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charm_city_sinner's reviews
170 reviews
Coup De Grâce by Sofia Ajram
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
This brief novella is meant to tell the tale of a suicidal MC who gets on the subway for the last time after a lifelong battle with depression and mental health struggles, only to find himself trapped in an M.C. Escher-esque underground trap.
Even though the metaphor is front and center from the get-go, I still went into this book with high hopes. Books that cover these topics can be emotional gut punches (in the best way possible), even though mental health issues are incredibly unique to each individual. I have my own history with this, so the criticisms below are not meant to make light of the author's experience. It's purely my reaction as a reader.
That being said, this was a painfully difficult slog of a book to get through. The interplay between plot and character study was a meandering and convoluted mess, mostly because there's no character development other than to establish the fact that he's depressed, and the plot (to the extent that it even exists) is incredibly random.
The repetitive language, use of pop culture references drags the whole thing down even further, and the introduction of another character in the subway serves absolutely no purpose. The only reason I think she was included at all was filler to bump the work into novella length instead of a short story. I came away from this feeling that Ajram just doesn't have the writing chops to execute a readable story. This is ESPECIALLY reinforced because of the way the book ends (more on that at the end).
I wanted to like this book, and I hope it provided the author with what they needed), but I can't in good faith recommend this to anyone. As far as depression goes, this book is as bad as handling it as Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter was brilliant. It's not as bad as what I've read from Stephen Graham Jones, but boy-howdy it's close.
Plot device spoiler below:
What REALLY bothered me about the book was that Ajram used a "choose your own adventure" gimmick to end the book. Given the subject matter, this seems like such an awful thing to do to a reader. It also drove home the point that Ajram just didn't have the skill to write a real ending. Total cop-out.
This brief novella is meant to tell the tale of a suicidal MC who gets on the subway for the last time after a lifelong battle with depression and mental health struggles, only to find himself trapped in an M.C. Escher-esque underground trap.
Even though the metaphor is front and center from the get-go, I still went into this book with high hopes. Books that cover these topics can be emotional gut punches (in the best way possible), even though mental health issues are incredibly unique to each individual. I have my own history with this, so the criticisms below are not meant to make light of the author's experience. It's purely my reaction as a reader.
That being said, this was a painfully difficult slog of a book to get through. The interplay between plot and character study was a meandering and convoluted mess, mostly because there's no character development other than to establish the fact that he's depressed, and the plot (to the extent that it even exists) is incredibly random.
The repetitive language, use of pop culture references drags the whole thing down even further, and the introduction of another character in the subway serves absolutely no purpose. The only reason I think she was included at all was filler to bump the work into novella length instead of a short story. I came away from this feeling that Ajram just doesn't have the writing chops to execute a readable story. This is ESPECIALLY reinforced because of the way the book ends (more on that at the end).
I wanted to like this book, and I hope it provided the author with what they needed), but I can't in good faith recommend this to anyone. As far as depression goes, this book is as bad as handling it as Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter was brilliant. It's not as bad as what I've read from Stephen Graham Jones, but boy-howdy it's close.
Plot device spoiler below:
Come Closer by Sara Gran
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A book about possession was not what I expected to reach for late in December, but the combination of squeezing in a few shorter books, plus reading what was already on the shelf won out. Add in the fact that I tend to enjoy horror by women authors more than men lately, and there you have it 🤷
Too often, possession stories have a religious component, and even though different authors have different takes on that, I'm usually bored by it. Come Closer though, thankfully avoided the religious stuff for the most part and is all the better for it.
There's actually a fair bit of sarcasm and dark humor here, coming not only from the MC Amanda, but by the demon that's taken up residence in her head. I thought the blurbs about this book being deeply terrifying and scary were definitely overblown, and would class this as more of an absurdist psychological thriller with a teeny bit of horror thrown in.
All that said, this was a quick and fun read. It wouldn't make a top ten list for me at all, but it makes its point in a way that isn't rambling or pretentious. I also appreciate the levity for a trope that often takes itself too seriously.
Too often, possession stories have a religious component, and even though different authors have different takes on that, I'm usually bored by it. Come Closer though, thankfully avoided the religious stuff for the most part and is all the better for it.
There's actually a fair bit of sarcasm and dark humor here, coming not only from the MC Amanda, but by the demon that's taken up residence in her head. I thought the blurbs about this book being deeply terrifying and scary were definitely overblown, and would class this as more of an absurdist psychological thriller with a teeny bit of horror thrown in.
