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dannilmp's reviews
70 reviews
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
2.5
I picked this book up for the interest of seeing one of the iconic pieces of vampire literature. I was not amazed by what I read and if we don't count the distubing sections and themes of this novel then it was not exactly memorable for me. I'm glad I chose to read this in audiobook format because I doubt I would have finished it if I were reading the physical copy.
Good points. There were not many good points to this novel. I think the best written part for me was Claudia's struggle to come to terms with her life and the constraints that come with it. I genuinly felt for her character at the times where I wasn't slighly repulsed by her actions or behaviuors. I felt the main cast, Louis, Lestat and Claudia were fleshed out and they did have some development over the course of the story but other characters really fell flat in comparison.
On the other hand, I wanted to see more about the mysticism and myths about vampire creation and culture and there didn't seem to be much of this at all. There were also times where certain comments or behaviours made by various characters, mainly Louis, Claudia and Lestat made me feel uncomfortable and almost made me want to quit reading the book then! Whether I will attempt to read any more books in this series is a good question that I currently don't have an answer to.
Good points. There were not many good points to this novel. I think the best written part for me was Claudia's struggle to come to terms with her life and the constraints that come with it. I genuinly felt for her character at the times where I wasn't slighly repulsed by her actions or behaviuors. I felt the main cast, Louis, Lestat and Claudia were fleshed out and they did have some development over the course of the story but other characters really fell flat in comparison.
On the other hand, I wanted to see more about the mysticism and myths about vampire creation and culture and there didn't seem to be much of this at all. There were also times where certain comments or behaviours made by various characters, mainly Louis, Claudia and Lestat made me feel uncomfortable and almost made me want to quit reading the book then! Whether I will attempt to read any more books in this series is a good question that I currently don't have an answer to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is not my first time reading the GoT novel set, however with how much actually happens to so many different characters it feels like it may as well be my first time again! There were so many small details that I had forgotten that seemed so important to the overall plot
For me, I feel this is where the series really starts to ramp up, you finally start to see ALL of the players moving onto the field, the swapping between different parts of Westeros and beyond the wall, the magic growing within the remaining Stark family members, it feels as though we are building upto a creshendo about to happen.
All books have their downsides though, this one for me is the constant P.O.V switching throws me off on occasion, trying to remember the details before reading the next book in the series always seems impossible and the pacing at times feels slow enough that I find myself struggling to keep reading. This was a book I had to read in shorter chucks just to be able to get through
For me, I feel this is where the series really starts to ramp up, you finally start to see ALL of the players moving onto the field, the swapping between different parts of Westeros and beyond the wall, the magic growing within the remaining Stark family members, it feels as though we are building upto a creshendo about to happen.
All books have their downsides though, this one for me is the constant P.O.V switching throws me off on occasion, trying to remember the details before reading the next book in the series always seems impossible and the pacing at times feels slow enough that I find myself struggling to keep reading. This was a book I had to read in shorter chucks just to be able to get through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
5.0
From following Zhao on TikTok to seeing updates about Iron Widow I felt it was long overdue by the time I picked up this book. Honestly it gave me the strong female character with the twist that she was not ready to give over her power and will show no mercy to those who have wronged her.
I loved the route this plot took, the twists and turns I hadn't been able to guess, although on a couple I got close, that end reveal though? Defintely didn't see that one coming! The polyamory representation in this book was lovely to see, but I do feel it could have gone in a slightly different direction that thethruple that it went for. I felt for Zeitan and wanted with all of my heart for her to keep her rage and suceed and by God she did it well!
I genuinly cannot think of any bad points about this book, but if I had to state one aspect I didn't like as much as the others thenI felt the tragic aspect of Li Shimin's backstory was a little predictable, at least in the point that Zeitan would end up forgiving him and becoming his Iron Widow in marriage as well
A five star rating because it is one of those books I would give anything to be able to read again and I am eagerly awaiting the second book!
