elsphippard's reviews
132 reviews

The House of Gazes by Daniele Mencarelli

3.75

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Rating this book is really difficult because the author achieved everything they set out to do. The writing and translation are amazing! I just wonder if reading this immediately after ‘Liars’ by Sarah Manguso made me appreciate it less as I found them so similar.

Liars by Sarah Manguso

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book is infuriating and makes you grit your teeth the whole time. It did exactly what it set out to achieve, placing the reader in Jane’s mind during this toxic relationship over several years. This ‘stream of consciousness’ writing style contained some great quotes but I found it equalled an extremely repetitive and draining read.

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Read this in 2 sittings & it was 10 times more devastating to read knowing it is based on a true story. Wasn’t obsessed w the writing though.

The Most by Jessica Anthony

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reflective tense slow-paced

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

2.0

Urgh, I really wanted to love this one as the premise of a woman who refuses to get out of a pool sounded so weird and fun. I enjoyed the way 2 different perspectives of the same information was written but both of the main characters were so unlikeable I didn’t care about either of their lives at all. Also, I personally tend to dislike the topic of infidelity in books :/

Eight Cases of Jane by R.J. Powell

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dark tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was a fun and gripping novella but variations of the words ‘envelop’ and ‘chill’ were used so many times that it made the story feel repetitive and took away from my enjoyment

The Listeners by Jordan Tannahill

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mysterious tense