Scan barcode
amirahazhar's reviews
420 reviews
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
3.0
A supernatural thriller that somehow bore me. It's still a decent story, though.
Down the Drain by Julia Fox
medium-paced
4.0
Raw, unapologetic, and absolutely insane.
At first I was sceptical because a lot of celebrity memoirs are ghostwritten. But halfway through the first chapter, I knew for sure that only Julia Fox could've written this.
I admit, I've misjudged her this whole time which was mean of me. I always liked her, I enjoyed her mannerisms, interviews and Instagram posts but I never thought she held much substance.
This book proves otherwise. Julia was raised in a dysfunctional household split between Italy and America. In New York, she lived with her dad while her mother, little brother and grandfather stayed in Saronno, a small town near Milan. Due to a lack of a maternal figure, and her father screwing around with her best friend's mother, Julia consistently ends up with the wrong crowd. She is already sexualised as an 11 year old, and she matures sexually very early in her adolescent years.
Her years spent as a drug addict with toxic and abusive lovers, relapsing, trying to hold her own are illustrated vividly. She has a stint as a dominatrix, ends up with a sugar daddy, loses friends, gains new ones and consistently makes one bad decision after another.
As the book progresses, you do get recurrently vexed by her mistakes and sometimes she does sound somewhat conceited. But you start to appreciate how honest she is in telling her story, and you develop empathy for her because of how much she's gone through from such an early age.
This was entertaining from the get-go and perfect if you would like a memoir that's pretty heavy but doesn't feel like it. It just feels like you're listening to a wild friend telling you everything about her life.
She's everywhere, she's so Julia.
At first I was sceptical because a lot of celebrity memoirs are ghostwritten. But halfway through the first chapter, I knew for sure that only Julia Fox could've written this.
I admit, I've misjudged her this whole time which was mean of me. I always liked her, I enjoyed her mannerisms, interviews and Instagram posts but I never thought she held much substance.
This book proves otherwise. Julia was raised in a dysfunctional household split between Italy and America. In New York, she lived with her dad while her mother, little brother and grandfather stayed in Saronno, a small town near Milan. Due to a lack of a maternal figure, and her father screwing around with her best friend's mother, Julia consistently ends up with the wrong crowd. She is already sexualised as an 11 year old, and she matures sexually very early in her adolescent years.
Her years spent as a drug addict with toxic and abusive lovers, relapsing, trying to hold her own are illustrated vividly. She has a stint as a dominatrix, ends up with a sugar daddy, loses friends, gains new ones and consistently makes one bad decision after another.
As the book progresses, you do get recurrently vexed by her mistakes and sometimes she does sound somewhat conceited. But you start to appreciate how honest she is in telling her story, and you develop empathy for her because of how much she's gone through from such an early age.
This was entertaining from the get-go and perfect if you would like a memoir that's pretty heavy but doesn't feel like it. It just feels like you're listening to a wild friend telling you everything about her life.
She's everywhere, she's so Julia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
I put off finishing this book because it's the last one, and I simply did not want this story to wrap up. I'm always hungry for more of Rin's antics, more warfare, more shamanism.
Alas, all good things come to an end.
And thus is the conclusion to The Poppy War trilogy - if you can even call it that (I simply do not want to accept reality now).
To begin with, the entire Trifecta storyline reeled me in completely even from the first book. Rebecca Kuang built it up so beautifully... only to send it spiralling down in The Burning God. I found that part so anticlimactic. I felt like they could have wreaked more havoc, especially onto the Hesperians before they ceased to exist.
The depictions of warfare weren't as great as the first two books, but it's understandable because they seemed very realistic. I liked Souji's small scale tactics and how much Rin learned from him (he also received a very deserving and ruthless end).
Rarely, in military warfare do you succeed repeatedly. I appreciated that Rin and her troops went through more downs than ups, and I enjoyed seeing their resilience when things went awry. And things went awry all the time. It's just like the saying, it's not about the cards you're dealt, it's how you play the hand.
Also, with regards to Rin.. No matter how many times she's fucked up, no matter how many war crimes she's committed, I will ALWAYS be invested. I've seen some reviews where people are wary of her POV, but I truly cannot get enough of her. She may just be one of my favourite book characters of all time, just because she's so realistic. The war broke out when she was just 16 (if I'm not wrong) and in this book, she's only 21. What adolescent would have made pragmatic decisions? She's so messy, impulsive, driven by hatred and rage. She's the perfect embodiment of a girl descended from a line of warriors who worshipped the Phoenix and who calls on the Phoenix for total annihilation. God, I wish her story didn't have to end.
