bookmaddie's reviews
1108 reviews

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

“Always the beggar for his love. I was like the desperate ocean, wearing away at him. The ceaseless questioning of the tide to the shore that I heard from our bedroom window all winter long. Asking, Do you love me? Do you love me?”

This is a book that’s a tribute to love, and to the sea, so I thought it would be fitting to post this review while I’m at the ocean. Lucas’s writing is melancholy and mesmerizing as she documents the relationship of a young woman and older man, set against the backdrop of the Australian coast. The ocean holds so much in this story, and I loved how the salt water seeped into the cracks between the two lovers. To me, this book felt wistful, passionate, poetic, windswept, weaving from past to present, bouncing from wave to wave. A literary story, but one I got completely wrapped up in. I’d definitely compare this to Sally Rooney, but with a bit more communication, nature, and yearning.

“I suppose I’d been playing, the way I did sometimes when I was out there alone—making arcs, pointing my feet like a dancer—because in the water I could love my body the way I never did on land.”

Content Warnings

American Mermaid by Julia Langbein

Go to review page

funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

A great little story!

Content Warnings

In Search of Amrit Kaur: A Lost Princess and Her Vanished World by Livia Manera Sambuy

Go to review page

adventurous informative lighthearted slow-paced

2.75

Content Warnings

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Gorgeous writing but I needed a bit more plot.

Content Warnings

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is a monumental, generational story of family, loss, and generational trauma. And that’s all I’ll say on the plot because it’s SO complex—there is a lot going on. The first 40-50 pages feature so much world building, with historical events and new character names introduced every few pages. It made it quite hard to get into the story, but I did eventually push through.

The rest of the story is very plot heavy, and I enjoyed getting to know a few characters, but I felt like the stories I was interested in were never the ones focused on. I also found the ending to be a bit too perfect, and it felt quite rushed. A story that stretched over 30 years plus was zoomed through another 30 years in only a few pages at the end.. it felt a bit off-balance to me.

I don’t think Gurnah’s work is something I’ll return to, but I could see this being an interesting book to read about in class and dissect with a teacher to guide you. But as a casual reader, this isn’t for me.

Content Warnings