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joinedfrays's reviews
8 reviews
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Quite an interesting book. This book isn't for the faint of heart as many of the crimes mentioned (yes, crimes plural) are described in an extremely detailed and brutal manner. If you're looking for a good crime/thriller read and themes of rape, incest, and sexual abuse don't bother you, I'd say this book is an alright read. The summary doesn't give you enough of a picture of how brutal some of the content of this book is.
Let's start with the positives. The writing is pretty good. I felt engaged throughout most of the book and read more than 400 pages of it in one day because I just had to know what happened next. Stieg Larsson has a talent for getting readers hooked.
The characters. They're far from likable, but in a way that still keep you interested.
Our protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist, is a bit naïve and believes there's a reason for everything. He can't keep his hands off of women sometimes, and his wife divorced him for infidelity. He neglects his daughter. He's not assertive when he needs to be, and too assertive when he doesn't. He keeps his on-again-off-again sorta-girlfriend (who is also his boss) out of the loop regarding the events in this book, and despite exposing financial criminals for their bad morals, he has minimal hesitation for stooping to illegal methods.
His assistant Lisbeth is also very flawed. She's deemed incompetent by the state, despite being very smart, because of her behavior. She doesn't like building emotional connections with anyone. She rarely speaks. She has a warped view of the world that makes her a very interesting character to read about; it's implied this this is due tosexual abuse, potentially originating in her childhood . She does work only on her own terms or for money and does it in highly illegal ways (hacking). The people who employ her don't know how she gets her information. I find that the characters, despite being unlikable in some aspects, are easy to root for.
The mystery itself was largely unpredictable and clever (in my opinion). It hooked me almost instantly.
The negatives are few but important to consider: I wasn't sure what to think of a man writing a story that revolves heavily around thesexual abuse of young women . Some parts were handled well. Some parts were strange. The ending dragged on a bit and I felt that especially towards the end, Lisbeth's body was written about too much for me (seemingly without a point). I didn't need to hear about her breasts every two seconds trying to get to the end. I was reading for a thrill.
The book is written in a very impersonal way. The characters are referred to almost exclusively by last name, with some exceptions (mainly in the Vanger family; there are so many Vangers it would make for a horrible experience.) It reads almost like a newspaper report, which I think is a stylistic choice as the main character is a journalist and his assistant does personal investigations, but makes the book a bit difficult to get into. I think many other reviewers share the same sentiment.
I found the main twist very sudden and I felt it was written in a more rushed manner than the rest of the book. It didn't hit as hard as it should've. The last part of the book as a whole suffers from worse writing, unfortunately.
Overall: a fun read. Unsure if I'll read part two, though.
Let's start with the positives. The writing is pretty good. I felt engaged throughout most of the book and read more than 400 pages of it in one day because I just had to know what happened next. Stieg Larsson has a talent for getting readers hooked.
The characters. They're far from likable, but in a way that still keep you interested.
Our protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist, is a bit naïve and believes there's a reason for everything. He can't keep his hands off of women sometimes, and his wife divorced him for infidelity. He neglects his daughter. He's not assertive when he needs to be, and too assertive when he doesn't. He keeps his on-again-off-again sorta-girlfriend (who is also his boss) out of the loop regarding the events in this book, and despite exposing financial criminals for their bad morals, he has minimal hesitation for stooping to illegal methods.
His assistant Lisbeth is also very flawed. She's deemed incompetent by the state, despite being very smart, because of her behavior. She doesn't like building emotional connections with anyone. She rarely speaks. She has a warped view of the world that makes her a very interesting character to read about; it's implied this this is due to
The mystery itself was largely unpredictable and clever (in my opinion). It hooked me almost instantly.
The negatives are few but important to consider: I wasn't sure what to think of a man writing a story that revolves heavily around the
The book is written in a very impersonal way. The characters are referred to almost exclusively by last name, with some exceptions (mainly in the Vanger family; there are so many Vangers it would make for a horrible experience.) It reads almost like a newspaper report, which I think is a stylistic choice as the main character is a journalist and his assistant does personal investigations, but makes the book a bit difficult to get into. I think many other reviewers share the same sentiment.
I found the main twist very sudden and I felt it was written in a more rushed manner than the rest of the book. It didn't hit as hard as it should've. The last part of the book as a whole suffers from worse writing, unfortunately.
Overall: a fun read. Unsure if I'll read part two, though.
