marik0n's reviews
468 reviews
If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Reading this book led me to so conflicted feelings, so this is a big review, but it is spoiler free.
The plot: We follow the lives of Finn and Autumn two childhood friends whose mothers are best friends and live next door to each other, as they enter and go through puberty. It’s not hard to guess that they were meant to be childhood sweethearts.
The characters: We see the point from Autumn’s point of view and it’s a first-person narration. Autumn generally stroked me the wrong way from the beginning. She is a typical pick-me girl that is actually obsessed with her best friend but in a teenage drama way of ‘oh no, he would never like me back’. Autumn wears tiaras every day just because she likes them and she is edgy, different and weird, but not in a bad way (of course), she’s kind of 2015 tumblr edgy and weird. She makes it clear early on that she is not a cringey goth or hipster or nerd kind of teen, she’s just different and quirky in an eccentric and ultimately effortless, mysterious, sophisticated and I’m-not-trying-to-be-cool way. We learn all these things about Autumn early on in the book, so I wasn’t really interested in reading it.
At this point I felt determined to give up on this book. However, the thing that got me hooked from the beginning was the short and contemporary chapters. It felt like each chapter only need a minute, so I kept reading.
Around 80% done I started thinking about puberty, who girls are brought up and the pick-me phase all girls seem to experience at some point during their adolescent years. A video of a creator in TikTok came to my mind (I don’t remember her name unfortunately) that I saw a couple months ago. The creator explained how every girl goes through a pick-me phase since we are trying to establish that she is not like the others girls. You know which ones. The ones boys say that:
- They can’t think anything besides becoming wives and are obsesses with getting married
- The ones that don’t like anything besides the color pink and putting on lip gloss
- The ones you cheat on because they are boring
- The ones that do not have any ‘boyish’ interests (therefore, real, serious interests)
- The ones that seem like being the same person because they lack any element of authenticity, character and soul. They are not people. They are a stereotype and nothing more.
Of course, she expressed it a much more eloquent way and gave way more examples, but you get the idea.
I have struggled a lot with my pick me phase. Although my mom made sure that I snapped out of shortly, I still got in the rabbit hole of thinking that way. The essence of what the creator on TikTok was explaining is absolutely accurate: young girls just want to differentiate themselves from these ‘other girls’ that you treat and think poorly of.
Reading this book and taking into consideration that it is about puberty (from the eyes of a girl nonetheless) it makes a really good point. The thing that made me give this book three stars and not five is that I do not really buy it that the writer wrote it consciously as a disapprovement towards the hate and divination the pick-me attitude creates among women. I think that her purpose was writing a panic-pixie dixie girl and slightly make some criticism on the way society treats girls and women but in vague and subtle way in order not to make it ‘political’.
Whatever the case, I have to give this book credit for capturing a more or less realistic perspective on girls during puberty.
I have my doubts about Finny since we mostly see her interpretation of him and not much information about his character from another point of view. He seems like a nice guy. Idk.
This book is leaning heavily on the miscommunication trope which I also don’t enjoy. As for the ending, other than being stated in literally the first chapter, it had other tropes which I dislike a lot. The ending for itself wasn’t so painful for me as it was for others, maybe it’s because I have read of my fair share of similar books so I don’t react as badly. That certainly does not mean that I wasn’t feeling sentimental.
Overall, on the pros side we have the really short chapters and the contemporary context make it a page-turner. On the cons side this a pick-me female main character. The conception behind the book is great and the book itself has many things going for it: short chapters, capturing a realistic perspective of a girl’s puberty and contemporary content, easily relatable. Nevertheless, there was this glorification of the pick me girl that I don’t support, which pretty much was the only thing the book had against it.
No matter the disadvantages, one thing is for sure: I finished reading this book a couple days back and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
0.0
0⭐️: I hate this book, and if I could unread it, I would.
I had such high hopes for this book but ultimately it fell so flat.
This book is supposed to be an insight into the inner workings of Dorothy, a food critic turned cannibal. It has been promoted as "feminist Hannibal Lecter" but I honestly didn't see it. I constantly had this feeling that the writer was trying to say that women can be serial killers too, but in an irritating and abnormal way, while the whole point was supposedly to demonstrate human feelings in a hyperbolic way. However, I kept thinking that she is just trying to insert a woman in the place we usually see a man, but didn't really support that, let alone for some shallow, meaningless life lessons from Dorothy. It just seemed forced and poorly executed.
The first problem I had with this book is how boring Dorothy is. I was totally uninterested in her and her victims because in fact, despite telling you how awesome and interesting she is, she actually isn't. I mean, psychopaths are usually charming, or at least appear to be. She wasn't.
By the end of the book I hadn't the faintest idea about her motivations for killing and eating these men. I can't be sure if it was about control, misplaced sexual gratification, culinary adventurism or something else. Since this is supposed to be the point of the whole book, it's more than obvious that it missed by a mile.
Also, I am so incredibly bored of food and genitals descriptions. So many food references without any actual reason to be there. I feel that the writer consumed herself with a lot of unnecessary details and side-stories that didn't really do anything for the plot, the main character and overall, the book.