All that said, this was a quick and fun read. It wouldn't make a top ten list for me at all, but it makes its point in a way that isn't rambling or pretentious. I also appreciate the levity for a trope that often takes itself too seriously.
The Trunk by Kim Ryeo-ryeong
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
File Under: Books with Misleading Blurbs
The advertised premise of The Trunk by Kim Ryeo-Ryeong is that a popular match-making service in South Korea has an elite level secret division called New Marriage (NM). The (obviously rich) clients of NM can pay for temporary marriages for whatever reason rich and powerful people might want one. This in and of itself was never really explained in a convincing or believable way, but...whatever.
The blurb describes Inji, the main character as being booked for a second marriage by a wealthy music producer, whose "dark past begins to unravel as well as the sinister underbelly of NM management, who will stop at nothing to preserve their reputation and that of their wealthiest clients."
That sounds pretty intriguing right? The book has also been adapted into a series, which implied there should be enough meat on these bones to really go somewhere.
Regrettably no.
There's no discernable dark past for Inji, unless you count a bad relationship with her mother. Ditto for some sinister underbelly of NM with the only possible exception being involved in a pretty dark crime, but (and this is important) it's mentioned in passing about halfway through, and then never mentioned again.
What you get instead of a story that sounds great on the blurb, is a hodgepodge of minor plot points of no real consequence or bearing on each other, save for Inji being the focal point. I kept thinking that this all had to come together somehow, but it never did. All I was really left with was a bunch of sadly boring filler that served no greater purpose.
Oh well. That's the life of a reader right? All of our favorite authors were new to us at some point, and you can't find them until you take the plunge with that first book.
Have you read The Trunk? Am I missing anything? If so, please tell me so I can squeeze some appreciation out of it 😂
The advertised premise of The Trunk by Kim Ryeo-Ryeong is that a popular match-making service in South Korea has an elite level secret division called New Marriage (NM). The (obviously rich) clients of NM can pay for temporary marriages for whatever reason rich and powerful people might want one. This in and of itself was never really explained in a convincing or believable way, but...whatever.
The blurb describes Inji, the main character as being booked for a second marriage by a wealthy music producer, whose "dark past begins to unravel as well as the sinister underbelly of NM management, who will stop at nothing to preserve their reputation and that of their wealthiest clients."
That sounds pretty intriguing right? The book has also been adapted into a series, which implied there should be enough meat on these bones to really go somewhere.
Regrettably no.
There's no discernable dark past for Inji, unless you count a bad relationship with her mother. Ditto for some sinister underbelly of NM with the only possible exception being involved in a pretty dark crime, but (and this is important) it's mentioned in passing about halfway through, and then never mentioned again.
What you get instead of a story that sounds great on the blurb, is a hodgepodge of minor plot points of no real consequence or bearing on each other, save for Inji being the focal point. I kept thinking that this all had to come together somehow, but it never did. All I was really left with was a bunch of sadly boring filler that served no greater purpose.
Oh well. That's the life of a reader right? All of our favorite authors were new to us at some point, and you can't find them until you take the plunge with that first book.
Have you read The Trunk? Am I missing anything? If so, please tell me so I can squeeze some appreciation out of it 😂
Permafrost by Eva Baltasar
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
One of my late December reads was Permafrost by Eva Baltasar. This was a new-to-me author and my first book translated from Catalan. It's a character-driven book through and through, with very little in the way of a plot.
It's described as having a "no-bullshit lesbian narrator who is an uninhibited lover and wickedly funny observer of modern life." This was giving me green flags all over the place because it sounds like the type of book I would love.
Unfortunately, it really fell flat for me. The book itself (as well as the chapters) are very short, but this was still a slog to get through. The narrator is incredibly scatter brained, jumping back and forth between past and present, and never misses a chance to throw in completely random, inane observations.
I wanted desperately to grab onto SOMETHING in this book, but every time I felt like something was there, the narrator just pivots to something else mid-chapter, or starts off on a new chapter altogether. The end result was jarring, distracting, and very hard for me to follow.
This book has received a lot of praise, and clearly works for a lot of readers, but it didn't for me. That being said, every time you read a new author, you're rolling the dice. Could be a dud, or could be your new favorite author, and that's one of the most beautiful things about picking up a new book.
