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frances_frances's reviews
295 reviews
Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
2.0
This book didn't capture my interest or really touch me emotionally. It felt like a timeline of events and facts rather than a cohesive narrative with a purpose. And the drawings did little to create atmosphere or depth. Overall, the book felt flat to me and came across like a trendy millennial webcomic. I read the first few chapters and then scanned the rest.
All that being said, it's clear that tons of people disagree with me. It's great that so many readers felt validated and comforted by this book. It just isn't for me.
All that being said, it's clear that tons of people disagree with me. It's great that so many readers felt validated and comforted by this book. It just isn't for me.
My Alcoholic Escape from Reality by Nagata Kabi
4.0
I enjoyed this book much more that either of the Solo Exchange Diary volumes. There was more of a through line with a clear narrative to follow. And this book had some of the same energy, humor, and attention to detail that her first book, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, had. Raw, honest, funny, and heartbreaking.
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Despite its many flaws, this book was initially satisfying my desire for a fast-paced psychological thriller. The characters lacked depth and some transitions were abrupt/choppy but I was still ready to give it 3 stars, until I got to the end. There's SO MANY loose ends that I guess could be called red herrings but they were so poorly executed.
The Kevin, Q, and Dean story lines just kinda go away and ultimately feel pointless. Rather than clever misdirection on the author's part, the loose ends with those characters were just frustrating.
Why was someone (Brett presumably?) paying that guy to mess with Liv and scare her? Even if it was Brett, what's his motive for doing it? AND, what's his motive for killing Amy and Marco and attempting to kill Liv? Jealous rage seems likely but still, there's no explanation of how/why he did what he did. So anticlimactic.
Halliday's character was also just weird. I'm not sure why the author bothered to give her a backstory when the character herself had no defining qualities or compelling motives. And why include military stuff and veteran suicide? Was that supposed to be commentary? If so, what did the author want readers to take away? War is bad and this country is fine with people they call heroes regularly killing themselves? Yeah, this is well known and talked about all the time! The author doesn't really add to the conversation so why bother? And why shove that non-message into what's otherwise a low-stakes thriller? Just to "beg the question"?
And the final scene with the bartender felt very forced and unnecessary.
This book was somehow too much and also not enough.
The Kevin, Q, and Dean story lines just kinda go away and ultimately feel pointless. Rather than clever misdirection on the author's part, the loose ends with those characters were just frustrating.
Why was someone (Brett presumably?) paying that guy to mess with Liv and scare her? Even if it was Brett, what's his motive for doing it? AND, what's his motive for killing Amy and Marco and attempting to kill Liv? Jealous rage seems likely but still, there's no explanation of how/why he did what he did. So anticlimactic.
Halliday's character was also just weird. I'm not sure why the author bothered to give her a backstory when the character herself had no defining qualities or compelling motives. And why include military stuff and veteran suicide? Was that supposed to be commentary? If so, what did the author want readers to take away? War is bad and this country is fine with people they call heroes regularly killing themselves? Yeah, this is well known and talked about all the time! The author doesn't really add to the conversation so why bother? And why shove that non-message into what's otherwise a low-stakes thriller? Just to "beg the question"?
And the final scene with the bartender felt very forced and unnecessary.
This book was somehow too much and also not enough.
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Beautifully written and illustrated. The authors captured that strange time between childhood and adolescence so perfectly. The mix of silly playfulness and an increasing awareness of the complexities of teen and adult relationships. This book was subtle but powerful, understated but impactful. And like real life, feelings and relationships are left ambiguous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
After about 100 pages, I decided not to finish this one. The premise sounded so promising but it just wasn't executed well. It feels like the author was a bit too ambitious and needed to narrow their focus and tighten things up a bit. Lovely prose but didn't pull me in or make me want to know what happens. I might try the audiobook version.