littlefreeinterrobang's reviews
53 reviews

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

medium-paced

3.5

A pleasant, quirky read with some likable characters and a unique story. Pro wrestling and OnlyFans / social media is a mashup I never would have considered, but they complement each other in a surprisingly delightful way. The changing perspective between first and third person was an intriguing storytelling device, and while it didn't seem to work for some readers, I kinda dug it; it helped paint Margot as an introspective character. All that said, certain aspects of the storyline felt honeyed or contrived, or not entirely believable – the relationship Margot develops with one of her fans, for instance, or the success she found with her weak concept for a collaboration storyline with the other OnlyFans workers. Regardless, a charming and enjoyable book.

Honey: A Novel by Isabel Banta

reflective slow-paced

3.75

If you’re expecting a fun and upbeat revisit of the frenzied, late nineties / early aughts pop scene, you might be disappointed by this book’s generally more serious tone. Honey explores the darker side of all that spectacle, layering coming-of-age uncertainty, insecurity, and anxiety over the toxicity of the entertainment industry’s celebrity-making machine. 

It felt like (or perhaps I was hoping) the story was slowly building up to some sort of big moment or turning point, but it never really comes to pass, and the ending was rather modest and subdued. Ultimately, not all that much happens, and it makes for a more ruminative reading experience than a plot-driven page turner.

There’s some unexpectedly lovely writing to be found in this book, although the first person perspective requires a little suspension of disbelief to allow such poetic self-reflections to come from a teenager.

The Future by Naomi Alderman

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

4.0

This story is a swirl of technological speculation, biblical allegory, philosophizing, scheming and manipulation, survivalism, multiple perspectives and timeline jumping, and numerous twists and turns. I enjoyed the exploration of what doomsday prepping might look like for a bunch of paranoid, self-important, tech-giant butthole billionaires, and lamented the all-too-feasible idea that for all their power and wealth, they would only ever think to employ it for their own gain (even if it all it meant is ruling over a pile of post-apocalyptic ashes). A little disjointed at times, but a fun ride regardless.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed the fundamental concept of this book: people pulled out of the past into our present, with designated guides to help them adjust to their new place in time. It’s a fun thought experiment, and the fish-out-of-water, slice-of-life, romance sorta thing is a cozy kind of story to curl up with. The pace is a bit meandering at first, which I personally didn’t mind, but it picks up towards the end when the story morphs into more of a mystery spy thriller. This is where it started to lose me, however — it felt like it was trying to be too many genres in one book, and it didn’t quite stick the landing with any of them. 

The author also uses a lot of creative and amusing turns of phrase, that, for the most part, I really appreciated, although at times they started to feel overdone or didn’t always make sense. 

Flawed, but a fun read regardless.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

2.25

Horribly dull. Mythological fox people and a lie-detecting private detective sounds like a recipe for a compelling story, but if I wasn’t stuck on a 4.5 hour train ride with nothing else to do, I don’t think I would have managed to finished this. The detective’s pursuit of the titular protagonist was beyond tedious, and the protagonist’s own pursuit of the object of her revenge was just as boring. There were interesting things here and there, but this book’s length needed to be cut  in half to actually create an engaging pace.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This book sits right at home on the shelf of an airport newsstand — a quick and easily-digestible beach read that keeps you turning the pages and passing the time. Multiple unreliable narrators make for an engaging narrative that leaves you questioning the truth, but it does require some suspension of disbelief; the extent to which Alix indulges Josie and is so easily railroaded by her seems more like plot convenience than anything else. Regardless, an effective thriller if you’re looking for some “junk food” type reading.

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I picked this up on a whim via Book of the Month. Their “salacious” tag set my expectations pretty low and I assumed this would just be light and shallow read, so I was pleasantly surprised when this book dished up something a little bit more thoughtful, and a lot more dark.

Annie Bot doesn’t have anything interesting to say about AI that hasn’t been said countless times before, but the AI theme isn’t the point so much as the plot device for a feminist exploration of identity, autonomy, and power dynamics in emotionally abusive relationships. Doug, Annie’s owner, is insidious and revolting, and his characterization is all the more unsettling because he’s nowhere near what you would imagine a truly reprobate owner to be. Annie is generally likable and you can't help but root for her, even though her setbacks can be frustrating.

This is a quick read that I finished in a single sitting on a 4 hour plane flight, so I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it (probably, frankly, to its benefit). Interesting enough to pass a bit of time, but I can see this being a toss-up as to whether others enjoy it.

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

emotional reflective sad 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

I had trouble maintaining my momentum with this book – it felt drawn out and repetitive, and the protagonist spins her wheels a lot before she starts to make any satisfying progress. Granted, such a laborious path is probably more true to life for someone confronting the trauma and difficult circumstances the main character faces, but unfortunately it also makes for one real chore of book. The story spends a lot of its time wallowing in heartache, and if you’re not in that kind of headspace, it’s arduous to get through. Bonus star for bringing some valuable representation to the table, but overall a miss for me.

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz

informative medium-paced

3.5

I learned a few interesting little nuggets reading this book, but it was pretty dry and failed to really make the topic come to life. Not, however, for lack of trying… the author inserts little vignettes about her own dog at the start of each chapter, but they were a bit stiff and it didn’t take long before I started skipping over them. There are also many instances where the topics felt horribly over-explained. As an example from page 139: “Visual attention begins with looking; auditory attention with hearing: both are possible for all animals with eyes and ears" …pardon me while my eyes glaze over. So, definitely something of a slog to get through, but overall I still found this book worthwhile as I did learn a few things that helped me understand my dog a teensy bit better.

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

The Mountain and the Sea offers up some intriguing near-future sci-fi that explores the nature of consciousness, personhood, and self-determination. The idea of octopuses as “aliens among us” isn’t new, but I love that this book extrapolates on that notion and envisions an evolutionary direction where they develop their own language and culture. The associated plot line reminds me a lot of Arrival— language is grounded in the communicators’ unique umwelt, and deciphering alien expression requires an expanded form of empathy that reaches beyond our own human form and experience. I also love this “aliens on earth” concept because it underscores just how rich and mysterious our own world is, and encourages one to imagine how much more it could continue to offer if we weren’t relentlessly destroying it.

All that said, I do wish more time was spent with the characters learning about these fantastical octopuses; there was perhaps just one plot line too many here, and some streamlining could have refined the book’s focus. So, not perfect by any means, but I found the ideas captivating and certainly got 5 stars’ worth of enjoyment out of it.