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hfjarmer's reviews
379 reviews
Morning Star by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The final installment of the Red Rising trilogy had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was completely immersed in this world, unable to pull myself away. Pierce Brown masterfully creates characters you love, hate, tolerate, and want to shake—despite the sci-fi, dystopian setting, they feel so real that I found myself frustrated with them as if I were right there on that ship.
What sets this series apart is Brown’s willingness to genuinely shock his readers. Few fantasy authors have the boldness to kill off a main character , but this daring choice adds a level of authenticity and stakes that I often find lacking in the broader sci-fi/fantasy genre.
I highly recommend this series to almost anyone—it’s a gripping, emotional, and unpredictable ride that stays with you long after the final page.
What sets this series apart is Brown’s willingness to genuinely shock his readers. Few fantasy authors have the boldness to
I highly recommend this series to almost anyone—it’s a gripping, emotional, and unpredictable ride that stays with you long after the final page.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
I Who Have Never Read A Book Like This Before - This haunting short novel is one of the most eerie and original works of fiction I've ever read. The premise is striking in its simplicity, yet it unravels into something deeply unsettling - a study of what remains when everything else that makes us human is stripped away, leading us to the core question: what makes us human?
Much like the main character, the reader loses hope of ever fully understanding what has happened in this world, yet the suspense and lingering possibility of answers keeps you turning the page. Every sentence serves a purpose, and the sheer originality of the storytelling left me constantly wondering "Who on earth would think of this?"
My absolute favorite aspect of this novel was seeing the main character - who we know simply as "child" despite her aging - grapple with the limited knowledge available to her, using it to problem-solve and make sense of the world around her, the only world she has ever known. “Because I want to know! Sometimes, you can use what you know, but that's not what counts most. I want to know everything there is to know. Not because it's any use, but for the pleasure of knowing, and now I demand that you teach me everything you know, even if I will never be able to use it.” Her extract meaning and extrapolate the smallest fragments of information, in a reality where she seems to be the sole inhabitant, was mesmerizing. It is one of those books that lingers on your mind long after you put it down.
Much like the main character, the reader loses hope of ever fully understanding what has happened in this world, yet the suspense and lingering possibility of answers keeps you turning the page. Every sentence serves a purpose, and the sheer originality of the storytelling left me constantly wondering "Who on earth would think of this?"
My absolute favorite aspect of this novel was seeing the main character - who we know simply as "child" despite her aging - grapple with the limited knowledge available to her, using it to problem-solve and make sense of the world around her, the only world she has ever known. “Because I want to know! Sometimes, you can use what you know, but that's not what counts most. I want to know everything there is to know. Not because it's any use, but for the pleasure of knowing, and now I demand that you teach me everything you know, even if I will never be able to use it.” Her extract meaning and extrapolate the smallest fragments of information, in a reality where she seems to be the sole inhabitant, was mesmerizing. It is one of those books that lingers on your mind long after you put it down.
American Bulk: Essays on Excess by Emily Mester
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
American Bulk: Essays on Excess is a thought-provoking collection of essays-turned-memoir in which Emily Mester confronts a childhood and culture shaped by overconsumption—the hypothetical "capitalism final boss." While the collection started off a bit slow for me, as I moved through her essays, I found her insights speaking to a broader audience: the American consumer. She weaves her own experiences with a larger critique of the deep-rooted excess in American culture, forcing readers to confront the ugly truths of capitalism, examine their own consumption habits, and challenge the complacency behind the phrase, "no ethical consumption under capitalism."
Beyond its content, Mester’s writing is technically phenomenal. I often found myself marveling at her word choices, just as captivated by her language as I was by the stories she told. I reccommend American Bulk to anyone wishing to explore their own relationship with consumption or just seeking a refreshing new essay collection.
Beyond its content, Mester’s writing is technically phenomenal. I often found myself marveling at her word choices, just as captivated by her language as I was by the stories she told. I reccommend American Bulk to anyone wishing to explore their own relationship with consumption or just seeking a refreshing new essay collection.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
4.0
I don't even really know where to begin with this book, there is so much that could be said. In short, I loved it. Yellowface was like a train wreck that I just could not look away from.
Yellowface is the story of a white author who capitalizes on the death of an Asian-American author (and "friend") by publishing the late author's unfinished work about Chinese laborers in WWI. What is brilliant about R.F. Kuang's storytelling here, is that she really forces the reader to come to their own conclusions regarding the morality of the situation. On one hand, you have June who is clearly capitalizing off the work of an AAPI author, both socially and monetarily. On the other hand, Kuang paints Athena to be just as bad of a person in many ways. I absolutely LOVE an unreliable narrator, and having the story narrated through June, the plagiarizer, was genius. Allowing June the space to console herself for her own crimes made Yellowface all the juicier. June prides herself on never technically lying to anyone about what has occurred, but the world we live in is full of nuances that ultimately led
I am typically pretty anti-contemporary fiction. There is something about reading a novel that takes place in present day that really takes me out of a story, and it often reads as cringy pandering. I did not feel that way about Yellowface. Kuang's employment of social media as a means to drive the story was riveting and so well done that it was like watching an online controversy in real life.
