decapode's reviews
155 reviews

Kvitleik by Jon Fosse

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Rosewater by Tade Thompson

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

Doppler by Erlend Loe

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funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Poignant and hilarious peek into the white male psyche, this is a must-read. You’ll relate a bit too much to the deeply unlikeable protagonist, and learn things about yourself you might not want to, but it’s worth it. The entire book being extremely white and male might not be for everyone but that’s how they see the world; women are background characters, while men (and by extension, boys) are the only actual human beings. Even the animals are portrayed with more personality and agency than the protagonist’s wife and daughter. Reading Doppler feels like going to the zoo, but the only ones on display are bored white middle-class men who want to «make something of themselves» but end up oscillating between extremes - one just as unhealthy and alienating as the other. Andreas Doppler is for all the dudes who refuse to pin the blame for societal ills on their male ancestors, but instead build monuments to them and imagine how much better the world was back then. Feeling alienated by our capitalist hellscape he ends up further alienating himself from the people he loves. It’s as tragic as it is funny.

On Basilisk Station by David Weber

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced