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zsabella's reviews
98 reviews
Japan Sinks by Sakyo Komatsu
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
nk jemisin is sooo good at hooking readers with loads of mystery and intrigue that gradually introduces us to the world of the stillness. I adore a slow burn world-building atmosphere when it’s written this well! there are intense scenes and character revelations in this that will live in my mind for a while. but personally, this felt like reading a vividly told, heartbreaking prologue of what’s to come in the sequels, so my low rating is a reflection of me being impatient with the plot lines converging in the last few chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism, Violence, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse and Child death
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
maybe there’s a genuinely good character study buried in here about a crisis of faith, but we only see glimpses and I’ve lost patience over the unseriousness of the entire planning of the mission, a mary sue, and quippy side characters. I also can’t figure out what purpose withholding emilio’s detailed trauma on rakhat serves, aside from forcing readers to keep reading, when it seems the entire jesuit society already knows what sins and/or crimes emilio has committed. it’s an interesting premise that sadly never got to a point that convinced me to keep going.
The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore
well-written insta-lust that doesn’t make me roll my eyes? followed by intense, romantic attraction that’s totally believable? double check!
when I was debating over which historical romance would be worth my time this february, evie dunmore delivered in the full scope of these two genres and for that I am so thankful!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5
cultural factors and historical influences that are allowed to be explained and give the leads sincere depth and motivations? check!
well-written insta-lust that doesn’t make me roll my eyes? followed by intense, romantic attraction that’s totally believable? double check!
when I was debating over which historical romance would be worth my time this february, evie dunmore delivered in the full scope of these two genres and for that I am so thankful!
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
neil makes some obviously discworldian moves in this and I ate it up. it’s wickedly fun and laugh-out-loud funny. I rarely reread books, but this was so enjoyable that I could see myself coming back to this at least one or two times more. patiently waiting for the live action miniseries to announce a release date sometime soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
The Sandman Book Four by Neil Gaiman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
absolutely floored by the “the kindly ones” and could NOT stop crying the whole way through "the wake" . what an unbelievably bittersweet and fitting end that blends everything great about the sandman together. neil gaiman really is the best to ever do it.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I picked emily wilde specifically for the “sweet” romantic angle and less so for fairies, but it felt like I was reading an unnaturally fast progression of rivals to lovers. I had to squint to read into the chemistry between emily and wendell. as a howl pendragon girl, I’m also not immune to a fussy pixie dream man, but I couldn’t buy that someone as unprofessional and lazy about fieldwork as wendell could also be a respected scholar who’s invited to academic conferences.
it did leave a strange taste in my mouth to find outemily was willing to place citizens’ lives second to completing her research and exhausting her time in the field. and it seemed to me that she only got away with this kind of thinking because wendell never told on her, or a villager picked up on this attitude . so I’m just disappointed that these were the “cozy and wholesome” antics I ended up signing up for.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
maybe I can never turn my brain off enough to get into cozy fantasy? it’s paradoxical that this felt overly slow, yet overstuffed with misadventures of varying stakes and a finale that was rushed in the last 50 pages. I was happy to read footnotes, until I realized halfway in that they stopped being helpful for world-building and became spaces for emily to agonize over something trivial.
I picked emily wilde specifically for the “sweet” romantic angle and less so for fairies, but it felt like I was reading an unnaturally fast progression of rivals to lovers. I had to squint to read into the chemistry between emily and wendell. as a howl pendragon girl, I’m also not immune to a fussy pixie dream man, but I couldn’t buy that someone as unprofessional and lazy about fieldwork as wendell could also be a respected scholar who’s invited to academic conferences.
it did leave a strange taste in my mouth to find out
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed reading about the lighthouse keeper but much less so about the director’s past, so when the perspectives were this fragmented and presented in a revolving door-type style I struggled to keep track of most details. each character’s journey was written with clearly cathartic intentions, but unfortunately I couldn’t fully connect to some of their endings.
even after reading the ample background of the director’s final weeks before the twelfth expedition, I still couldn’t tell you much about the true purpose of the reach or area x… and I guess I’ll have to make peace with that. at times it felt like I was reading an elaborate companion novel that didn’t add much more to the current plot, but I don’t regret finishing the series. there are some memorable moments that I'll be thinking about for a while. jeff vandermeer is clearly a skilled writer with a knack for creating unique moods and an interiority to his characters that I see myself coming back to, so I'm still interested in getting into more of his work.
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
liked it but didn’t love it! despite being less poetic and more sterile in atmosphere, the change in tone still worked for me. what brought this down for me though were the shoehorned backstory dumps... the character work was pitch perfect in annihilation, but it was less gracefully done here. going from the creepy, surreal vibes of book 1 and diving into the banal office politics of the southern reach tested my patience at times, but I was also open to a slow burn, conspiracy-esque read anyway.
when recalling significant story beats, there’s only a handful of scenes to dwell on. otherwise, the plot is very much a whirlwind of terse conversations in rooms and control sifting through office debris only to feel even more confused about. but I’m trusting this series will land somewhere interesting, and I think I’ll have a stronger, more informed opinion of this once I’ve read acceptance.
when recalling significant story beats, there’s only a handful of scenes to dwell on. otherwise, the plot is very much a whirlwind of terse conversations in rooms and control sifting through office debris only to feel even more confused about. but I’m trusting this series will land somewhere interesting, and I think I’ll have a stronger, more informed opinion of this once I’ve read acceptance.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
this reading experience marks a rare occurrence I never thought would be possible for me—loving both the film adaptation *and* the book it’s based on equally, though for different reasons. I would argue that the film still does a great job of priming your senses for the more quiet horrors that reveal themselves in the novel.
normally I’m not keen about chapters on chapters of inner monologuing, but I was so engaged in reading the biologist’s struggles to form logic and make sense of the phenomenon in area x. her slow descent from curiosity into fear, delirium, and then nihilism was so effective. I’ve never read Lovecraftian horror, but I imagine this evokes some of the nightmarish and dissociative vibes that genre is known for. the visuals of alex garland’s film live in my mind rent-free, but so will the descriptions of the depths of the tower.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There are certain kinds of deaths that one should not be expected to relive, certain kinds of connections so deep that when they are broken you feel the snap of the link inside you.
this reading experience marks a rare occurrence I never thought would be possible for me—loving both the film adaptation *and* the book it’s based on equally, though for different reasons. I would argue that the film still does a great job of priming your senses for the more quiet horrors that reveal themselves in the novel.
normally I’m not keen about chapters on chapters of inner monologuing, but I was so engaged in reading the biologist’s struggles to form logic and make sense of the phenomenon in area x. her slow descent from curiosity into fear, delirium, and then nihilism was so effective. I’ve never read Lovecraftian horror, but I imagine this evokes some of the nightmarish and dissociative vibes that genre is known for. the visuals of alex garland’s film live in my mind rent-free, but so will the descriptions of the depths of the tower.
I wasn't expecting the biologist’s recounting of her marriage pre and post-expedition to be more emotionally compelling than in the film. there is something uniquely heartbreaking about knowing the intimacy you have with your partner is headed for a breakdown and not feeling free enough in your relationship to prevent it from happening when there’s still a fighting chance. just love love love how the biologist unpacks it all and what she ultimately declares at the conclusion.