I loved the route this plot took, the twists and turns I hadn't been able to guess, although on a couple I got close, that end reveal though? Defintely didn't see that one coming! The polyamory representation in this book was lovely to see, but I do feel it could have gone in a slightly different direction that the
I genuinly cannot think of any bad points about this book, but if I had to state one aspect I didn't like as much as the others then
A five star rating because it is one of those books I would give anything to be able to read again and I am eagerly awaiting the second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-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? No
3.5
For my first venture into reading Dickens as an adult, I was not disappointed. Actually I am glad I have very vague or no memories of the various film adaptations (aside from Oliver and Company) so that I could read this novel with fresh eyes to the story.
Firstly, I expected to struggle with understanding the type of language used and the way sentences are strung together in classic literature but I was pleasantly suprised when I found I was flying through the pages, only having to go back and re-read passages a few times. The addition of footnotes at the end of the book was very helpful as well. I enjoyed watching Oliver grow throughout his trials and tribulations and the occasional illustrated scene in this edition was a lovely touch. I felt the way each character's story wrapped up was the highlight of this book for me and certainly the ending has stuck with me.
On the other hand, this edition had a section for noting changes between various editions of the novel as it was released but it was not easy to notice this while I was reading, it was something I stumbled across as I was looking for footnotes for other explanations. Additionally, it was quite a chore to keep having to flick to the back of the book every time a footnote appeared, I do prefer footnotes written at the bottom of pages but I feel this was a small price to pay for easier understanding of the novel's concepts.
Firstly, I expected to struggle with understanding the type of language used and the way sentences are strung together in classic literature but I was pleasantly suprised when I found I was flying through the pages, only having to go back and re-read passages a few times. The addition of footnotes at the end of the book was very helpful as well. I enjoyed watching Oliver grow throughout his trials and tribulations and the occasional illustrated scene in this edition was a lovely touch. I felt the way each character's story wrapped up was the highlight of this book for me and certainly the ending has stuck with me.
On the other hand, this edition had a section for noting changes between various editions of the novel as it was released but it was not easy to notice this while I was reading, it was something I stumbled across as I was looking for footnotes for other explanations. Additionally, it was quite a chore to keep having to flick to the back of the book every time a footnote appeared, I do prefer footnotes written at the bottom of pages but I feel this was a small price to pay for easier understanding of the novel's concepts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
2.75
The ambigious ending of Caraval certainly leads itself to a sequel in Legendary, but whether this sequel was really necessary is another question. This time around we mainly follow Donatella on her journey through another Caraval game with just as high stakes as Scarlett found in her game previously.
Firstly, I feel this book had a lot of character development for Donatella but also justified some of her more (what I personally found) annoying behaviours and traits that we saw in Caraval. This book also worked to flesh out some of the mythology of the Caraval universe, but I was certainly left wanting more. The Fates are an intersting concept and one that I hope to see given more attention and detail in the final book.
However, Tella's character development was not enough for me to want to like her character and compared to Caraval, reading Legendary was a little bit more of a chore for me, hence the slightly lower star rating compared to the first book. I also couldn't get past some aspects of Legend's character right at the end which felt like the ending of the book was a slight letdown.
Firstly, I feel this book had a lot of character development for Donatella but also justified some of her more (what I personally found) annoying behaviours and traits that we saw in Caraval. This book also worked to flesh out some of the mythology of the Caraval universe, but I was certainly left wanting more. The Fates are an intersting concept and one that I hope to see given more attention and detail in the final book.
However, Tella's character development was not enough for me to want to like her character and compared to Caraval, reading Legendary was a little bit more of a chore for me, hence the slightly lower star rating compared to the first book. I also couldn't get past some aspects of Legend's character right at the end which felt like the ending of the book was a slight letdown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.0
Caraval is a great read for those who love magic, especially if you have read the Night Circus. A circus type game with high stakes for failure, this book will have you rooting for the main character all the way.
