mermaird's reviews
325 reviews

I think I've forgotten how to write coherent words. Because I've devoured Thorn in a short amount of time, yet I still can't find the right words to express how much I truly love the book

I think one of the most important lessons that I learned from this book is that there is only one "you" in this world, and you are special in your own way, regardless of what happens. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokpokki is a book originally written in Korean, about a woman diagnosed with dysthymia. Baek Se-hee wrote the dialogues during her sessions with a psychiatrist, and included her inner thoughts on how she wants to love herself better.

I don't read a lot of self-help books–I can't remember any apart from Loveability by Robert Holden, but I didn't even finish reading the book completely–so I was quite unsure what to expect from reading this. I had wanted to love this book, and that is exactly how it ended to be—and perhaps I love it more than I had hoped.

Although I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokpokki is actually a compilation of written dialogues between the author and her psychiatrist, I was able to immerse myself into the conversation, to the point that it felt very intimate, as if I was in her situation all along. I was never clinically diagnosed with depression or any other mental illness, but I went through my own dark moments and I could relate to most of the things that Baek Se-hee went through. The confusion in Baek Se-hee's dialogues mirror my own, and the psychiatrist's words sent me a blanket of comfort that I absolutely needed.

I had prayed for 2020 to start of well for me, but alas, January did not end as the best time for me. However, the presence of this book, the words and dialogues written by Baek Se-hee were able to help me cope with my own dark overwhelming thoughts. I didn't finish the book in one seating, it took a whole deal lot of times, but I am utterly grateful for it. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokpokki is the kind of book that I will keep very close to me, and will reach out to it again whenever I'm at my lowest.

I definitely recommend everyone to read this book. I was able to relate to a lot of it, and I hope others will find comfort from it as well. I hope that even when you feel like dying, there is something that you still want to do to stay alive, no matter how small the matter is, even if it's only craving for some spicy rice cakes.

I had thought that I have no expectations on this book when I started it–not because I think it would be bad, I just had no idea what to expect from it. But after finishing Fight Like a Girl, I guess I probably expected something out of it, because way after the end, somehow I felt that it was not quite... what I should be expecting?

Confusing, huh? That's probably the best explanation for my feelings that I can muster after reading Fight Like a Girl.

Plot-wise, I considered it like a slice-of-life genre, just a portion of Trisha's life being written down. Apart from the mystery behind her irresponsible father's death and the patterns repeating when her mother finds a new man, everything else seems to not leave me with any impression. The ending just left me with a "Is that it? That's all?".

But I do appreciate that the author did not focus too much on the romance between Trisha and the boy from the gym, but focuses more on her relationship with her mother. The words "But what she's saying, what he was, is that you're mine" refer to Trisha's thoughts on her mother, and it may sound nice without the right context, but I assure that in the book itself, it definitely did not portray something good. Her mother seems to be the type that is very loving, but disguised inside the love is a threatening possessiveness. When things don't go her way, all hell will break loose, never mind that her loved one is getting hurt through it. Which is terrifying, because this kind of person do exist in real world.

I have not much thoughts on the rest, it's a relatively good read, but sadly it didn't leave any lasting impression to me. I was probably expecting a much fiercer story.

Many thanks to Pansing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit, nothing excites me more than being able to understand the reference of the local ghost names in The Ghost Bride. I mean, it's not every day that I get to see "pontianak" or "pelesit" being mentioned in an English book, much less a young adult one. Despite being happy with the rep of Malaysian ghosts, I did notice a mistake when "pontianak" is mentioned as a flying head of a woman who died during childbirth, with her inside organs trailing down—I can't recall the exact words the author used, but still, no. That's supposed to be "penanggal", which is definitely way more terrifying than a "pontianak". I suggest not to look it up though.

Anyway, I appreciate the way the author introduced several cultures and things about Malaya, but it's a shame that it was not a focal point in the story since most of the plot involved Li Lan's journey in the spirit world instead. It was interesting at first as Li Lan was slammed immediately regarding being a ghost bride from the first page, and then the ghost of Tian Ching started to haunt her dreams. I was expecting the plot to be fast paced and perhaps able to incite an adrenaline rush through me, but sadly to say, it was rather slow.

Once Li Lan was parted from her body and her spirit wandered away in search of "secrets" of the ghost world, it started to become draggy. I saw no point in most parts of her journey that contributes to her mission–but then again, I don't think she actually had a solid mission as well.

Although I applaud Li Lan's courage as she wandered around (I swear I would never step out of the room if I was her), I don't fancy her character that much, except during her moments with Er Lang. Apart from the side characters like Amah and Old Wong making the story a lot better, Li Lan's interaction with Er Lang are what made me decide to give the book a four stars instead of three. I do however admit that there were not enough moments for their chemistry to build strongly, but it was understandable how it came to be.

This review is a mess and I probably didn't convince anyone (not even myself), but I'll just say that as a whole, The Ghost Bride is actually a good read. It would not be perfect if you're looking for a historical fiction based in Malaya (old Malaysia), but if you'd like to know a thing or two about our culture and enjoys fantasy and supernatural elements, this might be the right book for you.

A huge thank you to Pansing for giving me the chance to read The Ghost Bride in exchange for an honest review!

With my limited experience in reading classic books, I hereby heartily say that Little Women is my chosen favourite

Picked up this book for two reasons: 1) Its gorgeous cover; 2) Dark circus concepts intrigues me.

Circus of the Unseen is a rather light read thanks to its short length, with a subtle touch of darkness in it. To be honest, I was expecting a much darker theme for the story, perhaps something that could send chills to my bones (note: I read the book at 3 A.M.), unfortunately to my slight disappointment, there wasn't enough dark elements to it. The plot feels rather flat and we never actually get to know Rosie personally, except for the fact that she's too curious about her grandmother's past.

But I do like the setting and idea of the circus; I believe I enjoyed the minor characters and wished that their characters had more exposure than just how they ended up at the circus instead. There were not many scenes of the things that they do at the circus either, making it to be rather dull when it could have been a wonderful part of the story.

There are also a few unnecessary characters, or perhaps characters that are supposed to make a point in the story but the author seemed to forget so. For instance, the boy that came to see Rosie before she "fell" into the circus– I mean, who is he? And he even has a sister, which probably only said a sentence or two. I could not see the point of their characters at all. And there were not much being mentioned about Rosie's own sister either. I know she's just a minor character, but her presence could have been made better.

Overall, it was a quick read and a rather enjoyable one too despite its shortcomings. The idea of it was wonderful, and I do like the author's writing style, but it could have been better if the story is extended just a little bit more so details can be added into it. The ending was not quite agreeable to me (I definitely would choose my family first, no matter what), but I guess it is better for Rosie to accept what has happened to her. There are matters that you could not control in this world anyway.