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serinas's reviews
331 reviews
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The writing style wasn't something for my liking, but that is fine. I still managed to read it - but the way the stories were told wasn't to my taste.
The start was slow in my opinion, but it picked up the pace around page 90. Up until this point I was sure I'd rate the book a 2.5-3 stars. I just didn't like to read about Akorfa and her side of the story, but my interest peaked when I reached Part 2 about Selasi.
Selasi was much more likeable, and some of my suspicions from Akorfas POV was justified. I won't spoil it, but Akorfa made me rage. Selasis POV made this book better, and made me give Nightbloom a better rating. The ending is not very believable, but I still liked it.
The start was slow in my opinion, but it picked up the pace around page 90. Up until this point I was sure I'd rate the book a 2.5-3 stars. I just didn't like to read about Akorfa and her side of the story, but my interest peaked when I reached Part 2 about Selasi.
Selasi was much more likeable, and some of my suspicions from Akorfas POV was justified. I won't spoil it, but Akorfa made me rage. Selasis POV made this book better, and made me give Nightbloom a better rating. The ending is not very believable, but I still liked it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
Black Looks: Race and Representation by bell hooks
informative
4.5
Black Looks is a work of essays written by bell hooks. They all discuss different topics - sex, violence, representation, stereotypes etc. The different topics all relate to Black people and how they are affected. Some of the topics discussed are: Black representation in media, Black mens masculinity and harmful stereotypes, and Black women as 'exotic' sex objects to white men. There are many more essays, in total 12, that can be read.
I rated it 4.5. There were many great essays to work with here, and Chapter 1: Loving Blackness as Political Resistance made for a strong start. Chapter 12 wasn't as good as the previous and chapters, but still good overall. I don't know if I've read too much into it ... but it feels like hooks is appropriating Native Americans by almost 'deleting' their own struggle, and only comparing it to the Black struggle. It feels biased, and is contradictory to what she writes in earlier chapters.
Another reviewer on Goodreads said something similar, and I'll have to agree with her ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2942721878?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=2 )
I learned a lot - even though this book is 30 years old now, it's still relevant.
I rated it 4.5. There were many great essays to work with here, and Chapter 1: Loving Blackness as Political Resistance made for a strong start. Chapter 12 wasn't as good as the previous and chapters, but still good overall. I don't know if I've read too much into it ... but it feels like hooks is appropriating Native Americans by almost 'deleting' their own struggle, and only comparing it to the Black struggle. It feels biased, and is contradictory to what she writes in earlier chapters.
Another reviewer on Goodreads said something similar, and I'll have to agree with her ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2942721878?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=2 )
I learned a lot - even though this book is 30 years old now, it's still relevant.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault and Violence
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It's easy to relate to John Grimes, especially as I grew up in church myself. I had many doubts, like John, with sexuality and spirituality.
It has a very unique way of telling the story, with different POVs that kind of come together at the end. You get the feeling that everything makes sense now, and you understand why the characters behave the way they do. The fact that everything in this book takes place in one day, is also insane. We get some throwbacks and such, but technically everything happens on that one Saturday in March.
This was an emotional read, so powerful and great. I understand why Baldwins work is praised and loved by many. I will definitely read more books by him.
It has a very unique way of telling the story, with different POVs that kind of come together at the end. You get the feeling that everything makes sense now, and you understand why the characters behave the way they do. The fact that everything in this book takes place in one day, is also insane. We get some throwbacks and such, but technically everything happens on that one Saturday in March.
This was an emotional read, so powerful and great. I understand why Baldwins work is praised and loved by many. I will definitely read more books by him.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It had a strong start that got me hooked right off the bat. I could relate to Korede. It's hard - I love my sisters more than anything, as Korede does, but jealousy will poison the relationship. My sisters have never killed anyone though, but I would definitely do a lot for them.
Truly loved the love-hate relationship between Korede and Ayoola, and I think most people with siblings can relate to that. The family dynamic is very interesting, and leaves you wanting more. To me, the writing style was amazing and made me chuckle at times. I'm not certain about the ending, it left me with mixed feelings.
Still, a great book that left me somewhat satisfied!
Truly loved the love-hate relationship between Korede and Ayoola, and I think most people with siblings can relate to that. The family dynamic is very interesting, and leaves you wanting more. To me, the writing style was amazing and made me chuckle at times. I'm not certain about the ending, it left me with mixed feelings.
Still, a great book that left me somewhat satisfied!
Honey in Harlem by David Ellis
lighthearted
reflective
4.0
This is my first book that's a collection of poems. I had to search on Google for some of the names and what the significance of Harlem was, as I had never heard of Harlem. For instance Sylvia Woods, I had to research her to understand the poem about restaurants. After reading and doing some research, I feel like I've been to Harlem.
I have definitely learned a lot, and enjoyed it. I don't know if poetry is my kind of thing, but I will probably try to read more poems in the future!
I have definitely learned a lot, and enjoyed it. I don't know if poetry is my kind of thing, but I will probably try to read more poems in the future!
The Deading by Nicholas Belardes
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It had a good start, and the concept was amazing. Bernhard was such an interesting character, and I wish I learned more about him. The different POVs are well-written, and since the writing style changes it feels like a different person. It's obvious when the POV changes, and I love that. I saw some reviews that disagreed on this, so beware of that.
