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zhakoreading's reviews
52 reviews
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
I’m cryingggg
4.5
So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. "As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful,"
I’m cryingggg
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Scarily relatable.
Tiptoeing around others in fear they would leave you, revolving your life around your friends…hit me hard.
Dealing with PTSD, in the case of Charlie, CSA.
At first, I couldn’t understand why was he feeling and reacting the way he was, and crying so much, and why was the writing style so childish, until it all clicked. I rarely cry over books, but I couldn’t help myself.
(Also, it’s infuriating how little people talk about Charlie choosing the wrong ‘friends’. How they all use him, how truly vulnerable he is and how he shouldn’t be friends with eighteen year olds who teach him life and don’t view him as an equal.
That’s not what friends should be to you.
I’d say that this is an important book for teenagers to read, and it was wayyy ahead of its time and that’s why it was banned, not because it’s immoral.
It has a lot of topics that make you actually, really think- your purpose in life, the way you present yourself, your relationships with others.
Loved it.
The only reason I didn’t give it a five is the questionable friendship of Charlie with the other characters- the fact that it wasn’t portrayed as something, well, questionable at all in the book.
I don’t care what you say or think, they used him and treated him as a little kid. (which he kind of was, which is worse)
P.S the tunnel metaphor is pure chefs kiss.
You should feel infinite because of the journey, not the destination.
4.5
I didn’t do things because I didn’t want him to think different about me. But the thing is, I wasn’t being honest. So, why would I care whether or not he loved me when he didn’t really even know me?
You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love.
I don’t know if it’s better to be close with your daughter or make sure that she has a better life than you do. I just don’t know.
I just wish that God or my parents or Sam or my sister or someone would just tell me what’s wrong with me. Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.
Scarily relatable.
Tiptoeing around others in fear they would leave you, revolving your life around your friends…hit me hard.
At first, I couldn’t understand why was he feeling and reacting the way he was, and crying so much, and why was the writing style so childish, until it all clicked. I rarely cry over books, but I couldn’t help myself.
(Also, it’s infuriating how little people talk about Charlie choosing the wrong ‘friends’. How they all use him, how truly vulnerable he is and how he shouldn’t be friends with eighteen year olds who teach him life and don’t view him as an equal.
That’s not what friends should be to you.
I’d say that this is an important book for teenagers to read, and it was wayyy ahead of its time and that’s why it was banned, not because it’s immoral.
It has a lot of topics that make you actually, really think- your purpose in life, the way you present yourself, your relationships with others.
Loved it.
The only reason I didn’t give it a five is the questionable friendship of Charlie with the other characters- the fact that it wasn’t portrayed as something, well, questionable at all in the book.
I don’t care what you say or think, they used him and treated him as a little kid. (which he kind of was, which is worse)
but I’m afraid that maybe since he isn’t sad, he won’t want to spend time with me.
P.S the tunnel metaphor is pure chefs kiss.
But mostly, I was crying because I was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was me standing up in that tunnel with the wind over my face. Not caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite.
You should feel infinite because of the journey, not the destination.
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
Bro got into a body of a pedophile?!!!
And I know that the mc/villain won’t start thinking (hopefully?) of the mc/mc as a love interest when he’s 14, but the fact that they will have a relationship even though the mc/mc is 14 in the beginning is crazy. It’s almost as if the author is condoning adults being attracted to teenagers cause wtf…???
And I know that the mc/villain won’t start thinking (hopefully?) of the mc/mc as a love interest when he’s 14, but the fact that they will have a relationship even though the mc/mc is 14 in the beginning is crazy. It’s almost as if the author is condoning adults being attracted to teenagers cause wtf…???
Animal Farm by George Orwell
4.25
И тут до животных наконец дошло, что же сталось со свиными харями. Они переводили глаза со свиньи на человека, с человека на свинью и снова со свиньи на человека, но угадать, кто из них кто, было невозможно.
Him by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen
2.5
The dialogues were so bad, but this book saved me during my long ass flight to, ironically, Toronto.
Some sex scenes were written well, some were dumb because you dont do butt stuff after eating a burrito.
Clearly written by two straight women.
Some sex scenes were written well, some were dumb because you dont do butt stuff after eating a burrito.
Clearly written by two straight women.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
However, the characters are really flat in this one, beware.
They don’t have arcs or personalities, they are just what R.F Kuang wants to teach you through their speeches and dialogues.
I wanted to see a bigger dynamic range within the characters, different political stances and different views. There wasn’t a single character who was POC AND would have a different opinion on Babel within the cast. You’d be surprised how many classists are among POC, and I was disappointed how black and white everything turned out to be.
The chemistry within the main cast doesn’t work, in my opinion. Rebecca tells, and never shows their friendship. We fly by through their first THREE years of Babel without growing attached to any of them, except, maybe, Robin, but that’s because we’re reading from his POV.
