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saoreads's reviews
140 reviews
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Reading it for the first half felt like a cringe and a forced attempt at uniqueness; it makes you wonder if it really will be worth the read; is justice served, or is this just a talk for nonstop violence? Pros: with its newly invented language, the world-building and gory, cruel scenes were difficult to imagine. Cons: If you're the type of reader with vivid imaginations, everything is left up to your level of understanding, be it vague or specific. "What's it going to be then, eh?" and "horrorshow" had to be those lines that left quite a huge impression. In that essence telling of the journey of the humble narrator, there was the back-to-back push and pull of whether we are to root for this complex character, but it showed the kind of idleness the youth have, the responsibilities and certain consequences of one's own actions, and it made you ponder where justice truly lies and who can ever be a determinant to say this one is within the realms of being ethical or moral? I admit I wasn't very fond of it when I first started reading, but it was an eye opener regarding plenty of things; it does not only speak of one theme as it consists of many areas that could be covered specifically about living.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
It was filled with many questions but still no answers, though it was quite predictable and seemed to pull for a confusing plot. It was no slow-burn romance; just cut-off moments. It was an all-consuming read that sought attention. The scenes are suggestive of certain tensions and emotionally conflicting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was adventurous for most and gave plenty of thrills, as each journey by Emilia seemed to call for danger. She was weakened and forced to a pivotal point of making decisions for herself and for her loved ones. Gone are the peaceful days and pleasant memories; vengeance was the theme, and her emitting wrath joined in on those who've harmed the human world (no pun intended). It was definitely all-consuming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man and life's greatest lesson by Mitch Albom
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Every line hits a chord in the nerves. It thrums of life and the way we look at things, especially what was typically seen as taboo and having a negative connotation; it was a matter of one's mindset. It was filled with a plentiful supply of nuggets of wisdom that kindly soften people's hearts, an angle that has always been there but that we often took for granted due to fear and chasing after things that don't really matter. It's a heartwarming and memorable thesis. The lovely part? I finished this book on a fine Tuesday evening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
5.0
It spoke of friendships made by different people in different phases of life—an old woman, a middle-aged man, and a middle schooler. It all began when Tokue wanted to work in a certain confectionery shop. When we are asked, "What do you want in life?" Often, it's a state of wanting to be a useful member of society, always wanting to be contributing something, and sometimes when that doesn't happen, we get upset and down, being pulled by the strings of a reality that has nothing good to offer. Yet this book shows there is always hope. With yearning, Tokue began to see and listen to the world with poetical clarity, and that has made all the difference. The romanticism and being able to give life to nature and our surroundings was a matter of our own mindset that led to her accepting it and having the confidence to say this is her life. And it's a special book now close to my heart that makes me hope that I can one day say with confidence, "This is my life."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
It is not your typical step-by-step process on how to make it work, but it provided an overall view of specific examples that is far superior to the conventional one. The way it described and repeatedly emphasized that it is a matter of doing the work yourself and putting in the effort to practice for one's boost of self-confidence over the fear of something new, as sometimes all we have to do is reach a succession of experiences that can hone us to open up and be our better selves.
Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
The abuse of authority and manipulation with the way the characterization was created invites a feeling where your body feels stuffed and frustrated. The tone of the characters being introduced and narrating themselves is impeccably done with the intention that it speaks plenty of their flaws and elicits a reaction out of you due to the emotional intensity it tries to bring out. It brought to light how people become and change in the face of various circumstances, but it was a matter of relationships that can have a huge impact if you go along further. There was justice, even if it had to be the inevitable spring of death. The end justifies the means, and in this case, at some point, it did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The book is extremely beneficial, as well as a means for readers to progress toward a better life. One's habits comprise a significant portion of our lives, and this precisely provided essential topics discussed as well as realistic examples of the application and delving within oneself of our purpose. I'm relieved that I was able to finish this after several months.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was a story filled with questions and the unfamiliarity of someone within what's usually normal to men and women in general. The desolation and deafening silence of living in a world with no one around, and the dying hope that there ever will be? What of the facts and knowledge the heroine had learned yet it was of no use as there was nothing to work for? No one to share that learned knowledge with? It's like screaming at a four-cornered wall, yet an echo never comes back. It is to the point that the things she never had use of, of what made her woman, were the cause of her death, or forced her rather. It leaves an afterthought that her life was eventually justified, but by what means?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
The writing was very casual and goofy-like. It somehow emitted the persona of a dog itself, something easy to process and simply defined. In the proceeding chapters, it was so infuriating and grief-inducing that it wanted you to lash out and scream at the world how difficult it was for the love of your life to be taken away from him due to death, and in the process, even how close his child was due to custody. It definitely is a book that taught me plenty. At first, I was unused to it and found it unfamiliar and surely unrelatable due to car and racing terminologies, yet how the narrator wishes to speak to its audience using those as metaphors made it indeed soothing to read and, I ugly cried.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment