afi_whatafireads's reviews
589 reviews

Baby Tress and her cups deserve the whole world <3 This book is everything and more its so precious I can't. I love it so so so much.

RTC

Edited Review on 31/7/2023

These are one of those books that I will shove into everyone's face to read because its THAT GOOD .

Before you ask ; yes , to anyone who has NEVER read Sanderson's books before, you CAN start with this book. In fact, this is a PERFECT book to start if you haven't read any of Sanderson's works. It can be read as a standalone, and each of the characters are explained as it is - and you will know them more once you started reading and going into the Cosmere world - so you won't feel left out or be spoiled with anything.

If you're going into this having read the books from the Cosmere world, you will definitely understand the references for each characters; without spoiling them. In fact, it makes it more fun.

The gist of the story is pretty simple. The story is narrated from another person (which I won't spoil who) and is of Tress - a girl who lives on a place called The Rock in the coastals of the Emerald Sea. An incident occurred with someone she loves , and she went on a journey to save them. Its a story of bravery, of friendship, of love, of a found family and mostly of an ordinary girl who became extraordinary.

Honestly, I don't want to go into the book TOO much (because I would love everyone to just dive into and just enjoying the ride), but everything about this book screams WHOLESOME AND HEARTWARMING . Not only that the characters in here are amazing, its a kind of fantasy that is not like others. Yes, Tress went on an adventure, but its the kind of adventure that warms your heart in instances that I didn't even know it could. I would PROTECT AND FIGHT for Tress with all my heart. I loved that Sanderson showed Tress being just an ordinary girl - who didn't even knew the world beyond the place that stayed - and her growth to become the same girl but stronger. Tress with her cups and her kindness and wit had won the hearts of the people around her and that was one of the main themes of this book.

This book is unlike any other. Honestly, I'm just categorizing it as a Cozy-Fantasy at this point. Its the kind of book that SATISFIES my fantasy cravings - Sanderson writes one of THE best magic systems ever. Still is. It feeds the nerd in me :') and he manages to make it heartwarming as well. Its the kind of book that I will cherish for a long time. I love this book with all my heart. Please go read this , I highly recommend it.

Biggest thank you to @definitelybooks for this copy!

Sebuah novel yang agak aku nantikan setelah aku membaca excerpts bab pertama sebelum novel ini dilancarkan. Mungkin sebab aku sudah boleh agak apa dilema (saya takkan beritahu di sini) yang dihadapi oleh watak utama - yang membuatkan aku lebih ingin tahu bagaimana penulis akan excecute penceritaannya dalam novel ini, especially that its published with IMAN Pub. Overall? I would say I was not disappointed. Its not something that can be easily written, especially in the conservative society that we live in; but the message was loud and clear and I for one appreciate that more conservations of a particular taboo topic can be written in a mass setting.

Buku ini dipromosikan sebagai a found-family dan fokus kepada kekeluargaan dan ibu bapa yang tidak memahami, tetapi bagi aku, it runs deeper than that. Its not just a story on parental relationships, its about the expectations of society and a journey of self-discovery with the two characters, the relationship with God and how it came to be, relationships between parent and child and most importantly, the love that you find with strangers. Ia merupakan sebuah novel yang membawa satu topik yang aku boleh katakan agak berat untuk dikupas tetapi ia ada dalam masyarakat kita sekarang.

The gist of the novel is pretty straightforward. Ia menceritakan tentang dua watak; Ain dan Yazid, dua individu yang tiada apa-apa persamaan namun mereka akan akhirnya menjadi orang penting dalam hidup masing-masing. Secara jujurnya, sebaiknya baca novel ini without any epxectations. Just go into the book blind. You will appreciate the story more.

Ada beberapa benda yang membuatkan novel ini appealing bagi aku.

Karakter
Ain dan Yazid merupakan dua individu yang sangat berbeza, namun, mereka ada satu persamaan yang sama yang mengeratkan hubungan mereka. Penulis telah menerokai sifat manusia yang memerlukan kasih sayang dan teman dalam kehidupan seharian. I felt taken with the characters in here. They feel alive, their problems were relatable and it showed how human nature craves for companion. Watak-watak dalam novel ini telah membuatkan aku tersenyum, marah, gelak dan simpati dengan apa yang dilalui oleh mereka.

