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sercem_w_ksiazkach's reviews
418 reviews
The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This books follows the story of a group of friends who are supposed to leave their orphanage to start adult life this summer. Things get complicated when a girl and her grandma on the run appear, the main character Ben has a vision of a train full of small children dying in a big fire, and a mysterious man wants to kill Ben and the girl. It is in the hands of Ben and his friends to discover the mysteries of Kolkata while trying to preserve their lives.
What Zafón does great is creating a mysterious and dark atmosphere while keeping the tension very high. Even though this is a young adult series, the stakes are high and there is no promise that the characters will actually make it out alive. The mysteries are also well-created, though I wish there were less scenes where some characters just tell their stories and instead they piece them together from other clues and their findings. But it seems like Zafon just really likes that storytelling method, so whatever. I also really like his characters. Zafon’s only fault is being so hetero lol (But on a serious note, he always puts some straight romance to his books and while it’s usually cute, some of his characters have gay energy and then they came out as straight. Disappointing.)
What Zafón does great is creating a mysterious and dark atmosphere while keeping the tension very high. Even though this is a young adult series, the stakes are high and there is no promise that the characters will actually make it out alive. The mysteries are also well-created, though I wish there were less scenes where some characters just tell their stories and instead they piece them together from other clues and their findings. But it seems like Zafon just really likes that storytelling method, so whatever. I also really like his characters. Zafon’s only fault is being so hetero lol (But on a serious note, he always puts some straight romance to his books and while it’s usually cute, some of his characters have gay energy and then they came out as straight. Disappointing.)
Kot, który spadł z nieba by Takashi Hiraide
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book didn’t really have any substance. There wasn’t much plot to push the story forward and since we didn’t really dive into the characters either, it was truly… about nothing. If there were any deep meanings, they flew over my head. From time to time the main character would start a deeper thought, but it was never elaborated on and the reflections were never the result of the plot neither. I have to say I don’t understand why it was so critically acclaimed. To find a positive though, the cat was adorably described and the games with her made me love cats even more.
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Malarz świata ułudy by Kazuo Ishiguro
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-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
4.25
Dear Martin by Nic Stone, Nic Stone
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Reflective, though kept in a lighthearted tone; funny, but talking about serious matters, and very quotable novel from Kurt Vonnegut tells a story of a middle-aged, rich white man, Elliot Rosewater. Having inherited the Rosewater Foundation, Elliot drowns in money he neither wants or needs. He spends his life earning $10K a day, drinking and picking up the calls from people asking for help.
This book portrays a glimpse into the society of 60s America, albeit focused on just one character. It’s simultaneously an asset and a flaw, because it’s a very narrow look into ideologies and lives of people living in those times. Elliot spends most of his day in his room, helps only people in Rosewater district, and the story doesn’t involve many (if any) people of color. This story would benefit from including more minorities and maybe showing the people who Elliot had helped. However, this is rather a story of white people’s egocentrism and indolence. I liked apt observations that Vonnegut made. His style was witty and there were many parts worth taking a second to reflect.
This is a short book, but I feel like there still were unnecessary parts. Showing the backstory and current life of Fred Rosewater, lengthy insights about random characters… I’m not sure what to make out of this book. I feel pretty neutral about it and I wish it made me feel more. I really liked the ending, though. Lmao. Elliot Rosewater is unhinged.