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magicalghoul's reviews
76 reviews
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'll be honest..... Big fan of the format and concept, not a big fan of the content.
It's the kind of horror that makes you uncomfortable, not because it succeeds in instilling a sense of dread, but because it's just telling you disturbing things. Like, yeah, of course I'm going to squirm when you give me detailed descriptions of child abuse, animal abuse, and unsanitary food practices, Obviously.
Some of the reviews say that they think the relationship happened too fast but having grown up on the Internet, that's probably the more realistic part of the story.
It's the kind of horror that makes you uncomfortable, not because it succeeds in instilling a sense of dread, but because it's just telling you disturbing things. Like, yeah, of course I'm going to squirm when you give me detailed descriptions of child abuse, animal abuse, and unsanitary food practices, Obviously.
Some of the reviews say that they think the relationship happened too fast but having grown up on the Internet, that's probably the more realistic part of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Lesbophobia
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I didn't think the second part would win me over because I loved the first part so much, but it actually ended up being my favorite of the two. I loved the style, it did get meandering, but I was also very invested in all these little "inconsequential" routine details about everyday life and the characters and their interiority that the author went on about.
According to some reviews there's something of the writing that gets lost in translation, which is really a shame. I can only imagine how good it is in the original language.
According to some reviews there's something of the writing that gets lost in translation, which is really a shame. I can only imagine how good it is in the original language.
O pior pesadelo de um homem by Marina Feijóo
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
The prose didn't draw me in which in itself isn't an issue if I find the setting to be interesting, but I think I'm not the target for this type of dark academia book? so I didn't really find it interesting.
The Upstairs House: A Novel by Julia Fine
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think it's very curious that I hadn't really encountered a book that was half essay, half prose, and now I've encountered the format twice two months in a row (the other book is the autobiographical In the dream house)
This was a hard read, not because I wasn't interested or the prose wasn't good, but because the topic hit a bit too close to home. I even had to stop reading one day because it triggered a depersonalization episode.
The main character's delusion felt really #relatable to me, as is the topic of a mental illness that feels like a possession, a haunting, something to be exorcised in secret because nobody will believe you if you told them.
Also it just feels really good to read a book with a psychotic main character that isn't demonized, and to know that the author herself experienced psychosis and wants to shine a light on the subject with her book.
This was a hard read, not because I wasn't interested or the prose wasn't good, but because the topic hit a bit too close to home. I even had to stop reading one day because it triggered a depersonalization episode.
The main character's delusion felt really #relatable to me, as is the topic of a mental illness that feels like a possession, a haunting, something to be exorcised in secret because nobody will believe you if you told them.
Also it just feels really good to read a book with a psychotic main character that isn't demonized, and to know that the author herself experienced psychosis and wants to shine a light on the subject with her book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The Feminization of Dr. Faustus: Female Identity Quests from Stendhal to Morgner by Helga Druxes
informative
reflective
5.0
The terms "faustian hero"/"faustian bargain" have always seemed gender neutral to me, so it was interesting to look back at the time when it was only exclusively applied to male characters and how some writers then started applying Faustian tropes to female or even "third sex" characters.
I'd been meaning to get into this one for some years now and finally could get my hands on a digital copy. Very informative and easy read, made me interested in a couple of the classic books it analyzes.
I'd been meaning to get into this one for some years now and finally could get my hands on a digital copy. Very informative and easy read, made me interested in a couple of the classic books it analyzes.
Las malas by Camila Sosa Villada
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Dolor. Desidia. Violencia. Las Malas es una cucharada dura de tragar, una mirada sobre la vida de un sector de la población que sufre la indolencia de la sociedad, las consecuencias de ser excluida de la misma.
También es una mirada llena de amor y mucha nostalgia hacia esas compañeras que una vez tuvo la autora, y una mirada sobre su niñez. Pero todo el amor del mundo no nos puede salvar si hay violencia sistemica sobre nosotros, sólo podemos sobrevivir.
También es una mirada llena de amor y mucha nostalgia hacia esas compañeras que una vez tuvo la autora, y una mirada sobre su niñez. Pero todo el amor del mundo no nos puede salvar si hay violencia sistemica sobre nosotros, sólo podemos sobrevivir.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Transphobia, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death
Cuentos Diversos by Bruno Mateo, Carlos Luis Sánchez, Aisak Ovalles, Obdulia Viera, Oscar Villanueva, Nubia González, Horahis Suarez, Bartolomé Cavallo
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
3.0
No sé exactamente cuál fue el criterio usado para elegir a los cuentos ganadores, pero en lo personal me sorprendió que los tres cuentos elegidos tuviesen ciertas fallas en redacción, puntuación y prosa cuando algunas de las historias no ganadoras eran de mejor calidad tanto en fondo como en forma, al punto que pensé que el orden de publicación era de la historia con más baja puntuación y terminando con el ganador.
Dicho esto, mis favoritas fueron El cuartico está igualito, Mariposa y Rebeca.
Independientemente de la calidad del resultado, se aplaude la iniciativa de publicar narrativas de autores género-diversos. También me entristece muchísimo que hoy en día sea impensable que este tipo de iniciativas se vuelvan a gestar desde el propio gobierno.
Dicho esto, mis favoritas fueron El cuartico está igualito, Mariposa y Rebeca.
Independientemente de la calidad del resultado, se aplaude la iniciativa de publicar narrativas de autores género-diversos. También me entristece muchísimo que hoy en día sea impensable que este tipo de iniciativas se vuelvan a gestar desde el propio gobierno.
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0