literarywreck's reviews
183 reviews

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I hated the first ~80 pages of this book. And, then, I fell in love.

Somehow, DJ&T6 was both everything and nothing like I had expected it to be. I appreciated it all the more for that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Abandonment

Minor: Chronic illness, Death, and Eating disorder

Stöld by Ann-Helén Laestadius

challenging informative 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? No

4.5

Review in Short: 

Laestadius’ prose is remarkably moving and full of luscious description that immediately draws you into Elsa’s snow-covered world. From the start, the immersive story she spins grapples with themes of identity, trauma and injustice; the unique responses of each character reveal layers of Laestadius’ social commentary.

Full Review: 

Stolen is written in simple prose that is littered with beautiful descriptions of nature and human emotion. As the majority of the book is filtered through the lens of a young protagonist, I understood the artistic decision to keep the writing fairly simple, however, I did find myself frequently longing for more of Laestadius’ stunning descriptive writing.

The beauty of Stolen lies in its thematic exploration of intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression and mental health. It took me a long time to wade through this novel because of how impactful it was; I frequently found myself needing to take breaks to process what I had just read. 

In the Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that the only serious philosophical question is whether or not to commit suicide; for several of Laestadius’ characters, this is not merely a philosophical quandary, but an unavoidable reality. Stolen clearly illuminates the struggle of the Sámi people, and the harsh reality that some people (and peoples) roll heavier stones.

In one of the most moving portrayals of depression and oppression—and, of course, the inextricable relationship between the two—I’ve read, Laestadius somehow manages to make the looming threat of mental health issues feel tangible. At times, mental health—depression, anxiety, and the question of whether life is worth living—takes the reins from the poaching villain Robert, personifying the general/abstract antagonist of oppression in his stead.

It’s not hard to see why Stolen is a best-seller: it tells a story that needs to be told, and it does so remarkably well. Get ready to have your heart broken, but in all the best ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Death and Alcohol

Notorious by bek_48

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Racism

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I've seen people complain about this book being falsely called queerbait-y... BUT, come on, where have you heard

they lived happily ever after, holding each other on their deathbed, raising children together... as FRIENDS

before?

I think it's unfortunate that Hendrix didn't choose to make the main characters' relationship more explicitly queer.

The queerplatonic relationship between these two girls was reminiscent of every overly intense female friendship I had as a youngin before I figured out I was bisexual (and that so were said "friends"). Once you add in the tumultuous and vaguely codependent relationship dynamic, WASPy parental disapproval, and odd involvement of a buff youth pastor, it's nearly identical. Using literal demons as a metaphor for queerness has a long history in horror, and actually addressing that and intentionally interacting with that would've been a much more interesting use of these pages. I'm still bothered by the kind of cheesy

power of friendship

ending, when that same ending could've been empowering & used to turn a fun and immersive book into one that actually said something.

3.5 rounded down

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism