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willowbiblio's reviews
467 reviews
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
“Fear teaches you caution, and respect for your enemy, and to avoid sharp edges used in anger… Every man who’s worth a damn feels fear. It’s the use you make of it that counts.”
——————————
As with book one of the First Law trilogy, this was a potentially great book that suffered from writing that misaligned with the plot, character age, and overly prescriptive emotions/scenes/characters, and messiness.
The first chapter led with an odd and noticeable change to a character’s diction but then wasn’t consistent, so it was even more noticeable. Glokta’s internal dialogue was so distracting I actually began skimming it quite early on in the book. Quai read like an entirely new character. If I noticed that, how did the characters not also notice and respond to such an obvious change? It made no sense.
Some characters experienced surprisingly strong development while others stood still. I found the Longfoot character extremely perturbing because he would all but disappear from the book for dozens of pages even though he was very much a part of the group. It was like Abercrombie didn’t know what to do with him so he just ignored that he existed, which was so odd to read. Then he’d randomly pop up again 😂
The sex scene/physical intimacy read like a parody and was honestly just so offputting. I’m a completionist so I’ll finish the series but wow. Not that pleasant.
——————————
As with book one of the First Law trilogy, this was a potentially great book that suffered from writing that misaligned with the plot, character age, and overly prescriptive emotions/scenes/characters, and messiness.
The first chapter led with an odd and noticeable change to a character’s diction but then wasn’t consistent, so it was even more noticeable. Glokta’s internal dialogue was so distracting I actually began skimming it quite early on in the book. Quai read like an entirely new character. If I noticed that, how did the characters not also notice and respond to such an obvious change? It made no sense.
Some characters experienced surprisingly strong development while others stood still. I found the Longfoot character extremely perturbing because he would all but disappear from the book for dozens of pages even though he was very much a part of the group. It was like Abercrombie didn’t know what to do with him so he just ignored that he existed, which was so odd to read. Then he’d randomly pop up again 😂
The sex scene/physical intimacy read like a parody and was honestly just so offputting. I’m a completionist so I’ll finish the series but wow. Not that pleasant.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
“The hate and the fury were gone, for the time being, but they had left a hole, and she had nothing else to fill it with.”
——————————-
Almost immediately I knew reading this would be a challenge for me. The writing felt like a fanfiction or like an extremely juvenile person wrote it. The actions and sounds were so odd and repetitive. Abercrombie used way too much prescriptive writing for thoughts, actions, and settings. The fight scenes were messy, chaotic, and extremely hard to follow.
While Glokta’s story inspired sympathy at first, his inner dialogue was exhausting. It kept interrupting the narrative and added almost no value for me. It was a lot of telling, not showing, which I guess is one of my main points of critique for this entire book.
Ferro was one of my favorite characters. To that point – I get the allure of intentionally writing unlikable characters, but many of them weren’t even believable.
I struggled to get into a flow with this book and really never succeeded. It made me want to avoid reading. I gave it two stars over one star (it was a close call) because the plot was actually extremely interesting. I liked the magical elements, like Logen speaking to the spirits, Bayaz displaying his power, and the foray into the Maker’s House. The Bloody-Nine switch was also quite intriguing.
I wish I had enjoyed the writing more because clearly Abercrombie created an interesting world, but executed it so poorly I just wanted it to be over much of the time.
——————————-
Almost immediately I knew reading this would be a challenge for me. The writing felt like a fanfiction or like an extremely juvenile person wrote it. The actions and sounds were so odd and repetitive. Abercrombie used way too much prescriptive writing for thoughts, actions, and settings. The fight scenes were messy, chaotic, and extremely hard to follow.
While Glokta’s story inspired sympathy at first, his inner dialogue was exhausting. It kept interrupting the narrative and added almost no value for me. It was a lot of telling, not showing, which I guess is one of my main points of critique for this entire book.
Ferro was one of my favorite characters. To that point – I get the allure of intentionally writing unlikable characters, but many of them weren’t even believable.
