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readundancies's reviews
1605 reviews
The Lake House at Ramsgate by MJ Stratton
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Really loved the premise but the execution was overly muddled with how the flow of time was altered between the past and future. It made for a rather disappointing ending in how things were resolved between E&D in terms of the manner of how things play out.
It’s a bit of bummer, but I’m not one to dwell.
It’s a bit of bummer, but I’m not one to dwell.
Abandoned at the Altar by Julie Cooper
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.0
No shade to the actual writing or quality, I just didn’t really like any of the plot choices.
Will still read from Julie Cooper though.
Will still read from Julie Cooper though.
Love at Rosings by Hailey Jones
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
this was A pride and prejudice variation
…
(because my parents always taught me that if you have nothing good to say, then just don’t bother saying any of it at all)
…
(because my parents always taught me that if you have nothing good to say, then just don’t bother saying any of it at all)
Out There by Kate Folk
The Bone Ward: 4.5/5
The House’s Beating Heart: 3/5
The Head in the Floor: 4/5
Doe Eyes: 4.5/5
Dating a Somnambulist: 3.75/5
All in all, a fantastic short story collection. I thought it was brilliant in all of it's morbid strangeness, it reads kind of like what would happen if one extrapolates their intrusive thoughts, and I'm totally here for it.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Snippets from my brain as I was reading this short story collection, in the order I read them (which was not chronological because I'm a chaotic mood reader):
The Last Woman on Earth: 4.25/5
The Last Woman on Earth: 4.25/5
- Intentionally enraging and infuriating, this succeeds so well at what it sets out to do.
- For 5 pages, it really is the perfect length. It accomplishes what it wants to do with a set number of words. No more, no less.
- Would love a companion piece with the inverse to see if anything would change with women outlasting men.
The Void Wife: 3.5/5
- It feels a lot like the void exists because a woman gives pieces of herself away to every person in her life until there’s nothing but a void left in the vessel that is her body.
- I didn’t love this, mostly because the ending was a bit disillusioning in that Elise doesn’t obtain the solitude with which she’s craving.
- And fuck Robert.
Shelter: 4.5/5
- I really loved how fucked up this ended, and how oblique it was intentionally constructed.
- The trope subversion had me gasping aloud in delight and disbelief which is a winner in my book.
- There’s a bit of a theme I’m getting out of these stories so far and how the men are portrayed, and I gotta say, I’m digging it. Not in a misanthropic manner, but in awe of how cohesive and fluid it is.
The Bone Ward: 4.5/5
- The overarching theme of disparity between man and woman in these stories is strong and it’s handled in a very effective way. Because both men and women are unlikable in these stories more often than not, but I truly dislike or rather loathe the portrayals of men over the women.
- This is my brand of fucked up kinda story - from the premise, to the envy, to the unfulfilling ending - the only thing that could’ve made it better was if there was a vengeance plot-line tacked on that ends with Olivia and Gumdrop alive and tethered in some sort of emotional bond.
- Full circle vibes that end up in abandonment, I really wish this story was extended into a short novella where female rage and revenge were at the forefront.
The House’s Beating Heart: 3/5
- There is something awfully cannibal-adjacent to this.
- The plot is not much of a plot, which makes the story less of a story and more of an exploration of setting if anything.
- I still liked it and the sort of self-imposed destruction of humanity theme that’s going on, but there’s not really a lot happening to judge.
A Scale Model of Gull Point: 3.25/5
- A really interesting premise that devolves into a tale of obsession.
- Not really sure about messaging; it’s more introspective than punchy and I don’t particularly resonate with Shel, the narrator.
- It’s merely fine.
The Head in the Floor: 4/5
- It's wild how so much absurdity can come out of 5 pages
- I really liked this - it was weird, sharp with jagged edges in its self-loathing and left me eeling exhausted at the notion of two people coexisting without an actual relationship, just going through the motions
- I did want the head to rise up to mouth level so we could have it speak, but also understand how that might've changed the essence of the story, and I have no idea what the head would even say
Heart Seeks Brain: 5/5
- Oh I loved this is in all of its morbidly twisted horror show starring the anatomy of the human body.
- It was a genuinely fantastic satire of the dating scene and the commodification of women's beauty with a beautiful subversion.
- Definitely one of my favourites of the collection so far, this one packs a punch for how brief it is.
The Turkey Rumble: 4.25/5
- Definitely feels like it’s Get Out-adjacent, but without the racial implications.
- The subversion at the end came as a bit of a surprise, but I didn’t hate it.
- I had this sense of mounting dread until the end which was I was not anticipating but was fully into because it was sudden and well cultivated over such a small page count.
