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zenzi2read's reviews
692 reviews
Sula by Toni Morrison
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
This was an exploration of female friendships and gender roles. Morrison has a circular way of telling a story. We were introduced to a cast of characters before she settled in with a single-story line that ripple through the town.
This type of story- telling can be an acquired taste, but I enjoyed her descriptive language and use of dialect.
The most interesting thing about this book for me is that it is not Sula’s story. It’s the story of a towns reactions to solar and how they think about solar and how those thoughts impact their behavior. It’s a story about loving and accepting people who are ill. Which ultimately is something that people in this town are unable or ill equipped to do.
I also enjoyed the book, female friendships, and gender rolls. This book left my jaw on the floor multiple times.
This type of story- telling can be an acquired taste, but I enjoyed her descriptive language and use of dialect.
The most interesting thing about this book for me is that it is not Sula’s story. It’s the story of a towns reactions to solar and how they think about solar and how those thoughts impact their behavior. It’s a story about loving and accepting people who are ill. Which ultimately is something that people in this town are unable or ill equipped to do.
I also enjoyed the book, female friendships, and gender rolls. This book left my jaw on the floor multiple times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Excrement
Revenge by Yōko Ogawa
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I surprised myself by being able to follow the thread of linked characters of these 13 interconnected stories. The stories were all of high-quality, but the tension varied.
Some were tense throughout some were slice of lifestyle stories with shocking endings that seem to come out of nowhere. This is the type of collection that should be reread after one knows the ending. I’m just not sure if I liked it enough to devote time to a second read.
Some were tense throughout some were slice of lifestyle stories with shocking endings that seem to come out of nowhere. This is the type of collection that should be reread after one knows the ending. I’m just not sure if I liked it enough to devote time to a second read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Violence
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a paint by numbers predictable thriller that attempts to add excitement through magical elements.
The magic system here is uneven. On one hand, the children can make themselves disappear, but on the other hand, almost every ward and spell seems ineffective.
The main character is written like a teenager. I believe she supposed to be in her mid 30s, but she lacks maturity.
The books construction could also use some work. There are both past and present timelines, and I wish the past timelines were given more attention. the relationships formed in her early years come to play in her present so time developing those and doing character development for everyone would’ve been useful.
The magic system here is uneven. On one hand, the children can make themselves disappear, but on the other hand, almost every ward and spell seems ineffective.
The main character is written like a teenager. I believe she supposed to be in her mid 30s, but she lacks maturity.
The books construction could also use some work. There are both past and present timelines, and I wish the past timelines were given more attention. the relationships formed in her early years come to play in her present so time developing those and doing character development for everyone would’ve been useful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse
Telecommuting by L. Marie Wood
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This book was highly descriptive, but light on horror. Is it good job of showing the way that a person‘s life becomes un anchored when they work from home.
It also shows the way that a lack of socialization can make one’s mind deteriorate.
I just wish there was more tension and more of a concentration on the horror elements
It also shows the way that a lack of socialization can make one’s mind deteriorate.
I just wish there was more tension and more of a concentration on the horror elements
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the type of book that you think about long after you finished . The relationship relationship between a voyeuristic audience and a content creator is at the center of this novel. The author writes this in a way that leaves us as an audience distantly watching both and feeling fairly voyeuristic ourselves.
The obsessive nature of relationships is also explored here. These little fake pet like objects in the home add affair amount of tension and often spur on unexpected violence.
That being said, I struggled with deciding whether this was a plot driven or character driven story. There’s not much going on in terms of a plot, and as a reader, I was left to construct character details from brief glimpses of this large cast .
I was completely pulled in for the majority of the novel, but did start to feel my interest wane towards the end
The obsessive nature of relationships is also explored here. These little fake pet like objects in the home add affair amount of tension and often spur on unexpected violence.
That being said, I struggled with deciding whether this was a plot driven or character driven story. There’s not much going on in terms of a plot, and as a reader, I was left to construct character details from brief glimpses of this large cast .
I was completely pulled in for the majority of the novel, but did start to feel my interest wane towards the end
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
If there’s one thing, I hate it’s when I’m watching the news and something terrible happens in the suburbs and a neighbor pops up and says “things like that don’t happen here”. Really Deborah? Where do they happen? And to whom?
