jodunn_'s reviews
322 reviews

Don't Call Us Dead: Poems by Danez Smith

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challenging emotional medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For me, this story was about family. And not in the idealistic, cookie-cutter way that it's usually thought of, but one that highlights the realistically flawed people that are in it. Carlisle, the main character, is caught between two sides of her family: a distant mother who seems to love her new family more, and her father and his partner who are struggling to cope with the AIDS epidemic in the 80s. They are all tied together through dance, specifically ballet. Throughout the book, Carlisle has to come to terms with her relationship with family, but also her relationship with art as well. I thought this story was beautifully written, with wonderfully frustrating characters who you can't help but to fall in love with.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite lines:
"You know what's more terrible than giving up a dream? To discover you haven't."

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Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

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challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

This was… wild. Many parts of this story reminded me of slaughter-house five, because it incorporates some sci-fi to symbolize the affects of trauma. In this case, Natsuki is a young girl who is constantly made to feel like an outsider, a feeling only deepened after she undergoes trauma. She starts to create her own reality (as an alien) to feel a sense of belonging and usefulness.

I think this book also tackles the idea of society using people as simply cogs in a machine. For women especially, they are seen as baby-making machines. When they don’t fulfill this role, they are often cast out in many ways.

This book is very deep, but you should also be VERY prepared for the traumatic events that happen. Look over the trigger warnings, even if you don’t think you need them!

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The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful, truthful, heart-achingly wonderful foray into what it means to be human. By highlighting some of the world’s seemingly inconsequential things (like the world’s biggest ball of paint), John Green evaluates what life has to offer. However, he never shies away from the more damning aspects of humanity as well. Ultimately, the Anthropocene Reviewed is hopeful for the best, but honest about our faults.

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Little Sister by Gytha Lodge

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dark mysterious slow-paced

2.0

I was fortunate enough to be given an arc of Little Sister in exchange for a review!

This book opens with a girl, Keely, coming out of the woods covered in blood. She mentions that her sister, Nina, is missing, and Keely will eventually disclose her location. A team of detectives race to find Nina before it’s too late.

I went into this book absolutely loving the premise. I really enjoy thrillers that are based on a simple, nail-biting idea that keeps you guessing until the end.

Ultimately, I found a lot of the end twists slightly unbelievable. I also found it strange that the police seemed relatively comfortable letting a young girl play with them while her sister is seemingly injured or dead.

Keely ends up relaying a very horrifying story of systemic abuse at the hands of many men and the foster care system, and you spend the entire book guessing whether this is actually the truth or not. I think that the narrative shines a light on how the system does uphold the abuse of children in many cases.

However, I had trouble following Keely’s and Nina’s characterization.

especially after Keely and Nina essentially switch roles in the end

There are a lot of characters in this story, and I didn’t really feel like any of them got enough attention.

Content Warnings