zatannacomic's reviews
109 reviews

Batman: The Killing Joke (Deluxe Edition) by Alan Moore

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Harleen by Stjepan Šejić

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Sudden Traveller by Sarah Hall

emotional slow-paced

2.5

Sadly, this was not worth the high expectations I had. I did not connect to any of these stories and I probably should have DNF’ed this after the first two stories. I found the stories a bit pointless as in i didn’t find some deeper meaning or underlying message. Which felt odd to me, since the stories share a theme of loss and/or death in a certain way. I felt like I needed a little more? In all stories I found that the ending came sudden and without reason? Overall I felt like I wasted my time.

Chess by Stefan Zweig

informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A

5.0

This was an surprisingly good book. It was an intriguing story about chess, of which I know very little. But during the whole book I was captivated by it and I could not put it down. It reads fast, has a tad of sadness and also tries to convey a message. Even during the chess games, you can feel the tension between the players. I would totally recommend this to anyone. 

Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au

relaxing slow-paced

3.25

This is a short and sweet book about family, understanding and remembering each other. It's an just okay book to me. The writing was average to me, nothing stood out to me about it. The characters and their actions were interesting though. There were lots of thoughts and feelings explored and I can always appreciate that reflective element in a story. 

Assembly by Natasha Brown

medium-paced

3.25

A short book with an important message, but  I wasn’t obsessed with it. There is too little happening and too little focus on the characters, so I didn’t connect to this story. On top of that, I found that the ending was very random and open, but not in a way that made me ask questions or imagine what would have happened. 

Eve out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

It’s a collection of short chapters about messy lives and complicated people. It’s a story told from four perspectives and each has their own voice. However I’m not sure if I really enjoyed this?

The story was interesting at the start, but kind of dips toward the middle of the book, then picks up for a moment again, but loses steam again in the last quarter of the book. There were interesting elements, but nothing really fully got my attention.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

I liked this book, but I felt like the plot was lacking or confusing in some parts. The language used, while beautiful, made this a really difficult read, since it was too much flowery language. 

What shined in this book for me were the characters. I loved the dynamic between the main character and the plague doctor. The other characters involved were interesting. 

The Half of It by Madison Beer

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

This memoir made me get to know Madison and her struggles better. She gives an interesting perspective on fame and the effects it had on her mental health. She is very reflective over her own life and speaks as someone who has grown. 

The audiobook was pleasant to hear. She has a great voice to listen to. The writing of the book was nothing super special, but it was understandable. Near the end, the book got a little repetitive. Lastly, the journal prompts are a cool idea, but I appreciated the 'Dear Madison' questions way more.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, عدنية شبلي

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I read this to try and understand the (history of) the horrible situation that’s currently going on. This book shows the point of view of an unnamed Palestinian girl, discovering and trying to research a crime that happened before she was born. 

 

What adds to the story is that no one is named, which to me shows that what happens isn’t an exception, it’s the norm.

This in reference to the meaning of the title makes this book even more sad and painful. It also makes it an important book to read.