What made this book even more interesting for me was I read it as a buddy read, so I was constantly looking for answers to questions and trying to puzzle out the bigger plot points of the book, without this I don't think I would have rated Caraval 3 stars. I enjoy worlds with magic and as Caraval appears to be the only place within this world setting that magic exists makes it more intriguing and drives a want to understand why and how it can happen in this world. It was an easy read and felt like you were flying through the pages!
On the other hand, some of the characters could have been more thought through, Donatella's character was just straight up unlikable for me, but so where aspects of Scarlett's personality, though I think her character growth over the novel does help make up for this. I would have liked to have seen other characters given more "screen time" and not just be around for a few pages for a massive plot point and then to just disapear.
What made this book even more interesting for me was I read it as a buddy read, so I was constantly looking for answers to questions and trying to puzzle out the bigger plot points of the book, without this I don't think I would have rated Caraval 3 stars. I enjoy worlds with magic and as Caraval appears to be the only place within this world setting that magic exists makes it more intriguing and drives a want to understand why and how it can happen in this world. It was an easy read and felt like you were flying through the pages!
On the other hand, some of the characters could have been more thought through, Donatella's character was just straight up unlikable for me, but so where aspects of Scarlett's personality, though I think her character growth over the novel does help make up for this. I would have liked to have seen other characters given more "screen time" and not just be around for a few pages for a massive plot point and then to just disapear.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault and Abandonment
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Once again, another head scratching book by Moshfegh with a just as ambigious ending. The only other book I have read by this author is My Year of Rest and Relaxation but I can see some consistency in the writing. Cetainly a good book to read if you are looking for something dark, mysterious but also like endings that leave you thinking. I'm starting to notice a theme with Moshfegh's books. The pacing appears slow in the beginning but you hit a major event at about 75% and then the last quarter feels like it was only ten pages but there is enough content to sink the titanic!
I did not really enjoy this novel so finding something positive to say is difficult. However, despite the dark themes of this book, there were occasions that had me laughing as there were quite humurous. The ability to write characters and to be able to viserally hate every single one of them, but I still want to read every word? Amazing, but not a book I will ever read again. Make sure to prepare some good eye bleach and take plenty of rest breaks while reading this book.
Looking at the downsides to this novel, it felt as though a lot of the scenes were made even more gory or stomach churning for effect rather than plot purposes. Make sure to read content warnings carefully before venturing to read this novel. Not a single character had a single redeeming trait in their bones and some characters were certainly worse than others! Despite the fact that there were clearly some otherworlding magic things happening in this world, the setting felt strangely comparable to our physical world, especially concerning topics such as public unrest, greed/hoarding wealth, poverty and famine.
I did not really enjoy this novel so finding something positive to say is difficult. However, despite the dark themes of this book, there were occasions that had me laughing as there were quite humurous. The ability to write characters and to be able to viserally hate every single one of them, but I still want to read every word? Amazing, but not a book I will ever read again. Make sure to prepare some good eye bleach and take plenty of rest breaks while reading this book.
Looking at the downsides to this novel, it felt as though a lot of the scenes were made even more gory or stomach churning for effect rather than plot purposes. Make sure to read content warnings carefully before venturing to read this novel. Not a single character had a single redeeming trait in their bones and some characters were certainly worse than others! Despite the fact that there were clearly some otherworlding magic things happening in this world, the setting felt strangely comparable to our physical world, especially concerning topics such as public unrest, greed/hoarding wealth, poverty and famine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Suicide, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pregnancy
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A venture back to the classic horror genre for me and my first haunted house read. A slow burn story which focuses far more on atmospheric horror than graphic horror. I'd make sure to keep the lights on while you read this one.
