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wikitheunicornxx's Reviews (226)
In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel by Truman Capote which details the 1959 murders of four members of a family in the small village of Holcomb, Kansas.
This was unlike anything I have ever read before, the novel explores the perspectives of the killers – Perry Smith and Richard Hickock – as well the investigators of the murder and the residents of Holcomb.
This was quite a bizarre reading experience, given that we knew ‘what happens’ but Capote’s writing in this novel was so compelling. I found the depth in which the experiences of the killers, especially Perry, were written to be so fascinating, and disturbingly ‘human.’ The early descriptions of the Clutter family – knowing what was about to happen – made this a little bit hard to read at times (in a good way). I also liked that even after the murders, we did not immediately hear from Perry and Dick regarding how and why they committed the murders, this added a lot of suspense to the novel which I definitely enjoyed.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because towards the end of the novels, I found myself getting a little lost with everything that was happening. The novel provokes very interesting discussion on the pros and cons of capital punishment, as well as the psychological study of criminals, however, I almost felt like it was too much and a lot of it could have been left to the reader, given the already thought-provoking nature of this novel.
Overall, I completely understand why this novel is seen as of the best true crime novels of all time.
This was unlike anything I have ever read before, the novel explores the perspectives of the killers – Perry Smith and Richard Hickock – as well the investigators of the murder and the residents of Holcomb.
This was quite a bizarre reading experience, given that we knew ‘what happens’ but Capote’s writing in this novel was so compelling. I found the depth in which the experiences of the killers, especially Perry, were written to be so fascinating, and disturbingly ‘human.’ The early descriptions of the Clutter family – knowing what was about to happen – made this a little bit hard to read at times (in a good way). I also liked that even after the murders, we did not immediately hear from Perry and Dick regarding how and why they committed the murders, this added a lot of suspense to the novel which I definitely enjoyed.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because towards the end of the novels, I found myself getting a little lost with everything that was happening. The novel provokes very interesting discussion on the pros and cons of capital punishment, as well as the psychological study of criminals, however, I almost felt like it was too much and a lot of it could have been left to the reader, given the already thought-provoking nature of this novel.
Overall, I completely understand why this novel is seen as of the best true crime novels of all time.
Logging Off follows Andy Bellows, a man in his 30s, suffering from various health problems such as insomnia, a terrible neckache, social anxiety and more. Andy’s doctor tells him that these problems may be caused by his addiction to technology, such as the excessive amount of time he spends scrolling through social media platforms on his mobile and his iPad as well as playing video games, watching Netflix and even tracking his bowel movements through an app. This book follows Andy’s journey as he embarks on a 60-day digital detox recommended by his doctor.
This book was super funny to read, the writing was very entertaining, full of satire and British humour. Andy is quite a likeable character and his internal dialogues were definitely hilarious to follow. As well as providing a good dose of humour, the book is also very thought-provoking. It is interesting to consider just how much we rely on technology, even through the simple acts such as using Google maps for directions, ordering an Uber or using an app to get takeaway food. Without this constant access to digital platforms, Andy has to find other ways to navigate his days, such as using real maps, visiting shops, reading the newspaper and making phone calls, which leads to some ridiculous adventures.
Without spoiling anything, the reason I gave this book 4 stars was due to my mild frustration regarding some areas that could have been further developed. The main message of this book is that finding a balance in life is key, and I wished we saw Andy exploring this more and navigating through a more ‘balanced’ lifestyle. Other than this, I would highly recommend this book to everyone for a very relatable and enjoyable read.
This book was super funny to read, the writing was very entertaining, full of satire and British humour. Andy is quite a likeable character and his internal dialogues were definitely hilarious to follow. As well as providing a good dose of humour, the book is also very thought-provoking. It is interesting to consider just how much we rely on technology, even through the simple acts such as using Google maps for directions, ordering an Uber or using an app to get takeaway food. Without this constant access to digital platforms, Andy has to find other ways to navigate his days, such as using real maps, visiting shops, reading the newspaper and making phone calls, which leads to some ridiculous adventures.
Without spoiling anything, the reason I gave this book 4 stars was due to my mild frustration regarding some areas that could have been further developed. The main message of this book is that finding a balance in life is key, and I wished we saw Andy exploring this more and navigating through a more ‘balanced’ lifestyle. Other than this, I would highly recommend this book to everyone for a very relatable and enjoyable read.
This novel follows 24-year old April May who stumbles upon a weird robot statue in the middle of Manhattan at 3am on her way back from work. April and her friend Andy decide to film a video with this sculpture, which April names ‘Carl’, without knowing that over 60 identical Carls have appeared in major cities around the world and nobody knows why and how they got there. This novel follows April May and her friends as the video of the Carl goes viral and April must navigate through her sudden internet fame as well as her role at the forefront of the worldwide Carl mystery.
I was not really sure what to expect from this book initially, but I was certainly not disappointed. The book was very fast-paced, and I managed to finish it in just 2 days because I simply could not put it down. It was very funny, thought-provoking, and very cleverly written. My favourite parts of the book were the puzzles and riddles which the characters had to solve. I also loved the references to pop culture that became essential to solving these mysteries. April May was an interesting and very well-written character, Hank Green managed to portray April in a very ‘human’ way and I am sure many readers could relate to April and her engagement with fame and social media. April May was also not at all a perfect character, she made MANY mistakes throughout this book which is another reason why I loved her character.
Reading this book during the covid19 pandemic also added to the experience and the message of this book for me. The unifying effect of the Carls, the focus on global collaboration, the differing views and groups as well as the mass influx of conspiracy theories are all experiences and issues that we are currently living through and this novel – although dealing with a completely different problem – became oddly relatable.
I would highly recommend this novel and I look forward to reading the sequel.
I was not really sure what to expect from this book initially, but I was certainly not disappointed. The book was very fast-paced, and I managed to finish it in just 2 days because I simply could not put it down. It was very funny, thought-provoking, and very cleverly written. My favourite parts of the book were the puzzles and riddles which the characters had to solve. I also loved the references to pop culture that became essential to solving these mysteries. April May was an interesting and very well-written character, Hank Green managed to portray April in a very ‘human’ way and I am sure many readers could relate to April and her engagement with fame and social media. April May was also not at all a perfect character, she made MANY mistakes throughout this book which is another reason why I loved her character.
Reading this book during the covid19 pandemic also added to the experience and the message of this book for me. The unifying effect of the Carls, the focus on global collaboration, the differing views and groups as well as the mass influx of conspiracy theories are all experiences and issues that we are currently living through and this novel – although dealing with a completely different problem – became oddly relatable.
I would highly recommend this novel and I look forward to reading the sequel.