Reading as a white woman, it was so intriguing to me to see the ways June, despite efforts to appear culturally sensitive/inclusive, always reverted back to her whiteness in times of discomfort. Her brand is supposed to be this sociopolitically in-tune author who takes on larger issues and gives a voice to the marginalized, but we see her discomfort in that space any time she comes under threat. One such example is when June complains that she had to write about Chinese people because her work is not diverse enough, and the publishing industry only wants "their" stories, to the point where she now feels she is suffering the same marginalization as POC authors. She's delulu. She becomes the victim. June is a great example of whiteness even outside of the publishing world. June claims she wants to do as much as she can for the AAPI community, but only when she herself is doing well (again, socially/monetarily). This is exemplary of a larger issue, of white people with any social, political, financial, or cultural power saying they want to lift up marginalized voices and advocate for equality, but only as long as they themselves are still at the top of the food chain, so to speak.
My one qualm with the novel which relegated it to 4-stars instead of 5-stars, was the ending. For me, the Candice debacle was not carried enough throughout the entire book for the ending to feel authentic. June thinking she was being haunted by Athena's ghost just simply felt too gimmicky for me and I feel like there could have been an ending that was better suited for the novel.
Many reviewers are faulting Kuang for using "too much of her own voice" in this novel and I can't help but disagree here. Kuang does an excellent job of utilizing (what may be) her real life experiences, but through the lens of someone like June. This novel following The Poppy War series and Babel, just highlight's Kuang's incredible range. I am excited to see what she comes out with next!
Yellowface is the story of a white author who capitalizes on the death of an Asian-American author (and "friend") by publishing the late author's unfinished work about Chinese laborers in WWI. What is brilliant about R.F. Kuang's storytelling here, is that she really forces the reader to come to their own conclusions regarding the morality of the situation. On one hand, you have June who is clearly capitalizing off the work of an AAPI author, both socially and monetarily. On the other hand, Kuang paints Athena to be just as bad of a person in many ways. I absolutely LOVE an unreliable narrator, and having the story narrated through June, the plagiarizer, was genius. Allowing June the space to console herself for her own crimes made Yellowface all the juicier. June prides herself on never technically lying to anyone about what has occurred, but the world we live in is full of nuances that ultimately led
Spoiler
to June's downfallI am typically pretty anti-contemporary fiction. There is something about reading a novel that takes place in present day that really takes me out of a story, and it often reads as cringy pandering. I did not feel that way about Yellowface. Kuang's employment of social media as a means to drive the story was riveting and so well done that it was like watching an online controversy in real life.
Reading as a white woman, it was so intriguing to me to see the ways June, despite efforts to appear culturally sensitive/inclusive, always reverted back to her whiteness in times of discomfort. Her brand is supposed to be this sociopolitically in-tune author who takes on larger issues and gives a voice to the marginalized, but we see her discomfort in that space any time she comes under threat. One such example is when June complains that she had to write about Chinese people because her work is not diverse enough, and the publishing industry only wants "their" stories, to the point where she now feels she is suffering the same marginalization as POC authors. She's delulu. She becomes the victim. June is a great example of whiteness even outside of the publishing world. June claims she wants to do as much as she can for the AAPI community, but only when she herself is doing well (again, socially/monetarily). This is exemplary of a larger issue, of white people with any social, political, financial, or cultural power saying they want to lift up marginalized voices and advocate for equality, but only as long as they themselves are still at the top of the food chain, so to speak.
My one qualm with the novel which relegated it to 4-stars instead of 5-stars, was the ending. For me, the Candice debacle was not carried enough throughout the entire book for the ending to feel authentic. June thinking she was being haunted by Athena's ghost just simply felt too gimmicky for me and I feel like there could have been an ending that was better suited for the novel.
Many reviewers are faulting Kuang for using "too much of her own voice" in this novel and I can't help but disagree here. Kuang does an excellent job of utilizing (what may be) her real life experiences, but through the lens of someone like June. This novel following The Poppy War series and Babel, just highlight's Kuang's incredible range. I am excited to see what she comes out with next!
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
3.0
Coming off reading Jane Austen's Mansfield Park (and not loving it), I was really looking forward to reading another novel in that same literary vein to scratch that Austenian itch. Age of Innocence was almost that book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved the portrait of 1870s New York we got, especially as a fan of the "proper English society" genre this was a refreshing setting. I was certainly dissapointed by the ending, and felt as though Wharton essentially gave up on her own story 2/3 of the way through. There were so many avenues she could have taken to tie this novel together, and ultimately it fell flat.