📚📚📚📚📚📚
It's described as having a "no-bullshit lesbian narrator who is an uninhibited lover and wickedly funny observer of modern life." This was giving me green flags all over the place because it sounds like the type of book I would love.
Unfortunately, it really fell flat for me. The book itself (as well as the chapters) are very short, but this was still a slog to get through. The narrator is incredibly scatter brained, jumping back and forth between past and present, and never misses a chance to throw in completely random, inane observations.
I wanted desperately to grab onto SOMETHING in this book, but every time I felt like something was there, the narrator just pivots to something else mid-chapter, or starts off on a new chapter altogether. The end result was jarring, distracting, and very hard for me to follow.
This book has received a lot of praise, and clearly works for a lot of readers, but it didn't for me. That being said, every time you read a new author, you're rolling the dice. Could be a dud, or could be your new favorite author, and that's one of the most beautiful things about picking up a new book.
📚📚📚📚📚📚
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow...what an amazing book this was! @gwendolynkiste really created something special with The Haunting of Velkwood and I'm so glad I squeezed this in before the end of the year.
The main protagonist, Talitha is in her 40s and still cannot escape the tragedy surrounding her old street, which is now sealed off from the rest of the world in some sort of supernatural haunted force field. What became of the rest of Velkwood Street's residents (including Talitha's mother and younger sister).
That is a great premise for a ghost story, but what's needed to take this to the next level are believable characters and a fully fleshed out backstory. That's where Kiste absolutely excels, and I was honestly sad the book ended as quickly as it did.
The backstory involving Talitha and her best friend Brett, the abuse Brett endures from her stepfather (and the fact that the abuse is ignored by everyone in the neighborhood), is the real haunting of the story. Yes this is an expertly crafted ghost story, but it's also a dark and deeply sad tale of love, abuse, family trauma, grief, and ultimately survival.
Even though I find myself drawn more and more towards dark literary fiction, books like The Haunting of Velkwood will make sure I keep an eye on horror into the new year.
The main protagonist, Talitha is in her 40s and still cannot escape the tragedy surrounding her old street, which is now sealed off from the rest of the world in some sort of supernatural haunted force field. What became of the rest of Velkwood Street's residents (including Talitha's mother and younger sister).
That is a great premise for a ghost story, but what's needed to take this to the next level are believable characters and a fully fleshed out backstory. That's where Kiste absolutely excels, and I was honestly sad the book ended as quickly as it did.
The backstory involving Talitha and her best friend Brett, the abuse Brett endures from her stepfather (and the fact that the abuse is ignored by everyone in the neighborhood), is the real haunting of the story. Yes this is an expertly crafted ghost story, but it's also a dark and deeply sad tale of love, abuse, family trauma, grief, and ultimately survival.
Even though I find myself drawn more and more towards dark literary fiction, books like The Haunting of Velkwood will make sure I keep an eye on horror into the new year.
Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
When author Travis Glasgow and his wife move back to Maryland, the tragic history of their new house brings back Travis's own childhood and the death of his younger brother. Floating Staircase is the story of both tragedies and how they're connected.
Set in a small town (an environment Malfi really nails), Travis slowly becomes obsessed with his new house's former owners and the mysterious death of a young child the prior summer. Travis not only sees this death through the lens of his childhood, but also through the lens of a writer, and this quickly puts his marriage, and possibly his own life in danger.
Something important to note is that the descriptions on the back paint this as having WAY more to do with the haunted house trope than what the story actually is. This is much more of a dark mystery drama than anything else. The supernatural elements are barely there (I'm not complaining about that btw), and it's very much tied up with questions of how reliable Travis is as a narrator.
I think with this book, I'm seeing the first signs of what comes to mind when I think about Ronald Malfi: main characters dealing with a tragic past that turned them into flawed and damaged adults, very thoughtful character development, and a knack for dark, moody atmospherics.
I've read Snow (the only other easily available book older than Floating Staircase in print), so I don't know if that was a one-off, or more indictive of Malfi's earlier writing. Snow was fun, but very different from everything else since then, which is much stronger. Having read and loved The Narrows and December Park, which were published very close to Floating Staircase, it's clear that Malfi really tapped into something special in the early 2010s.
