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futurama's reviews
316 reviews
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a bit of a rushed ending but i absolutely loved it. Ozeki has really grown into her form. more thoughts to come later
Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertino
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? Yes
The "on trend" genre today leans towards woman-led, dark, experimental books a la Ottessa Moshfegh and Mona Awad. I'm not a big fan of these books (besides Bunny) because they are dark and weird for the sake of being dark and weird. It's a terrible experience to read the book and an even worse feeling to finish.
Parakeet is experimental and surreal but light. Bertino easily could have gone into the darker territory but as the Bride's episodes get more intense, the weirder it gets, not more tense. There are some dark moments and I wish the Bride's reactions were fleshed out more like, how did she feel about her client shooting himself/her injury? How did that affect her or impact her final decision?
Some of my favorite moments were when the Bride hung out with Simone or was lucid. The surreal aspects were not overwhelming, Bertino did a nice job transitioning. The second half is messy but that's probably the point. The book was a bride looking into a funhouse mirror. I've never read anything like it, and that's not a bad thing.
Parakeet is experimental and surreal but light. Bertino easily could have gone into the darker territory but as the Bride's episodes get more intense, the weirder it gets, not more tense. There are some dark moments and I wish the Bride's reactions were fleshed out more
Some of my favorite moments were when the Bride hung out with Simone or was lucid. The surreal aspects were not overwhelming, Bertino did a nice job transitioning. The second half is messy but that's probably the point. The book was a bride looking into a funhouse mirror. I've never read anything like it, and that's not a bad thing.
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
adventurous
mysterious
2.5
This is such a Prep meets Dark Academia vibe with millennials. I didn't think I would have to deal with Leigh again, but Jessica Miller embodies Leigh as a college student and adult. I felt a lot of similar feelings reading this as I read Prep, mostly surrounding the main character.
This book is a classic thriller with twists and turns and I mostly didn't like it for reasons below. But Winstead knows how to keep a reader engaged. I'll probably read the next book she writes, hopefully I'll gel with it more.
Here are my biggest gripes:
Heather...who was she? We only see Jessica's view of Heather which is laced with jealousy. No one else talks about Heather except to say she was great or misses her. Why didn't Caro latch onto Heather? Jess was jealous because Heather was rich and seemed to get everything she wanted. But Heather worked hard, didn't she? She was smart and moral and Jess hated her because she knew she was inferior. The shallow stabs at Heather's appearance were laughably lame. After finishing the book, I know that Jess hated Heather because Heather was everything she wanted to be except without "trying": popular, smart, hardworking and overall, A Good Person. But that's just Jess's POV. When Heather stands on her own, she is weak with no clear motivations. Why was she so intent on exposing Frankie to his coach? Even with the little we know about Heather, it seemed out of left field.
Also, who was Jack?? He grew up in a religious household but that's all we get. It's like no one had an opinion of either Heather or Jack. Even the "Jack the killer" arguments felt lazy, like no one cared. The relationship with Frankie was flat, there was no passion.
Speaking of Frankie, he was the most unusable character. None of the friends had an opinion on him, or even like him very much. The story would be the same if he wasn't in it.
Coop overall...I don't understand any of his motivations. His character was flat and stereotypical (alternative guy who sells drug to help his mom...you can take that out of anything) and I couldn't understand why he loved Jess so much with all of her terrible qualities. He knew he was going behind his friend's back, why did he keep doing it? He seemed a stronger character without Jess dragging him down. From what we knew, I thought it was very out of character for him to be obsessed with Jess, who is mediocre at best. What was the point of him marrying Caro? If it's just to piss Jess off, it felt forced. Towards the end, I was hoping he would expose Jess for who she really was. I was rooting for you Coop!!
The characterizations for Mint and Caro were good and their development worked ten years later. I think it's because we see many sides of Mint (especially from his fraternity brothers and backstory) and Caro is the naive, good-natured soul stuck in this story (would have appreciated more backstory but w/e) The perspective chapters from Mint and Caro towards the end were wonderful -- their POV was exactly how I imagined it to be. I would have liked this book much more if it was told from everyone's perspective.
