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malarkeytbr's reviews
6 reviews
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this was an almost perfect book for me. it feels so relevant right now, like we're just three steps to the left of falling into a gilead of our own. my only gripes were that sometimes the language and metaphor became too difficult to follow - too many clouds, not enough tigers. also, i hate where it ended. i understand it, but i hate it. can't wait to read/discuss interpretations of the lecture at the end, because i have some Thoughts i dont know quite how to articulate yet.
The Metamorphosis Or, Golden Ass, of Apuleius by Thomas Taylor, Apuleius
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
i honestly only wanted to reread the myth of psyche and eros, so i read that far and no further.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
i really liked this book! i loved the way it handled the mcs anger against the system and balanced it with empathy. the relationships were well written and i loved the polyamory. it got a bit fast for me in the end - i almost couldn't keep up with everything. did successfully make me VERY curious abt the sequel, though. also made me very curious abt empress wu - i may have to go read some nonfiction abt her now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Murder
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
it might have been 4 stars had i not been able to guess the twist.
my problem with this book was that it made me so uncomfortable - and there were parts where that seemed clearly intentional, and parts where the line between the prejudices of the author and the character seemed to blur. the book - or maybe theos - treatment of women was so strange. every "good" woman was a sex object or a mother. every "bad" woman was ugly, or fat. all the mentally ill characters were animalistic or monstrous. all the foreign characters were westernized or grotesque. there were so many loose ends that were just left - yuri dealing drugs especially bothered me. why have that detail?
and, ultimately, i guessed the twist and the twist was the whole point of the book.
eta 10/21: also not a fan of the writing style and all the psychobabble. the more i sit on it, the less i like it. someone said it feels like tiktok psychology and i couldn't agree more honestly. changing rating from 3.25 to 3
my problem with this book was that it made me so uncomfortable - and there were parts where that seemed clearly intentional, and parts where the line between the prejudices of the author and the character seemed to blur. the book - or maybe theos - treatment of women was so strange. every "good" woman was a sex object or a mother. every "bad" woman was ugly, or fat. all the mentally ill characters were animalistic or monstrous. all the foreign characters were westernized or grotesque. there were so many loose ends that were just left - yuri dealing drugs especially bothered me. why have that detail?
and, ultimately, i guessed the twist and the twist was the whole point of the book.
eta 10/21: also not a fan of the writing style and all the psychobabble. the more i sit on it, the less i like it. someone said it feels like tiktok psychology and i couldn't agree more honestly. changing rating from 3.25 to 3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Lightlark by Alex Aster
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
To be frank, I hated this book. It felt like a patchwork of tropes created to sell, sewn together with stilted writing and saccharine metaphor. I was able to predict every major plot twist, because this book is nothing original. It's a poorly written copy of its genre. I don't understand why people like it.
The Odyssey by Homer
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Obviously a very important book to read, especially for a Greek myths nerd. I've loved so many works inspired by the Homeric epics, it felt like a necessary read. I didn't necessarily love it, but I don't love most epics. It definitely fleshed out my understanding of EPIC, which was nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment