bratatouille's reviews
204 reviews

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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challenging tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is the wildest exercise on identifying an unreliable narrator. This girl is so insane throughout the entirety of this book that it begins to feel normal. I started empathizing with her whiteness only to realize what was happening and shake myself out of it. It was done so ridiculously well that even after finishing it I have no idea how to feel about what transpired in the story. The only reason I’m giving this less stars is because every character and action is so dislikable that, as a reader, I felt gross and guilty reading it. This is amazing in its ability to truly affect the reader, but is not a sensation I particularly enjoy. Also, the writing in some places felt gratuitous!
All's Well by Mona Awad

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3.0

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

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dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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3.0

Was this book good? No. Did I enjoy it? Yeah. Definetly.


Flat trope-y characters, juvenile writing style, predictable plot. She’s SpecialTM and maybe I don’t remember but I don’t think they explained her disability?

If u can get through all that? This is fun I like it.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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2.0

That’s the Art of Getting By by Sarewolf

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5.0

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

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dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The writing in this is stunning and incredibly dynamic. The premise is original and beautifully executed. My pity and empathy for the mortal form did not outweigh the violence I wanted in cahoots with the gods within. It took my feeble brain a few chapters to understand all the names and the overall concept of the book, but once it gets rolling it’s really something to behold. This is the first and only book that deals  with self-harm and thoughts of suicide that felt like it wasn’t the main purpose of the book. Even though, literally, the gods inside her want her to die. There’s so much representation in this book. You could easily call her condition DID and there’s all this stuff about gender, sex, and physical form. It was cool as hell to read about the conditions outside of a Western lens and instead in a spiritual one. Big fan, wild read, doubtful I’ll ever come across anything like this again.
Excavations by Hannah Michell

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This starts off beautifully and the premise is so enticing. I adore the mystery and political intrigue. The characters are layered and flawed in gorgeous ways. Learning about the roots of their relationships was truly the best part of this book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me about halfway through. I wasn’t entirely invested in the second storyline and the reveal at the end felt like such a predictable loss for the protagonist. There’s several loose ends and some lines that felt unnecessary, but what’s done well is done incredibly. Beautiful book! Just not for me. 
Y/N by Esther Yi

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a surrealist literary novel with a dreamlike quality that makes it difficult to separate what is reality and what’s through the delusions of our protagonist. She uses incredibly peculiar (but gorgeous!) diction, and all of the other characters mimic this trait, adding to the uncertainty of reality. Our girl falls into the black of fandom and continues until it ultimately consumes her. I truthfully don’t even remember her name, that’s how much her personal identity didn’t matter to her. The premise of the story seems trivial at first glance, but the skewed definitions of love and devotion as well as the philosophical look at fandom as it’s own culture is amazingly done. There is only one sane character in this book. It’s just so fucking cool and well done I HIGHLY recommend it. If you know nothing about fandom culture I would advice against reading this, simply because the surrealist nature of the book itself makes for a jarring experience and I don’t think adding the arduous task of understanding fandom will add up to a pleasant reading experience.
The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russell

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dark mysterious medium-paced

3.5

This was truly lovey. The writing style feels wonderfully themed and consistent for the time period it takes place in. I found the characters interesting and flawed. I’m not terrible fond of horror, but much of the story is an act of domesticity between the governess, her pupil, and the Lord of the house. Some bits felt a bit trope-y but given the charming storybook nature of the novella, the tropes fed into the overall atmosphere. My only real concern with this is the usage of time. Parts felt like they passed in days or weeks when we were later informed that they took place over years. It was a fun gothic read, but could use more emotional depth or plot ties.