The pacing was very wonky, and the entire plot is kind of wacky as well.
The idea is strong, but the execution lacks a lot of depth.
There are many AMAZING things to consider and mull over, however, regarding systematic oppression and the opium wars, and etc. which I LOVED.
Made me think of the correlation with our society, and it made me realize that white people I’ve encountered in my life have acted the same exact way as Letty did. It was an eye opening read.
And now to my main point- The reason why I’m giving this book a high rating is because of its importance not only in its genre but overall within the book community itself.
It’s a very important topic explained in a very simple and straightforward, but also interesting in its idea and journey, way.
I also loved a lot of scenes and the potential of many storylines.
And now to the spoilers!!!
This single-handedly gave me CHILLS.
It portrays Letty’s character and also a lot of white people behavior, but it’s also a very important foreshadowing of her future betrayal showcased in a very poetic way.
And the book is full of those bone chilling moments, e.g
Despite us not being attached to the characters all that much, we can observe and appreciate the work and intricacy that Rebecca built around them.
I also liked the ending very much.
The killing of Lovell shifted the focus of the characters from war to a murder, which I didn’t like. And I didn’t like Ramy or Anthony’s or Griffin’s deaths.
However, Robin’s plan and his death made so much sense since the beginning of the book. It was poetic, and it created a perfect solution to a horrible situation.
Victorie’s decision also made a lot of sense.
Overall, would recommend! Especially to young adults, and teenagers over sixteen.
It’s an eye opener.
4.0
- Great takes on colonialism and systematic racism. I’ve never seen such topics being covered so blatantly in a FANTASY book, of all.
English did not just borrow words from other languages; it was safed to the brim with foreign influences, a Frankenstein vernacular.
Aad Robin found it incredible, how this country, whose citizens prided temselves so much on being better than the rest of the world, could not sake it through an afternoon tea without borrowed goods.
However, the characters are really flat in this one, beware.
They don’t have arcs or personalities, they are just what R.F Kuang wants to teach you through their speeches and dialogues.
I wanted to see a bigger dynamic range within the characters, different political stances and different views. There wasn’t a single character who was POC AND would have a different opinion on Babel within the cast. You’d be surprised how many classists are among POC, and I was disappointed how black and white everything turned out to be.
The chemistry within the main cast doesn’t work, in my opinion. Rebecca tells, and never shows their friendship. We fly by through their first THREE years of Babel without growing attached to any of them, except, maybe, Robin, but that’s because we’re reading from his POV.
The pacing was very wonky, and the entire plot is kind of wacky as well.
The idea is strong, but the execution lacks a lot of depth.
There are many AMAZING things to consider and mull over, however, regarding systematic oppression and the opium wars, and etc. which I LOVED.
Made me think of the correlation with our society, and it made me realize that white people I’ve encountered in my life have acted the same exact way as Letty did. It was an eye opening read.
And now to my main point- The reason why I’m giving this book a high rating is because of its importance not only in its genre but overall within the book community itself.
It’s a very important topic explained in a very simple and straightforward, but also interesting in its idea and journey, way.
I also loved a lot of scenes and the potential of many storylines.
And now to the spoilers!!!
Still, something did not seem right, and Robin could tell from Victorie's and Ramy's faces that they thought so too. It took him a moment to realize what it was that grated on him, and when he did, it would bother him constantly, now and thereafter; it would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort.
This single-handedly gave me CHILLS.
It portrays Letty’s character and also a lot of white people behavior, but it’s also a very important foreshadowing of her future betrayal showcased in a very poetic way.
And the book is full of those bone chilling moments, e.g
Control, said Griffin again.
Then another voice, horribly familiar: That's one good thing about you.
When you're beaten, you don't cry.
Despite us not being attached to the characters all that much, we can observe and appreciate the work and intricacy that Rebecca built around them.
I also liked the ending very much.
The killing of Lovell shifted the focus of the characters from war to a murder, which I didn’t like. And I didn’t like Ramy or Anthony’s or Griffin’s deaths.
However, Robin’s plan and his death made so much sense since the beginning of the book. It was poetic, and it created a perfect solution to a horrible situation.
Victorie’s decision also made a lot of sense.
Overall, would recommend! Especially to young adults, and teenagers over sixteen.
It’s an eye opener.
A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger
1.0
I don’t really care about the deeper meaning of this, don’t care about it’s moral ideas.
Sybil and the way Salinger uses her character to emphasize Seymour’s inner state and want of innocence is disgusting.
The main character flirts with a four year-old.
Come up with a better way of showcasing your idea- NOT through pedophilia- just a suggestion to authors out there- or don’t write anything at all.
Sybil and the way Salinger uses her character to emphasize Seymour’s inner state and want of innocence is disgusting.
The main character flirts with a four year-old.
Come up with a better way of showcasing your idea- NOT through pedophilia- just a suggestion to authors out there- or don’t write anything at all.