All in all, I feel like I wasted my time.
I had such high hopes for this book but ultimately it fell so flat.
This book is supposed to be an insight into the inner workings of Dorothy, a food critic turned cannibal. It has been promoted as "feminist Hannibal Lecter" but I honestly didn't see it. I constantly had this feeling that the writer was trying to say that women can be serial killers too, but in an irritating and abnormal way, while the whole point was supposedly to demonstrate human feelings in a hyperbolic way. However, I kept thinking that she is just trying to insert a woman in the place we usually see a man, but didn't really support that, let alone for some shallow, meaningless life lessons from Dorothy. It just seemed forced and poorly executed.
The first problem I had with this book is how boring Dorothy is. I was totally uninterested in her and her victims because in fact, despite telling you how awesome and interesting she is, she actually isn't. I mean, psychopaths are usually charming, or at least appear to be. She wasn't.
By the end of the book I hadn't the faintest idea about her motivations for killing and eating these men. I can't be sure if it was about control, misplaced sexual gratification, culinary adventurism or something else. Since this is supposed to be the point of the whole book, it's more than obvious that it missed by a mile.
Also, I am so incredibly bored of food and genitals descriptions. So many food references without any actual reason to be there. I feel that the writer consumed herself with a lot of unnecessary details and side-stories that didn't really do anything for the plot, the main character and overall, the book.
All in all, I feel like I wasted my time.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
3.75
Let me start by saying that this is a book not only challenging to read, but also challenging to talk about. I am confident that I could write a whole paper on it and still not be done.
First things first, it’s giving [book:The Getaway|60114406] vibes. However, I could hardly compare this masterpiece to anything else. I would strongly recommend reading it if you liked this one.
The premises are simple; animals have a virus that makes eating them lethal for humans, therefore the human race turns to cannibalism and eventualize manages to legalize it. Think of pretty much any industry which (ab)uses animals and replace them with humans and there you have it.
The first very notable thing I encounter in this book was the mass hysteria caused by the inability to consume animals no more. People preferred turning to cannibalism instead of veganism since they can’t get all the necessary amino acids from plants (just turn a blind eye to the fact that we are talking about an extremely advanced dystopia setting).
I see a lot of people being extremely shocked and uncomfortable by this book. Even though I could not possibly say that there are no valid reasons to feel this way, I need to point out that this book perfectly demonstrates the cruelty we normalize to the point it almost seems moral on the daily (ex. Palestinian genocide happening right now). Humans have demonstrated again and again that all it takes to dehumanize a group of people is to convince yourself that they have something different about them so they are not really humans. I find the fact that humans bred to be eaten are never called humans in this book very interesting. They are ‘heads’ or ‘(special’ meat), but never actual human beings. It is terrible and unacceptable when a meat with a first and last name dies, but that’s the only fate ‘heads’ are going to experience.
Besides the obvious issues regarding animal cruelty, and the much harder circumstance women have to deal with, a lot of political issues regarding mass manipulation rise as well.
The third person narrative really reinforces the stance the main character holds (i.e., I do not approve of that, but I won’t really do anything to put an end to it) as it kind of offers you a bird’s view on what it happening and possibly allows you to distance yourself from it.
To be completely honest I saw the ending coming around the middle of the book when a certain… situation occurs. After all, it is a well-known fact the in periods of was or any other event that brings imbalance to our otherwise ‘civilized’ society women always have it harder. The ending of this book is evident of that, besides other thing.
I would recommend this book, because it can be the base of endless fruitful discussions. However, I would strongly recommend that you check out the trigger warnings before picking it up as they are countless.
First things first, it’s giving [book:The Getaway|60114406] vibes. However, I could hardly compare this masterpiece to anything else. I would strongly recommend reading it if you liked this one.
The premises are simple; animals have a virus that makes eating them lethal for humans, therefore the human race turns to cannibalism and eventualize manages to legalize it. Think of pretty much any industry which (ab)uses animals and replace them with humans and there you have it.
The first very notable thing I encounter in this book was the mass hysteria caused by the inability to consume animals no more. People preferred turning to cannibalism instead of veganism since they can’t get all the necessary amino acids from plants (just turn a blind eye to the fact that we are talking about an extremely advanced dystopia setting).
I see a lot of people being extremely shocked and uncomfortable by this book. Even though I could not possibly say that there are no valid reasons to feel this way, I need to point out that this book perfectly demonstrates the cruelty we normalize to the point it almost seems moral on the daily (ex. Palestinian genocide happening right now). Humans have demonstrated again and again that all it takes to dehumanize a group of people is to convince yourself that they have something different about them so they are not really humans. I find the fact that humans bred to be eaten are never called humans in this book very interesting. They are ‘heads’ or ‘(special’ meat), but never actual human beings. It is terrible and unacceptable when a meat with a first and last name dies, but that’s the only fate ‘heads’ are going to experience.
Besides the obvious issues regarding animal cruelty, and the much harder circumstance women have to deal with, a lot of political issues regarding mass manipulation rise as well.
