jdamae11's reviews
88 reviews

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

What an interesting and engaging novella … Not sure how to classify it in terms of genre, my experience of it was as a thriller with some magical realism. Tonally it reminded me a lot of Stepford Wives. You can somewhat expect the ending but it still packs a punch and is exciting to get there. Really fast-paced and easy to read, and the author’s writing is stunning! I think I just need to accept the strangeness of this book for what it is and not question it too much. I would recommend this for a quick, fun read!

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A beautifully written and challenging book to get through. I love the author's writing, and can also admit at times it felt tedious and repetitive. Proceed with caution: this book demands a lot of the reader in terms of stamina and emotional and mental bandwidth, it is extremely sad and relentless in its sadness. I was so attached to each of the characters, and know that this one will linger for some time. The author really thoughtfully and accurately captures the day to day of what it is to live with mental illness and to try to heal from trauma, as well as what this is like for the people experiencing this process secondhand. READ THE CONTENT WARNINGS BEFORE ENGAGING!

Content Warnings