For being written quite a while ago, I found the language easy to read and understand, there were a couple of times I had to get the dictornary out but aside from that it was easy to immerse myself in the story. The focus on the atmosphere and the slow and gradual build up of the horror aspects kept me on my toes throughout the whole novel. While it was a relatively short novel, the suspence felt like a lifetime. I was not expecting the ending and I still can't quite figure some aspects of the story out. Who really was haunting Hill House if there even was anyone there?
The only letdown for me was my lack of understanding of certain plot points and character behaviour. There was the odd occasion where I wasn't certain which character was speaking and I would have to go back and re-read some sections. This didn't detract too much from the pace of the story.
For being written quite a while ago, I found the language easy to read and understand, there were a couple of times I had to get the dictornary out but aside from that it was easy to immerse myself in the story. The focus on the atmosphere and the slow and gradual build up of the horror aspects kept me on my toes throughout the whole novel. While it was a relatively short novel, the suspence felt like a lifetime. I was not expecting the ending and I still can't quite figure some aspects of the story out. Who really was haunting Hill House if there even was anyone there?
The only letdown for me was my lack of understanding of certain plot points and character behaviour. There was the odd occasion where I wasn't certain which character was speaking and I would have to go back and re-read some sections. This didn't detract too much from the pace of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Blood
Minor: Alcohol
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is not a book to read if you don't want to ruin your mood or would like to keep a happy disposition toward life itself. My year of rest and relaxation is certainly one of the more stranger books I have read this year. A story about a young woman wishing to go into hibernation in an attempt to rewire her brain about her views towards herself and life itself.
Despite not liking any of the characters and the lack of character development throughout the book, I must say I felt compelled to keep reading. I wanted to see if this year of rest and relaxation would accomlish what our MC thought it would and deep down I wanted it to work for her. But I also appreciate that the idea was careless, not well thought through at all and certainly isn't something I would ever recommend anyone to try or even attempt anything remotely similar.
The only reason I gave this book two stars is due to the fact the ending and the build up to the ending have stuck in my head and I have been tossing and turning ideas relating to them in my mind for days. This book may have been one of my least liked reads of this year however I must applaud the author's capability to get me thinking long after I have put the book down.
Despite not liking any of the characters and the lack of character development throughout the book, I must say I felt compelled to keep reading. I wanted to see if this year of rest and relaxation would accomlish what our MC thought it would and deep down I wanted it to work for her. But I also appreciate that the idea was careless, not well thought through at all and certainly isn't something I would ever recommend anyone to try or even attempt anything remotely similar.
The only reason I gave this book two stars is due to the fact the ending and the build up to the ending have stuck in my head and I have been tossing and turning ideas relating to them in my mind for days. This book may have been one of my least liked reads of this year however I must applaud the author's capability to get me thinking long after I have put the book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Abortion
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
4.0
A perfect read for those interested in fantasical adventures with high stakes! The Wolf and the Woodsman follows Evike as she journeys far from home and into a kingdom which wants nothing more than the eradication of her kind. Parterner with Gaspar, they both learn more about the other and continue to develop their own views and opinions of the people and of the world around them.
What makes this book stand out to me is the culture building of the difference races in this world. The way mythology is weaved into and throughout this book is really well done and it has sparked an interest in me wanting to go and learn more about Hungarian history and Jewsish mythology.
While this book was brilliant, it really left me wanting for more. I wanted to know more of Evike's father's history, culture and religious beliefs and stories, I wanted to understand more about the workings of the other places within the world. An excellent debut and I look forward to reading more books written by Ava Reid.
What makes this book stand out to me is the culture building of the difference races in this world. The way mythology is weaved into and throughout this book is really well done and it has sparked an interest in me wanting to go and learn more about Hungarian history and Jewsish mythology.
While this book was brilliant, it really left me wanting for more. I wanted to know more of Evike's father's history, culture and religious beliefs and stories, I wanted to understand more about the workings of the other places within the world. An excellent debut and I look forward to reading more books written by Ava Reid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Antisemitism
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child abuse