The third person narrative really reinforces the stance the main character holds (i.e., I do not approve of that, but I won’t really do anything to put an end to it) as it kind of offers you a bird’s view on what it happening and possibly allows you to distance yourself from it.
To be completely honest I saw the ending coming around the middle of the book when a certain… situation occurs. After all, it is a well-known fact the in periods of was or any other event that brings imbalance to our otherwise ‘civilized’ society women always have it harder. The ending of this book is evident of that, besides other thing.
I would recommend this book, because it can be the base of endless fruitful discussions. However, I would strongly recommend that you check out the trigger warnings before picking it up as they are countless.
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
2.0
2⭐️:I somehow finished this, it wasn't the worst, but i regret almost everything.
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely adore this book cover, since it’s so balanced and cute.
As for the book, even though I liked the concept when I saw it, the execution just didn’t work for me. It sure had its moments, but for the most part it was really hard for me to pick it up and read.
Cassie is a broke, innovative artist looking for an apartment, when she happens to see a too-good-to-be-true ad by some Frederick guy looking for a roommate for a ridiculous price rent. Naturally, she takes the deal but little does she know, that Frederick is actually a vampire that was in coma for the last century and now has difficulty adjusting to the 21st century lifestyle.
This a slow-burn, roommates to friends to lovers romance.
The first part of the book started strong, but it kind of started dragging towards the middle and completely blew it by the time we reached the last part to the point that I counted the pages in order for it to be done already.
Overlooking the fact that the plot has more holes than a sponge, Cassie gradually became unsufferable and that’s when I knew that this book can’t be saved for me. I hate this ‘Oh, I am good for nothing, I am so ugly, I am so stupid’ kind of female main character. I actually rolled my eyes continuously and want to scream at her to get a grip. I mean, come on girl. This, paired with the guy being the only one that understands how beautiful and unique she is gives me the ick. Sorry, but these elements are really a deal breaker for me.
As I said earlier the book sure had its moments (a vampire Swiftie? Say no more) but overall, it felt like the characters were extremely flat and there was barely any plot there. I really wanted to love this book and I am really bumbed that this wasn't the case.
To be honest, I wouldn't really recomment it since besides some very limited things I didn't enjoy reading it.
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely adore this book cover, since it’s so balanced and cute.
As for the book, even though I liked the concept when I saw it, the execution just didn’t work for me. It sure had its moments, but for the most part it was really hard for me to pick it up and read.
Cassie is a broke, innovative artist looking for an apartment, when she happens to see a too-good-to-be-true ad by some Frederick guy looking for a roommate for a ridiculous price rent. Naturally, she takes the deal but little does she know, that Frederick is actually a vampire that was in coma for the last century and now has difficulty adjusting to the 21st century lifestyle.
This a slow-burn, roommates to friends to lovers romance.
The first part of the book started strong, but it kind of started dragging towards the middle and completely blew it by the time we reached the last part to the point that I counted the pages in order for it to be done already.
Overlooking the fact that the plot has more holes than a sponge, Cassie gradually became unsufferable and that’s when I knew that this book can’t be saved for me. I hate this ‘Oh, I am good for nothing, I am so ugly, I am so stupid’ kind of female main character. I actually rolled my eyes continuously and want to scream at her to get a grip. I mean, come on girl. This, paired with the guy being the only one that understands how beautiful and unique she is gives me the ick. Sorry, but these elements are really a deal breaker for me.
As I said earlier the book sure had its moments (a vampire Swiftie? Say no more) but overall, it felt like the characters were extremely flat and there was barely any plot there. I really wanted to love this book and I am really bumbed that this wasn't the case.
To be honest, I wouldn't really recomment it since besides some very limited things I didn't enjoy reading it.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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? No
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I am so satisfied, I really liked this one. It probably didn't change my life, but I love it and I would most probably recommend.
This was such a cute, cozy read!
Tropes: found family, grumpy x sunshine
Mika Moon is a modern witch, in a world where witches are safer when they are alone- and inevitably, lonely, since they cannot reveal their true selves. When an unexpected job opportunity reveals its self Mika's life is about to drastically change.
I really like the commentary-like narration style, I think it added to the overall feeling of coziness an fluffiness this book offered me.
This was one of these very cute and everything-is-going-to-be-alright-at-the-end kind of books that I occasionally enjoy and with everything going on in the world right now I was in great need of an uplifting book. This absolutely did the job. So, if you're in the mood for a fluffy, holiday-related, witchy book, this one is for you.
PS: I really liked the cover. I don't usually comment on covers, as I don't think that they're that important (I mainly read e-books) but this one really caught my eye.
This was such a cute, cozy read!
Tropes: found family, grumpy x sunshine
Mika Moon is a modern witch, in a world where witches are safer when they are alone- and inevitably, lonely, since they cannot reveal their true selves. When an unexpected job opportunity reveals its self Mika's life is about to drastically change.
I really like the commentary-like narration style, I think it added to the overall feeling of coziness an fluffiness this book offered me.