And that's why I was crushed with debilitating disappointment when her life ended the way it did. Of course it wasn't in battle. Of course it was something she decided for herself. But WHY? I can't exactly say it was rushed because this book has 640 pages, but there was literally no build-up to that. I didn't see it coming at all. If anything, I imagined her death being actually as tragic as the deaths of Altan, Hanelai and Tearza. At least give her a massive exit. But this... it really missed the mark for me. I genuinely am still taken aback.
Despite my grievances, I still applaud Rebecca Kuang. What a massive achievement to have embarked on writing a stunning trilogy at the age of 19. I was nowhere close to her level of intellect at 19 - we're the same age, too. She's just on a whole different plane of existence. I have so much reverence for her. She depicted the scramble for power brilliantly, and how the collateral damage of war is brutal, and subjects people to civil strife, famine, and all sorts of abuses.
So, out of utter biasness, I'm still rating this a 5 because I loved it too much. The journey Rebecca Kuang took us on to lead us to this last book, her excellent writing, the emotions she invoked within me, the world(s) she created.
What a truly magnificent feat.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
Alas, all good things come to an end.
And thus is the conclusion to The Poppy War trilogy - if you can even call it that (I simply do not want to accept reality now).
To begin with, the entire Trifecta storyline reeled me in completely even from the first book. Rebecca Kuang built it up so beautifully... only to send it spiralling down in The Burning God. I found that part so anticlimactic. I felt like they could have wreaked more havoc, especially onto the Hesperians before they ceased to exist.
The depictions of warfare weren't as great as the first two books, but it's understandable because they seemed very realistic. I liked Souji's small scale tactics and how much Rin learned from him (he also received a very deserving and ruthless end).
Rarely, in military warfare do you succeed repeatedly. I appreciated that Rin and her troops went through more downs than ups, and I enjoyed seeing their resilience when things went awry. And things went awry all the time. It's just like the saying, it's not about the cards you're dealt, it's how you play the hand.
Also, with regards to Rin.. No matter how many times she's fucked up, no matter how many war crimes she's committed, I will ALWAYS be invested. I've seen some reviews where people are wary of her POV, but I truly cannot get enough of her. She may just be one of my favourite book characters of all time, just because she's so realistic. The war broke out when she was just 16 (if I'm not wrong) and in this book, she's only 21. What adolescent would have made pragmatic decisions? She's so messy, impulsive, driven by hatred and rage. She's the perfect embodiment of a girl descended from a line of warriors who worshipped the Phoenix and who calls on the Phoenix for total annihilation. God, I wish her story didn't have to end.
And that's why I was crushed with debilitating disappointment when her life ended the way it did. Of course it wasn't in battle. Of course it was something she decided for herself. But WHY? I can't exactly say it was rushed because this book has 640 pages, but there was literally no build-up to that. I didn't see it coming at all. If anything, I imagined her death being actually as tragic as the deaths of Altan, Hanelai and Tearza. At least give her a massive exit. But this... it really missed the mark for me. I genuinely am still taken aback.
Despite my grievances, I still applaud Rebecca Kuang. What a massive achievement to have embarked on writing a stunning trilogy at the age of 19. I was nowhere close to her level of intellect at 19 - we're the same age, too. She's just on a whole different plane of existence. I have so much reverence for her. She depicted the scramble for power brilliantly, and how the collateral damage of war is brutal, and subjects people to civil strife, famine, and all sorts of abuses.
So, out of utter biasness, I'm still rating this a 5 because I loved it too much. The journey Rebecca Kuang took us on to lead us to this last book, her excellent writing, the emotions she invoked within me, the world(s) she created.
What a truly magnificent feat.
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara
4.0
Since the 1500s, at the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade, the Congo has been pilfered of its riches by Western powers. Now, the West (and also China) continues to profit at the expense of Congolese suffering.
The batteries in almost every smartphone, tablet, laptop, and electric vehicle today cannot recharge without the resources from Congo's mines. The cobalt is dug up by artisanal miners, villlagers who earn less than a dollar a day, many who are just children. They exist in a violent ecosystem: exposure to dangerous levels of lead and uranium, making them prone to birth defects and diseases like cancer, the risk of injuries, and even the prospects of death. Women working in the mines risk being sexually assaulted daily, yet there is no escape from such a dire circumstance. All while earning barely a dollar a day.