Set in a small town (an environment Malfi really nails), Travis slowly becomes obsessed with his new house's former owners and the mysterious death of a young child the prior summer. Travis not only sees this death through the lens of his childhood, but also through the lens of a writer, and this quickly puts his marriage, and possibly his own life in danger.
Something important to note is that the descriptions on the back paint this as having WAY more to do with the haunted house trope than what the story actually is. This is much more of a dark mystery drama than anything else. The supernatural elements are barely there (I'm not complaining about that btw), and it's very much tied up with questions of how reliable Travis is as a narrator.
I think with this book, I'm seeing the first signs of what comes to mind when I think about Ronald Malfi: main characters dealing with a tragic past that turned them into flawed and damaged adults, very thoughtful character development, and a knack for dark, moody atmospherics.
I've read Snow (the only other easily available book older than Floating Staircase in print), so I don't know if that was a one-off, or more indictive of Malfi's earlier writing. Snow was fun, but very different from everything else since then, which is much stronger. Having read and loved The Narrows and December Park, which were published very close to Floating Staircase, it's clear that Malfi really tapped into something special in the early 2010s.
A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A Wild Sheep Chase is my first Haruki Murakami book and it most assuredly will not be my last. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to start working my way through his catalog.
It's incredibly hard for me to give this book a review that does it justice because it feels like over on one side of the room is this book, and the other side is literally every other book I've read. The style is so distinct that I felt completely immersed in a way that still surprises me a few days after finishing it.
While there is a mystery element in the plot in that the narrator is tasked with solving a mystery, to simply label this as a mystery novel is wildly insufficient. This is a philosophical, surrealist, dreamlike, incredibly forthright, and deeply funny book, where Murakami hints at other universes/realities/timelines that coexist seamlessly alongside what we view to be our own "reality."
I can understand that his style is not going to appeal to everyone. If I had picked this up a few years back when I was reading an embarrassing amount of Stephen King, there's absolutely no way I would have appreciated a book like this.
To be capable of such a masterpiece so early in his career boggles the mind. If you take away references to old technology (or the fact that smoking on an airplane is mentioned), this book feels timeless. And importantly, the translation from Japanese is a work of genius in and of itself given the themes of the book. You'd never guess the book was translated at all, and that's how you know it's a success.
I'm warning you now, that you'll be seeing a lot of Murakami on my page in 2025, and hopefully get to share that with folks here. In the meantime, I've made a little stack of other books that are calling out to me today. Who knows when I'll get to them though 😂
It's incredibly hard for me to give this book a review that does it justice because it feels like over on one side of the room is this book, and the other side is literally every other book I've read. The style is so distinct that I felt completely immersed in a way that still surprises me a few days after finishing it.
While there is a mystery element in the plot in that the narrator is tasked with solving a mystery, to simply label this as a mystery novel is wildly insufficient. This is a philosophical, surrealist, dreamlike, incredibly forthright, and deeply funny book, where Murakami hints at other universes/realities/timelines that coexist seamlessly alongside what we view to be our own "reality."
I can understand that his style is not going to appeal to everyone. If I had picked this up a few years back when I was reading an embarrassing amount of Stephen King, there's absolutely no way I would have appreciated a book like this.
To be capable of such a masterpiece so early in his career boggles the mind. If you take away references to old technology (or the fact that smoking on an airplane is mentioned), this book feels timeless. And importantly, the translation from Japanese is a work of genius in and of itself given the themes of the book. You'd never guess the book was translated at all, and that's how you know it's a success.
I'm warning you now, that you'll be seeing a lot of Murakami on my page in 2025, and hopefully get to share that with folks here. In the meantime, I've made a little stack of other books that are calling out to me today. Who knows when I'll get to them though 😂
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
With A Sunny Place For Shady People, Mariana Enriquez delivers another amazing blend of dark comedy, flawed characters, and contemporary social commentary. What distinguishes this collection from her previous ones is more of a focus on hauntings and other supernatural and body horror elements.
While that territory can be rife with boring pitfalls that you see in so much mainstream horror, Enriquez blends these elements seamlessly into the lives of her characters. The stories are imbued with a sense of believability that makes them utterly engrossing.
There are so many amazing stories here, it's difficult to pick favorites, but I especially loved the tale of a woman whose partial facial paralysis is the star of her features disappearing altogether, as well as a young woman who has plans for a giant growth removed from her abdomen.