I struggled to get into a flow with this book and really never succeeded. It made me want to avoid reading. I gave it two stars over one star (it was a close call) because the plot was actually extremely interesting. I liked the magical elements, like Logen speaking to the spirits, Bayaz displaying his power, and the foray into the Maker’s House. The Bloody-Nine switch was also quite intriguing.
I wish I had enjoyed the writing more because clearly Abercrombie created an interesting world, but executed it so poorly I just wanted it to be over much of the time.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“I keep turning away from speaking of your letter. I feel – to speak of it would be to contain what it did to me, to make it small. I don’t want to do that.”
——————————-
I loved how inventive Red and Blue (and thus the authors) were in how they communicated with one another. I thought the letter in the rings of the tree was one of the most profound expressions of love I’ve ever read. I also loved how they played with the epistolary form, really pushing the bounds of what could constitute a love letter.
The immediate mystery of the seeker added a layer of interest and intrigue to the spy love affair. Up to the plant on the mountain, Red and Blue were playing a game of subverting each other’s intentions. The inevitable betrayal of each of their causes begins a kind of doom spiral for them and the reader.
I also enjoyed realizing this was much more like the movie Tenet in how it played with time and our perception of a linear plot progression. I did really appreciate how this was almost a kind of short story series, not a traditional long form book.
I think I struggled a bit to actually connect with the characters until about halfway through. They each felt a bit too distant from the reader emotionally until then. This was quite an esoteric/unformed world, so at times it didn’t feel grounded in anything. I don’t mean that I needed more worldbuilding, more that even the scenes we found ourselves in felt slightly unfinished, especially the Garden.
Overall, a really enjoyable quick read!
——————————-
I loved how inventive Red and Blue (and thus the authors) were in how they communicated with one another. I thought the letter in the rings of the tree was one of the most profound expressions of love I’ve ever read. I also loved how they played with the epistolary form, really pushing the bounds of what could constitute a love letter.
The immediate mystery of the seeker added a layer of interest and intrigue to the spy love affair. Up to the plant on the mountain, Red and Blue were playing a game of subverting each other’s intentions. The inevitable betrayal of each of their causes begins a kind of doom spiral for them and the reader.
I also enjoyed realizing this was much more like the movie Tenet in how it played with time and our perception of a linear plot progression. I did really appreciate how this was almost a kind of short story series, not a traditional long form book.
I think I struggled a bit to actually connect with the characters until about halfway through. They each felt a bit too distant from the reader emotionally until then. This was quite an esoteric/unformed world, so at times it didn’t feel grounded in anything. I don’t mean that I needed more worldbuilding, more that even the scenes we found ourselves in felt slightly unfinished, especially the Garden.
Overall, a really enjoyable quick read!
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
“Ever since animals were eliminated, there’s been a silence that nobody hears, and yet it’s there, always, resounding throughout the city. It’s a shrill silence that can be seen on people’s faces, in their gestures, in the way they look at one another. It’s as if everyone’s lives have been detained, as if they were waiting for the nightmare to end.”
———————————
I was extremely conflicted about how to review this book. There is no doubt that Bazterrica is a strong writer. The theme of how words and the way they are said convey the depth of a person was so interesting to me.
Unfortunately, I felt her strength was lost in the sheer horror of this book. The unflinching coldness of her tone was numbing for me, which felt so wrong. I understand that violence/brutality can be a strong literary plot device, but it was so extensive and imaginative that it just made me nauseous. I usually read while eating lunch, but I felt sick at the thought.
It also felt quite doubtful to me that veganism wasn’t a serious alternative to industrial cannibalism. That shaky premise made the rest quite dubious for me.
The entire (removing name for spoiler) plot line made me feel physically ill. The unequal power dynamic, that she was basically a child intellectually, all of it was horrific. I see why others were fascinated by this, but I sort of just want to forget it.
———————————
I was extremely conflicted about how to review this book. There is no doubt that Bazterrica is a strong writer. The theme of how words and the way they are said convey the depth of a person was so interesting to me.
