hopeloveslit's reviews
299 reviews

I Who Have Never Known Men is a dystopian novel about an adolescent girl, our narrator, and thirty-nine women imprisoned underground. How did they get there? No one is sure, and the only clue is the guarded men who watch them. My favorite thing about this novel is how ambiguous everything is. The loose ends ultimately left me feeling haunted. Overall, I’d recommend this book if you like stories about survival, identity, and human connection. 

Although I enjoyed The Giver, I expected it to blow me away. I’m not sure why this dystopian novel didn’t hit the mark. The way the world functions didn’t surprise me much. Ultimately, I think I’ve read too many similar stories. Nonetheless, I’d recommend this novel to readers new to the genre. 

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

Animal Farm is a satirical novel that explores dictatorship and revolution, but not in the way you’d think.  Orwell tells the story of farm animals who revolt against their human owner. The animals hope to gain freedom from humans, equality, and a better life. However, their hopes crumble as the new leader, Napoleon, and his pigs quickly become corrupt. They form a dictatorship that leaves the animals worse off than ever before. The novella reflects the real world well and the wicked desire of some humans to corrupt and gain political power. I can’t recommend this book enough. I see why The States want to ban it! They wouldn’t want their citizens overthrowing the government.

“I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”

Maya Angelou’s poetry is remarkably moving and ferocious. I resonated with almost every poem. This collection is a must-read for poetry lovers and African-American readers.

My favorite poems:
Late October, Tears, On Diverse Deviations, When I Think About Myself, We Saw Beyond our Seeming, My Guilt, Wonder, Songs for the Old Ones, Phenomenal Woman, Refusal, The Lesson, Momma Welfare Roll, Willie, Woman Work, One More Round, Still I Rise, These Yet to Be United States, and Why Are They Happy People?

Performance: 1 star 

The narrator was robotic. 

Poem: 1.5 stars 

Although the poem touches on a good topic, I didn’t like the delivery. Also, there’s a lack of emotion within this piece. 

This collection is a mixed bag, but I still enjoyed it. Bone features some moving and powerful poems. I appreciate Yrsa Daley-Ward for being so raw and unapologetic. The topics Ward explores are paramount.

Black Girl You Are Atlas will feel like a warm hug to every Black girl who reads this poetry collection! 

“I am nothing,
Never shall be anything.
Cannot will to be anything,
This apart, I have in me, all the dreams of the world.”

Pessoa hit me right in the heart. This poetry collection is beautifully lyrical, intense, and oddly harrowing. These poems will stay with me forever; I resonated with them more than I’d like to admit. 

The Awakening centers around Edna's transformation from a mother and housewife to a woman who embraces freedom and eroticism. We see Edna garner a sense of individuality, independent thought, and acute self-awareness. I enjoyed this story. It’s short and interesting enough to read in a day. Edna’s awakening was touching to me and the ending was altogether haunting. (4/5)

Emancipation: A Life Fable tells the story of an unnamed animal. They spend their entire life confined in a cage and all their needs are met. It’s given the opportunity one day to face the wild and have freedom. However, it’s hesitant due to the unknowns that accompany living on your own. Chopin uses this story as an allegory for female liberation. (2.5/5)

At the ‘Cadian Ball… After reading seven stories from this collection, I’m just exhausted. Chopin's racist drivel is just too much. Yes, I know what time she lived and wrote in. There are racist slurs in almost every classic. However, the amount and intensity vary from author to author. I wish I could finish this collection but I’m simply going to throw the towel in. The remaining five stories are only 19 pages in total so I feel as though I can still rate this book. (1/5)

Désirée's Baby is a short story about a woman named Désirée. Désirée was adopted as a baby but there was no information about her ethnicity. She later marries a plantation owner and they have a child whose skin is darker than they expected. This leads them to believe Désirée must be of mixed race. The events that follow show readers how impactful societal racism was during this time, especially on individuals like Désirée. Although the story touches on an important topic, I didn’t enjoy it much. I think the length is at fault. A topic like this needs way more than a few pages. (2/5)

La Belle Zoraïde - DNF 

At Chênière Caminada - DNF

The Story of an Hour is about Louise Mallard, a woman in a traditional marriage. The news reports that her husband was killed in an accident. However, after grieving, she begins to see freedom in her future. I want to give zero spoilers for this story because the plot twist is too good! I loved this story. It’s one of the strongest in this collection. (4/5)

Lilacs was a big failure for me. The only thing I liked was how Chopin used scent. Adrienne, the main character, is reminded of her youth when she smells lilacs. The scent acts as a trigger that draws her back to the convent. (1/5)

Athénaïse tells the story of a young woman of the same name. She flees her marriage and discovers freedom while away. Only to end up pregnant and returning to the same man she left in the first place. I feel like Chopin was trying to highlight female struggles during her time but this story failed to do that meaningfully. (1.5/5)

A Pair of Silk Stockings highlights feminine desire uniquely. Mrs. Sommer is a housewife but she isn’t financially well off. She receives a few dollars and plans to spend it on her family. However, while shopping she falls in love with a pair of silk stockings. This purchase sends her down a rabbit hole. She spends all the money doing things she likes instead of prioritizing her children. I liked the message of this story but it left much to be desired. (2/5)

Elizabeth Stock’s One Story- DNF

The Storm: A Sequel to ‘The Cadian Ball”- DNF