I really enjoyed the characters and, though the plot was lacking, the characters were all so well portrayed that I felt I could predict their responses to nearly anything. Newland definitely strikes me as a modern day version of a mansplainer who thinks he's a feminist and I enjoyed watching him sniff after the first woman who is in any way different from the society he was molded by. Men are so simple.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved the portrait of 1870s New York we got, especially as a fan of the "proper English society" genre this was a refreshing setting. I was certainly dissapointed by the ending, and felt as though Wharton essentially gave up on her own story 2/3 of the way through. There were so many avenues she could have taken to tie this novel together, and ultimately it fell flat.
I really enjoyed the characters and, though the plot was lacking, the characters were all so well portrayed that I felt I could predict their responses to nearly anything. Newland definitely strikes me as a modern day version of a mansplainer who thinks he's a feminist and I enjoyed watching him sniff after the first woman who is in any way different from the society he was molded by. Men are so simple.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
4.0
I am not typically one to read reviews and book analyses before deciding on a rating, but this book was an exception. The primary reason for this was that while reading (actually, listening since I enjoyed this in an audiobook format) I could loosely connect the characters and their respective power dynamics to a larger social-political-economic picture, but without much knowledge of the time period during which One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest takes place, I didn't feel I could accurately judge the book until I had some further context.
I was immediately drawn into the "world" Kesey created upon introduction to our narrator - Chief Bromden. Utilizing a character who is presumed to be deaf and dumb by the other patients and hospital staff alike is one of the most intriguing narrative perspectives I've ever read. Bromden was essentially a 6 foot 7 inch fly on the wall for all of the hospital's goings on, and I absolutely loved his perspective.
And obviously you cannot discuss this book without talking about ol' McMurphy, our resident peace disturber who shakes things up on this psych ward. I think my favorite aspect of McMurphy's character is how he "lifts the fog" (as Bromden describes it) of the monotony of daily life for the patients. He is a living symbol to them of all the injustices they face on the ward and out in the real world and I think this metaphor is the most powerful of the whole book.
In reading more about this book, I saw another review that says Cuckoo's Nest, "focuses on the modern paradox of trying to be human in the well-oiled machine of a capitalist democracy, where you must be either a savior or a slave." McMurphy represents chaos and freedom from the system that is designed to keep people down, he challenges the idea of sticking to the status quo and remaining afraid to break the mold in favor of "lifting the fog" and designing a life of your own.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest will stick with me for years to come. I loved the characters and their respective stories as well as what the book discusses socially. I already find myself eager to read more perspectives and interpretations of Kesey's work, and I have a feeling that I've only begun to scratch the surface of what I can learn from this novel.
I was immediately drawn into the "world" Kesey created upon introduction to our narrator - Chief Bromden. Utilizing a character who is presumed to be deaf and dumb by the other patients and hospital staff alike is one of the most intriguing narrative perspectives I've ever read. Bromden was essentially a 6 foot 7 inch fly on the wall for all of the hospital's goings on, and I absolutely loved his perspective.
And obviously you cannot discuss this book without talking about ol' McMurphy, our resident peace disturber who shakes things up on this psych ward. I think my favorite aspect of McMurphy's character is how he "lifts the fog" (as Bromden describes it) of the monotony of daily life for the patients. He is a living symbol to them of all the injustices they face on the ward and out in the real world and I think this metaphor is the most powerful of the whole book.
In reading more about this book, I saw another review that says Cuckoo's Nest, "focuses on the modern paradox of trying to be human in the well-oiled machine of a capitalist democracy, where you must be either a savior or a slave." McMurphy represents chaos and freedom from the system that is designed to keep people down, he challenges the idea of sticking to the status quo and remaining afraid to break the mold in favor of "lifting the fog" and designing a life of your own.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest will stick with me for years to come. I loved the characters and their respective stories as well as what the book discusses socially. I already find myself eager to read more perspectives and interpretations of Kesey's work, and I have a feeling that I've only begun to scratch the surface of what I can learn from this novel.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
3.0
Hunger Games meets A Court of Thorns and Roses.
I completely understand why this book is popular among ACOTAR fans, but even so was a little surprised to see it has an overall rating of 4.5. I really enjoyed this book, it was a perfect, mindless romance. The main character - Oraya - had all the strength, willpower, and wit of some of my favorite fantasy FMCs and her entanglement with Raihn was inevitable and a classic of the enemies to allies to lovers trope. Broadbent's writing is descriptive, easy and engrossing in a similar vein to the SJM writing I've come to love.