Unfortunately, I felt her strength was lost in the sheer horror of this book. The unflinching coldness of her tone was numbing for me, which felt so wrong. I understand that violence/brutality can be a strong literary plot device, but it was so extensive and imaginative that it just made me nauseous. I usually read while eating lunch, but I felt sick at the thought.
It also felt quite doubtful to me that veganism wasn’t a serious alternative to industrial cannibalism. That shaky premise made the rest quite dubious for me.
The entire (removing name for spoiler) plot line made me feel physically ill. The unequal power dynamic, that she was basically a child intellectually, all of it was horrific. I see why others were fascinated by this, but I sort of just want to forget it.
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“Human competitiveness and territoriality were often at the root of particularly horrible fashions in oppression. We human beings seem to always have found it comforting to have someone to look down on– a bottom level of fellow creatures who are very vulnerable, but who can somehow be blamed and punished for any troubles.”
———————————
This was a vast improvement for me from book one. I loved the added perspective of Bankole and another character, as well as the entries of a returned character. I think this added depth that book one was missing.
This felt incredibly on the nose politically, and was a testament to Butler’s power of prescience. The character of Olamina really grew and progressed into a fully formed adult who felt quite authentic to me. I enjoyed the skips to the future to get a taste of how her story ended and be satisfied with the progression of Earthseed, especially as Butler was not able to complete the series as intended.
I also loved the symbolism of planting the oak seedlings in remembrance for those lost. I still had a big problem with the age gap of two characters and how it felt Butler was rationalizing it.
The brutality and extremity of loss and betrayal in this book was very hard to read, especially because of how persistent it was. I found the bolded interludes to be a welcome reprieve, until they became extremely emotionally challenging. Despite the emotional challenges, it all served a purpose for the text. The modern day slavery, abusive religion, and government support of systems of oppression, felt one step from Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale.
All in all, another extremely moving book from Butler.
———————————
This was a vast improvement for me from book one. I loved the added perspective of Bankole and another character, as well as the entries of a returned character. I think this added depth that book one was missing.
This felt incredibly on the nose politically, and was a testament to Butler’s power of prescience. The character of Olamina really grew and progressed into a fully formed adult who felt quite authentic to me. I enjoyed the skips to the future to get a taste of how her story ended and be satisfied with the progression of Earthseed, especially as Butler was not able to complete the series as intended.
I also loved the symbolism of planting the oak seedlings in remembrance for those lost. I still had a big problem with the age gap of two characters and how it felt Butler was rationalizing it.
The brutality and extremity of loss and betrayal in this book was very hard to read, especially because of how persistent it was. I found the bolded interludes to be a welcome reprieve, until they became extremely emotionally challenging. Despite the emotional challenges, it all served a purpose for the text. The modern day slavery, abusive religion, and government support of systems of oppression, felt one step from Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale.
All in all, another extremely moving book from Butler.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
“People are setting fires because they’re frustrated, angry, hopeless. They have no power to improve their lives, but they have the power to make others even more miserable. And the only way to prove to yourself that you have power is to use it.”
—————————-
I started this book right around the date of Lauren‘s first entry, which was completely accidental but quite jarring. I enjoyed watching her ideas on God and the Earthseed religion take shape but honestly this failed to completely captivate me.
I loved Butler Xenogenesis trilogy- this felt quite different to read. It could’ve been partly because of the much younger protagonist. The violence was so persistent I had to detach from this more than I wanted to. I also really couldn’t stand the romanticization of an 18-year-old girls relationship and intimacy with a 50+ year-old man. That really put me off and made it hard for me to stay with Butler.
I did love the belief in the capacity of goodness and trustworthiness when shown safety and care. I thought that was a good lesson, but think much of the potential here was unrealized for me.
—————————-
I started this book right around the date of Lauren‘s first entry, which was completely accidental but quite jarring. I enjoyed watching her ideas on God and the Earthseed religion take shape but honestly this failed to completely captivate me.
I loved Butler Xenogenesis trilogy- this felt quite different to read. It could’ve been partly because of the much younger protagonist. The violence was so persistent I had to detach from this more than I wanted to. I also really couldn’t stand the romanticization of an 18-year-old girls relationship and intimacy with a 50+ year-old man. That really put me off and made it hard for me to stay with Butler.