This was one of these very cute and everything-is-going-to-be-alright-at-the-end kind of books that I occasionally enjoy and with everything going on in the world right now I was in great need of an uplifting book. This absolutely did the job. So, if you're in the mood for a fluffy, holiday-related, witchy book, this one is for you.
PS: I really liked the cover. I don't usually comment on covers, as I don't think that they're that important (I mainly read e-books) but this one really caught my eye.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
This book was an absolute page turner for me and I enjoyed every second of reading it. At first I picked it up because it gave [book:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|32620332] vibes and I was all for it.
This story is a multi-generational saga which includes strong, resilient, feminist women and indeed explores Hollywood. However, it does so in the context of the civil rights movement.
As a European I was familiar with the hardship black people and especially black women had to endure (and many still do up until today), but reading this book was certainly a punch it the stomach. There is no only a comparison of white vs black lives and privileges through different times, but also it highlights the different approaches and livelihoods inside the black community.
While reading this I kept thinking about this quote from Barbie: "We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they've come.”. If this book isn't a representative example of that I don't know what is.
This book also offers some food for thought regarding men and their relationships with women; the ways men disappoint us, take advantage of us or simply the way that they will never full (sometimes because they just won't even try) comprehend womanhood <i> The need to possess, to own her, was the masculine greed that killed her </i>
The only thing I disliked about this book were the present day segments. They just weren't this strong and they kind of threw me off the story. Thankfully, the main focus of the books is the in the past pov which I greatly enjoyed. If the majority of the chapters hadn't been about the past, I believe that I would have DNFed this book. The character development of the St. John sister was barely there and to be honest it didn't really move me as they felt a little flat and who can actually relate with millionaires?
Both while reading and after finishing this book I felt very sentimental and connected to women and womanhood.
I would most certainly recommend it.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
This book was an absolute page turner for me and I enjoyed every second of reading it. At first I picked it up because it gave [book:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|32620332] vibes and I was all for it.
This story is a multi-generational saga which includes strong, resilient, feminist women and indeed explores Hollywood. However, it does so in the context of the civil rights movement.
As a European I was familiar with the hardship black people and especially black women had to endure (and many still do up until today), but reading this book was certainly a punch it the stomach. There is no only a comparison of white vs black lives and privileges through different times, but also it highlights the different approaches and livelihoods inside the black community.
While reading this I kept thinking about this quote from Barbie: "We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they've come.”. If this book isn't a representative example of that I don't know what is.
This book also offers some food for thought regarding men and their relationships with women; the ways men disappoint us, take advantage of us or simply the way that they will never full (sometimes because they just won't even try) comprehend womanhood <i> The need to possess, to own her, was the masculine greed that killed her </i>
The only thing I disliked about this book were the present day segments. They just weren't this strong and they kind of threw me off the story. Thankfully, the main focus of the books is the in the past pov which I greatly enjoyed. If the majority of the chapters hadn't been about the past, I believe that I would have DNFed this book. The character development of the St. John sister was barely there and to be honest it didn't really move me as they felt a little flat and who can actually relate with millionaires?
Both while reading and after finishing this book I felt very sentimental and connected to women and womanhood.
I would most certainly recommend it.
The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.0
Tropes:
nanny x single rich dad
insta-lust
miscommunication
hidden identity
forced proximity
workplace romance
forbidden romance
grumpy x sunshine
dual pov
found family
I hate this book with the passion of a hundred burning suns. There was just a handful of elements I liked (ex: the Enchanto reference), but most were ruined by the end of it (ex. Wanda). And boy, do I have things to say.
Overview:
Regarding the plot, it was nonexistent. I mean, the only resemblance to plot is them avoiding each other after an incident that only exists in the heads until the accidentally meet again at the kitchen and have an awkward chat. As for the characters they were flat, boring, extremely melodramatic with a martyr syndrome and serious miscommunication issues.
While I was reading this book, I felt bored and frustrated, there was a constant eye roll happening. When I finished it I was so relived.
I would not really recommend it to anyone.
Things I disliked (may contain spoilers):
First things first, I disliked Cassie so, so much.
- Why is she so dramatic about the situation with her parents? I mean... surely, being lonely isn't the best for anyone- especially for a kid-, but Jesus "I put myself to bed, I made my own dinner, I spent weekends talking to a ridiculous number of imaginary friends just to simulate some sort of human contact. That kind of loneliness can really fuck a kid up.” . Give it a rest and stop acting like it traumatized you so deeply. Not every negative experience we have is drama.
-She deleted her OF account only because one of her fans disappeared? This just doesn't make sense. Her livelihood and education depended on this income but she was so heartbroken? It just doesn't seem right.
-The way Aiden treats Iris is just ridiculous. She practically raised Sophie with her sister, while Aiden only saw her once or twice per month(!), but then he took her? Why? All for the kid to spend all her time with nannies that she disliked? Why not leave her with her aunt?
Nevertheless, even if we overlook the fact that Iris was a much more suitable as a guardian for Sophie and Aiden somehow was worth of having her, why isolate her from her niece? After all, Iris herself says that Cassie was the one that tried to get involved her with Sophie and her life, not Aiden. Don't get me started on the fact that it is casually revealed in the epilogue that this "strew" was queer.
