nuclearself's reviews
208 reviews

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

challenging dark medium-paced

4.0

i really enjoyed the themes expressed in this book, but the constant switching of perspectives was too chaotic for me. one chapter would provide serious progression for the main storyline and the next would just be a different perspective there purely to provide world building. in general i’m just not a fan of multiple narrators or perspectives as it takes me out of the story and feels like i’m getting tossed around (especially when a lot of the chapters, while good, weren’t fully relevant to the main storyline). if i were more of a short story person who could hold attention for multiple narrators this would’ve been five stars no doubt.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

i’m sure the writing style was intentional, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. i kept getting pulled out of the story because of the disjointed phrasing and lack of punctuation. despite all of this, the story and depth of emotion were strong enough to break through to me. it was beautiful, complex, and heartbreaking. i just wish it could’ve been a solid 5 stars. 

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.

dnf at 49%

i’m very bored with this onebut it might just be a case of right book, wrong time

Small Game by Blair Braverman

adventurous dark fast-paced

2.0

i love survival shows and stories. i absolutely eat them up. i could write a thesis on them. 

so imagine my disappointment when halfway through this book i’m feeling nothing at all. no excitement, no concern, not a care in the world. there was no character development, plot, or direction. it was dull and lifeless. everything was so rushed that you had no time to connect to any of the characters or feel an emotion. just watch an episode of naked and afraid or something instead idk

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

adventurous fast-paced

1.0

if you’re going to do a cash grab at least try to be entertaining with it

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

adventurous fast-paced

3.0

i’m bummed. i’ve read this book lots of times and formerly adored it, but back then i wasn’t really critical of things and if i enjoyed something it was an immediate five stars. now as an adult this was just so… Male. it feels distinctly written by a middle age straight white man which just doesn’t appeal to me. there were also a lot of wack descriptions and transphobic remarks made which always pisses me off, but in sci-fi especially. idk man i just wish it held up to my nostalgia

Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

dark mysterious slow-paced

3.0

the premise itself was great but the pacing was all off and left me wanting more

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

i think i would’ve enjoyed this considerably more had i read it at 14

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

adventurous fast-paced

3.0

i think i may have enjoyed this book more had i read it first as a kid and had nostalgia for it. reading it as an adult for the first time was… fine? it felt rather rushed and wasn’t overly compelling (especially as i’m not one for overly religious stories) but i could see it being engaging for kids 

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

reflective slow-paced

4.0

the story itself and the writing was beautiful, but the pacing was… off. it dragged on and on in the same time frame for 80% of the book and then jumped forward years towards the very end which felt very rushed? i do think that this was an intentional stylistic choice and that qian specifically wanted to highlight those specific years, but i just tend to prefer when memoirs focus on most of the persons life.