The best (and most infuriating, in a good way, part of the book) was the character of Jess. Wow! A multi-dimensional character filled with wants and desires and a sociopathic will to get what she wants, she is narcissistic and selfish and a terrible person, the most terrible of them all (including Mint). Winstead did an incredible job of painting of a college student parading around in victim clothes. Even though I would have preferred a multi-POV story, I can see why Winstead stuck with Jess. The way Jess dated Mint for status but fucked around with Coop and was too embarrassed to go public because he wasn't popular, dragged Caro around but treated her like an idiot, strung around Jack ten years later pretending to play "good guy", hated Heather for no reason and is incredibly petty to Courtney TEN YEARS LATER. Jess is THE unlikeable female narrator so many thriller authors are seeking. I was getting tired of Jess's B Story with her father but the longer it dragged on, the more I realized the author did it on purpose. There's no point in pitying Jess. She did all this to herself. How I wish the story ended with everyone realizing Jess is The Worst but ofc that would have been a too predictable ending. I love how Winstead ended it slowly, everyone drifting apart. Good for Frankie, he's the only guy who came out relatively unscathed. Probably because he wasn't involved much in the story anyways.
This book is a classic thriller with twists and turns and I mostly didn't like it for reasons below. But Winstead knows how to keep a reader engaged. I'll probably read the next book she writes, hopefully I'll gel with it more.
Here are my biggest gripes:
Also, who was Jack?? He grew up in a religious household but that's all we get. It's like no one had an opinion of either Heather or Jack. Even the "Jack the killer" arguments felt lazy, like no one cared. The relationship with Frankie was flat, there was no passion.
Speaking of Frankie, he was the most unusable character. None of the friends had an opinion on him, or even like him very much. The story would be the same if he wasn't in it.
Coop overall...I don't understand any of his motivations. His character was flat and stereotypical (alternative guy who sells drug to help his mom...you can take that out of anything) and I couldn't understand why he loved Jess so much with all of her terrible qualities. He knew he was going behind his friend's back, why did he keep doing it? He seemed a stronger character without Jess dragging him down. From what we knew, I thought it was very out of character for him to be obsessed with Jess, who is mediocre at best. What was the point of him marrying Caro? If it's just to piss Jess off, it felt forced. Towards the end, I was hoping he would expose Jess for who she really was. I was rooting for you Coop!!
The characterizations for Mint and Caro were good and their development worked ten years later. I think it's because we see many sides of Mint (especially from his fraternity brothers and backstory) and Caro is the naive, good-natured soul stuck in this story (would have appreciated more backstory but w/e) The perspective chapters from Mint and Caro towards the end were wonderful -- their POV was exactly how I imagined it to be. I would have liked this book much more if it was told from everyone's perspective.
The best (and most infuriating, in a good way, part of the book) was the character of Jess. Wow! A multi-dimensional character filled with wants and desires and a sociopathic will to get what she wants, she is narcissistic and selfish and a terrible person, the most terrible of them all (including Mint). Winstead did an incredible job of painting of a college student parading around in victim clothes. Even though I would have preferred a multi-POV story, I can see why Winstead stuck with Jess. The way Jess dated Mint for status but fucked around with Coop and was too embarrassed to go public because he wasn't popular, dragged Caro around but treated her like an idiot, strung around Jack ten years later pretending to play "good guy", hated Heather for no reason and is incredibly petty to Courtney TEN YEARS LATER. Jess is THE unlikeable female narrator so many thriller authors are seeking. I was getting tired of Jess's B Story with her father but the longer it dragged on, the more I realized the author did it on purpose. There's no point in pitying Jess. She did all this to herself. How I wish the story ended with everyone realizing Jess is The Worst but ofc that would have been a too predictable ending. I love how Winstead ended it slowly, everyone drifting apart. Good for Frankie, he's the only guy who came out relatively unscathed. Probably because he wasn't involved much in the story anyways.
The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
I love Lucy Knisley. When I was a teenager I read French Milk front to back multiple times. I can't believe it took me ten years to read another one of her books.
Displacement shows how Knisley matured as a storyteller. This one is quietly sad. She did a wonderful job of integrating her grandfather's memoir into this story about her elderly grandparents.
It's reflective, not depressing. And still has its funny moments. DAVE made me laugh out loud
Displacement shows how Knisley matured as a storyteller. This one is quietly sad. She did a wonderful job of integrating her grandfather's memoir into this story about her elderly grandparents.
It's reflective, not depressing. And still has its funny moments. DAVE made me laugh out loud
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wow. There is A Lot in this book. I was surprised I enjoyed it. I'm not normally a fan of multiple plot lines and characters. But Erdich spends intimate time with each character. Nothing felt out of place. It's slow and not necessarily engaging but I enjoyed spending time with Tookie, even though I didn't understand why she was the main character (wasn't sure of what she wanted in the story). So much happens in the first half that the second half, which takes place in 2020, overwhelms the story. It makes me wonder if Erdich was writing this novel and decided to add the pandemic/BLM protests last minute. The addition of the actions in May 2020 do make sense, the novel takes place at the epicenter of the protests. But I do think the story can function the same without the modern timeline.