I did love the belief in the capacity of goodness and trustworthiness when shown safety and care. I thought that was a good lesson, but think much of the potential here was unrealized for me.
James by Percival Everett
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
“At that moment the power of reading made itself clear and real to me. If I could see the words, then no one could control them or what I got from them. They couldn’t even know if I was merely seeing them or reading them, sounding them out or comprehending them. It was a completely private affair and completely free and, therefore, completely subversive.”
—————————-
I only knew that this was a kind of retelling of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, but it was so much more.
This book was deeply saddening and many times devastating. Everett conveyed the power of education, both for good and for evil, so well. The expressions of racism and the covert and overt ways that it expresses itself were present throughout.
I felt through Everett’s words the isolation of a runaway like James. That his power to read and write was revered by other slaves and reviled by whites felt like such a strong contrast. His discovery of his voice through writing and acceptance of emotions once denied to him was magnificent.
I recognize that this is but one story of so many, and yet the way it represented a very prevalent racial trauma was so powerful. I love the use of the pencil as a symbol for James’ resistance, and promise of a life that isn’t the brutality he has always known. A promise to be able to tell his and others true stories.
I also thought that Everett‘s revision of Hucks character was a really inspired take on the original. To center the story on James rather than Huck and blow apart the dialect that I found so off-putting in the original made this so much more readable, and thus impactful, than the original text.
An excellent and important book.
—————————-
I only knew that this was a kind of retelling of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, but it was so much more.
This book was deeply saddening and many times devastating. Everett conveyed the power of education, both for good and for evil, so well. The expressions of racism and the covert and overt ways that it expresses itself were present throughout.
I felt through Everett’s words the isolation of a runaway like James. That his power to read and write was revered by other slaves and reviled by whites felt like such a strong contrast. His discovery of his voice through writing and acceptance of emotions once denied to him was magnificent.
I recognize that this is but one story of so many, and yet the way it represented a very prevalent racial trauma was so powerful. I love the use of the pencil as a symbol for James’ resistance, and promise of a life that isn’t the brutality he has always known. A promise to be able to tell his and others true stories.
I also thought that Everett‘s revision of Hucks character was a really inspired take on the original. To center the story on James rather than Huck and blow apart the dialect that I found so off-putting in the original made this so much more readable, and thus impactful, than the original text.
An excellent and important book.
Neuromancer by William Gibson
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“The high wore away, the chromed skeleton corroding hourly, flesh growing solid, the drug-flesh replaced with the meat of his life. He couldn’t think. He liked that very much, to be conscious and unable to think.”
————————-
I realized while reading this that low/no context books are still one of my absolute favorite styles of writing. Throughout you have this consistent immersion because we as readers don’t get to be omniscient observers. We experience the plot as we experience life – in real time and by moving forward.
I loved the creativity around cyberspace and the matrix. I also found an interesting how Gibson was exploring the reality of addiction and how technology, body modification, and substance abuse were wrapped up in this society. I saw the seeds of so many other iconic science fiction stories like The Matrix, Altered Carbon, and more. This also reminded me of heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job, especially with the way Case flipped between perspectives.
As our current society debates the novel use of AI, it was interesting to see how the society captured in this book recognizes the potential impact and has safeguards in place to prevent further growth of AI.
This book made me think about inequality and what drives choices, or how the lack of choice drives out comes. I enjoyed feeling off-balance and how much this book grabbed my attention and forced me to listen.
————————-
I realized while reading this that low/no context books are still one of my absolute favorite styles of writing. Throughout you have this consistent immersion because we as readers don’t get to be omniscient observers. We experience the plot as we experience life – in real time and by moving forward.
I loved the creativity around cyberspace and the matrix. I also found an interesting how Gibson was exploring the reality of addiction and how technology, body modification, and substance abuse were wrapped up in this society. I saw the seeds of so many other iconic science fiction stories like The Matrix, Altered Carbon, and more. This also reminded me of heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven and The Italian Job, especially with the way Case flipped between perspectives.