Penceritaan
Bagi aku, novel ini agak unik kerana ada sedikit penceritaan yang kita tidak akan sangka. Aku suka cara penulis mengenalkan dua watak utama ini dan menjadikan cerita mereka berkait antara mereka. There were moments that felt heartbreaking and I cried at some parts. Antara benda yang aku sangat hargai dalam novel ini adalah mesej yang disampaikan oleh penulis. Proses mencari diri dan the constant question to God and how everyone has different circumstances makes the story quite liberating to me. Ia menunjukkan yang pada akhirnya, setiap ujian yang dihadapi oleh seseorang itu berbeza dengan orang lain. Ada yang diuji dengan kehilangan dan ada yang diuji dengan naluri yang tidak diingankan, dan ada juga yang diuji itu baik agamanya tetapi tidak mempraktikkan empati dalam kehidupan. Baik yang alim mahupun pendosa; hanya Tuhan sahaja yang boleh menjatuhkan hukuman kepada manusia dan ia menjadi satu titik dalam novel ini that highlights that only The Almighty can judge humans and their sins.

Secara keseluruhannya, novel ini membawa banyak aspek yang secara dasarnya nampak seperti tenang, tetapi apabila kita melihat lapisan di dalam terdapat banyak benda yang boleh dikupas dan isu yang dihadapkan. Mungkin tidak semua orang akan memahami apa yang dilalui oleh Ain, namun, satu benda yang boleh saya katakan, tiada manusia yang sempurna dan hanya Tuhan yang Maha Esa boleh menghakimi. Kita juga harus ingat bahawa setiap manusia melalui proses grief dengan cara mereka tersendiri. The outcome? We should be kind to everyone, as we don't know the circumstances that they face everyday.

Novel yang aku kira bukan untuk semua orang, tetapi mampu membuka mata kepada yang terlalu menghakimi. A good effort from both the author and the publisher

Personal Ratings: 4🌟

Untuk siapa yang nak baca review aku dengan spoiler, boleh baca sini

I quite had high hopes for this book, but somehow it turned into a read that just felt... okay(?) towards the end. It was a read that could have been a great one, but there were some aspects of the book that gave me the icks, especially towards the end of the book.

Don't get me wrong, for a debut novel, it was not a bad read. The writing was straightforward but with a prose that is easy to read and quite beautiful at times. It caters to themes of Intergenerational Trauma, Privilege and Immigrants that are living in America- chasing the American Dream. Its a book that I will usually felt compelled to like and understand. However I feel that the second half of the book was rushed in a way that didn't justify the characters in the book .

The story is told in three different POV's -
POV 1 - From Tony, a Chinese who migrated to America in hopes to live the American Dream
POV 2 - Tammy, Tony's daughter
POV 3 - Oliver, a white, succesful lawyer with a dark secret
These three POV's intertwined in a way that showed of how privilige and family relationships are. Its a story of generational trauma and how it can affect the livelihood of a person until they come of age.

The writing and themes that had been brought forward was clear and straightforward. I actually quite enjoy the dynamics between Tammy and Tony's relationship. Tony is a character that really showed how much generational trauma can affect a person and it brings down to the other generation after. Its an endless cycle that showed an immigrant having to survive and climb to the social standings in the US. The class privilege, upbringings and societal expectations that came from Tony working to his bone to support his family and wanting his child to not have the same hardships that he had; but also inflicting trauma to his daughter without him knowing. Its a classic tale in the Asian household, and one that potrays the hardships of immigrants to provide a better life for their family. The complex relationship between Tony and Tammy made the story compelling , if only the author didn't put in the third pov in my opinion.

Now here's Oliver. A priviliged white man, whose only fault was having a grandfather that was in jail. Honestly, I get why the author was trying to portray with Oliver in the picture - but it made the story felt weird and just out of place. I understand that the author wanted to show that not everyone who looks happy are happy and karma will definitely bite you someday soon, but it also showed the difference between the two families and how their problems can never be the same. I can do without Oliver in the picture - hence why towards the end, it ended up with the plot being messy and just very rushed. It took the joy out of reading experience. It could have been a monumental moment for father and daughter but instead there's Oliver doing God Knows what :')

Overall, this book had a lot of potential to be more. I will still definitely check out her other books as her writing is one that I find easy to read, but for Paper Names, it left me a bit dissapointed at the end. There were many loose ends that was left without a proper closure. But still, I will still recommend it for a light read (I teared up at some parts).

Personal Ratings: 3.25🌟

Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this copy!

