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theshiftyshadow's reviews
329 reviews
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Parts of this book are a 5 star read and then other parts drag it down so much.
The relationship between Sharon and Mel was the most interesting part of it, and there's a few big plot twists/reveals that alter and shake up that friendship and it's great, until there's one plot twist too many and the story goes from interesting to overly dramatic and then just plain uninteresting. I also personally really hated the last big twist, it feels wrong even calling it that as it's a trope that I don't have any time for. The fact that Sharon becomes more and more unlikable as the story goes on makes it even harder to care after this thing happens. And I don't have a problem with unlikeable main characters but Sharon feels extremely passive for so much of this story, and that's where it gets annoying.
I would definitely read more from this author because, as I said, there were parts of this book were great and had me fully immersed in the world of these two characters, but it felt like every time it was getting into a rhythm and really captivating me, she'd throw in another life changing plot point and everything good that had been building fell apart.
As for the end.... Was Mel in love with Sharon, like properly in love with her? I got that impression from things other people were saying but it felt unclear when Sharon was talking about it. It probably makes it even worse if that is what was happening, and I'd rather have read it all from Mel's POV if that was the case, and see her complete that last project and leave Sharon. Honestly I think I'd rather have read that anyway
The relationship between Sharon and Mel was the most interesting part of it, and there's a few big plot twists/reveals that alter and shake up that friendship and it's great, until there's one plot twist too many and the story goes from interesting to overly dramatic and then just plain uninteresting. I also personally really hated the last big twist, it feels wrong even calling it that as it's a trope that I don't have any time for. The fact that Sharon becomes more and more unlikable as the story goes on makes it even harder to care after this thing happens. And I don't have a problem with unlikeable main characters but Sharon feels extremely passive for so much of this story, and that's where it gets annoying.
I would definitely read more from this author because, as I said, there were parts of this book were great and had me fully immersed in the world of these two characters, but it felt like every time it was getting into a rhythm and really captivating me, she'd throw in another life changing plot point and everything good that had been building fell apart.
As for the end....
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first half, maybe two thirds, of this book were heading for 5 stars, and then it just became like a soap opera of stupid decisions and disastrous events. By the time the "big" event happens Leni is 18 and has already had more than her fair share of trauma heaped on her, so why the author felt the need to spend the rest of the book piling more and more on her, I do not know. There was plenty established up to that point, for all the main characters, to keep the story going without resorting to calamity after calamity. And worst of all, I felt like all of these events kept the characters from really dealing with any of the stuff from the first half of the book. These big events became the focus of their lives going forward and the things from before were kind of talked around. As a result I found the end of the book highly unsatisfying.
In some ways this book really reminded me of Where The Crawdads Sing, in that there is an extremely strong sense of place, and the setting, Alaska in this case, becomes a character in it's own right. However, just like with Crawdads, I was left with the feeling that the place is what the author really wanted to write about and the characters and events are almost secondary to that.
Also, for a book that dedicates itself to strong women there still seems to be an awful lot of men dictating events for the women in the story. It's probably realistic for the time and place, but still, I found it increasingly hard to care about the things that happened to some of the male characters because they were basically doing it to themselves, and causing more problems for the women in the process. And a thing that happens to Leni about half way through felt like it only happened to get the required reaction from her dad, but then it dictated the entire rest of the story, and it didn't really work for me. There were other ways that series of events could have transpired, ways that could have led to a much more interesting last third of the book.
In some ways this book really reminded me of Where The Crawdads Sing, in that there is an extremely strong sense of place, and the setting, Alaska in this case, becomes a character in it's own right. However, just like with Crawdads, I was left with the feeling that the place is what the author really wanted to write about and the characters and events are almost secondary to that.
Also, for a book that dedicates itself to strong women there still seems to be an awful lot of men dictating events for the women in the story. It's probably realistic for the time and place, but still, I found it increasingly hard to care about the things that happened to some of the male characters because they were basically doing it to themselves, and causing more problems for the women in the process. And a thing that happens to Leni about half way through felt like it only happened to get the required reaction from her dad, but then it dictated the entire rest of the story, and it didn't really work for me. There were other ways that series of events could have transpired, ways that could have led to a much more interesting last third of the book.
