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icarusandthesun's reviews
140 reviews
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
slightly boring, especially the plot twist. after so much build-up and suspense, i expected a grand, shocking reveal that just never came.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Blood
Being Lolita by Alisson Wood
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
an incredible book. read it in a little under two days, just couldn't tear myself away.
it is absolutely crazy to me that this is not fiction. it felt like fiction, because of the unhinged things that happen, and the weirdness of it all. while reading i frequently had to remind myself that this is actually a memoir, that a real human being went through these absolutely vile events. my sympathy for alisson wood is endless.
on a more technical note, the book had very short chapters, which i really enjoy. wood's writing style is flowy and keeps you invested. i also liked all of the "breaking the fourth wall" sequences, because they served as a means to entice but also to floor you and once again remind you that this actually happened.
a great book, really.
it is absolutely crazy to me that this is not fiction. it felt like fiction, because of the unhinged things that happen, and the weirdness of it all. while reading i frequently had to remind myself that this is actually a memoir, that a real human being went through these absolutely vile events. my sympathy for alisson wood is endless.
on a more technical note, the book had very short chapters, which i really enjoy. wood's writing style is flowy and keeps you invested. i also liked all of the "breaking the fourth wall" sequences, because they served as a means to entice but also to floor you and once again remind you that this actually happened.
a great book, really.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Alcohol
The Gentleman From Peru by André Aciman
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
completely underwhelming. lots of yapping about different lifetimes and meeting one person again and again, and who-knows-what.
the plot-twist didn't impact me in the slightest.
the plot-twist didn't impact me in the slightest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Sexual content
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? Yes
2.0
dune—but it felt like a cheap knock-off.
there are some bigs twists in this book that should've thrown you off, made you put the book down for a few seconds to comprehend what just happened; should've, but it didn't.
even though the book ends on chani's death and the main character PAUL ATREIDES' LITERALLY DISAPPEARING/DYING, i was left more confused than shocked and unimpressed, too.
it was the writing, mostly. i don't know where frank herbert went wrong (& perhaps i am the problem), but the narration was dry and all the 'political intrigue' a yap-fest.
how the conflict was resolved in the end felt rushed and a little silly.
wasn't a fan.
there are some bigs twists in this book that should've thrown you off, made you put the book down for a few seconds to comprehend what just happened; should've, but it didn't.
it was the writing, mostly. i don't know where frank herbert went wrong (& perhaps i am the problem), but the narration was dry and all the 'political intrigue' a yap-fest.
how the conflict was resolved in the end felt rushed and a little silly.
wasn't a fan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood and Medical content
Shy by Max Porter
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
weird, and kinda depressing, but good!
i love how creatively the author formatted the book; it was different and special, and really helped the whole illusion of being in this troubled kid's mind, where not everything (anything) is orderly and pretty and normal.
some sections i had to read twice though, because the vocab threw me off and so did all the references to random topics and songs.
still, i rather enjoyed it.
i love how creatively the author formatted the book; it was different and special, and really helped the whole illusion of being in this troubled kid's mind, where not everything (anything) is orderly and pretty and normal.
some sections i had to read twice though, because the vocab threw me off and so did all the references to random topics and songs.
still, i rather enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Drug use
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
distinctly a murderbot diary with its sci-fi action, murderbot's social awkwardness and some nice preservation world-building.
this time there was also a murder mystery which was fun!
i liked it, as in it was perfectly fine and a very comfy read!
however it wasn't the best nor the most exciting one of the diaries.
this time there was also a murder mystery which was fun!
i liked it, as in it was perfectly fine and a very comfy read!
however it wasn't the best nor the most exciting one of the diaries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Slavery and Injury/Injury detail
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
great to read during somber weather.
i wanted to take a little break from science-fiction, and this book seemed to call to me. i liked it—the vibes, the poetic language, the writing style. it was grounding, calming, like stormy weather (but without the lightning and the thunder).
it was nice, but (luckily, i suppose) not relatable for me, right now. i know this is probably a good depiction of grief in many people’s eyes though.
i liked the characters. marin was a little bland, but well, grief does that to a person, so i get it. the author did a good job of telling us about all the things marin used to be passionate about.
the ending was cute, too. it was just nothing special, and wasn’t able to invoke any sort of deep feeling in me, personally.
i wanted to take a little break from science-fiction, and this book seemed to call to me. i liked it—the vibes, the poetic language, the writing style. it was grounding, calming, like stormy weather (but without the lightning and the thunder).
it was nice, but (luckily, i suppose) not relatable for me, right now. i know this is probably a good depiction of grief in many people’s eyes though.
i liked the characters. marin was a little bland, but well, grief does that to a person, so i get it. the author did a good job of telling us about all the things marin used to be passionate about.
the ending was cute, too. it was just nothing special, and wasn’t able to invoke any sort of deep feeling in me, personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Alcohol
Sands of Dune: Novellas from the World of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Brian Herbert
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
amazing story collection. can be read immediately after dune and is a great tie-in that adds a bit more depth and background to some of the minor characters.
a fun read that i recommend dearly to every fan of the dune franchise!
a fun read that i recommend dearly to every fan of the dune franchise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Torture
Minor: Rape
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
this book fried my brain.
i'm a little ashamed to admit that i didn't understand like half of it. maybe it was the english terminology—all the jargon—, or maybe it was the fact i'm not too knowledgeable about neither the Chinese Cultural Revolution nor, well, astrophysics.
maybe my reading was also lacking a bit of personal initiative, because i'm sure a couple more google searches (that i didn't make) would've greatly helped my understanding.
but alas. perhaps i will re-read this book someday and then hopefully understand it a bit better, because the story and ideas weren't at all bad! i still really enjoyed it.
i'm a little ashamed to admit that i didn't understand like half of it. maybe it was the english terminology—all the jargon—, or maybe it was the fact i'm not too knowledgeable about neither the Chinese Cultural Revolution nor, well, astrophysics.
maybe my reading was also lacking a bit of personal initiative, because i'm sure a couple more google searches (that i didn't make) would've greatly helped my understanding.
but alas. perhaps i will re-read this book someday and then hopefully understand it a bit better, because the story and ideas weren't at all bad! i still really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
excellent! i haven't had that much fun in a while.
even though i'm a little too young (or too little of a game nerd) to understand most of the niche 80s game references, i still enjoyed them all.
the world—the stacks, the OASIS, etc.—is so incredibly interesting and made my video-game (and reality-hating) heart do flips of joy.
10/10, so much better than the movie.
even though i'm a little too young (or too little of a game nerd) to understand most of the niche 80s game references, i still enjoyed them all.
the world—the stacks, the OASIS, etc.—is so incredibly interesting and made my video-game (and reality-hating) heart do flips of joy.
10/10, so much better than the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Grief, and Outing