rachaelszeto's reviews
91 reviews

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There is something about the found family that is Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias and Wylan that will forever hold a special place in my heart. To me, these kind of relationships are delightful to read, and so so fun. Leigh Bardugo does a fantastic job at developing the dynamic of the group, as well as the relationships between the characters. The banter and synergy of the group was immaculate. She gives almost equal amount of care and attention to each of the six main cast throughout this duology.

I thought Kaz and Inej stole the show in this book, and we also got to know more about Jesper and Wylan, whereas Nina and Matthias took a back seat as compared to their angsty yet addicting relationship in SoC. 

The plot was ever-changing, yet tied up neatly at the end when everything fell into place. Throughout the middle of the book, I was swept alongside an ever evolving plan, and it was pretty unpredictable at times, as is the style of the genius thief and planner, Kaz Brekker. The ending was thoroughly emotional and somewhat satisfying, (major spoiler ahead)

though I would argue that a certain character's death felt pointless (but I'm just bias)

. I won't reveal much about the plot, but I enjoyed the cat and mouse game between the crew and their long list of enemies, with Kaz constantly trying to be one (or several) steps ahead at all times. 

Overall, this duology gets a 5/5 from me and it will definitely warrant a re-read in the future.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

Subtly unhinged, oddly relatable, and very, very lonely. 

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

4.0

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

4.0

Normal People by Sally Rooney

4.0

This book made me feel oddly nostalgic to my uni days. I would say I am the polar opposite of Connell because I'm a woman, Asian, on the opposite side of the earth, in a committed long-term relationship etc. However, I could see myself in Connell ALOT. I could relate a lot to Connell and even Marianne when it came to their mental health issues and struggles with themselves. I've experience a lot of the same thoughts that Connell and Marianne had.

The pacing felt more like a long running TV series, than a fast paced movie. Initially, I kept getting confused by the dialog as there were no quotation marks when people spoke. I thought this was going to be a problem but I quickly got over it. The timeline of the story was a bit back and forth, and it took some time getting used to as well. The writing style, however, was perfect imo.

Contrary to what other people has said (that it was and exhausting and emotional read), I felt that it was very light and easy. Maybe because the topics of mental health it touches on were already something that was familiar to me.

There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura

4.0

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

4.0

Honestly, I went into this book having zero expectations because the top 3 reviews on Goodreads were 1 star reviews. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The pacing was good and the plot was intriguing. I also liked picturing the scenery and nature described in the book.

As someone who have never stepped foot in America, and in fact, lived in cities their whole life, I don’t care how inaccurate some of the geographical descriptions are, unlike some reviews. I just simply read it as a work of fiction and not bothered dwelling on the technicalities and accuracy on the descriptions.

One other thing, I’ve seen people make aesthetic mood boards or whatever you call it on this book and they’re all so beautiful and picturesque (I.e girl in white dress and sun hat dancing among some reeds or swimming in crystal clear water) but I couldn’t imagine that at all? All I could picture was the swamp people from avatar and just Kya being the nasties, stinkiest, unkept girl crawling around in mud and sand, dirty clothes, Shrek vibes ya know? And I honestly prefer it that way. That’s all I have to say really.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

3.0

3.5 Stars

Insufferable main character, I was praying for her downfall. Couldn't relate to her at all. It seemed like a joke how she survived on a diet of prescription pills, animal crackers and coffee, it was quite funny and entertaining, hence the above average rating. I could only relate to her wanting to sleep all the time XD.

I went in not knowing a single thing about the book. I started reading on September 10, and finished the book on September 11, so that spooked me a little. (If you know you know).

Final note: Don't do drugs, kids.