America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It took me over a week to read the first 100 pages of this and I was seriously considering just giving up on it, but then all of a sudden I was invested and read the remaining 300 pages of it in a day.
The writing style is hard to get into, I think, and the POV changes from Paz, to Hero, to Rosalyn (briefly), and while the vast majority of the story is from Hero's POV even that jumps around in her timeline, with no real structure to it. There's also a lot of untranslated dialogue in several different languages or dialects. However, while all of that is initially a bit off-putting or confusing, after a while I stopped trying to figure out her past timeline, and just took on board what was happening, rather than when, and the gist of the conversations that weren't in English were easy enough to get with what was translated. And once I got to that point the story just opened up into this wonderful story of survival, and hope, with two beautiful relationships between Hero and Roni, and Hero and Rosalyn.
The writing style is hard to get into, I think, and the POV changes from Paz, to Hero, to Rosalyn (briefly), and while the vast majority of the story is from Hero's POV even that jumps around in her timeline, with no real structure to it. There's also a lot of untranslated dialogue in several different languages or dialects. However, while all of that is initially a bit off-putting or confusing, after a while I stopped trying to figure out her past timeline, and just took on board what was happening, rather than when, and the gist of the conversations that weren't in English were easy enough to get with what was translated. And once I got to that point the story just opened up into this wonderful story of survival, and hope, with two beautiful relationships between Hero and Roni, and Hero and Rosalyn.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
Mixed feeling about this one. It was very slow paced and I never found myself in a hurry to pick it up again, but at the same time, when I did pick it up I was immediately immersed completely in this world, and in Rueben's story. I'm not a religious person but the underlying theme of faith here didn't bother me. It's done in a way that benefits the story and never feels like the main point. It's just an 11 year old trying to make sense of these difficult circumstances and he does that with the tools his religious upbringing have provided him with.
It has a really strong sense of place and I could feel the cold at times, which is something I love in a book. I would probably read more from Enger, but I'm not rushing out to buy them all right now.
It has a really strong sense of place and I could feel the cold at times, which is something I love in a book. I would probably read more from Enger, but I'm not rushing out to buy them all right now.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
adventurous
funny
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 is described as an historic romp, and that's exactly what it is, a romp. Problem is, after a certain point it becomes one romp too many and I struggled to stay invested.
That said, the characters and their relationships are well written enough to keep me caring until the end. I think the book does a decent job too of incorporating people who are usually excluded from historical fiction, and actually making use of that, so it's not just tokenism, or someone looking for a pat on the back for diversity.
That said, the characters and their relationships are well written enough to keep me caring until the end. I think the book does a decent job too of incorporating people who are usually excluded from historical fiction, and actually making use of that, so it's not just tokenism, or someone looking for a pat on the back for diversity.
Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I just really loved this book, I don't know what else to say.
I'm not a YA reader, even the better ones I have read usually feel kind of shallow beyond whatever the main plot of the book is, but Not My Problem really didn't feel like that. There's so much depth to every character, and every storyline, and it's packed full of warmth, and kindness, and love, even when dealing with the more serious aspects, like Aideen's home life, but at the same time it doesn't shy away from the darker parts of those situations.
I find lately that I'm really moved by stories about people just trying to connect with other people, and finding friendship, love, and support in each other, whether it's platonic, romantic, sibling, or any other kind of relationship. And this book just delivers that in spades.
The romance at the centre between Aideen and Maebh is so well paced, and their individual growth as characters is tied up in their developing relationship and it's so well done, it's very cute and funny and Smyth does a really great job of having that budding relationship shape how Aideen sees her other relationships, both new and old. Aideen's deteriorating friendship with Holly is handled really well and again it allows for real growth in Aideen's character and that plays out really nicely alongside her budding friendship with Kavi, who is maybe the sweetest character ever. These 3 are the main relationships at school for Aideen, but there's a host of other really vibrant and funny characters that flit in and out of the story at different points, culminating in a really well earned and lovely big finale moment.