Four chapters into this book and the author has spent 100% of the time describing the utopia of the small town. His mom‘s cookies and lemonade, the softball team, the smug middle class lifestyle. I’m like Richard who cares? You’re supposed to be telling me a story about a serial killer.
He hasn’t even mentioned a victim yet! This reads like an autobiography or memoir, and I have no interest in that.
Four chapters into this book and the author has spent 100% of the time describing the utopia of the small town. His mom‘s cookies and lemonade, the softball team, the smug middle class lifestyle. I’m like Richard who cares? You’re supposed to be telling me a story about a serial killer.
He hasn’t even mentioned a victim yet! This reads like an autobiography or memoir, and I have no interest in that.
My Mother's House by Francesca Momplaisir
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The publisher of this story compares it to Toni Morrison’s the Bluest Eye and I disagree.
First of all, this is extreme horror. The sexual. violence is explicit and exists in every chapter. I don’t feel like the characters are developed enough to set this title in the literature or literary horror category.
The main character is irredeemably depraved. We spend far too much time in his mind and reveling in his exploits. I wish we had spent more time with the spirit of the house or Lucien’s victims.
The author also decides to deliver the chapters stream of consciousness style. The more disturbed the character is the more fractured the writing is. It made the narrative difficult to follow.
Ultimately my goal was to get to know these women and their backgrounds and their personalities. Their narratives just weren’t reflective enough to achieve that.
I could see a comparison to beloved being made here. You have a house with a spirit seeking revenge on his occupants. But this is no beloved.
First of all, this is extreme horror. The sexual. violence is explicit and exists in every chapter. I don’t feel like the characters are developed enough to set this title in the literature or literary horror category.
The main character is irredeemably depraved. We spend far too much time in his mind and reveling in his exploits. I wish we had spent more time with the spirit of the house or Lucien’s victims.
The author also decides to deliver the chapters stream of consciousness style. The more disturbed the character is the more fractured the writing is. It made the narrative difficult to follow.
Ultimately my goal was to get to know these women and their backgrounds and their personalities. Their narratives just weren’t reflective enough to achieve that.
I could see a comparison to beloved being made here. You have a house with a spirit seeking revenge on his occupants. But this is no beloved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping
Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I generally struggle with short story collections because it’s a mixed bag.
This collection was filled with memorable characters and ideas. Tremblay, knows how to slowly ratchet up the fear and tension in a story. Growing Things is the lowest ranked in my opinion, but they only get better from there . my personal favorite is 19 pictures.
There are also three stories that are from the world of one of his other titles – head full of ghosts.
This collection was filled with memorable characters and ideas. Tremblay, knows how to slowly ratchet up the fear and tension in a story. Growing Things is the lowest ranked in my opinion, but they only get better from there . my personal favorite is 19 pictures.
There are also three stories that are from the world of one of his other titles – head full of ghosts.
I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This grief horror really let me down at the end. Many books struggle with the set up for supernatural occurrences, but that’s where this book thrived. There was a lot of detailed character development for both our main character and her late husband and her disability was treated with care and respect.
I also like the way the séance environment was set up. This gave enough detail to help us understand why other stances hadn’t worked and what makes this specific place time and group of people a perfect storm of supernatural energy.
The end that explained most of the plot was a real letdown. Things that I think were supposed to be twists we’re not especially surprising for me. Also a book that had been very grounded as a supernatural thriller flies off the rails at the end.
I also like the way the séance environment was set up. This gave enough detail to help us understand why other stances hadn’t worked and what makes this specific place time and group of people a perfect storm of supernatural energy.
The end that explained most of the plot was a real letdown. Things that I think were supposed to be twists we’re not especially surprising for me. Also a book that had been very grounded as a supernatural thriller flies off the rails at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Car accident
Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Entertaining but predictable. Thank goodness it was fast paced. The characters were fairly cookie cutter, especially the police. Their dialogue felt like an episode of law and order.
Although I knew where this was going the stops along the way kept me entertained. The criminal element and subcultures used during the getaway or what kept this book lively.
Although I knew where this was going the stops along the way kept me entertained. The criminal element and subcultures used during the getaway or what kept this book lively.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Sexual violence