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suvissiin's reviews
148 reviews
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
As a student of linguistics this was really interesting read how language affects the feeling of togetherness: lexicons bring people from outsiders to insiders affecting how people’s views and realities, and the use of language to eliminate people from their family and critical thinking into following only the trusted word of the leader. I agree with other reviews that even though it was interesting to go from the most infamous cults to the suddle cultish behavior is social media, parts of it really dragged on in the MLM and fitness chapters. Also the general millenial American tone is not my favorite, though I definitely agree with many of Montell’s leftist views.
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Disturbing and thought-provoking feminist piece about views of womens health, the unquestionable authority of physicians, and seclusion turning into post-partum psychosis. The gothic and horror was intriguing from the very start and kept me in its grasp till the very end.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Neil Gaiman never dissapoints. Really enjoyed this read with it’s mystical and chaotic London Under. The characters were vibrant and interesting, and Richard was an interesting main character that was a joy to follow. I feel like for my taste, so many things were happening so fast that in the chaos some scenes never stuck with me or warmed up the characters enough. Also the disturbing nature of the story was unsetteling at times, maybe I wasn’t really in the correct mood for this book. I really liked the twists and turns and the ending of the book, and will look forward to reading more Gaiman in the future.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my first read of Shirley Jackson and I was instantly hooked by the vivid and twisted ways the story unfolds from the dark, spooky, and malicious haunted house to Nellies journey towards unstableness. All of the characters were colorful and full of personality, though it was sometimes hard to understand the discussions with each other. I loved the way Shirley Jackson tied the ending and beginning together and can’t wait to read more of her works.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Tragic, tense and chilling story of how far people can go to battle with their grief. I loved the characters and the setup, and of course Stephen King is a masterful writer of human psychology (although a bit rambly) which offset the predictability of the plot. I don’t even see the predictability as a negative because everything else is so absurd and terrible that you need familiarity to not toss the book aside. only thing that I actually don’t like about the book is it’s ”bad” ending and the kind of open epilogue . Reading the foreword, knowing that this book was based on real near-death/death experiences of King makes it just that much more haunting.
It by Stephen King
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.0
So much to love, so much to hate.
Stephen King can really write a story and this could’ve been one of the best..
The story is addicting and interesting and surreal and thoughtful and horrifying and lovely..and then theres whenever a young female character, ESPECIALLY Beverly is written about, what the actual fuck was that scene in the sewers and why did my eyes have to read it?! The racial and antisemitic remarks and slurs also give it such a bad taste. Also Mike’s history journal could’ve been shortened as there was loads of unnecessary information about Derry’s history and historical figures. Sometimes world building can be too much, at least for my taste.
But with such compelling characters and character dynamics (if it wasn’t for King trying to point out every sexual thing about 12(!)yo Beverly), the scary It, Derry, the bullies and the struggles and the joy of childhood, as well as growing up, this book was amazing, and definitely worth 4/5 stars. It could’ve been five stars but King let me down too many times this time :,)
Stephen King can really write a story and this could’ve been one of the best..
The story is addicting and interesting and surreal and thoughtful and horrifying and lovely..and then theres whenever a young female character, ESPECIALLY Beverly is written about, what the actual fuck was that scene in the sewers and why did my eyes have to read it?! The racial and antisemitic remarks and slurs also give it such a bad taste. Also Mike’s history journal could’ve been shortened as there was loads of unnecessary information about Derry’s history and historical figures. Sometimes world building can be too much, at least for my taste.
But with such compelling characters and character dynamics (if it wasn’t for King trying to point out every sexual thing about 12(!)yo Beverly), the scary It, Derry, the bullies and the struggles and the joy of childhood, as well as growing up, this book was amazing, and definitely worth 4/5 stars. It could’ve been five stars but King let me down too many times this time :,)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A beautifully written story about two unfortunate children being swept up by the WWII, but also kind of underwhelming. The characters are pretty shallow, French girl who is blind and likes books and a German boy who’s in an orphanage and likes engineering. Both are just drifting throught the book mainly doing things they are told to do, given they are children but for the main characters the lack of agency makes the characters pretty boring. The realities of being swept by the unfairness and unforgivingness of the war would have been more effective without being wrapped together with a magical realism plot of the cursed diamond. The contrasting viewpoints worked well, but flipping in with the climax of the story just seemed like a drag for me. My favorite parts were mostly the details, how people reacted to the war and how they tried to work against it, images of people on the road, and how everybody reacted to the war in their own ways. But for a WWII literature, there are much better ones out there.
Resin by Ane Riel, Charlotte Barslund
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A haunting story of a child growing up surrounded by unhealthy love. The absurdness and wrongness mixed with the sweetness and righteousness in the book is not only addicting to read, but also heartbreaking watching it happen through the eyes of the child. The portrayal of the psychology of the characters was unique in their own way, carrying the reader with them until the end.
Sabriel by Garth Nix
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I picked this book up as a random find from a second hand store after remembering it being recommendend to me. I really enjoyed all of Sabriel, all of the characters, the magic system, and the magical world of the Old Kingdom and the gates of death. The book was paced beautifully, keeping me interested throughout the book, though the plot was predictable at times, I don’t fault it since basic plot devices are there for a reason. I don’t know if I am moved enought to continue the series, but as a standalone read I had a really enjoyable experience.
The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really loved the first India Holton book so I had to give this a read as well. Though the book has an interesting plot of the jewel heist and a chase, many favorite characters coming back, and this time focusing on the witches of the Beryl Black family tree, I felt slightly disappointed by this book. I felt like the pacing was off, not only in the overall plot, but also in the enemies to lovers narrative, which did not have enough enemy time. I also found Charlotte’s inner discussions with her favorite literature heroines kinda cringy :/
I still love India Holton’s style of writing and will read the third book, but this book was an ”eh” for me.
I still love India Holton’s style of writing and will read the third book, but this book was an ”eh” for me.