Tahoe: 3.25/5
- Easily the most confusing story I’ve read in a while; to say the narrator is unreliable would be a massive understatement.
- I have so many questions, but all of them stem from the matter of our narrator being the one who flips his ATV over on top of himself? Like, that is a question upon which many other questions shall be based upon.
- I think the brevity works in that it was easy enough to read length-wise despite channeling a lot of challenging nonsense that felt repetitively more annoying the further I got into the tale. And it’s not even that it’s bad, it’s just that it makes absolutely no sense.
Doe Eyes: 4.5/5
- This one was so good. The title in conjunction with the last couple lines of the story just hits so damn good.
- Really interesting premise that cycles through predator to prey to hunter and then hunted in such an effective manner.
- But my word is the narrator problematic and messy in the best kinda way - it’s giving the madwoman trope which is one of my favourites alongside a twisted sort of vendetta that’s not exactly validating with respect to appropriate grievances with which one could and should retaliate.
The Moist House: 3.25/5
- This was a kinda strange haunted house sort of trope subversion, and was weird in a creepy sexually charged way.
- We knew that Karl was never going to leave the house pretty early on once he assumed the role of tenant and caretaker, and he pretty much Hotel California’d his way to death, but it was still interesting tale.
- Not sure what to make of the 3 Ghosts of Karl’s Past visiting but they pretty much verified to me that not a single character in the story was likeable.
Big Sur: 4.75/5
- I’m at a bit of a loss for words with this story. I went on such a journey emotionally - from hating Roger with a passion to the point where I was nauseated by him, to slowly becoming attuned to him and what he was doing for Meg to even get a bit upset at his inevitable end.
- This is somewhere along the intersection of Her meets Don’t Worry Darling with a slew of other little idiosyncratic AI stories, but it does really put things into perspective with the current state of AI in todays society and I’m left both humbled and terrified by the concept.
- The tie-in to the first story though? Perfection. It was a prequel and sequel and companion piece all at the same time, and I think it’s gonna sit with me for entirely too long.
Dating a Somnambulist: 3.75/5
- I don't want to compare the sleepwalking boyfriend to a cat, BUT... we can all see the similarities, right?
- Really liked the multi-universe aspect and how it paints the relationship for more than just settling, it's about acceptance.
- Not the punchiest way to end the collection, but I still quite enjoyed this one.
All in all, a fantastic short story collection. I thought it was brilliant in all of it's morbid strangeness, it reads kind of like what would happen if one extrapolates their intrusive thoughts, and I'm totally here for it.
House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Not me trying another fae-laden book and not enjoying it as much as everyone else. I think I just want it too hard especially since I know I don’t really jive with them.
The FMC is one of the most annoying lead characters I’ve come across in a while, and the love quadrangle situation leaves a lot left to be desired.
I can’t even handle triangles for chrissakes.
But even though the worldbuilding is sort of boring in a simple but confusing kind of way, I do like the shapeshifting aspects, and I’m curious about the Sky Kingdom and its leader.
Maybe one day I’ll pick up the sequel but it won’t be with bated breath and I can’t see it happening anytime soon.
The FMC is one of the most annoying lead characters I’ve come across in a while, and the love quadrangle situation leaves a lot left to be desired.
I can’t even handle triangles for chrissakes.
But even though the worldbuilding is sort of boring in a simple but confusing kind of way, I do like the shapeshifting aspects, and I’m curious about the Sky Kingdom and its leader.
Maybe one day I’ll pick up the sequel but it won’t be with bated breath and I can’t see it happening anytime soon.
Mr. Darcy's Christmas Kiss by Alix James
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Pfft, well I think I just wanted to like this more than I actually did?
Part it of it stems from having an issue with one of the characters having my name. I don’t why it makes me wildly uncomfortable to read about characters that share my name, but I just can’t get out of the mind space that they are caricatures of myself and then I overanalyze and get upset with the character’s choices and actions when they defer from what I would actually do.
It’s a problem. I’m aware I have one (of many). I just haven’t grasped how to deal at this point.
On the other hand, something about the general structure of this novel just doesn’t work for me. The three person POV is a choice. It’s one I don’t think was necessary because I just don’t know how to value it; it doesn’t seem to contribute much outside of that which the other two perspectives couldn’t provide. I didn’t like Kaitlyn’s perspective; even when she became self-aware as to how problematic her behaviour was, it didn’t make me value her perspective at all. And that’s outside of how unlikable she was. I didn’t need her perspective because I didn’t need a villain because she didn’t make that great of a villain (or character, really) in the first place.