What if you wake up one day and your world is not what it seems?

That was what had happened to William Lee, waking up in a state of terror - when his village was attacked one day and he went out on a journey to find what had happened to everyone in the village. There, he met Enya and the both of them somewhat became comrades in their oddly ways. A story of courage, bravery, friendship and mostly of a world that might feel as your own but is it how its supposed to be?

This book had a lot of potential - but judging by its length, I understand the predicament in the depth of the characters and the plot progression.

Lets start with what I liked with this book.

✨ World Building ✨
For a book so short, I feel that the world building had been adequate. Its one that is expected of a novella but the writing showed the author's attention to detail with how the world is set. Its somewhat reminded me of the village in Genshin Impact and I somewhat imagined the whole setting of the book to be somewhat like the game's interface.

✨ Characters ✨
I do feel, for a book that is targeted for its audience, the characters served a good part in showing the moral values to be instilled as a person. I liked that the characters are eccentric in their own way and has a growth arc of their own. I personally would like if there are more depth towards the characters and how they become to be the way they are - but I do feel its something that the author can work on.

However, for a short read, it took me actually quite awhile to finish this. I think, one of my main disappointments of this book was how the plot didn't somewhat connected with the ending? There is something quite missing in the book that I can't put my hands on. I think the overall spark and excitement had made me read this book a bit slower than usual, but then again it might be just me.

Overall, this is not a bad read. This is a book that is definitely suitable for beginners. It has its own potential and I for one will be looking forward to the author's next new book to see his growth as well.

3.25🌟 for this !

Daunting, dark and leaves you something to ponder.
A coming-of-age story that makes you wonder how freedom can be achieved when someone desires for it so much but confined to the world that they live in.

RTC

Edited Review on 2/7/2023

There is something horrifyingly accurate with this story that makes you squirmish but also left your mouth hanging at some points of the book. For a debut, Chlorine exceeded my expectations. Its a story that more often not - may not be for everyone, but for me, it works as a tale that showed how much body dysphoria can affect someone's livelihood, especially growing up being told that you have to be a certain way , a certain weight and a certain body type to be of worth.

I feel that for Chlorine, is best to go into the book blind. It spoke volumes on womenhood, and the act of having to accept your self-worth due to the trauma that you have gained. Please do check the trigger warnings before going into the book (SA - to name a few) and the act itself had made our protagonist created a version of herself that is somewhat 'worthy' to live and love in accordance to what society pertains it to be. I feel that for the book, it gives voice to very uncomfortable topics such as menstruation and the process of a woman going through a significant change in her life.

The book is weird in its own way. It reminded me a lot of the books that I've read like Earthlings and The Vegetarian, where the trauma stemmed from societal expectations, generational trauma passed down from one generation to another and the act of disassociation to a point that it will force humans to do something beyond their means. Its a sad tale that showed the oppression of women and their bodies and also how our protagonist struggles to grow up with that mindset of self-deprecation.

I think, one other factor that made me taken to the book was how she felt solace in water. Water is an element that can be both calming but also can wreck a certain damage when there is an external factor, and I feel that Song had interwoven all these elements - with the mythical references of a mermaid in a way that makes it interesting. I liked that she included these elements in the book and its not like a mermaid tale that we are used too.

Overall, for a debut novel, Song has more potential as an author moving forward. Her lyrical and beautiful proses - along aside how she built up the story to become something eccentric and made us feel nauseous at some point - makes Chlorine overall a story that I had enjoyed immensely. Its definitely a book that is not for everyone, and there will be people very uncomfortable reading this, but I feel that Song had done her job well by making the readers experience those feelings.

Personal Ratings : 4🌟

Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this beautiful copy!

Miss Kuang, the woman that you are :)

This story lamented how much Kuang can write a variety of genres.
Can she write a plot-based story with a thesis - like structure? God YES. Babel: An Arcane History was and IS still a masterpiece for me.
Can she write traumatizing historical fantasy fiction that rips your heart apart and traumatizes you for life and makes you love them - flaws war crimes and all? Good GOD YES. Only The Poppy War Series can make me sobbing in the middle of a bookstore by just looking at the cover.

So when Kuang comes out with a story of not only questionable but also SUPER UNLIKEABLE characters, in bloody first POV, and having to read so many racist remarks and thoughts and just the mere audacity of it all, you wonder how this woman does it. I think she can write about a rock and I will eat it up gladly.

