice and facts presented reminded me the reader that survivors of trauma exist everywhere in so many forms and we all have learned lessons that have value when we are ready to reach out and discuss it with others.
I'm so glad to have picked the audio book version, which added another level of expertly guided feelings by Alan. He is a fantastic voice, and had me crying on many many bus journeys and walks.
An incredible last line that will stick with me for a long time as well. I wish for many of my friends and family members to read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment
Many people were shocked to hear that this is about Alan's experiences of Childhood sexual abuse by his father, not sure if it is in the marketing but had a few people mention they thought it was just about emotional abuse! The sexual abuse is very detailed and a big part of the book.
Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
If you haven't read this book, read it with as little foresight as possible. Do not read reviews, pass go, sink in unprepared.
If you have read it, read this:
Vague enough spoilers await..
Disclaimer, it's my 4th (. 5?) book by David Mitchell. As a stand alone with no prior knowledge, it is a 5 star read.
If you've read any other David Mitchell novel, it becomes even more special.
This book is a beautifully skilled craftwork jigsaw puzzle, with pieces that snap into place perfectly despite at first being unpredictable. You can start in the centre or form the edges, or from a corner outwards. It does not matter which order you fill them to get the satisfying conclusion that appears.
An odessey through the 60s, this book is your own personal tour through time, it's glitter and it's failures. It's real, but understands naivety, inspiration, hope and other complicated human feelings.
This novel hinges on the story of human potential, who we are and who we will become (or who we could be, given the chance). We follow the band reach stardom and everything in between in the peak of their youth, but we also see revisited characters in their younger selves, and the legacy of others long gone, their periods of potential and hope. This 'glory days' epic reminds you there will be an eventual end to these experiences, but they will never leave who you have become in the way they have changed you.
Bone clocks spoiler - I think back to an older Levon speaking to an older Crispin hersey, both with their own regrets, what they could have done better. At the time, Levon loved his band and forgave them for their youthful incidences. Because of this I expected a fallout, a feud over losing a record deal, a dramatic end, a tour bus that crashed. Instead I was hit with the nature of life - the script doesn't pick and choose favourites, it shoots where it may.
Thoughts and questions that made me existential while reading this book:
A young Crispin Hershey points a finger gun at Dean. And then the writer erases him.
Is the love between luisa and elf really forever? An older elf writes on amongst the stark cliffs of sheep's head.
Speaking of Holly Sykes, it's peculiar that she's a gravesend girl too.
Bolivar is a scary and familiar sight. But what does he want? Is it a call forwards into something new, or someone we have seen before? Who had to die at that point in time to be there?
"I hope somebody made a quality bootleg of this"
How popular were utopia avenue then to be forgotten now? Is it a universe teetering on the edge of ours, or a perfect copy? Is another point being made about what happens to David Mitchell's world when it comes to the end of the timeline?
"it makes you wonder if you've actually been living not in the real world but only a description of it" -
It is only a script after all.
Speaking of the end of the world, only some unknown coincidence in hawaii saved utopia avenue's last record. And a man with impossible technology that almost disappeared from the world in only 50 years.
I wonder if/when the horologists will show us any possibility of moving through time in order to preserve it, and I wonder if any meddling has taken place so far.
Griff Griffin. I guess it wasn't his time to be a Protagonist yet. I wonder about Steve also. An important part of the band, written as "an important piece of the puzzle", or a "heartbeat", you're convinced he's important but you're left wondering how. He never thinks out loud to us. It's curious. Or maybe he's just dyslexic and can't write a chapter.
Why does the cloud atlas sextet sound so familiar to Jasper?
I wonder what sixsmith was doing at this point in time.
"How come the rich own the world when they're so bloody useless?" - dean's transition through social class and what remains. The poetry of ordering a boring sandwich as room service. Class was a point of contention initially for dean/griff and elf, seeing their relationships change was a voyage.
Other things about elf and griff that can be thought and not written. If David Mitchell is Elf, I'm Levon.
If you have read it, read this:
Vague enough spoilers await..
Disclaimer, it's my 4th (. 5?) book by David Mitchell. As a stand alone with no prior knowledge, it is a 5 star read.
If you've read any other David Mitchell novel, it becomes even more special.
This book is a beautifully skilled craftwork jigsaw puzzle, with pieces that snap into place perfectly despite at first being unpredictable. You can start in the centre or form the edges, or from a corner outwards. It does not matter which order you fill them to get the satisfying conclusion that appears.
An odessey through the 60s, this book is your own personal tour through time, it's glitter and it's failures. It's real, but understands naivety, inspiration, hope and other complicated human feelings.
This novel hinges on the story of human potential, who we are and who we will become (or who we could be, given the chance). We follow the band reach stardom and everything in between in the peak of their youth, but we also see revisited characters in their younger selves, and the legacy of others long gone, their periods of potential and hope. This 'glory days' epic reminds you there will be an eventual end to these experiences, but they will never leave who you have become in the way they have changed you.
Bone clocks spoiler -
Thoughts and questions that made me existential while reading this book:
A young Crispin Hershey points a finger gun at Dean. And then the writer erases him.
Is the love between luisa and elf really forever? An older elf writes on amongst the stark cliffs of sheep's head.
Speaking of Holly Sykes, it's peculiar that she's a gravesend girl too.
Bolivar is a scary and familiar sight. But what does he want? Is it a call forwards into something new, or someone we have seen before? Who had to die at that point in time to be there?
"I hope somebody made a quality bootleg of this"
How popular were utopia avenue then to be forgotten now? Is it a universe teetering on the edge of ours, or a perfect copy? Is another point being made about what happens to David Mitchell's world when it comes to the end of the timeline?