-Why did Iris talk to Cassie like that? Aiden is indeed a shitty dad, but she attacked her brutally. After all, Sophie is not her responsibility the way she is for Aiden. Cassie isn't used to being responsible for a child in a parental way and therefore it would be expected on her part to forget about her phone. But Aiden? Inexcusable.
-After the incident with Iris I was almost laughing with Cassie's behavior. This life or death vibe that Cassie emits seems more appropriate for a fantasy book than contemporary romance. It kinda felt like watching a 90s soap opera. These two could easily be Romeo and Juliet with all this non-sense stuff going on for them.
- I was devastated over Wanda. I outright loved her in the beginning of the book and her character was one of the reasons that I pressured myself to keep reading. However, by the end of the book the writer managed to ruin it. It is revealed by Wanda that her whole iconic lifestyle is indeed not a choice, but the consequence of the greatest mistake of her youth: not accepting to marry Henry, a too good-looking man that proposed to her after knowing her for just three months and wanted for them to started their new life at the other side of the country, which led to their break-up. However, after eight months she realized that she is ready to settle down, but guess what? Henry is married to a new girl now and her heart is forever broken. Wanda goes as far as saying that she has never felt the same way about a man since then. Like girl??? You just said that he was handsome and that he married another girl within eight months. What did you love so much??
Also, by the end of the back she is married to a man she is not particularly fond of that she had previously rejected as she didn't want anything so serious. However, after the heart attack and confiding to Cassie about her "true love" Henry, she comes to the conclusion that she is getting older (of which she seems rather proud throughout the book) and she doesn't want to die alone. Therefore, she marries that guy and she seems crazy in love with him.
-When Cassie finally returns to Aiden after torturing all three of them for some weeks it literally takes 30 seconds and five words to resolve the whole issue and then we have this great "happy ever after".
My thoughts on some quotes while reading(contains spoilers)
-Give the damn nipple incident a rest, it wasn't SUCH A HUGE DEAL. Most women nowadays don't even bother to wear a bra, a nipple isn't such an atrocious thing to see.
-Why both of them assume that the other person will not be interested in them and proceed to acting like 6-year-olds?
-He walked out of my life once, and I survived that, but could I do it again? GIRL. HE IS JUST A GUY WHO WATCHED YOU ON ONLY FANS. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
Oh, nonsense,” Joseph scoffs. “No one wants that. We can find a way to make sure you have more time at home without taking you down from the position.” That's his boss' answer when ask to spend less time working, expecting (of course) to lose his position as first chef and part of his salary. oh okay, I didn't know I was reading sci-fi
-If I read the phrase "out like a light" one more time, I'm going to start screaming
-Aiden is no longer that faceless person who turned me on and whispered to me in the dark. Now, he’s this person who seems like so much more than I deserve, with his nice smile and his pretty eyes and his addictive laugh. Bitch, are you kidding me?
If you read up until this point I'm sorry for the rant. It's just that I disliked to many things about this book.
nanny x single rich dad
insta-lust
miscommunication
hidden identity
forced proximity
workplace romance
forbidden romance
grumpy x sunshine
dual pov
found family
I hate this book with the passion of a hundred burning suns. There was just a handful of elements I liked (ex: the Enchanto reference), but most were ruined by the end of it (ex. Wanda). And boy, do I have things to say.
Overview:
Regarding the plot, it was nonexistent. I mean, the only resemblance to plot is them avoiding each other after an incident that only exists in the heads until the accidentally meet again at the kitchen and have an awkward chat. As for the characters they were flat, boring, extremely melodramatic with a martyr syndrome and serious miscommunication issues.
While I was reading this book, I felt bored and frustrated, there was a constant eye roll happening. When I finished it I was so relived.
I would not really recommend it to anyone.
Things I disliked (may contain spoilers):
First things first, I disliked Cassie so, so much.
- Why is she so dramatic about the situation with her parents? I mean... surely, being lonely isn't the best for anyone- especially for a kid-, but Jesus "I put myself to bed, I made my own dinner, I spent weekends talking to a ridiculous number of imaginary friends just to simulate some sort of human contact. That kind of loneliness can really fuck a kid up.” . Give it a rest and stop acting like it traumatized you so deeply. Not every negative experience we have is drama.
-She deleted her OF account only because one of her fans disappeared? This just doesn't make sense. Her livelihood and education depended on this income but she was so heartbroken? It just doesn't seem right.
-The way Aiden treats Iris is just ridiculous. She practically raised Sophie with her sister, while Aiden only saw her once or twice per month(!), but then he took her? Why? All for the kid to spend all her time with nannies that she disliked? Why not leave her with her aunt?
Nevertheless, even if we overlook the fact that Iris was a much more suitable as a guardian for Sophie and Aiden somehow was worth of having her, why isolate her from her niece? After all, Iris herself says that Cassie was the one that tried to get involved her with Sophie and her life, not Aiden. Don't get me started on the fact that it is casually revealed in the epilogue that this "strew" was queer.
