aruarian_melody's reviews
467 reviews

She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai, Tsubasa Yamaguchi

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1.5

I liked the art and the ending but I also feel like the overall story was either missing or went over my head. The way the cat viewed their person was kinda weird at times. 
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

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informative mysterious 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? No

2.0

Loved the concept but this book never got close to reaching its potential. Not enough time spent with the characters and most of the storylines to really be invested. I felt like most of the challenging topics weren't handled very well and many things were barely mentioned when they were supposed to have a significant impact on the characters and the reader. In general I just felt like this book wanted to be deep but really wasn't. 
Assassin's Apprentice #1 by Jody Houser, Robin Hobb

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

2.5

Love the original book and some graphic novels but this adaptation didn't work for me. Maybe it is because the original book relies so much on inner dialogue which is hard to translate to a graphic novel. 
Die Wand by Marlen Haushofer

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really liked this one. It is essentially an intimate survivalist story about isolation and nature. Loved the different animal companions and the main character's interactions with them. The MC was really interesting in general. I liked her perspective and reflections (on current and past events). The writing style was intriguing. The constant interjections hinting of what will happen helped me to stay engaged. For a book in which not much is happening this was a surprising page-turner. 

It is probably more of a 4.5-4.75 stars book for me but it is so rare to find books in German that I enjoy that this was quite a pleasant surprise. I have a feeling this one will stick with me for a while.
They/Them/Their: A Guide to Nonbinary and Genderqueer Identities by Eris Young

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informative reflective slow-paced
Went into this book hoping to get some guidance in exploring my own gender. But that is not what this book is. The focus was much more on the struggles of nonbinary/genderqueer people in society. I thought most definitions and explorations of these identities were way too short. I'm not quite sure who the intended audience for this book is. Maybe health professionals, policy makers, etc. ? While I personally would have preferred more focus on other subjects I also felt like the author kept repeating themselves and at times I wondered if the wide range of covered topics can truly be covered by a single person. The author clearly did research but I still felt like sometimes they were a bit out of their depth. Decided not to rate this book because I just went in with the wrong expectation. 
Old Enough by Haley Jakobson

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
Sounded great on paper but this really isn't for me. Does anyone actually talk like that? I should have been able to connect to many of the themes hinted at but I felt super alienated and decided to dnf. 
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Nearly a quarter into the book I just have no interest in anything that is happening. The concept sounded great and I was sucked in by the amazing cover but so far it felt like disjointed short stories that you flip between every few pages. This meant that I never really had a chance to get into the story or the characters before being thrown into the other POV again. You might get back to the same scene or make a jump that just raises more questions but you are not allowed to settle into this world. I looked up some reviews and as far as I can tell the things promised on the blurb (that made me pick up the book in the first place) just aren't delivered. Decided to move on to something else. 
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Had fun with this until the interesting concept was overtaken by the standard romance stuff. I felt like the main character that was supposed to be anachronistic was so very selectively. At this point I feel like the interesting things are overtaken by things I personally just don't enjoy so I decided to dnf this. 
Die Anomalie by Hervé Le Tellier

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Couldn't get into it. Connected with none of the characters and the descriptions of women consistently annoyed me. The writing also often seemed to want to be profound but fell flat for me. Not invested enough to overlook these things. DNF@23%
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Love it when anticipated favourite reads hold up to the high expectation. Holy shit. This book was so good yet so very dark. Definitely on my list of favourite reads of 2023. Brilliant world building, addictive pacing and twists and turns galore. Loved this.