Yellowface is by far not a perfect story. Its messy. Its revolting. Its shocking. It damn well airs out EVERY SINGLE DIRTY LAUNDRY IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY , and you chuckled on the irony of how this book came to be at all. The fact that this book EVEN EXISTS cemented the theories of the dark side in the publishing industry - and how at the end of the day, its all about ... the Sale and money-worth. And coming for someone who DOES work in the industry, I'd have to say, the truths are hard but it is there. From the tweet scandal, to how niche the industry is and how bloody small it is - that literally everyone knows everyone (and I mean literally); Kuang had written out in such a way that we will be WANTING to know what goes on to the very end. Its honestly pure genius on her part.

Accounting to how well-known this book is already, I would suggest just going in without going into the synopsis too much. All you should know, is that, the protagonist, June, stole a manuscript from her friend who died in front of her. It brings you into the guilt that gnaws into her, the anxiety to not be caught and mostly in showing how toxic an industry that is supposedly to create intellectuals can be.

Lets start on the social issues that has been laid out by Kuang in Yellowface. Besides the obvious from the title itself which revolves around racism and the force of diversity and inclusivity , there is also the toxic manipulation of social media and how it can make and ruin someone's life. Being in an industry so niche, you'll tend to be stuck in a social circle where it talks about the same things - and if you're either a reader or an author, high chance that your social media will be filled by all the bookish accounts that you'll follow due to the demands of the current society that we live in now. Being "in trend" means "being relevant" and that is why the internet can make or break you as a person. Whilst I despise June to my very core, you also can't help but feel anxious and affected by the retributions of the social media community (yes she deserved what's coming to her) but - in some cases it can literally happen to anyone. It reflects the society that we live in now and how living in the meta world can make or break a person. Whilst I don't appreciate THAT MUCH of the social media references (it tends to get cringey), I do get why Kuang wrote it in the first place.

Besides that, this book had lamented that Kuang can literally write any genre. Heck, she wrote a book with so many unlikeable characters (the number of times I LOL'ed at June cause - she's so unserious and such a clown) and yet, you still manage to be enamoured to the very end. Kuang had built her characters so well- even if the book is written in first POV. The FACT that its been written in this POV had made the story more intriguing. You'll sometimes be shocked on June's audacity at times and how she thinks but you'd also think.... Athena is not the best person either. Given that we have such an unreliable narrator but Kuang had managed to make me feel every emotion that she had? It felt disorienting at best but showed how well Kuang can write. I was as immersed as I was appalled by June's life and mind.

And literally AIRING OUT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY'S DIRTY LAUNDRY? I swear this industry surprises me sometimes, but its these kinds of stories that opens up opportunities to many more of this stories to come. The industry is not as beautiful as it seemed. Its cut throat and depended so much on name , fame and success that it can actually kill or break one's spirit. The things that Kuang wrote in here are not far from the truth. Heck, its a parallel (meta , I know) to our world in more ways than one. Yellowface somewhat sets a precedence to how much capitalism can glorify even someone who is accused of murder (ifykyk). The morality of what can and should be published and highlighted is blurred by the greed and capitalism rather than the quality of the voice that should be heard. The force of inclusivity makes it quite hard to read some books as well - in which Kuang wrote all of them in here in ways that make it so damn addicting to read.

Overall, this book can be more (me feels), but with the straightforward writing and Kuang's addicting prose, anyone can enjoy this book. Its definitely anxiety inducing but its one that will keep you on your toes whilst will leave you laughing at the dark humour of it all.

4.25🌟 for this

Thank you to Times Reads and Harper Reach for the ARC and copy.

A woman's slow descent to madness.

One of the author's lines that struck me after I finished this short and yet a remarkable piece,

Besides the story itself, its very interesting to read on why the author had written the Yellow Wallpaper and had shown at the time, that the best "treatment" for a woman that has a nervous breakdown is not to clip her wings and not let her work, but, to encourage her to do what she loves more in an environment that she is familiar.

This story descended to become something eye-opening. Its the feeling of helplessness of a woman that is stuck in a room that definitely did not do any good to her mental health, even if with a husband physician and brother at the side. Its definitely a monumental work that portrayed women at the time and their mental health conditions and just dismissed by the physicians to be 'of nothing' and 'not significant.'

The story definitely took a weird turn and I devoured every part of it. It got you going huh.. to wait what :')

Loved it.