In a year where my tastes have matured and I discovered many new authors, Mariana Enriquez deserves a special shout-out. I've read all three of her collections this year and plan on tackling her choker of a novel, Our Share of Night, early next year.
If you haven't read anything from Enriquez, you best get on that soon!
While that territory can be rife with boring pitfalls that you see in so much mainstream horror, Enriquez blends these elements seamlessly into the lives of her characters. The stories are imbued with a sense of believability that makes them utterly engrossing.
There are so many amazing stories here, it's difficult to pick favorites, but I especially loved the tale of a woman whose partial facial paralysis is the star of her features disappearing altogether, as well as a young woman who has plans for a giant growth removed from her abdomen.
In a year where my tastes have matured and I discovered many new authors, Mariana Enriquez deserves a special shout-out. I've read all three of her collections this year and plan on tackling her choker of a novel, Our Share of Night, early next year.
If you haven't read anything from Enriquez, you best get on that soon!
Beautiful Days by Zach Williams
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Beautiful Days, a collection of short stories by Zach Williams, was a total impulse buy that @books_nooks_spooks and I made back in September.
The description on the inside cover made some pretty big promises. Talk of under-achieving anti-heroes dealing with anxieties and disillusionment brought on by the lost illusions and dark aspirations of modern America seemed to be right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, the book delivered on none of these promises.
A lot of these stories were rambling, overly long, and flat out boring for me. What could have been interesting commentary about the American psyche ended up sounding like the immature musings of a privileged graduate student wanting to tap into something they've never experienced. TLDR: these stories lacked authenticity and believability.
If I used a star system here, there were a few stories that topped off at 3, but they were the exception to the rule. I think if you're going to include 30+ page stories into a collection (which Williams did here), there needs to be some justification either with the characters or the plot, but my goodness...this author took a very long time to say very little.
When I think about comparisons at this end of my overall experience with a book, Beautiful Days is still better than anything I've read by Stephen Graham Jones, but that's a painfully low bar 😂.
If you've read this one and think I'm off the mark, please let me know what I missed!
The description on the inside cover made some pretty big promises. Talk of under-achieving anti-heroes dealing with anxieties and disillusionment brought on by the lost illusions and dark aspirations of modern America seemed to be right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, the book delivered on none of these promises.
A lot of these stories were rambling, overly long, and flat out boring for me. What could have been interesting commentary about the American psyche ended up sounding like the immature musings of a privileged graduate student wanting to tap into something they've never experienced. TLDR: these stories lacked authenticity and believability.
If I used a star system here, there were a few stories that topped off at 3, but they were the exception to the rule. I think if you're going to include 30+ page stories into a collection (which Williams did here), there needs to be some justification either with the characters or the plot, but my goodness...this author took a very long time to say very little.
When I think about comparisons at this end of my overall experience with a book, Beautiful Days is still better than anything I've read by Stephen Graham Jones, but that's a painfully low bar 😂.
If you've read this one and think I'm off the mark, please let me know what I missed!
The Houseguest: And Other Stories by Amparo Dávila
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Houseguest & Other Stories by Amparo Dávila is one of those books that doesn't get featured anywhere near the amount that it should. @coffeeandcuentos sang all the praises earlier this year, while @books_nooks_spooks and @rosedevoursbooks also recently read and loved it.
Where Dávila really excels with these stories is how deftly she dances around darkness and finds that sweet spot of ambiguity. Readers are free to draw their own answers in a lot of cases. Done carelessly, this is a disastrous flaw, but Dávila is masterful.
These stories remind me a lot of pre-Hill House Shirley Jackson in that the flawed characters are the driving force. The stories are succinct, and they pack a real punch. I have no doubt she could write longer shorts and still have a lot to say.
This is a quick, dark read, that's also quite short, which makes hitting those year end goals that much more attainable!
Highly recommended!
Where Dávila really excels with these stories is how deftly she dances around darkness and finds that sweet spot of ambiguity. Readers are free to draw their own answers in a lot of cases. Done carelessly, this is a disastrous flaw, but Dávila is masterful.
These stories remind me a lot of pre-Hill House Shirley Jackson in that the flawed characters are the driving force. The stories are succinct, and they pack a real punch. I have no doubt she could write longer shorts and still have a lot to say.
This is a quick, dark read, that's also quite short, which makes hitting those year end goals that much more attainable!
Highly recommended!