As our current society debates the novel use of AI, it was interesting to see how the society captured in this book recognizes the potential impact and has safeguards in place to prevent further growth of AI.
This book made me think about inequality and what drives choices, or how the lack of choice drives out comes. I enjoyed feeling off-balance and how much this book grabbed my attention and forced me to listen.
Joseph Andrews/Shamela by Henry Fielding
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
“I can’t see why her having no Virtue should be a Reason against my having any: or why, because I am a Man, or because I am poor, my Virtue must be subservient to her pleasures.”
—————————-
I thought Shamela was much better written, and thankfully more succinct than Pamela (Richardson). However, it’s still didn’t bring me any enjoyment. I’m actually a big fan of Fielding’s other work. I truly enjoyed Tom Jones, so it was a surprise to dislike this so much.
To compare this to Don Quixote is to do a disservice to that comic masterpiece. Probably the most comedic moment was Adams realizing he didn’t have the pamphlets because his wife had packed more clothes.
Honestly, I was so bored by this that I skimmed the second half. Maybe this was partly because it was reliant on Pamela, a work that I really didn’t enjoy. At times it felt like Fielding was trying to comment on the injustice and inequality based on class and wealth, but to me it fell flat. Maybe this whole book just went way over my head – that is entirely possible.
I think I only feel bad about not liking it because it was a gift. But I want other reviewers to be equally honest, and this is what I mean by reading is subjective. This may be someone else’s most favorite ever!
—————————-
I thought Shamela was much better written, and thankfully more succinct than Pamela (Richardson). However, it’s still didn’t bring me any enjoyment. I’m actually a big fan of Fielding’s other work. I truly enjoyed Tom Jones, so it was a surprise to dislike this so much.
To compare this to Don Quixote is to do a disservice to that comic masterpiece. Probably the most comedic moment was Adams realizing he didn’t have the pamphlets because his wife had packed more clothes.
Honestly, I was so bored by this that I skimmed the second half. Maybe this was partly because it was reliant on Pamela, a work that I really didn’t enjoy. At times it felt like Fielding was trying to comment on the injustice and inequality based on class and wealth, but to me it fell flat. Maybe this whole book just went way over my head – that is entirely possible.
I think I only feel bad about not liking it because it was a gift. But I want other reviewers to be equally honest, and this is what I mean by reading is subjective. This may be someone else’s most favorite ever!
Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
“What a world we live in! for it is grown more a wonder, that the men are resisted, than the women comply.”
—————————-
Well, the streak of no one star reads had to end sometime in 2024. I was not expecting to dislike this quite as much as I did, but here we are.
It was overly verbose, more so than just style of the 1740’s. The inner dialogue of Pamela often was circular in logic and came to no real conclusions.
The whole premise of this book was men in power suck, but also if you successfully resist being violated by them for long enough, then they just might marry you, which should make you the happiest woman who ever lived. Because you fall in love with them while living in the house they kidnapped you to, at 15 years old.
I got close to just DNF’ing this so many times it was shocking, because I opt to skim and call it done 99.9% of the time.
I suppose what I learned is that at this time in history many believed virginity was the only thing of value about a woman. That this was so divisive indicates the morals and tastes were not a monolith, and I do appreciate the historical significance of this being the first known instance of a book spawning merch sales.
—————————-
Well, the streak of no one star reads had to end sometime in 2024. I was not expecting to dislike this quite as much as I did, but here we are.
It was overly verbose, more so than just style of the 1740’s. The inner dialogue of Pamela often was circular in logic and came to no real conclusions.
The whole premise of this book was men in power suck, but also if you successfully resist being violated by them for long enough, then they just might marry you, which should make you the happiest woman who ever lived. Because you fall in love with them while living in the house they kidnapped you to, at 15 years old.
I got close to just DNF’ing this so many times it was shocking, because I opt to skim and call it done 99.9% of the time.
I suppose what I learned is that at this time in history many believed virginity was the only thing of value about a woman. That this was so divisive indicates the morals and tastes were not a monolith, and I do appreciate the historical significance of this being the first known instance of a book spawning merch sales.