-Why did Iris talk to Cassie like that? Aiden is indeed a shitty dad, but she attacked her brutally. After all, Sophie is not her responsibility the way she is for Aiden. Cassie isn't used to being responsible for a child in a parental way and therefore it would be expected on her part to forget about her phone. But Aiden? Inexcusable.
-After the incident with Iris I was almost laughing with Cassie's behavior. This life or death vibe that Cassie emits seems more appropriate for a fantasy book than contemporary romance. It kinda felt like watching a 90s soap opera. These two could easily be Romeo and Juliet with all this non-sense stuff going on for them.
- I was devastated over Wanda. I outright loved her in the beginning of the book and her character was one of the reasons that I pressured myself to keep reading. However, by the end of the book the writer managed to ruin it. It is revealed by Wanda that her whole iconic lifestyle is indeed not a choice, but the consequence of the greatest mistake of her youth: not accepting to marry Henry, a too good-looking man that proposed to her after knowing her for just three months and wanted for them to started their new life at the other side of the country, which led to their break-up. However, after eight months she realized that she is ready to settle down, but guess what? Henry is married to a new girl now and her heart is forever broken. Wanda goes as far as saying that she has never felt the same way about a man since then. Like girl??? You just said that he was handsome and that he married another girl within eight months. What did you love so much??
Also, by the end of the back she is married to a man she is not particularly fond of that she had previously rejected as she didn't want anything so serious. However, after the heart attack and confiding to Cassie about her "true love" Henry, she comes to the conclusion that she is getting older (of which she seems rather proud throughout the book) and she doesn't want to die alone. Therefore, she marries that guy and she seems crazy in love with him.
-When Cassie finally returns to Aiden after torturing all three of them for some weeks it literally takes 30 seconds and five words to resolve the whole issue and then we have this great "happy ever after".
My thoughts on some quotes while reading(contains spoilers)
-Give the damn nipple incident a rest, it wasn't SUCH A HUGE DEAL. Most women nowadays don't even bother to wear a bra, a nipple isn't such an atrocious thing to see.
-Why both of them assume that the other person will not be interested in them and proceed to acting like 6-year-olds?
-He walked out of my life once, and I survived that, but could I do it again? GIRL. HE IS JUST A GUY WHO WATCHED YOU ON ONLY FANS. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
Oh, nonsense,” Joseph scoffs. “No one wants that. We can find a way to make sure you have more time at home without taking you down from the position.” That's his boss' answer when ask to spend less time working, expecting (of course) to lose his position as first chef and part of his salary. oh okay, I didn't know I was reading sci-fi
-If I read the phrase "out like a light" one more time, I'm going to start screaming
-Aiden is no longer that faceless person who turned me on and whispered to me in the dark. Now, he’s this person who seems like so much more than I deserve, with his nice smile and his pretty eyes and his addictive laugh. Bitch, are you kidding me?
If you read up until this point I'm sorry for the rant. It's just that I disliked to many things about this book.
Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
0.0
I am so incredibly disappointed by this book.
I have read Behind Closed Doors a few years back and I absolutely loved it. But this one? There is just a handful of books that have made feel that I have wasted my time in the least productive -and fun- way. This is in the top 5 list.
First things first, for the first three quarters of this book absolutely nothing happened. The plot was dragging and there was zero effort to cultivate any interest on the part of the reader regarding anything that happened, which admittedly wasn't much. I felt like I was reading the same chapter and again.
The characters were flat and there was no reason to actually continue reading. Also, nothing really made sense. During reading this one, I constantly thought to myself 'Wtf is wrong with these people? I mean... one sister disappears into thin air and the other gets with her boyfriend? That's absolutely fcked up.
Fuinn is such an arse on multiple levels and I disliked him right from the beginning. He keeps so many secrets, he acts weird and he is ready to throw everyone and everything under the bus in order to keep himself afloat.
All in all, this book required some impossible logical jumps to cover the huge plot holes and was ultimately very boring. I wouldn't recommend it.
!Spoiler alert!
Make love to me like you used to make love to Layla What the absolute fuck?
I don't buy this whole 'Layla became a voice deep in my head and I was Ellen now' bullshit. Also, Finn and everyone else failed to recognize her after just a year? And after spending 11 years with her he still didn't understand who she was?
I have read Behind Closed Doors a few years back and I absolutely loved it. But this one? There is just a handful of books that have made feel that I have wasted my time in the least productive -and fun- way. This is in the top 5 list.
First things first, for the first three quarters of this book absolutely nothing happened. The plot was dragging and there was zero effort to cultivate any interest on the part of the reader regarding anything that happened, which admittedly wasn't much. I felt like I was reading the same chapter and again.
The characters were flat and there was no reason to actually continue reading. Also, nothing really made sense. During reading this one, I constantly thought to myself 'Wtf is wrong with these people? I mean... one sister disappears into thin air and the other gets with her boyfriend? That's absolutely fcked up.
Fuinn is such an arse on multiple levels and I disliked him right from the beginning. He keeps so many secrets, he acts weird and he is ready to throw everyone and everything under the bus in order to keep himself afloat.
All in all, this book required some impossible logical jumps to cover the huge plot holes and was ultimately very boring. I wouldn't recommend it.
