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oceanwriter's reviews
719 reviews
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book wasn't on my radar until it was selected for a group buddy read. I went into it fairly blindly and I think not having any expectations helped me to fully enjoy it.
The narrator of the story (who remains unnamed) grows up in a prison with thirty-nine other women. It is assumed by them all that her confinement with them is the result of some kind of roundup mistake. 'The child' has no memory of her life before the bunker and isn't even certain she is human as she is so different from the older women who have memories of a world she was never a part of.
The first section of the book has a much different feel to it than the second two, causing the entire tone of the book to shift. It took me a bit to adjust, and I can't say I enjoyed the remainder as much as the beginning, although I still found myself vigorously annotating almost every page. Pacing suffers the greatest loss here and becomes erratic as far as the passing of time is concerned.
Though under 200 pages, there is a lot to take in on every page. The author presents questions and musings on what it means to be human against the backdrop of what could be a post-apocalyptic world or another planet. Most of the details remain vague, never disclosing when and where the story might be set. We are left in the dark with the prisoners.
On one hand, I feel like I would have been more connected to the characters if I'd been able to know more about them, but the impact of the book would have been lost if everything was tied up neatly. The narrator's feeling of disconnect from her companions mirrors the disconnect I felt as a reader and I found that to be brilliant.
I found this to be a unique reading experience. It took me a long time to get through despite how relatively short the book is. There was a lot to take in and the lack of cohesion in several areas made this a thoughtful read. I didn't love some parts of it, but as a whole, this was an impactful experience.
The narrator of the story (who remains unnamed) grows up in a prison with thirty-nine other women. It is assumed by them all that her confinement with them is the result of some kind of roundup mistake. 'The child' has no memory of her life before the bunker and isn't even certain she is human as she is so different from the older women who have memories of a world she was never a part of.
The first section of the book has a much different feel to it than the second two, causing the entire tone of the book to shift. It took me a bit to adjust, and I can't say I enjoyed the remainder as much as the beginning, although I still found myself vigorously annotating almost every page. Pacing suffers the greatest loss here and becomes erratic as far as the passing of time is concerned.
Though under 200 pages, there is a lot to take in on every page. The author presents questions and musings on what it means to be human against the backdrop of what could be a post-apocalyptic world or another planet. Most of the details remain vague, never disclosing when and where the story might be set. We are left in the dark with the prisoners.
On one hand, I feel like I would have been more connected to the characters if I'd been able to know more about them, but the impact of the book would have been lost if everything was tied up neatly. The narrator's feeling of disconnect from her companions mirrors the disconnect I felt as a reader and I found that to be brilliant.
I found this to be a unique reading experience. It took me a long time to get through despite how relatively short the book is. There was a lot to take in and the lack of cohesion in several areas made this a thoughtful read. I didn't love some parts of it, but as a whole, this was an impactful experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Excrement
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I really wish I was someone who liked The Princess Bride (movie, and now book) but I am not. It's too fast-paced and chaotic and just not my thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Sexism
Minor: Death, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
One Piece, Vol. 7: The Crap-Geezer by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
This arc isn't doing it for me as much as the others but of course I've got to see it through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, and Grief
Minor: Ableism, Cursing, and Death
One Piece, Vol. 6: The Oath by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
I definitely wasn't expecting this to happen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Physical abuse and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Slavery, and Alcohol
One Piece, Vol. 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Usopp might be my favorite character...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
One Piece, Vol. 4: The Black Cat Pirates by Eiichiro Oda
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
I'm still finding my footing getting used to reading manga I almost feel flustered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Minor: Death, Excrement, and Death of parent
A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The opening line of this book had me on the edge of my seat but my interest sadly lost momentum as the book went on. I found it difficult to follow, and it dragged on for about 100 pages more than it needed to. Solid premise, though, albeit not all too reasonable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Complete Short Stories by Graham Greene
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I saw this in the bookstore shortly after I finished reading The End of the Affair. I was entranced with Graham Greene's writing. This book has a variety of different stories.
I can't say I liked a lot of them. Most I found extremely dated, regional, and frankly, boring with no plot or character development even for a short story. The ones I liked I loved intensely. The length of the stories ranges from a few pages to a couple dozen pages.
Despite it not being an all-around five-star read for me, I feel like I came away with a lot of insight and even some inspiration. My favorite stories were The Hint of an Explanation, The Last Word, A Visit to Morin, and An Old Man's Memory.
I can't say I liked a lot of them. Most I found extremely dated, regional, and frankly, boring with no plot or character development even for a short story. The ones I liked I loved intensely. The length of the stories ranges from a few pages to a couple dozen pages.
Despite it not being an all-around five-star read for me, I feel like I came away with a lot of insight and even some inspiration. My favorite stories were The Hint of an Explanation, The Last Word, A Visit to Morin, and An Old Man's Memory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Grief, and War
Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Reading about Mary Shelley's life disturbed me more than Frankenstein did. The illustrations were so beautiful and haunting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Romy Silvers is the sole survivor aboard the Infinity. Its mission had been to establish a colony on a new planet, but a terrible accident killed the other astronauts, including Romy's parents, leaving the ship's command to the only child ever born in space. Her only companion is her therapist based on Earth and her favorite TV show Loch & Ness, but soon, a new ship, the Eternity, will join the Infinity on its mission.
Romy develops a rapport with the Eternity's captain, 'J' and she begins to excitedly envision the future with him and building a new civilization together. However, things aren't completely looking up. Romy also gets news from Earth that there is a new world power that's taken over NASA. Changes are implemented on the ship to conserve resources. This wouldn't be as terrible if having the lights out didn't make Romy remember what happened to the other astronauts.
I didn't know what to expect from this book when I picked it up and I ended up absolutely loving it! Admittedly, it's extremely predictable so it never had my jaw dropping but that didn't matter. Romy was such a darling character and my teenage self would have related to her so much. Just a fun, almost cozy read for me.
Romy develops a rapport with the Eternity's captain, 'J' and she begins to excitedly envision the future with him and building a new civilization together. However, things aren't completely looking up. Romy also gets news from Earth that there is a new world power that's taken over NASA. Changes are implemented on the ship to conserve resources. This wouldn't be as terrible if having the lights out didn't make Romy remember what happened to the other astronauts.
I didn't know what to expect from this book when I picked it up and I ended up absolutely loving it! Admittedly, it's extremely predictable so it never had my jaw dropping but that didn't matter. Romy was such a darling character and my teenage self would have related to her so much. Just a fun, almost cozy read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Blood, Alcohol, and War