In this book, Siddarth Kara's qualitative research took him to different mines in the Congo, owned mostly by Chinese corporations, of which cobalt is then is streamed into companies like Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Dell, Huawei, Tesla, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler, the list goes on. The flow of minerals and riches is no thanks to Congolese politicians who became disgustingly rich selling off the country's mining concessions, while tens of millions of Congolese suffer from extreme poverty, food insecurity and civil strife.
Siddarth Kara's findings about the conditions in the Congo are stellar, and his interviews with the major mining corporations, the artisanal miners and also some government officials will make your blood boil. Although some find the contents of this book repetitive, I feel like it was simply a part of qualitative research as he reported his findings in different mines. A lot of the artisanal miners he interviewed had their own stories to tell and they're all heart-wrenching.
As users of electronic devices, we should be compelled to educate ourselves about the ongoing slavery that plagues the Congo. This book is definitely a good start.
"Please tell the people in your country, a child in Congo dies every day so that they can plug their phones."
Free Congo.
The batteries in almost every smartphone, tablet, laptop, and electric vehicle today cannot recharge without the resources from Congo's mines. The cobalt is dug up by artisanal miners, villlagers who earn less than a dollar a day, many who are just children. They exist in a violent ecosystem: exposure to dangerous levels of lead and uranium, making them prone to birth defects and diseases like cancer, the risk of injuries, and even the prospects of death. Women working in the mines risk being sexually assaulted daily, yet there is no escape from such a dire circumstance. All while earning barely a dollar a day.
In this book, Siddarth Kara's qualitative research took him to different mines in the Congo, owned mostly by Chinese corporations, of which cobalt is then is streamed into companies like Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Dell, Huawei, Tesla, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler, the list goes on. The flow of minerals and riches is no thanks to Congolese politicians who became disgustingly rich selling off the country's mining concessions, while tens of millions of Congolese suffer from extreme poverty, food insecurity and civil strife.
Siddarth Kara's findings about the conditions in the Congo are stellar, and his interviews with the major mining corporations, the artisanal miners and also some government officials will make your blood boil. Although some find the contents of this book repetitive, I feel like it was simply a part of qualitative research as he reported his findings in different mines. A lot of the artisanal miners he interviewed had their own stories to tell and they're all heart-wrenching.
As users of electronic devices, we should be compelled to educate ourselves about the ongoing slavery that plagues the Congo. This book is definitely a good start.
"Please tell the people in your country, a child in Congo dies every day so that they can plug their phones."
Free Congo.
Bane of Widuri by Nadiah Zakaria
4.0
8 orphaned girls have lived together in a manor their whole lives. They are promised foster parents and a chance to start new lives on their 16th birthday.
Melur gets a vision when she touches the elusive flowers in the garden, and senses something is wrong.
I don't want to give too much away, because it is a short story after all.
Read if you love:
- gothic manors
- stories centred on black magic and witches
- dark academia
- horror
I understand that Nadiah was constrained in including more gory details and plot development, but this was a stellar effort for 128 pages. I'm a sucker for a horror book, and I certainly wasn't expecting the book to turn that dark in the second half. I'm happy that I purchased this, and I'm certain this won't be my last read by the author.
Melur gets a vision when she touches the elusive flowers in the garden, and senses something is wrong.
I don't want to give too much away, because it is a short story after all.
Read if you love:
- gothic manors
- stories centred on black magic and witches
- dark academia
- horror
I understand that Nadiah was constrained in including more gory details and plot development, but this was a stellar effort for 128 pages. I'm a sucker for a horror book, and I certainly wasn't expecting the book to turn that dark in the second half. I'm happy that I purchased this, and I'm certain this won't be my last read by the author.
The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
The most adorable and wholesome little graphic novel I've ever read. ♡
The September House by Carissa Orlando
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
For fans of American Horror Story: Murder House, but a lot less horny.
I loved Margaret's nonchalance about the hauntings (which I feel is tied to a psychological aspect - you'll find out more about her lore) and I loved all the ghosts.
The first 80% was a bit slow and had a lot of flashbacks but I think the pay-off was worth it.
Didn't think I'd give this a 5 but I just loved that ending so much and I'm a sucker for a good, old haunted house story.
I loved Margaret's nonchalance about the hauntings (which I feel is tied to a psychological aspect - you'll find out more about her lore) and I loved all the ghosts.
The first 80% was a bit slow and had a lot of flashbacks but I think the pay-off was worth it.
Didn't think I'd give this a 5 but I just loved that ending so much and I'm a sucker for a good, old haunted house story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, and Murder