Goodbye, Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this is the first of fujimoto's works that i've read, and after this, it's safe to say i'll look into more of his work. his art is absolutely stunning, and i'm particularly enamored by just how well he's able to make the expressions feel real? from happiness to disgust to sadness, all of the expressions look true to life, with a pinch of fantasy.
as for the story, it's great. it makes you question what actually happened, both in the manga, and the real world. do you know the characters, or do you just know their idealized selves? is your memory of a person just a fragment of their actual self? it's lovable and the paneling is designed to feel like film, which gave it a really interesting feel, and many of the shots are drawn in a sort of unflattering way that is typical of a video camera.
my only complaint is that the story really fast-paced. i felt that i didn't get to know eri well enough, when she's the titular character. i wish that the story had gone a bit slower, because it's a very unique concept, but it went on so fast that i felt i didn't have enough time to savor it as i was reading. but overall, this was a great oneshot manga. i just wish i'd had more time to appreciate it!
as for the story, it's great. it makes you question what actually happened, both in the manga, and the real world. do you know the characters, or do you just know their idealized selves? is your memory of a person just a fragment of their actual self? it's lovable and the paneling is designed to feel like film, which gave it a really interesting feel, and many of the shots are drawn in a sort of unflattering way that is typical of a video camera.
my only complaint is that the story really fast-paced. i felt that i didn't get to know eri well enough, when she's the titular character. i wish that the story had gone a bit slower, because it's a very unique concept, but it went on so fast that i felt i didn't have enough time to savor it as i was reading. but overall, this was a great oneshot manga. i just wish i'd had more time to appreciate it!
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was certainly a book.
There are so many things that I dislike about this book, namely the (spoilers)very prominent adult/minor relationship... or whatever the fuck that was, the incest, and somewhat personal gripes with how Murakami writes the women in this book and the handling of Oshima's gender —yet for whatever reason, the writing compelled me, and I kept reading, and reading, and reading more. I haven't read Oedipus Rex in a while and I remember thoroughly hating it, in all honesty. But I read this, and I couldn't read anything more for a few days because I couldn't get this out of my mind.
I don't know what draws me to it. Perhaps it's the surrealism, the incredibly flawed cast of characters, or several real-life coincidences I experienced (is that the right word?) regarding the book. Minor things, but considering how much of a role coincidence plays in this book, it was kind of creepy to me in the moment. It's probably a mix of these things that kept me reading to the end.
I left this book not knowing what to take from it. I spent a long, long time thinking about what made this book so enjoyable to me. I think the writing is flat and dated, the characters aren't very compelling, and the plot was strange, to say the least. But the experience of reading this book left me with such a strange and surreal feeling afterwards that I can't help but enjoy it.
I think a lot of people who have read this book have had similar experiences. This isn't the kind of book I particularly recommend for the plot or the writing, but rather, how I felt reading it. And for that, it gets a 4.25 stars for me, no matter how much I dislike about it.
There are so many things that I dislike about this book, namely the (spoilers)
I don't know what draws me to it. Perhaps it's the surrealism, the incredibly flawed cast of characters, or several real-life coincidences I experienced (is that the right word?) regarding the book. Minor things, but considering how much of a role coincidence plays in this book, it was kind of creepy to me in the moment. It's probably a mix of these things that kept me reading to the end.
I left this book not knowing what to take from it. I spent a long, long time thinking about what made this book so enjoyable to me. I think the writing is flat and dated, the characters aren't very compelling, and the plot was strange, to say the least. But the experience of reading this book left me with such a strange and surreal feeling afterwards that I can't help but enjoy it.
I think a lot of people who have read this book have had similar experiences. This isn't the kind of book I particularly recommend for the plot or the writing, but rather, how I felt reading it. And for that, it gets a 4.25 stars for me, no matter how much I dislike about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Incest
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME - where do i begin?
holy crap this was a wild ride!
read this at the insistence of my mother who was a huge fan of this book and read it over the span of one day.
it's a lot to digest for sure. a bit complicated at times, and a bit fast paced for my taste. i felt like everything was being hurled at me all at once. i felt as if i didn't spend as much time with the characters as was necessary, especially grady.
i thought it was very heartwarming at the end when bailey finally calls hannah "mom"?? my heart melted aaa but a bit fast paced. overall a good, fast read for those interested in a mysterious yet heartwarming book about the bonds we make, the bonds we break, and the secrets we keep, even from those we love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Murder
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
okay, so i didn’t really have high hopes for a YA murder mystery novel, but my friends had been begging me to read it for ages, so i finally cracked and borrowed a copy from my library.
i think i was right not to expect much to be honest.
on the back of the book, the characters are described according to which high school cliques they fall into. they deviate very little from those cliques. sasha especially got on my nerves—the concept isn’t very realistic on its own, but she’s just too two-dimensional even for this unrealistic story.
one thing i especially disliked was thatit’s told from the point of view of the person who organized the whole room with the bomb so i had expected the twist to come for a long time.
in addition, at the end the culprit isforgiven for her actions, which are mostly blamed on the aftermath of her sister’s suicide. that left a very bad taste in my mouth, especially due to the serious subject matter.
so yeah, overall… not a good read. would have DNF-ed if my friends didn’t encourage me to keep reading.
