fandomsandfiction's reviews
576 reviews

Many theorists, and I say this with all the love and respect, need to go for therapy. Instead, said theorists tend to turn to writing books on arbitrary theories based on their own subjective interpretations of the world and then go on to posit these theories as fact.

I suppose writing is itself a therapeutic exercise. I hope you're all getting the therapy you need though???

That being said, kudos to Schrader! I turn 24 soon and I am nowhere near as articulate (and confident) enough to achieve what he did. 

An interesting and insightful read, though it is written with an American audience in mind. I had a jarring moment  when I saw a study by Israelis, but I shouldn’t have been surprised because a lot of research DOES come from Israel (they have the time, space and resources because they’re not living their daily life just trying to survive….)

A book about an inspirational woman written by an inspirational woman <3 

Really picked up in the last quarter!!! A powerful book addressing important issues.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And also painful painful painful! This book swept me off my feet and SHOOK me until I could *hear* my heart rattling against my ribcage. It had me swimming in an ocean with strong currents that frequently changed from sweet to sour to spiced. It took me to the top of mountains to show off the world's magnificence, and it took me deep underground where I could feel the earth's core ache.

Basically, what I am trying to say with all these ridiculous metaphors, is that this book is AN EXPERIENCE. It is an experience that is profound and all-encompassing. It is an experience sweeping transnational histories with skillfully crafted characters, an exploration of deeply important issues, and a wisp of myth and magic.

I spoke so much about this book with the Tandem Collective book club and in my Instagram stories, that now I am spent and raw. But I would do it all over again. If you've read any of my past reviews, you'll know that once I start talking in analogies and nonsense, I have reached the height of human emotions and I am at a loss for words to explain.

So this is what I leave you with: if you like mysterious/haunted settings, melancholic magical beings, powerful young women, an eclectic cast of characters, contemporary and historical drama, and insight into a wide range of human experiences, then this is the book for you. It is the kind of read that cannot be confined into a single genre or theme. Instead, it draws elements from all forms of artistry.

It is the kind of book that I could never do justice to in a word-limited review. 

*using this as a substitute for the play "Merchant on Venice" by Shirshir Kurup (which is brilliant! even if some parts had me feeling kinda iffy...) - I can't find a copy of just this one play so this anthology that includes it will have to do*

I’m sure this book is much more brilliant than I could fathom.

This book means so much to me