rhiannonmcgovern's reviews
150 reviews

oh dr faustus you’re so silly and goofy 

mixed feelings about this one.

this was not a bad read by any means. i enjoyed reading the book and i liked the concept, but think it could’ve been executed a little better. at times it felt preachy (maybe due to the matter of fact tone in which much of the book was told, which is true to neurodivergent people), and like the protagonist was just a mouthpiece for the author. whilst i appreciate that in any ways the character is influenced by the author’s neurodivergency, the way in which it was delivered could’ve been more consistent. 

there was the plot of the party but sometimes i completely forgot that was happening? i feel like the author wanted to create a character study but just added a plot for the sake of it. i love character driven books but context and plot is still important and needs to be consistent. as much as there is absolutely a need for more literature highlighting the experiences of neurodivergent people, i feel like what the author was trying to do with this one would’ve worked better as a non-fiction piece. 

i reviewed every story as i read, so i’ll leave my thoughts here:

shoko’s smile - so understated and melancholic and atmospheric oh my god i’m obsessed. so excited to read the rest of the book, 5/5

xin chào, xin chào - so well written. eunyoung just gets human nature more than any other writer. she doesn’t need to over-explain, she says it how it is and doesn’t spare any of its beauty in the process. i’m getting the feeling that her work is going to be a subtle exploration of the intricacies of the human psyche and relationships and i’m obsessed.  4/5

sister, my little soonae - eunyoung’s writing hits you like a punch in the face but like, in the most low-key way. 4/5

hanji and youngju - holy fuck. 5/5

a song from afar: all of these stories are just so heartbreaking. chills. 4/5.

michaela - really sweet. 3.5/5

secret - oh just so sad. i felt like i was watching the grandmother from behind a glass wall, and could see everything she was doing, but just couldn’t touch her. an invisible barrier between what we believe and what the truth is. 4/5.

i really liked this one! so dark academia. i really really really loved the exploration of female friendships, and the commentary on wealth, privilege, fame and artistic martyrdom. my kind of book!

holy fuck.

i can’t believe this is real… a literal fever dream of a book.

this has me fully submerged into my dark academia era. i can’t wait to go back to uni and talk to all of my classmates exclusively in shakespearean sonnets and become complicit in a murder

holy fuck.

this is my second ferrante novel (i have not yet read the neapolitan quartet). i appreciated her work previously, but this has taken my love for her to a whole new level.

a literal masterclass in female rage. this is the most nuanced portrait of a tortured woman i have ever read. so so so detailed and delicate and beautifully written. crafted with such care. i feel so inspired. astonished that someone was even capable of this. one of those books where you feel so empty inside after reading; the feat of writing seems impossible when you’re up against pieces as good as this.

currently rushing to read everything ferrante has ever written.