I love the tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the book. Erdich fictionalizes her bookstore and a fictional version of herself pops in from time to time. Erdich's details and Tookie's observations leaned wry. Tookie's book recommendations were spot on and surprisingly present day, including 2020 (and 2021?) releases. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami was on there! Lily King's Euphoria is mentioned twice!
The Sentence is not a funny story but it is a human story. The book leaks all these human emotions: happiness, fulfillment, sadness, frustration, confusion. The Sentence has all the characteristics of a novel I would avoid: ensemble cast, too-current events, multiple plot lines, but it did blow me away. It's dense but not intense. Overall, I enjoyed spending time with Tookie.
Major, major CW for Covid-19. I wish that was a content warning tag.
I love the tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the book. Erdich fictionalizes her bookstore and a fictional version of herself pops in from time to time. Erdich's details and Tookie's observations leaned wry. Tookie's book recommendations were spot on and surprisingly present day, including 2020 (and 2021?) releases. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami was on there! Lily King's Euphoria is mentioned twice!
The Sentence is not a funny story but it is a human story. The book leaks all these human emotions: happiness, fulfillment, sadness, frustration, confusion. The Sentence has all the characteristics of a novel I would avoid: ensemble cast, too-current events, multiple plot lines, but it did blow me away. It's dense but not intense. Overall, I enjoyed spending time with Tookie.
Major, major CW for Covid-19. I wish that was a content warning tag.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Pregnancy
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Lots of love for the book. It’s rare to find a book about Japanese Americans post camp and Hirahara expertly captured the emotional nuances of the time. While the plot was driven by the crime case, the cast of characters and setting were so strong that it could even hold up well without the mystery. I’d love to see a sequel.
I also enjoyed the addition of nisei who did not have to go to camp. I would love to see that explored more.
I’ve never had a crush on a fictional character before but Art took my heart ❤️❤️❤️❤️
ive seen complaints about the rushed setup/beginning but that’s what happens when the majority of American readers weren’t taught about internment in school. It’s all essential information to understand what Rose and Aki went through.
Slow beginning for sure but around 50 pages in you won’t put the book down.
Overall a well-researched historical fiction about an oft ignored part of America’s past
I also enjoyed the addition of nisei who did not have to go to camp. I would love to see that explored more.
ive seen complaints about the rushed setup/beginning but that’s what happens when the majority of American readers weren’t taught about internment in school. It’s all essential information to understand what Rose and Aki went through.
Slow beginning for sure but around 50 pages in you won’t put the book down.
Overall a well-researched historical fiction about an oft ignored part of America’s past
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was fun! I'm very picky about romance and (hate to say it but don't know another term for it) chick lit and this fit the bill.
It hurt to see these lame men make Bea feel insecure again. I wanted to see the confident Bea we saw in the beginning of the book, before she became a TV star. And honestly? The men on Main Squeeze were incredibly flat, not dimensional at all. I think the only one that had some sort of realistic background was Sam. Stereotypical French chef? Fitness instructors? I know most of them had to be throw aways but come on.
And Asher, why did Bea have such a connection with him? He was by far the worst of the bunch. The reveal at the end was so disappointing, Bea and Asher have no chemistry at all. I knew they were set up to be together but tbh I think Bea would have been much happier with Luc if he wasn't so damn stereotypically "French". It's funny that this is a "romance" book since the romance was the worst part!
Everything else about the story was fun. I've never watched The Bachelor/ette and now I think I might. It was fun to see Bea go on all these wild dates Lauren set up. And the costumes! I hope this is made into a TV show because I need to see those clothes visually. Stayman-London's writing is funny and easy to read. I enjoyed the articles and group chats breaking up the prose. Overall, it was a very fun read! And I'll definitely read whatever Stayman-London cooks up next.
And Asher, why did Bea have such a connection with him? He was by far the worst of the bunch. The reveal at the end was so disappointing, Bea and Asher have no chemistry at all. I knew they were set up to be together but tbh I think Bea would have been much happier with Luc if he wasn't so damn stereotypically "French". It's funny that this is a "romance" book since the romance was the worst part!
Everything else about the story was fun. I've never watched The Bachelor/ette and now I think I might. It was fun to see Bea go on all these wild dates Lauren set up. And the costumes! I hope this is made into a TV show because I need to see those clothes visually. Stayman-London's writing is funny and easy to read. I enjoyed the articles and group chats breaking up the prose. Overall, it was a very fun read! And I'll definitely read whatever Stayman-London cooks up next.