sarah984's reviews
627 reviews

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

Go to review page

dark funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Absolutely nothing about this worked for me. The humour wasn't funny, the characters had no personality, the plot twist was ridiculous. A lot of it felt like it was written to be quoted on twitter.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The City & the City by China MiƩville

Go to review page

challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I thought the setting was fascinating, and the way the thought processes of the characters navigating the city are handled was really well done. However the actual mystery wasn't that interesting or surprising, and I felt like the story kind of fell apart once more information about
Breach
was revealed.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany

Go to review page

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

3.0

This book has a fascinating structure, some really beautiful imagery and some striking set pieces, but it's also an overlong slog and a lot of it felt off putting. It somehow both feels timeless and extremely dated. I can definitely see the influence on other books that I've enjoyed. I'm glad I read it but I don't think I'd ever read it again.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada

Go to review page

challenging mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Somehow despite the short length, this book felt just a bit too long to me - when it hit it was incisive and really made me think, but other parts felt a little pointless. Overall good if you want to be depressed about your job.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Cipher by Kathe Koja

Go to review page

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

4.0

I've been wanting to read this one for a while and it did not disappoint: nasty characters in nasty situations as everything spins out of control. It got a little repetitive for me near the end and the kindle edition had some annoying OCR errors but overall highly recommended to anyone who likes weird horror.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K. Jarboe

Go to review page

dark reflective slow-paced

2.5

I enjoyed a few stories in this collection (particularly Self Care, Estranged Children of Storybook Houses, and I Am A Beautiful Bug!) but the more poem-like pieces didn't really interest me and there were a lot of distracting usage errors in the kindle version.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Very preachy and unpleasant writing, a lot of mean spirited railing against straw libfems the author imagines on Instagram. The #MeToo plotline is poorly integrated and resolves in a stupid, nothing way.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I could see some of what this book was trying to accomplish, but I just didn't like it. The writing style was bland and felt self-conscious, always having to state everything directly instead of trusting the reader. The characters' relationships felt weird and the plot felt kind of half baked. It seemed like the author kept forgetting that the main character had broken fingers.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Go to review page

adventurous challenging hopeful medium-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

A really original and beautifully told story. The structure takes some getting used to but it's ultimately worth it.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Encounters on the Passage: Inuit Meet the Explorers by Dorothy Harley Eber

Go to review page

adventurous informative medium-paced

4.0

Interesting perspective on arctic exploration from the Inuit point of view. I like that the author always names both the storyteller and the translator. Unfortunately the kindle edition had a lot of formatting issues and most of the images were removed.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings