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zsabella's reviews
132 reviews
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I picked emily wilde specifically for the “sweet” romantic angle and less so for fairies, but it felt like I was reading an unnaturally fast progression of rivals to lovers. I had to squint to read into the chemistry between emily and wendell. as a howl pendragon girl, I’m also not immune to a fussy pixie dream man, but I couldn’t buy that someone as unprofessional and lazy about fieldwork as wendell could also be a respected scholar who’s invited to academic conferences.
it did leave a strange taste in my mouth to find outemily was willing to place citizens’ lives second to completing her research and exhausting her time in the field. and it seemed to me that she only got away with this kind of thinking because wendell never told on her, or a villager picked up on this attitude . so I’m just disappointed that these were the “cozy and wholesome” antics I ended up signing up for.
adventurous
lighthearted
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
maybe I can never turn my brain off enough to get into cozy fantasy? it’s paradoxical that this felt overly slow, yet overstuffed with misadventures of varying stakes and a finale that was rushed in the last 50 pages. I was happy to read footnotes, until I realized halfway in that they stopped being helpful for world-building and became spaces for emily to agonize over something trivial.
I picked emily wilde specifically for the “sweet” romantic angle and less so for fairies, but it felt like I was reading an unnaturally fast progression of rivals to lovers. I had to squint to read into the chemistry between emily and wendell. as a howl pendragon girl, I’m also not immune to a fussy pixie dream man, but I couldn’t buy that someone as unprofessional and lazy about fieldwork as wendell could also be a respected scholar who’s invited to academic conferences.
it did leave a strange taste in my mouth to find out
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
I enjoyed reading about the lighthouse keeper but much less so about the director’s past, so when the perspectives were this fragmented and presented in a revolving door-type style I struggled to keep track of most details. each character’s journey was written with clearly cathartic intentions, but unfortunately I couldn’t fully connect to some of their endings.
even after reading the ample background of the director’s final weeks before the twelfth expedition, I still couldn’t tell you much about the true purpose of the reach or area x… and I guess I’ll have to make peace with that. at times it felt like I was reading an elaborate companion novel that didn’t add much more to the current plot, but I don’t regret finishing the series. there are some memorable moments that I'll be thinking about for a while. jeff vandermeer is clearly a skilled writer with a knack for creating unique moods and an interiority to his characters that I see myself coming back to, so I'm still interested in getting into more of his work.
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
liked it but didn’t love it! despite being less poetic and more sterile in atmosphere, the change in tone still worked for me. what brought this down for me though were the shoehorned backstory dumps... the character work was pitch perfect in annihilation, but it was less gracefully done here. going from the creepy, surreal vibes of book 1 and diving into the banal office politics of the southern reach tested my patience at times, but I was also open to a slow burn, conspiracy-esque read anyway.
when recalling significant story beats, there’s only a handful of scenes to dwell on. otherwise, the plot is very much a whirlwind of terse conversations in rooms and control sifting through office debris only to feel even more confused about. but I’m trusting this series will land somewhere interesting, and I think I’ll have a stronger, more informed opinion of this once I’ve read acceptance.
when recalling significant story beats, there’s only a handful of scenes to dwell on. otherwise, the plot is very much a whirlwind of terse conversations in rooms and control sifting through office debris only to feel even more confused about. but I’m trusting this series will land somewhere interesting, and I think I’ll have a stronger, more informed opinion of this once I’ve read acceptance.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
this reading experience marks a rare occurrence I never thought would be possible for me—loving both the film adaptation *and* the book it’s based on equally, though for different reasons. I would argue that the film still does a great job of priming your senses for the more quiet horrors that reveal themselves in the novel.
normally I’m not keen about chapters on chapters of inner monologuing, but I was so engaged in reading the biologist’s struggles to form logic and make sense of the phenomenon in area x. her slow descent from curiosity into fear, delirium, and then nihilism was so effective. I’ve never read Lovecraftian horror, but I imagine this evokes some of the nightmarish and dissociative vibes that genre is known for. the visuals of alex garland’s film live in my mind rent-free, but so will the descriptions of the depths of the tower.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
There are certain kinds of deaths that one should not be expected to relive, certain kinds of connections so deep that when they are broken you feel the snap of the link inside you.
this reading experience marks a rare occurrence I never thought would be possible for me—loving both the film adaptation *and* the book it’s based on equally, though for different reasons. I would argue that the film still does a great job of priming your senses for the more quiet horrors that reveal themselves in the novel.
normally I’m not keen about chapters on chapters of inner monologuing, but I was so engaged in reading the biologist’s struggles to form logic and make sense of the phenomenon in area x. her slow descent from curiosity into fear, delirium, and then nihilism was so effective. I’ve never read Lovecraftian horror, but I imagine this evokes some of the nightmarish and dissociative vibes that genre is known for. the visuals of alex garland’s film live in my mind rent-free, but so will the descriptions of the depths of the tower.
I wasn't expecting the biologist’s recounting of her marriage pre and post-expedition to be more emotionally compelling than in the film. there is something uniquely heartbreaking about knowing the intimacy you have with your partner is headed for a breakdown and not feeling free enough in your relationship to prevent it from happening when there’s still a fighting chance. just love love love how the biologist unpacks it all and what she ultimately declares at the conclusion.
Succession: Season 1 - The Complete Scripts by Jesse Armstrong
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
frank herbert writing duncan 12.0: your swag too different. your bitch too bad. your sex too euphoric. they’ll kill you
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
had an interesting premise that deflated instantly for me as a reader who struggles with talky, stream of conscious-like, unreliable narration. the disappointment I felt when I realized the exorcist didn't actually carry out an exorcism stunned me a little!
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
2.75
northanger abbey was a very breezy introduction to jane austen for me. I loved the tone and sharpness of her writing style, but quickly realized the story itself makes it difficult to rate higher than a weak 3 stars. the plot reads almost like a novella as I was surprised to find out that most of the story and build-up takes place outside of northanger abbey. I wasn’t totally invested in the romantic pairing as I wanted to be, and craved more moments of henry and catherine together. despite the ending feeling so abrupt and reliant on key events that happen off-page, I don't regret reading this since I really enjoyed the memorable cast of characters and their motivations and interactions with one other.