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edonovanpage's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
2.5
A great read while in Mexico City for the first time, but didn't quite land for me. A quick read with some clever set pieces but ultimately forgettable.
kayday's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
thelemmingyear's review against another edition
DNFd at page 102 - I’m going to come back to this one later! I liked the writing and the vibe but I think I need to read it on a beach somewhere - and it’s also a library book I’m due to return
david_wright's review against another edition
4.0
Slightly surreal, imagistic "beach read," an enjoyable and worthwhile little experiential daytrip. Prose for poetry lovers, a la Louise Bennet's Pond.
atilsley's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-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
4.0
danikass's review against another edition
3.0
The summary of Sea Monsters is perhaps the most misleading one I've ever read, and it really ruins the reading experience. It implies that the book will be plot heavy. That it will involve circus. And music. And a mysterious, dangerous romance.
Instead, you get beautiful prose. Pages and pages of endless, beautiful, atmospheric prose. Chloe Aridjis' way of writing about how nature interacts especially is stunning: the relationship of the sea and the sand, the trees to the wind, water and light.
But beautiful prose isn't enough to make up for a total lack of plot or character study/development. And I say this as someone who doesn't rely heavily on plots in book. I'm not sure if I would have appreciated it more if it had been advertised properly, but I was thoroughly disappointed by one of my most-anticipated reads of the year.
Instead, you get beautiful prose. Pages and pages of endless, beautiful, atmospheric prose. Chloe Aridjis' way of writing about how nature interacts especially is stunning: the relationship of the sea and the sand, the trees to the wind, water and light.
But beautiful prose isn't enough to make up for a total lack of plot or character study/development. And I say this as someone who doesn't rely heavily on plots in book. I'm not sure if I would have appreciated it more if it had been advertised properly, but I was thoroughly disappointed by one of my most-anticipated reads of the year.
mdayan's review against another edition
2.0
Plot- 0
Characters- 0.5
Setting- 1
Writing style- 0.5
Pacing- 0
Themes- .5
Originality- 0.5
Emotional impact- 0
Overall enjoyment- 0.5
Ending- 0.5
Characters- 0.5
Setting- 1
Writing style- 0.5
Pacing- 0
Themes- .5
Originality- 0.5
Emotional impact- 0
Overall enjoyment- 0.5
Ending- 0.5
babybearreads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
"...I was struck by how quickly the thoughts that occupied my mind at home became irrelevant once I stepped outside..."
~ A VERY loose plot, much more about the vibes with this one ~ We meet our young protagonist, a teenage girl in 1980s Mexico City. We hop between getting to know her city world full of grimy punk club venues and artistes and then the getaway she takes with, of course, a guy she's attracted to, to a beachside town in Oaxaca. She has a reason for this escape but it's not really the reason. She's teenage, that time when you think you're adult enough to do everything, but also not familiar enough with the often unexplainable behavior of adults around you.
I wanted to love this, but I find myself barely remembering any details about the book even a week later. I did like the juxtaposition of the energy and materials and angles in the city versus the lazy beachside town where things can be more wavy and dreamlike. That imagery was good. Not everything is always a hit, but I always appreciate reading books from independent publishers since they lean more off the beaten path in story or form.
~ A VERY loose plot, much more about the vibes with this one ~ We meet our young protagonist, a teenage girl in 1980s Mexico City. We hop between getting to know her city world full of grimy punk club venues and artistes and then the getaway she takes with, of course, a guy she's attracted to, to a beachside town in Oaxaca. She has a reason for this escape but it's not really the reason. She's teenage, that time when you think you're adult enough to do everything, but also not familiar enough with the often unexplainable behavior of adults around you.
I wanted to love this, but I find myself barely remembering any details about the book even a week later. I did like the juxtaposition of the energy and materials and angles in the city versus the lazy beachside town where things can be more wavy and dreamlike. That imagery was good. Not everything is always a hit, but I always appreciate reading books from independent publishers since they lean more off the beaten path in story or form.
hpnyknits's review against another edition
3.0
I have to remember to avoid audiobooks read by Justine Eyre!!👎🏻
The story itself was interesting in the description of life for the bourgeois youth, but the main character, 17 years old Luisa, was such a petulant person, and annoying. In pursuit of a ridiculous whim (looking for Ukrainian dwarfs!) she runs away from home. I couldn’t accept the introspection the author gave as hers.
The story itself was interesting in the description of life for the bourgeois youth, but the main character, 17 years old Luisa, was such a petulant person, and annoying. In pursuit of a ridiculous whim (looking for Ukrainian dwarfs!) she runs away from home. I couldn’t accept the introspection the author gave as hers.