Aideen's relationship with her alcoholic mother is handled really well too. We see how and why Aideen is as closed off as she is, and how long she's been struggling along with things. It's sad and it's bleak, but the way that storyline is wrapped up was really well done, I think, and again, Smyth manages to tie it into the other relationships Aideen has managed to build for herself despite her best efforts not to, leading to an ending that felt very realistic in the circumstances but hopeful, and it felt like a victory for Aideen.
And it's funny! It's very Irish, so I'm biased, but I had such a good time reading this. It's just a really lovely book and I can't recommend it highly enough.
I'm not a YA reader, even the better ones I have read usually feel kind of shallow beyond whatever the main plot of the book is, but Not My Problem really didn't feel like that. There's so much depth to every character, and every storyline, and it's packed full of warmth, and kindness, and love, even when dealing with the more serious aspects, like Aideen's home life, but at the same time it doesn't shy away from the darker parts of those situations.
I find lately that I'm really moved by stories about people just trying to connect with other people, and finding friendship, love, and support in each other, whether it's platonic, romantic, sibling, or any other kind of relationship. And this book just delivers that in spades.
The romance at the centre between Aideen and Maebh is so well paced, and their individual growth as characters is tied up in their developing relationship and it's so well done, it's very cute and funny and Smyth does a really great job of having that budding relationship shape how Aideen sees her other relationships, both new and old. Aideen's deteriorating friendship with Holly is handled really well and again it allows for real growth in Aideen's character and that plays out really nicely alongside her budding friendship with Kavi, who is maybe the sweetest character ever. These 3 are the main relationships at school for Aideen, but there's a host of other really vibrant and funny characters that flit in and out of the story at different points, culminating in a really well earned and lovely big finale moment.
Aideen's relationship with her alcoholic mother is handled really well too. We see how and why Aideen is as closed off as she is, and how long she's been struggling along with things. It's sad and it's bleak, but the way that storyline is wrapped up was really well done, I think, and again, Smyth manages to tie it into the other relationships Aideen has managed to build for herself despite her best efforts not to, leading to an ending that felt very realistic in the circumstances but hopeful, and it felt like a victory for Aideen.
And it's funny! It's very Irish, so I'm biased, but I had such a good time reading this. It's just a really lovely book and I can't recommend it highly enough.
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
challenging
funny
sad
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? N/A
3.5
To the Warm Horizon by Jin-Young Choi
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I was wildly disappointed with this. The blurb sounds so amazing but the book doesn't deliver on it's promise.
I haven't read that much East Asian literature, so maybe there's a marked difference in story structure, or maybe something is lost in translation, but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. We jump from POV to POV so fast that there's no time to get invested in any of them, or in their relationships. It's billed as a love story between two young women set against this post apocalyptic crumbling world, but there's barely any substance to their relationship, they meet, they're in love, they're separated, it all happens so quickly that it left me cold and unattached to any of it.
There's a lot of horrible things happen in this book too, but they're just mentioned in like 2 lines and then the story moves on. There's literally a paragraph where 5 family members die in the space of half a page. And it's maybe the first book I've ever felt the need to actually flag up for trigger warnings.
Honestly, this feels like the bare bones of a really great story, a story I would love to have read, but as it is it's lacking any substance and is just kind of depressing.
I haven't read that much East Asian literature, so maybe there's a marked difference in story structure, or maybe something is lost in translation, but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. We jump from POV to POV so fast that there's no time to get invested in any of them, or in their relationships. It's billed as a love story between two young women set against this post apocalyptic crumbling world, but there's barely any substance to their relationship, they meet, they're in love, they're separated, it all happens so quickly that it left me cold and unattached to any of it.
There's a lot of horrible things happen in this book too, but they're just mentioned in like 2 lines and then the story moves on. There's literally a paragraph where 5 family members die in the space of half a page. And it's maybe the first book I've ever felt the need to actually flag up for trigger warnings.
