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frances_frances's reviews
288 reviews
The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This book was fine. The prose flowed and the pacing kept me engaged. The characters were pretty flat and Jamie and Victoria's chapters were too similar. The voice of each character wasn't distinct enough for me. The way everything with Barry happened felt slapdash. Overall, there was just something about the book that felt lacking. Readable but nothing special.
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 3 by Kousuke Oono
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 by Kousuke Oono
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this one. I agree with much of the criticism I'm seeing but I also appreciate a lot of what this book has to offer.
I can't say I enjoyed this reading experience. The prose is beautiful but a bit pretentious. I saw a review that said it feels like Armfield was more interested in creating atmosphere than in developing her characters or the story. I agree with this. It felt like a first novel, a pretty good one, but a first novel nonetheless. I wanted the horror to be turned up a notch. Sometimes I wanted less reminiscing and more reacting to the situation at hand, especially in Leah's chapters. I didn't want more clarity but I did want a bit more to work with. The weirdness with the Centre, the neighbor's loud television, the experience of being trapped underwater; I wanted more attention/exploration in these moments.
Having said all that, I think Armfield succeeded in creating claustrophobic tension. She portrayed love and partnership in an understated but profound manner; showing the connection between Miri and Leah through their collective memories. Armfield portrayed mundane yet unrelenting homophobic microaggressions, communicating how deeply the cishet culture misunderstands and overcomplicates queerness. And Armfield's exploration of grief was beautiful. Grieving for those who have died and grieving for those who have changed in ways that make them unrecognizable.
I actually cried when I finished this book. I've been kinda sensitive lately and dealing with some shit, but even so, a book has never made me cry before.
I can't say I enjoyed this reading experience. The prose is beautiful but a bit pretentious. I saw a review that said it feels like Armfield was more interested in creating atmosphere than in developing her characters or the story. I agree with this. It felt like a first novel, a pretty good one, but a first novel nonetheless. I wanted the horror to be turned up a notch. Sometimes I wanted less reminiscing and more reacting to the situation at hand, especially in Leah's chapters. I didn't want more clarity but I did want a bit more to work with. The weirdness with the Centre, the neighbor's loud television, the experience of being trapped underwater; I wanted more attention/exploration in these moments.
Having said all that, I think Armfield succeeded in creating claustrophobic tension. She portrayed love and partnership in an understated but profound manner; showing the connection between Miri and Leah through their collective memories. Armfield portrayed mundane yet unrelenting homophobic microaggressions, communicating how deeply the cishet culture misunderstands and overcomplicates queerness. And Armfield's exploration of grief was beautiful. Grieving for those who have died and grieving for those who have changed in ways that make them unrecognizable.
I actually cried when I finished this book. I've been kinda sensitive lately and dealing with some shit, but even so, a book has never made me cry before.
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've now read both of Aimee Molloy's novels (this one and Goodnight Beautiful) and I feel similarly about each of them. I enjoy her prose and the relationships between her characters, but the actual plots of her books are just ok. The Perfect Mother had some compelling aspects. I enjoyed seeing how each mom reacts to the kidnapping and how it affects them over time. However, we never really get to know Winnie. Though the story revolves around her missing baby, we barely get any sense of who she is. We only know her through the other characters' observations (and they themselves don't even know much about her). Winnie's behavior is also just confusing and left mostly unexplained.
This book had so many side plots and detailed backstories that had little, if anything, to do with the main story. It felt like Molloy wanted to pack in as many ideas as possible. I'd rather she invested more energy into the main plot. All that being said, The Perfect Mother kept me entertained and engaged.
This book had so many side plots and detailed backstories that had little, if anything, to do with the main story. It felt like Molloy wanted to pack in as many ideas as possible. I'd rather she invested more energy into the main plot. All that being said, The Perfect Mother kept me entertained and engaged.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Rape
Minor: Stalking
The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book touches on many interesting themes but adds little, if anything, to the conversation. A lot of effort with little pay off. Writing about radical politics doesn't automatically make your book radical.
Plus there's some annoying gatekeeping in the protest scenes. Window smashers are presented as young idiots just trying to stir shit up. Weird to demonize that since stirring shit up is kinda the whole point of protesting. Asking nicely to be treated like a human has never achieved anything.
The one thing about this book that did resonate with me is the desire to be a parent and raise a child while also being painfully aware of how oppressive and terrifying this world is.
Plus there's some annoying gatekeeping in the protest scenes. Window smashers are presented as young idiots just trying to stir shit up. Weird to demonize that since stirring shit up is kinda the whole point of protesting. Asking nicely to be treated like a human has never achieved anything.
The one thing about this book that did resonate with me is the desire to be a parent and raise a child while also being painfully aware of how oppressive and terrifying this world is.
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is basically a series of vignettes of 4 specific people's lives. There's no plot; instead there's a running narrative of the characters daily experiences during and after the war. This was sometimes really interesting and sometimes a tad boring. However, Sarah Waters' writing is so beautiful and engaging that it makes slow, drawn out stories become compelling page turners. The Night Watch is the last Waters novel I had left to read. I have my favorite books of her's (Fingersmith and The Little Stranger), but all of them are well worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Abortion, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0