!Spoiler alert!
Make love to me like you used to make love to Layla What the absolute fuck?
I don't buy this whole 'Layla became a voice deep in my head and I was Ellen now' bullshit. Also, Finn and everyone else failed to recognize her after just a year? And after spending 11 years with her he still didn't understand who she was?
The Patient by Jasper DeWitt
0.0
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but there were so many things wrong with it that I don't even know where to begin.
The plot: In a thread of blog posts, a psychiatrist (Parker) tells the tale of a peculiar psych patient (Joe). He claims that several staff members that have worked with Joe have either gone insane or committed suicide. The readers of the blog are encouraged to try and guess the mental illness that torments Joe and those around him. HOWEVER (and I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH), we are falsy led to believe that this story has anything to do with a mental illness while it DOESN'T. This is rather a paranormal/ supernatural impossibility. If I knew that this was a paranormal book I would have never picked it up, because that's not my cup of tea.
-I was tempted to DNF it at 20%, but I thought that since this is a short book and taking under consideration all the nice comments I read, I pushed through. Big mistake. I ended up wasting my time.
-In the description, I read that this book is somehow similar to The Silent PatientThe Silent Patient. No, it isn't. I suppose it kind of resembles S. King's writing, but I cannot say for sure, since I do not really know a lot about his book because I don't like them at all.
-This attempt at a blog format was the means to no end. There was no reason for it and it made reading kind of tiring (like trying to read this story wasn't already hard enough)
-All four of the female characters are more like caricatures than actual people and are only there to.. i don't know. I can't even really say that they progress the plot, because the plot itself is a joke.
-The way the main character talks about his mentally ill mother sickens me (abomination, it etc.). Even more disturbing is that he thought that of her when he was a little boy. Like what????
-Dude is describing his boss (one of the FC) and his only comments are about her body and her looks? Disgusting. Also, they are practically the same person, but she is unethical and callous? At the same time, he is so fucking arrogant. No one knows ANYTHING, but him (who, mind you, has just graduated from school). Moreover, I should probably mention that despite the fact that his boss acted pretty much the same as him at his age, she claims that she was bamboozled by Joe, because she doesn't have children views basically anyone younger than her as her child. What The Fuck? Meanwhile, none of the male characters in the book had children and none of them were viewing this patient as their son.
-Don't get me started on the editing, because it seems like there was no provision for that. I noticed several typos and double words and so much repetition.
Ultimately, I didn't understand the point of this story, and I’m pretty upset that I wasted my time reading this.
P.S. The past few months I actively try and avoid books written by men, because I am tired of reading shitty books. However, once every few weeks I try and read a book written by a man. And oh boy, how the almost never fail to disappoint me.
The plot: In a thread of blog posts, a psychiatrist (Parker) tells the tale of a peculiar psych patient (Joe). He claims that several staff members that have worked with Joe have either gone insane or committed suicide. The readers of the blog are encouraged to try and guess the mental illness that torments Joe and those around him. HOWEVER (and I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH), we are falsy led to believe that this story has anything to do with a mental illness while it DOESN'T. This is rather a paranormal/ supernatural impossibility. If I knew that this was a paranormal book I would have never picked it up, because that's not my cup of tea.
-I was tempted to DNF it at 20%, but I thought that since this is a short book and taking under consideration all the nice comments I read, I pushed through. Big mistake. I ended up wasting my time.
-In the description, I read that this book is somehow similar to The Silent PatientThe Silent Patient. No, it isn't. I suppose it kind of resembles S. King's writing, but I cannot say for sure, since I do not really know a lot about his book because I don't like them at all.
-This attempt at a blog format was the means to no end. There was no reason for it and it made reading kind of tiring (like trying to read this story wasn't already hard enough)
-All four of the female characters are more like caricatures than actual people and are only there to.. i don't know. I can't even really say that they progress the plot, because the plot itself is a joke.
-The way the main character talks about his mentally ill mother sickens me (abomination, it etc.). Even more disturbing is that he thought that of her when he was a little boy. Like what????
-Dude is describing his boss (one of the FC) and his only comments are about her body and her looks? Disgusting. Also, they are practically the same person, but she is unethical and callous? At the same time, he is so fucking arrogant. No one knows ANYTHING, but him (who, mind you, has just graduated from school). Moreover, I should probably mention that despite the fact that his boss acted pretty much the same as him at his age, she claims that she was bamboozled by Joe, because she doesn't have children views basically anyone younger than her as her child. What The Fuck? Meanwhile, none of the male characters in the book had children and none of them were viewing this patient as their son.
-Don't get me started on the editing, because it seems like there was no provision for that. I noticed several typos and double words and so much repetition.
Ultimately, I didn't understand the point of this story, and I’m pretty upset that I wasted my time reading this.
P.S. The past few months I actively try and avoid books written by men, because I am tired of reading shitty books. However, once every few weeks I try and read a book written by a man. And oh boy, how the almost never fail to disappoint me.
Το τετράδιο της Μάγια by Isabel Allende
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
1.25
Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο μου άρεσε ή ότι με εντυπωσίασε ιδιαίτερα.
