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youreadtoomuch's reviews
326 reviews
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This is my public apology to Carmen Maria Machado - I'm sorry I did not get the vision and the power of your writing when reading Her Body and Other Parties. I now know better.
In the Dream House. I finished reading, took a deep breath, and opened up my neglected journal. Such a moving read. A story of compounding pain, grief, confusion but also growing strength, love, and sense of self. Machado perfectly captures these scenes of a past life as it only happened today. She does not shy away from calling domestic abuse for what it is. She perfectly uses the small chapter/story format to tie in her truth and experiences to a comprehensive history of domestic abuse in queer relationships that spotlight just how common and everyday it is.
Recommending this book to you all today but please see some content warnings ahead of reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Too modern writing for it to be an immersive read or realize that maybe women at this time can't be together. Not adding enough to the yearning I wanted to find here.
I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
the style of writing - short paragraphs touching different points in time - paired with the 2nd person pov - I wanted to really like this but I'm already in a reading slump
Descendants of Fire and Water by Didi Anofienem
Did not finish book. Stopped at 75%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 75%.
It's not a badly written book but it's taken way too long to get where we are. The magic of it all fails from the potential it could have been had Essen discovered the power behind it herself instead of being recruited into using it for violence in a controlled environment. I'm sure I have more to say but I'm dnf'ing.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A straightforward book that tells you everything that will happen in the first few pages. Winnie wants to run away when she meets two strangers. One - comes and goes. The other is Jesse Tuck. The Tucks take Winnie and explain they gained immortality from a spring in her family wood. Our mysterious, unnamed stranger overhears and gets to scheming his way to finding this spring.
This book resolves itself within 3 days and we don’t waste any time. Beginning, middle, and end pass by so quickly that it's no wonder this book relies on not being taken so seriously. We don’t learn much about the spring but we learn enough about the person Winnie is and will be. She’s loyal and naive but so full of love that she takes the Tucks warnings against immortality to heart. Which is incredible when you find yourself finishing this silly book, continuing into the epilogue and getting hit with this overwhelming grief grounded in the reality of what it means to be immortal. That was great.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
I do not like the way they talk to each other. These are not real conversations. Dnf'd at 8%.
Pet by Catherine Chidgey
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A manipulative teacher in a position of power over 12 year olds. What could go wrong? I'd read a few chapters and go summarize what I read to my sister and I'd tell her over and over again: I am getting some bad vibes.
I appreciated the build up and conclusion to what the reader already knew. It wasn't painfully obvious but more exciting like when you pick up on something you're supposed to. However, it did start getting a little difficult to keep reading when actions weren't taken to prevent tragedy. Because this book gets dark quickly.
Also, I don't think the split timelines made sense too much. We could have easily left the future day take place in the future at the end of the book. I wish we'd explored Justine's seizures more. The abortion protest came at an incredibly weird moment and felt like it was added to explain the previous timeline split where she had an abortion and didn't tell her husband. Again, why did we need to know that? It was not relevant to the story.
I appreciated the build up and conclusion to what the reader already knew. It wasn't painfully obvious but more exciting like when you pick up on something you're supposed to. However, it did start getting a little difficult to keep reading when actions weren't taken to prevent tragedy. Because this book gets dark quickly.
Also, I don't think the split timelines made sense too much. We could have easily left the future day take place in the future at the end of the book. I wish we'd explored Justine's seizures more. The abortion protest came at an incredibly weird moment and felt like it was added to explain the previous timeline split where she had an abortion and didn't tell her husband. Again, why did we need to know that? It was not relevant to the story.