melc's reviews
1200 reviews

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure

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dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

5.0

Medea by Rosie Hewlett

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adventurous dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a superb Greek myth retelling written with emotional depth and an expert interpretation of the character's life and experiences. Written as very morally grey in this account, Hewlett paints a complex character of Medea who is damaged through misogyny, abuse, coercion, prejudice and more. Her loneliness at times is desperately sad and the pain she experiences from the betrayal of those closest to her heartbreaking. Hewlett manages to never defend Medea for her violence, but does provide us with a detailed look at her psychology and the reasons for her choices, without excusing or diminishing. This book is smart and compelling.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

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adventurous hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

Turton's ability to write completely unique mysteries, almost, in fact completely reinventing the genre is impressive. His imagination seems to be boundless and make for a thoroughly entertaining reading experience. 

In this novel his latest helping of dystopic intrigue leads the reader through a maze of clues and revelation examining themes of what is at the heart of humanity and the idea of good and evil.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Florrid, rambling and not enough about the journey of research and investigation into the women's lives. Just couldn't hold my attention as I felt the author was padding the book out with repetition and lack of anything firm relating to these specific women.
The Power by Naomi Alderman

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 68%.
Paper Names by Susie Luo

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is an interesting novel about the Asian immigrant experiences of a family who have moved to America to make a better life for themselves and their daughter. It examines identity and what starting afresh really means - what we leave behind for new things and what old baggage we carry with us, unable to fully shed. The plot became a little contrived towards the end and hung more around the motif than feasibility. Also there were some quite big jumps in time which meant that I could never quite connect with Tammy. But overall I enjoyed the examination of the themes and the novel compelled me right through to the end.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

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challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Day One by Abigail Dean

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I really enjoyed Girl A, but this second novel of Dean's didn't work for me. It was an interesting premise exploring themes we can recognise from real life school attacks such as Dunblane and Sandy Hook. But the switching of narrative voices often felt jarring, slightly confusing and didn't always seem to go anywhere. I felt the characters were fairly unlikeable and the plot did not build tension, there was nothing unsurprising and I just wasn't invested. This was a disappointing read for me, I read it to the end hoping that it would bring something clever to the plot arc, but sadly that never came.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
I persevered with this one but found the writing style too superficial. I didn't really like the characters and the plot was boring with occasional moments of something a bit more engaging. I didn't like His Only Wife either so I don't think this author is for me.
A Flat Place by Noreen Masud

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I really appreciated this book. For me it wasn't perfect. But like the flat landscapes Masud describes and is drawn to, the raw, inescapable honesty of her description of damage, hurt and trauma is stark and arresting. I liked the beauty of her spare prose and her humility in avoiding all the answers or a dramatic transformation. Instead there was quiet healing. There was also ambiguity as Masud honestly confronts memory, what we forget and how physicality retains the scars even when consciousness doesn't. Lots to think over.