Personal Ratings : 4.75🌟

I was thinking of what was missing from this book. Was it the chemistry between the characters?
I can't exactly pin point it out, but this one was just an OKAY read for me. Synopsis-wise, it was one of those books I thought I would love, but it turned out just okay.

Exes and O's tells the story of Tara Chen, a nurse cum Bookstgrammer at the side, having to be roomies with her future brother in law best friend, Trevor. There, they developed a weird friendship that somewhat turned to a relationship. A story of self-discovery, love and mostly on knowing that there will be someone out there that will accept you the way you are no matter what.

This book somewhat checked the technicalities of writing, but I think the magic of it all is somewhat missing in the book. The pacing and the overall plot was actually okay, but then it wasn't memorable. Trevor is quite sweet, but the pining and angst over her and Tara wasn't too evident. It felt a bit flat for me as honestly, its just Trevor being sweet and Tara just being oblivious of what he's doing and that was it. Again, I'm not sure if it were the bookstgram-setting, or just the writing in general, but the chemistry was just off between Tara and Trevor; that, when they actually got together..........it felt very anticlimatic . A bit of a bummer cause I actually liked the first book, but I think the second book showed all the flaws of what I missed in the first book, its pretty evident in here.

I do like that the author really advocates on self-love, and the usage of the word crazy as a form of gaslighting in a relationship. Its often so normalized, that we forget that the word has a bad connotation to someone's being and it can make your partner feel very self-conscious of their actions. The same with the first book, the author has the tendency to bring out parts of your raw self and showing that it can be a positive thing.

Overall, there was nothing wrong with the book, but... that's just it. There's nothing much to say about it. It's not as bad that I want to throw it out the window nor does it give me the butterflies as it should. It left me smiling at some parts but that was just it. I feel that it manages to be a read just in passing and not one that I will remember after some time. So, if you like a light read, this would be for you. But overall, it was just ehhh for me. Not bad but not good either.

3.25🌟 overall.

Biggest thank you to Times Reads for this copy!

Ripped my heart apart, and gave it back again.
The war, the youths and the love that it shredded. It was a tough read but one that got me out of my reading slump. Stories set in the world war has never been easy, but one that is closely accurate to the timelines, of deaths of friends and loved ones, and mostly of the life that war took away from one person.

I have more to say, but it was a book i dived in without thinking much, spent hours crying while reading, scared for everyone and also a tribute to the lives that had lost during the game of politicians and of peace.

This book has my heart. In all its broken pieces and imperfections, it has a hold on my heart.

The letters were raw and real .
The telegrams and the news clippings made it seemed that I was looking through the names of my loe ones, the looming dread of doubt wether they are alive or dead.

And for the love plot that ripped my heart into pieces too.

The gores of war. The bitter truths that are daunting and of hope to the youths in love.

5🌟

WTF DID I JUST READ?

This book be giving me all kinds of what.the.fck. and lowkey I'm taking a break for a bit before diving straight in to the second book in the trilogy.

Aku harus berterima kasih kepada buku ini kerana telah berjaya mengeluarkan daripada reading slump yang maha teruk. Ini adalah buku pertama aku daripada penulis, dan antara buku Shaz Johar yang sering dijadi buah mulut rakan-rakan adalah siri ini, dan sejujurnya? It lived up to its hype .

Kisah nota yang membuatkan kan tertanya-tanya dengan diri sendiri, adakah benda yang kau baca itu betul atau tidak atau hanya rekaan semata-mata. Shaz Johar telah berjaya membuat pembaca beliau mempersoalkan diri sendiri, dan mempersoalkan setiap apa yang berlaku di dalam novel. Secara kesuluruhannya, idea dan plot novel bagi aku sangat unik. Aku agak tertarik dengan penceritaan dan penderitaan seorang perempuan yang harus hidup dalam dunia yang melayannya tidak beberapa baik.

Antara sebab aku bagi rating agak rendah, adalah kerana overal execution of the novel was pretty mediocre. I honestly feel that the author could have done better, cause the storyline itself was already pretty great. Its just that some parts can be confusing due to the authors transitions from one part to another. Tetapi, yang lainnya, aku agak puas hati dengan novel ini.

Okay, nak terus baca buku kedua dalam siri ini , sebab cliffhanger pada pengakhiran cerita membuatkan aku ternganga kejap :')

3.5🌟