i think i was right not to expect much to be honest.
on the back of the book, the characters are described according to which high school cliques they fall into. they deviate very little from those cliques. sasha especially got on my nerves—the concept isn’t very realistic on its own, but she’s just too two-dimensional even for this unrealistic story.
one thing i especially disliked was that
in addition, at the end the culprit is
so yeah, overall… not a good read. would have DNF-ed if my friends didn’t encourage me to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence
Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
dnf sadly :(
i wanted to like this book so badly!! i thought the tattoo magic was a cool concept but something about the writing style just put me off for some reason? it was a chore to get through.
as a queer person i'm all for queer rep but i just thought the language to describe being lgbt was just so... flowery, if that makes sense? though i did like the casual use of they/them pronouns for characters :)
i'd love to come back to this someday!! it's just not for me right now
Legend by Marie Lu
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
Legend. Where do I start with this book? There were so many things to dislike about this book, from the unlikable, unrealistic characters, to the dry writing, to the government, to the one scene where a man in his twenties tries to kiss a fifteen year old?? . Anyways, the book was terrible, and throughout my reading experience, I wondered why it was so popular.
The story follows June, a young prodigy who’s the only person to have gotten a perfect score on the United States’… sorry, Republic’s aptitude test… sorry, Trial, which is meant to find the best children to join the war effort against the rest of the United States, the Patriots. She lives with her twenty-something year old brother Metias because their parents were killed, and goes to a top university where she trains to be in the military. Her commander tends to be a bit… trigger-happy, and so does her friend Thomas, but they justify it enough to the point where she’s convinced what they’re doing is correct. There’s also no reason for this war that is provided. Also they kill the kids that fail the Trial, but their parents are told they work at labor camps.
And then we have Day, the Republic’s most wanted criminal despite the fact that most of his offenses would only be enough to classify him as a large nuisance. He’s never killed anyone, but now he’s being accused of killing Metias. The only thoughts he is capable of having are about how attractive all of the girls he meets are. He’s on the run because he’s never been caught by the Republic, but he rescues June while her commander sends her to catch him undercover. And then June finds out who he is because she conveniently goes down tangents of extremely unrealistic thoughts that advance the plot!And guess what. He also got a perfect score! But he’s from the slums so they tried to kill him off!
So Day nearly gets executed. But since June likes him and kissed him before she knew who he was, she’s sympathetic. She goes down another convenient tangent and finds out thatThomas killed Metias and her commander is trying to hide it . But also she hikes who knows how far (there’s no map, but the author constantly mentions sectors, which was really confusing) to find some known Patriots to try to set off a plan. So Thomas shoots everyone and June and Day nearly die, Day conveniently has a brother that looks identical to him and has a June-esque unrealistic tangent and figures out what happened, and his brother gets killed instead and now June and Day have to hide from the evil government, which has no reason to be evil as far as I know.
The writing was incredibly dry and it was really hard to get through at times. I had to finish it because I had to read it for a school assignment, but if I could, I would have put this book down for good. Maybe the author’s other books are better, but I could not get through this one.
The story follows June, a young prodigy who’s the only person to have gotten a perfect score on the United States’… sorry, Republic’s aptitude test… sorry, Trial, which is meant to find the best children to join the war effort against the rest of the United States, the Patriots. She lives with her twenty-something year old brother Metias because their parents were killed, and goes to a top university where she trains to be in the military. Her commander tends to be a bit… trigger-happy, and so does her friend Thomas, but they justify it enough to the point where she’s convinced what they’re doing is correct. There’s also no reason for this war that is provided. Also they kill the kids that fail the Trial, but their parents are told they work at labor camps.
And then we have Day, the Republic’s most wanted criminal despite the fact that most of his offenses would only be enough to classify him as a large nuisance. He’s never killed anyone, but now he’s being accused of killing Metias. The only thoughts he is capable of having are about how attractive all of the girls he meets are. He’s on the run because he’s never been caught by the Republic, but he rescues June while her commander sends her to catch him undercover. And then June finds out who he is because she conveniently goes down tangents of extremely unrealistic thoughts that advance the plot!
So Day nearly gets executed. But since June likes him and kissed him before she knew who he was, she’s sympathetic. She goes down another convenient tangent and finds out that
The writing was incredibly dry and it was really hard to get through at times. I had to finish it because I had to read it for a school assignment, but if I could, I would have put this book down for good. Maybe the author’s other books are better, but I could not get through this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Torture and Grief
Minor: Car accident and War
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a great read! It got recommended to me by several friends and family members and at first I was a bit skeptical. This book isn't in a genre I read often, but I found that I enjoyed this book a lot. I found the book to be a bit slow at times, and I wished the author could have elaborated more in some places, but I found the book enjoyable and always wanted to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide
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