Το πρώτο μου -και μεγαλύτερο- πρόβλημα μου ήταν ότι η Μάγια δεν είχε κάποιο τραγικό παρελθόν που να δικαιολογεί τον κατήφορο στον οποίο έπεσε. Ναι, την εγκατέλειψαν οι γονείς της σε νεαρή ηλικία, αλλά αφήνοντας την στα τρυφερά χέρια των παππούδων της, οι οποίοι την μεγάλωσαν με ό,τι μπορεί να ήθελε ένα παιδί. Ο θάνατος του παππούς της παρουσιάζεται ως "η τελευταία σταγόνα" που οδηγεί την Μάγια από την μία αυτοκαταστροφική επιλογή στην επόμενη, με απόγειο την εισχώρηση της σε μία εγκληματική κλίκα στο Λας Βέγκας, η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε με γελοιωδώς φθηνά κόλπα.
Επίσης, τι γίνεται με τον μισογυνισμό σε αυτό το βιβλίο; Οριακά μπορούσα να τον δω να στάζει. Γιατί υπάρχουν τόσες περιγραφές βιασμών που δεν εξυπηρετούν με κανέναν τρόπο την πλοκή;
Τέλος, μου φάνηκε πολύ παράδοξο το να περιγράφεται το Τσιλοέ στην μία σελίδα ως "το μάτι του γαλαξία" και να εκθιάζονται οι αρετές του, ο τρόπος ζωής κλπ. και μερικές σελίδες αργότερα να περιγράφεται ως ένα μέρος όπου ο αλκοολισμός, η ενδοοικογενειακή βία και η αιμομιξία έχουν κανονικοποιηθεί (έτος:2009).
Ο λόγος που λατρεύω τα βιβλία της Αλιέντε είναι γιατί καταφέρνει να ενσωματώνει μέσα τους τόσα στοιχεία για την ιστορία και την κουλτούρα της Χιλής, αλλά το συγκεκριμένο έπεσε σε υπερβολικά πολλά παράδοξα και αντιθέσεις, χωρίς να καταφέρνει να δημιουργεί μία ελκυστική ιστορία που να κρατάει τον αναγνώστη. Όλη η πορεία της Μάγια μου θύμιζε ένα κακομαθημένο παιδί που απλά αντιδράει αυτοκαταστροφικά γιατί ο κόσμος είναι άδικος και τόλμησε να της στερήσει τον παππού της.
Είναι εμφανές ότι απογοητεύτηκα αρκετά με αυτήν την ανάγνωση.
Το πρώτο μου -και μεγαλύτερο- πρόβλημα μου ήταν ότι η Μάγια δεν είχε κάποιο τραγικό παρελθόν που να δικαιολογεί τον κατήφορο στον οποίο έπεσε. Ναι, την εγκατέλειψαν οι γονείς της σε νεαρή ηλικία, αλλά αφήνοντας την στα τρυφερά χέρια των παππούδων της, οι οποίοι την μεγάλωσαν με ό,τι μπορεί να ήθελε ένα παιδί. Ο θάνατος του παππούς της παρουσιάζεται ως "η τελευταία σταγόνα" που οδηγεί την Μάγια από την μία αυτοκαταστροφική επιλογή στην επόμενη, με απόγειο την εισχώρηση της σε μία εγκληματική κλίκα στο Λας Βέγκας, η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε με γελοιωδώς φθηνά κόλπα.
Επίσης, τι γίνεται με τον μισογυνισμό σε αυτό το βιβλίο; Οριακά μπορούσα να τον δω να στάζει. Γιατί υπάρχουν τόσες περιγραφές βιασμών που δεν εξυπηρετούν με κανέναν τρόπο την πλοκή;
Τέλος, μου φάνηκε πολύ παράδοξο το να περιγράφεται το Τσιλοέ στην μία σελίδα ως "το μάτι του γαλαξία" και να εκθιάζονται οι αρετές του, ο τρόπος ζωής κλπ. και μερικές σελίδες αργότερα να περιγράφεται ως ένα μέρος όπου ο αλκοολισμός, η ενδοοικογενειακή βία και η αιμομιξία έχουν κανονικοποιηθεί (έτος:2009).
Ο λόγος που λατρεύω τα βιβλία της Αλιέντε είναι γιατί καταφέρνει να ενσωματώνει μέσα τους τόσα στοιχεία για την ιστορία και την κουλτούρα της Χιλής, αλλά το συγκεκριμένο έπεσε σε υπερβολικά πολλά παράδοξα και αντιθέσεις, χωρίς να καταφέρνει να δημιουργεί μία ελκυστική ιστορία που να κρατάει τον αναγνώστη. Όλη η πορεία της Μάγια μου θύμιζε ένα κακομαθημένο παιδί που απλά αντιδράει αυτοκαταστροφικά γιατί ο κόσμος είναι άδικος και τόλμησε να της στερήσει τον παππού της.
Είναι εμφανές ότι απογοητεύτηκα αρκετά με αυτήν την ανάγνωση.