splitdice's reviews
62 reviews

i read this book from the library, and inside there was a note that said "not worth the time to read in my opinion". i could not disagree more. this book has such rich, vivid imagery without being purple or too complex. the chapters are short and simple, and the book is so digestible. i can see why the ending was weak for some people, but this book is not about world building or providing answers. it is showing how someone evolves and deals with trauma. such a beautiful book, its not for everyone but for those who want something that isnt 100% straightforward and prefer something metaphorical, definitely worth the hype.

Las Madres by Esmeralda Santiago

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emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

so ill start off with some things that i did not enjoy as much as other parts of this book: like others have said, i think the first fourth is incredibly slow and hard to get into. that part especially has a large amount of the untranslated english-spanish-french-german lines. however, once you move past that i found the middle part of this book to be quite emotional and gut wrenching. the structure of the book is divided by the 70s and 2017. i have to admit that the 70s chapters are a lot more engaging. luz is an unreliable narrator in a very niche way that i have not seen before that made chapters from her pov so unique. unfourtantely, it made the other chapters seem dull in comparison. i also feel like this book almost attempted too many things at once. it attempts to cover a sweeping range of topics, from being both black and puerto rican and disabled to being gay and puerto rican. while i appreciate the diversity of the cast, some of the the points that the book tries to make feels rather shallow.

that being said, i think the depecition of luz's disability is one of the most empathatic and emotional depictions of disability in fiction. i also think the metaphor that it represents about the puerto rican people is also quite beautiful. i think the messages and portrayls of female relationships(platonic, romantic, maternal, familial) are also one of the strongest parts about this book. but really, the shining star of this book is luz and her story. i have a feeling i will be thinking about her for a long, long time.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

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adventurous dark funny 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

4.25

my first chuck palahniuk, and i have to say this book got me hooked. it was not at all what i was expecting, but i really liked the weird background and weird characters. def not for everyone, but i think if youre someone who vibes with weird this is a great book to read. its really easy to get sucked into!

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

writing was honestly a little unclear sometimes, and also this is not the usual genre i read. i wish the characters didnt talk so modernly considering the time period of this book, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. tension was there!

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.25

a punchy and fast read. a good book to read in just a day. i feel like all teenage girls are like all 8 of the characters at once, in some point in life. really good!

Babel by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

if you had a lot of problems with yellowface, you will encounter similar issues in this book, though i would argue it is better and has at least somewhat of a deep conversation compared to yellowface. that being said, the "deep conversations" within this book are ones that i were having on tumblr when i was 12. if you havent had these conversations, sure, i think this could be a powerful book. what i am finding is that after the poppy war, kuang decided she just needs to write to oblivious white people. if you are someone who is marginalized, im sure you will find the conversations in this book quite shallow.

i think as a fantasy adventure book, it is quite interesting in terms of the magic system. i thought the scenery and writing was passable. that being said, i do not see how this is a literary novel.

another complaint is that these characters do not speak like real people, let alone historical characters. i mentioned i learned the same lessons in tumblr discourse in 2014, and these characters talk the same i did then, too. its almost offensive how in-your-face kuang tries to get the message. the antagonist is so obvious and i was surprised this character even seemed somewhat close to the main group in the first place. kaung needs to learn the art of subtlety, and quite honestly reading books like babel and yellowface is so funny as if she didnt go to every ivy school that ever existed.

The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks

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mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

the first third was really boring and the last twist was so stupid I took off half a star

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splitdice's reviews 62 reviews

splitdice's reviews
62 reviews