"it makes you wonder if you've actually been living not in the real world but only a description of it" -
It is only a script after all.
Speaking of the end of the world, only some unknown coincidence in hawaii saved utopia avenue's last record. And a man with impossible technology that almost disappeared from the world in only 50 years.
I wonder if/when the horologists will show us any possibility of moving through time in order to preserve it, and I wonder if any meddling has taken place so far.
Griff Griffin. I guess it wasn't his time to be a Protagonist yet. I wonder about Steve also. An important part of the band, written as "an important piece of the puzzle", or a "heartbeat", you're convinced he's important but you're left wondering how. He never thinks out loud to us. It's curious. Or maybe he's just dyslexic and can't write a chapter.
Why does the cloud atlas sextet sound so familiar to Jasper?
I wonder what sixsmith was doing at this point in time.
"How come the rich own the world when they're so bloody useless?" - dean's transition through social class and what remains. The poetry of ordering a boring sandwich as room service. Class was a point of contention initially for dean/griff and elf, seeing their relationships change was a voyage.
Other things about elf and griff that can be thought and not written. If David Mitchell is Elf, I'm Levon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, War
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
I need to have another cry and talk about this at book club before writing a review here.... I read a huge chunk of this today and it has been nothing but crying my eyes out with little water breaks. my library copy now has mascara smudges on it, nothing I can do about that I guess :s
in short - best book I have read in a long time. it is beautifully written, surprisingly close to home and relatable, generally so informative on topics I new nothing about (that I probably should have!). it has changed my outlook on many perspectives in my life. this is a lifechanging book that I will be recommending to everyone. there are some tough, tough topics but so much hope and nostalgia as well.
on a personal note: This book has allowed me to reflect on my own recently-uprooted family history, and has helped me reflect on that as well the now clear impact of this on my family moving down through the generations.
in short - best book I have read in a long time. it is beautifully written, surprisingly close to home and relatable, generally so informative on topics I new nothing about (that I probably should have!). it has changed my outlook on many perspectives in my life. this is a lifechanging book that I will be recommending to everyone. there are some tough, tough topics but so much hope and nostalgia as well.
on a personal note: This book has allowed me to reflect on my own recently-uprooted family history, and has helped me reflect on that as well the now clear impact of this on my family moving down through the generations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness
War Imagery throughout and discussion of death of multiple characters in detail (not graphic in terms of gore, but explains how they died).
Colonisation: discussion throughout of colonisation in relation to cyprus and the effects of this, more focussed on the cultural impact than graphic/gore detail.
Pregnancy and Children:
a child dies at a young age of malaria, child is assumed for a while to be an abortion.
Terminal Illness:
Main Character's grand parents died as a result of cancer- they were poisoned by asbestos from some overalls used for working in the mines
Sucide / alcohol / drug use:
the main character's mother is revealed to have killed herself, was an alcoholic and took pills to end her life
Mental Illness:
many themes of mental illness throughout, especially a big theme of inheriting generational trauma (war related) and how this impacts younger generations the most.
Bullying
short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book
Panic Attacks
short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book. The main character has a panic attack and screams during her class, an incident which is later discussed.
Homophobia
an interracial gay couple (two men) are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, it is suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds
Kidnapping
an interracial gay couple are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds
Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wrote a review here and then accidentally deleted the text. It was such a well thought out review as well, I'll be back ðŸ˜
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Honestly, I was really enjoying this.
But some things are not sitting right with me ever since I googled Yeonmi and learned more about her new book today. It has said more about what growing up in North Korea can do to a person than this book ever could. (Not invalidating any real experiences she might have shared of course).
I highly suspect that the same person who wrote the blurb for book 2 wrote the foreword. I'll leave it at that for now.
But some things are not sitting right with me ever since I googled Yeonmi and learned more about her new book today. It has said more about what growing up in North Korea can do to a person than this book ever could. (Not invalidating any real experiences she might have shared of course).
I highly suspect that the same person who wrote the blurb for book 2 wrote the foreword. I'll leave it at that for now.
This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Review pending!
Inside You (Remastered) by Master-Oshinshin
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
**EDIT**I originally scored a 2.5 but I admittedly did not read the last chapter then and ummm. Ok
Came for the title, stayed for the mystery or something
I've caught up to the current issue at time of this review (19.2), there is a bit of intrigue with the mystery but the story seems to a bit all over the place! But maybe it's less about the story with this one. It's for this reason you're better off not reading it on webtoon.
So far, impressions are it's a biscuit tin, you know what you're getting. And there is a lot of serious competition out there that does a better job in execution. This being said, the art is great and I have gotten some goosebumps!
Will I continue to follow it ? Probably not honestly, unless I get a bit bored one day and fancy catching up.
Came for the title, stayed for the mystery or something
I've caught up to the current issue at time of this review (19.2), there is a bit of intrigue with the mystery but the story seems to a bit all over the place! But maybe it's less about the story with this one. It's for this reason you're better off not reading it on webtoon.
So far, impressions are it's a biscuit tin, you know what you're getting. And there is a lot of serious competition out there that does a better job in execution. This being said, the art is great and I have gotten some goosebumps!
Will I continue to follow it ? Probably not honestly, unless I get a bit bored one day and fancy catching up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic gore and intensity throughout, visual in colour cartoon. Main plot is around an unstable and violent serial killer.
Graphic sex scenes between two men depicted throughout.
a heavily censored version removing gore and sex scenes is on webtoon