Honestly, this feels like the bare bones of a really great story, a story I would love to have read, but as it is it's lacking any substance and is just kind of depressing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
Nothing But Blue Sky by Kathleen MacMahon
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0
I really liked the writing here, but it wasn't enough to carry what is essentially 300 pages of man pain. It's so weird to me that a woman wrote this book. I was honestly a little angry by the time I got to the end of it.
I realised recently that a very specific sub-genre of book that I really enjoy is where people are struggling through grief, which sounds quite morbid, but I find the best ones usually have a huge feeling of hope about them, but this book just left me empty, and annoyed. I felt angry for Mary Rose, especially in the last couple of chapters. I felt the opposite of hope.
I realised recently that a very specific sub-genre of book that I really enjoy is where people are struggling through grief, which sounds quite morbid, but I find the best ones usually have a huge feeling of hope about them, but this book just left me empty, and annoyed. I felt angry for Mary Rose, especially in the last couple of chapters. I felt the opposite of hope.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I assume the author was maybe trying to tell the story of an entire country through this one family, and at times it worked well, at others it didn't.
The first 100 or so pages of this book are spent basically setting up what we already know from the very short blurb on the back of the book. It does add a lot more detail and context to it, obviously, but at the end of the day it still felt like the book was only beginning 100 pages in. Which isn't that big a deal, I guess, when the book is 560 pages long.
At this point the story switches to Japan and we get into the most interesting section of the book. We see this Korean family existing in the country that has colonized, and destroyed, their own, and much like every other story of colonization, they're not welcome, they're treated like scum, and they struggle to survive in a world where "home" doesn't exist anymore. This, for me, is where the book is at it's best, and despite skipping years at a time between chapters, we feel very much involved and invested in the lives of these characters.
It's weird, I've always known Japan invaded it's neighbours, and did a lot of awful things, even to their own people, but for some reason my brain never made the connection to them actually being colonizers. Coming from a country whose history is basically 800 years of being colonized, mass emigration (a lot of it to the country that colonized us), and a century spent trying to recover from that colonization, which includes a divided island, I was surprised to find so many similarities with these Korean characters, and the wider political situation they found themselves in.
Unfortunately towards the end of the book I think it just lost it's way. The time jumps became very random, and it felt like the author had a point to make with this last generation of the family, and just wanted to get to that point without giving it as much depth as the previous sections. That said, as a whole, I think the book does a great job of exploring the shared history these two/three countries have, and it definitely expanded my knowledge in a lot of areas, while leaving me with more questions I'm looking forward to finding out about myself.
The first 100 or so pages of this book are spent basically setting up what we already know from the very short blurb on the back of the book. It does add a lot more detail and context to it, obviously, but at the end of the day it still felt like the book was only beginning 100 pages in. Which isn't that big a deal, I guess, when the book is 560 pages long.
At this point the story switches to Japan and we get into the most interesting section of the book. We see this Korean family existing in the country that has colonized, and destroyed, their own, and much like every other story of colonization, they're not welcome, they're treated like scum, and they struggle to survive in a world where "home" doesn't exist anymore. This, for me, is where the book is at it's best, and despite skipping years at a time between chapters, we feel very much involved and invested in the lives of these characters.
It's weird, I've always known Japan invaded it's neighbours, and did a lot of awful things, even to their own people, but for some reason my brain never made the connection to them actually being colonizers. Coming from a country whose history is basically 800 years of being colonized, mass emigration (a lot of it to the country that colonized us), and a century spent trying to recover from that colonization, which includes a divided island, I was surprised to find so many similarities with these Korean characters, and the wider political situation they found themselves in.
Unfortunately towards the end of the book I think it just lost it's way. The time jumps became very random, and it felt like the author had a point to make with this last generation of the family, and just wanted to get to that point without giving it as much depth as the previous sections. That said, as a whole, I think the book does a great job of exploring the shared history these two/three countries have, and it definitely expanded my knowledge in a lot of areas, while leaving me with more questions I'm looking forward to finding out about myself.