Sasha and Ethan together, never really gelled for me either. There was a distinct lack of chemistry between them, and a lot of their relationship just felt forced.
I did like Bart and Nettie and the relationship Sasha had with them. There was genuine love in the way those relationships were portrayed and they were sweet as heck all. I also enjoyed the friendship between Celeste and Sasha - to be honest, they had the best chemistry of the lot in terms of relationship dynamics in this book.
The rest of the novel seemed unfulfilled though. Sasha’s mother and her whole mini subplot left a lot to be desired with how dismissive and jokey it all amounted to. Ethan didn’t truly exist outside of Sasha; his perspective didn’t really develop his character in any profound manner, and his interactions with others were only ever viewed through Sasha’s lens. He was friends with Charlie, but we get very minimal interaction between them. His backstory is entirely told through Sasha’s view of his employees’ words, and because his POV never really went beyond his thoughts and interactions with Sasha, certain plot points like his ex-wife’s reveal and his awkwardness with Sasha but his supposed suaveness with the ladies never seemed genuine.
And it’s a shame because there is a decent story trying to be told here, it’s just the execution I think that really doesn’t stick the take-off or the landing, let alone the whole damn journey in between.
Some people out there might enjoy this, and if you’re one of those people, kudos to you. I, however, will not be recommending this one.
Part it of it stems from having an issue with one of the characters having my name. I don’t why it makes me wildly uncomfortable to read about characters that share my name, but I just can’t get out of the mind space that they are caricatures of myself and then I overanalyze and get upset with the character’s choices and actions when they defer from what I would actually do.
It’s a problem. I’m aware I have one (of many). I just haven’t grasped how to deal at this point.
On the other hand, something about the general structure of this novel just doesn’t work for me. The three person POV is a choice. It’s one I don’t think was necessary because I just don’t know how to value it; it doesn’t seem to contribute much outside of that which the other two perspectives couldn’t provide. I didn’t like Kaitlyn’s perspective; even when she became self-aware as to how problematic her behaviour was, it didn’t make me value her perspective at all. And that’s outside of how unlikable she was. I didn’t need her perspective because I didn’t need a villain because she didn’t make that great of a villain (or character, really) in the first place.
Sasha and Ethan together, never really gelled for me either. There was a distinct lack of chemistry between them, and a lot of their relationship just felt forced.
I did like Bart and Nettie and the relationship Sasha had with them. There was genuine love in the way those relationships were portrayed and they were sweet as heck all. I also enjoyed the friendship between Celeste and Sasha - to be honest, they had the best chemistry of the lot in terms of relationship dynamics in this book.
The rest of the novel seemed unfulfilled though. Sasha’s mother and her whole mini subplot left a lot to be desired with how dismissive and jokey it all amounted to. Ethan didn’t truly exist outside of Sasha; his perspective didn’t really develop his character in any profound manner, and his interactions with others were only ever viewed through Sasha’s lens. He was friends with Charlie, but we get very minimal interaction between them. His backstory is entirely told through Sasha’s view of his employees’ words, and because his POV never really went beyond his thoughts and interactions with Sasha, certain plot points like his ex-wife’s reveal and his awkwardness with Sasha but his supposed suaveness with the ladies never seemed genuine.
And it’s a shame because there is a decent story trying to be told here, it’s just the execution I think that really doesn’t stick the take-off or the landing, let alone the whole damn journey in between.
Some people out there might enjoy this, and if you’re one of those people, kudos to you. I, however, will not be recommending this one.
Aliens: Bishop by T.R. Napper
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
Don't Kiss and Spell by Camilla Isley
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Oof, this should’ve been so much better than it actually was. Like there was a raccoon familiar named Myron, which is one of my favourite things ever but he was only in a single chapter of the book, and then subsequently called out but never again.
The main mystery plot wrapped up way too quickly for my taste and felt half-baked for the most part,the romance between the lead characters had not a lick of chemistry between the two of them, and the characterization never really felt true to person.
I’d pass on this one.
The main mystery plot wrapped up way too quickly for my taste and felt half-baked for the most part,the romance between the lead characters had not a lick of chemistry between the two of them, and the characterization never really felt true to person.
I’d pass on this one.
A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James
lighthearted
fast-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
bit of a let down, really
and it almost entirely hinges upon how juvenile the characters seem and the virtually non-existent plot of which confines they are subject to
it was boring, the characters were boring, and i was by no means entertained throughout
and it almost entirely hinges upon how juvenile the characters seem and the virtually non-existent plot of which confines they are subject to
it was boring, the characters were boring, and i was by no means entertained throughout