But the damn birds... There were so much talk about birds, and I don't understand why? If you have a big interest in birds it probably won't affect you, but I saw many other reviews that agreed there were too much stuff about birds. It would've been fine if I came prepared for that, but there is no mention of birds being such a big part of the book, and the birds give no meaning or sense to the story.
But the damn birds... There were so much talk about birds, and I don't understand why? If you have a big interest in birds it probably won't affect you, but I saw many other reviews that agreed there were too much stuff about birds. It would've been fine if I came prepared for that, but there is no mention of birds being such a big part of the book, and the birds give no meaning or sense to the story.
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.25
I considered to DNF the first 100 pages, but I got hooked when I neared page 100, so the start was kind of slow.
Blood Scion also tackles some heavy topics, like SA during war and child soldiers, so beware of that.
The pacing was odd at times - some natural "endings" in chapters were dragged out, and made it harder to continue reading. The timeline was good, it's just that some parts, mostly the endings in the chapters, felt dragged out.
Sloane's black and white view on everything annoyed me soooo much as well - but she is 15, and I was very similar at that age. Therefor, I feel like I can forgive that.
I enjoyed it a lot, and I plan on reading the sequel. I got really emotional towards the end, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Blood Scion also tackles some heavy topics, like SA during war and child soldiers, so beware of that.
The pacing was odd at times - some natural "endings" in chapters were dragged out, and made it harder to continue reading. The timeline was good, it's just that some parts, mostly the endings in the chapters, felt dragged out.
Sloane's black and white view on everything annoyed me soooo much as well - but she is 15, and I was very similar at that age. Therefor, I feel like I can forgive that.
I enjoyed it a lot, and I plan on reading the sequel. I got really emotional towards the end, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Self harm
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I struggled so much with this. The way it was written ('Ah' insted of 'I' for instance) made it very difficult to read for me, as I'm a non-native English speaker. But it's also part of the point to write the book this way, so it's not something I would've changed. I think I need to hear it on audio or read it in my native language, but I'm afraid some of the story might get lost in the translation.
It's therefor hard to rate - the story was interesting (but slow at times) and Janie's development was great to witness. Overall I think 3.75 is fair, as I liked it a lot, but it was hard to get through because of the writing style.
It's therefor hard to rate - the story was interesting (but slow at times) and Janie's development was great to witness. Overall I think 3.75 is fair, as I liked it a lot, but it was hard to get through because of the writing style.
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It's about dragons (!!!) and is a high fantasy book - which is right up my alley. The Rage of Dragons also has great reviews on StoryGraph (4.24) and Goodreads (4.31) as I'm writing this. All of this prompted me to read it. It's the first book in a quartet.
It's an African inspired series, that had a lot of interesting concepts you usually don't see in a lot of fantasy series. The names, like Tau and Zuri, as well as certain rituals (will not spoil it) are some examples. I struggled to get through the prologue, and didn't really see the point in it either. The story it tells could've been told in many better ways that didn't feel like an info dump.
But after the prologue I got hooked pretty quickly, and it was hard to put down. I really liked Tau as the MC, and the plot and worldbuilding was interesting and always had some tension. I never knew where the story was going!
After a while i stopped liking Tau, and came to love other characters more. I don't think he's supposed to be super likeable, but I struggled to continue reading because of him. It didn't help that this book had so much action, like sword fights and practice, that I got bored. There was no drama between friends, which is quite common in any friendships, and no plot besides the action. If you love action, this book is definitely for you! But beware that there is a lack of romance and women in this series. Even though I disliked Tau and the overwhelming amount of action, I finished the book as the worldbuilding was amazing and I wanted to see Tau's development.
Overall, I don't plan on reading more in this series, but I think this is a book many people will enjoy!
It's an African inspired series, that had a lot of interesting concepts you usually don't see in a lot of fantasy series. The names, like Tau and Zuri, as well as certain rituals (will not spoil it) are some examples. I struggled to get through the prologue, and didn't really see the point in it either. The story it tells could've been told in many better ways that didn't feel like an info dump.
But after the prologue I got hooked pretty quickly, and it was hard to put down. I really liked Tau as the MC, and the plot and worldbuilding was interesting and always had some tension. I never knew where the story was going!
After a while i stopped liking Tau, and came to love other characters more. I don't think he's supposed to be super likeable, but I struggled to continue reading because of him. It didn't help that this book had so much action, like sword fights and practice, that I got bored. There was no drama between friends, which is quite common in any friendships, and no plot besides the action. If you love action, this book is definitely for you! But beware that there is a lack of romance and women in this series. Even though I disliked Tau and the overwhelming amount of action, I finished the book as the worldbuilding was amazing and I wanted to see Tau's development.
Overall, I don't plan on reading more in this series, but I think this is a book many people will enjoy!
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
dark
reflective
tense
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
5.0
Minor Detail was a hard read. The casualities of war is presented in a way that makes my heart break, and the story shows the ugly parts of human beings. It's a short book, and relevant even today. Would definitely recommend everyone to read Minor Detail. It's slow paced at times, so be aware of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and War