My main complaint about this book is just that I wanted more detail. For all its 532 pages, I felt a lot of background and depth were missing within the world she has built here. The characters were relatively surface level and the world itself, while interesting, lacked detail. While the twists were certainly shocking, I think they would have packed a harder punch if the reader was provided the background needed for a full impact. I wanted more depth on Oraya, why was she so hellbent on finding her human family and what she wanted to actually do if she won the Kjari. How did we go from "I'm just a human" for the entire book to? That was really lacking for me. Same situation with Raihn.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and if I need another simple, quick, and juicy romance, I might be persuaded to pick up the second, but as of now, I'm not dying to read it.
I completely understand why this book is popular among ACOTAR fans, but even so was a little surprised to see it has an overall rating of 4.5. I really enjoyed this book, it was a perfect, mindless romance. The main character - Oraya - had all the strength, willpower, and wit of some of my favorite fantasy FMCs and her entanglement with Raihn was inevitable and a classic of the enemies to allies to lovers trope. Broadbent's writing is descriptive, easy and engrossing in a similar vein to the SJM writing I've come to love.
My main complaint about this book is just that I wanted more detail. For all its 532 pages, I felt a lot of background and depth were missing within the world she has built here. The characters were relatively surface level and the world itself, while interesting, lacked detail. While the twists were certainly shocking, I think they would have packed a harder punch if the reader was provided the background needed for a full impact. I wanted more depth on Oraya, why was she so hellbent on finding her human family and what she wanted to actually do if she won the Kjari. How did we go from "I'm just a human" for the entire book to
Spoiler
I'm maybe half vampire and the heir to the Hiaj vampiresOverall, I really enjoyed this book, and if I need another simple, quick, and juicy romance, I might be persuaded to pick up the second, but as of now, I'm not dying to read it.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
3.0
Okay...I feel like being a little disappointed has been a theme for the last few books I've read and unfortunately this one is in that category as well.
This book received a LOT of hype, and it isn't that it was a bad book or a boring story, it's just that I expected more. It isn't primarily a romance novel, but the amount of discussion around the great queer love stories in this book led me to believe otherwise. In all, there were probably six total chapters of ~romance~ of any kind, throughout the entire 800 page book. I love the representation, but I wanted more more more.
Speaking of the length, I get world building is important in fantasy novels, and I was happy to be reading fantasy that was not faerie or vampire-based, but for the entire plot to be wrapped up in the last 20 pages of an 800 page novel is criminal behavior. I also had a really difficult time visually connecting with this book. Typically when I read, it's like a movie in my head, but for some reason I was just getting snippets as I read Priory, which made me feel a bit disconnected from the plot.
Things I did like: The number of strong female characters in this book, the magic system and lore, the picture of a world divided.
Overall, this is a good book, but it did not come even close to living up to the hype, in my opinion.
This book received a LOT of hype, and it isn't that it was a bad book or a boring story, it's just that I expected more. It isn't primarily a romance novel, but the amount of discussion around the great queer love stories in this book led me to believe otherwise. In all, there were probably six total chapters of ~romance~ of any kind, throughout the entire 800 page book. I love the representation, but I wanted more more more.
Speaking of the length, I get world building is important in fantasy novels, and I was happy to be reading fantasy that was not faerie or vampire-based, but for the entire plot to be wrapped up in the last 20 pages of an 800 page novel is criminal behavior. I also had a really difficult time visually connecting with this book. Typically when I read, it's like a movie in my head, but for some reason I was just getting snippets as I read Priory, which made me feel a bit disconnected from the plot.
Things I did like: The number of strong female characters in this book, the magic system and lore, the picture of a world divided.
Overall, this is a good book, but it did not come even close to living up to the hype, in my opinion.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
3.0
I overall enjoyed this book. I was engaged throughout the story, and I found it relaxing to read a book that wasn't seeking to create a massive adrenaline rush in the reader. There are no huge twists, no gut-wrenching drama, it is simply a story. Despite liking the easy-going nature of The Vanishing Half, this book did leave me wanting more. Brit Bennett touches on a lot of topics in this book - racism, domestic abuse, queerness, and classism - among others. I finished this book and felt I had read a story, but didn't feel overly moved to reflect on anything in particular, I felt unsure of what I was to glean from the story. I wish she had explored these topics in more depth.
I was pleasantly surprised by the trans story line in the book, and really loved Jude and Reese's relationship. I wish we had gotten more from Reese's story line in particular, but considering the four different narratives/story lines that we flipped back and forth between, I'm not really sure that was possible.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story about identity and the ways our communities shape us.
I was pleasantly surprised by the trans story line in the book, and really loved Jude and Reese's relationship. I wish we had gotten more from Reese's story line in particular, but considering the four different narratives/story lines that we flipped back and forth between, I'm not really sure that was possible.
Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story about identity and the ways our communities shape us.