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virgilsaeneid's reviews
332 reviews
The Season of Stick & Bone by A.L. Davidson
dark
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
2.5
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
I have complicated feelings about this book, and I truly believe that's the best way to summarize it. I don't hate this book, but I found it difficult to find things I liked about it. I did enjoy the overall writing style. While heavy on prose, The Season of Stick and Bone is evidently inspired by the rustic mythology of lyricists such as Hozier, Noah Kahan and The Oh Hellos. Davidson does an excellent job emulating this feeling throughout the text and I did enjoy the rolling descriptions and ornate style.
That being said, parts of the writing style undermined the reading experience. Dialogue and character descriptions fell short - one line that stuck with me was "It's the mills and the canneries and the capitalism," which felt like a bit of a heavy-handed explanation of an ecohorror piece. Moreover, I despised how Roman and Erik were written, especially Roman's childlike-despite-being-an-ancient-being and Erik's weird macho. I grew exhausted by the constant reminders of how small and lithe and fragile and weak and naive Roman was in comparison to stoic and protective Erik. It was just kind of annoying to read about when I'm supposed to be rooting for the romance between them. I think it was exacerbated by the lack of a distinct characterization of Erik, I struggled to resonate with him in the slightest. However, some characters, such as Aunt Grace were much better defined and a better representation of Davidson's skills as a writer.
Overall this book is good for a quick read and for fans of Hozier/Noah Kahan/swamp or bog deity vibes. However, I personally couldn't get some of the hurdles in the overall narrative. It's a 2.5/5 stars from me.
I have complicated feelings about this book, and I truly believe that's the best way to summarize it. I don't hate this book, but I found it difficult to find things I liked about it. I did enjoy the overall writing style. While heavy on prose, The Season of Stick and Bone is evidently inspired by the rustic mythology of lyricists such as Hozier, Noah Kahan and The Oh Hellos. Davidson does an excellent job emulating this feeling throughout the text and I did enjoy the rolling descriptions and ornate style.
That being said, parts of the writing style undermined the reading experience. Dialogue and character descriptions fell short - one line that stuck with me was "It's the mills and the canneries and the capitalism," which felt like a bit of a heavy-handed explanation of an ecohorror piece. Moreover, I despised how Roman and Erik were written, especially Roman's childlike-despite-being-an-ancient-being and Erik's weird macho. I grew exhausted by the constant reminders of how small and lithe and fragile and weak and naive Roman was in comparison to stoic and protective Erik. It was just kind of annoying to read about when I'm supposed to be rooting for the romance between them. I think it was exacerbated by the lack of a distinct characterization of Erik, I struggled to resonate with him in the slightest. However, some characters, such as Aunt Grace were much better defined and a better representation of Davidson's skills as a writer.
Overall this book is good for a quick read and for fans of Hozier/Noah Kahan/swamp or bog deity vibes. However, I personally couldn't get some of the hurdles in the overall narrative. It's a 2.5/5 stars from me.
Three by Ann Quin
dark
reflective
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
4.0
The literary equivalent of getting drunk and staring at the moon
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I need Dark Academia writers to understand you can't just blindly recommend Greek myths and expect it to mean smth
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC
Violent. Vibrant. Visceral. Hungerstone is everything I could ask for in a Carmilla retelling and more. I genuinely believe that Dunn has nailed the haunting Gothic atmosphere necessary for a Carmilla retelling. Dunn has excelled at emulating the eerie tone of Gothic literature with a straightforward writing style that makes this book immensely easy to binge-read.
Hungerstone is haunting and gorgeous all at once. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is visceral and grotesque and so so perfect for a creepy October read. Hungerstone is for gorgeous gorgeous girls who were born hungry. 5/5 stars!!!
Violent. Vibrant. Visceral. Hungerstone is everything I could ask for in a Carmilla retelling and more. I genuinely believe that Dunn has nailed the haunting Gothic atmosphere necessary for a Carmilla retelling. Dunn has excelled at emulating the eerie tone of Gothic literature with a straightforward writing style that makes this book immensely easy to binge-read.
Hungerstone is haunting and gorgeous all at once. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is visceral and grotesque and so so perfect for a creepy October read. Hungerstone is for gorgeous gorgeous girls who were born hungry. 5/5 stars!!!
Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
American Housewife by Anita Abriel
lighthearted
relaxing
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
2.5
A Netgalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I need to preface this review with a couple of things: one, this book is a good read if you like lighter historical fiction pieces. Two, there definitely is an audience for American Housewife but unfortunately, I believe I fall outside of that demographic. Ultimately, I rated American Housewife 2.5/5 stars, but wish Abriel all the best on release day.
However, this would not be an honest review if I didn't explain my problems with this narrative. For starters, all of the underlying narrative arcs feel incredibly disjointed. Even once they all tie together, it unfortunately falls short - I think this is largely due to the incredibly low stakes of this piece. Maggie is given everything on a silver platter. Any genuine struggles she goes through as a protagonist are short-lived and resolved without consequence. At no point did I feel worried for Maggie, because the conflicts are set up in a way that suggests she'll come out entirely unscathed - which she does. The primary antagonist of American Housewife is unfortunately a walking stereotype of failing the Bechdel test, incredibly undynamic, and only emerged in the last ~40% of the book. The entire conflict of the book is tied up and resolved in a singular conversation between Maggie and her husband in the last ten minutes of the book, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste.
While I can definitely see why people of more relaxed, straightforward narratives will appreciate Abriel's writing, the dialogue and scenes felt quite blocky and interrupted the reading experience for me. American Housewife fell short of my expectations, but I can understand and respect the angle it is written from. If you want a historical fiction that is more cozy and low stakes, I would full-heartedly recommend this book.
I need to preface this review with a couple of things: one, this book is a good read if you like lighter historical fiction pieces. Two, there definitely is an audience for American Housewife but unfortunately, I believe I fall outside of that demographic. Ultimately, I rated American Housewife 2.5/5 stars, but wish Abriel all the best on release day.
However, this would not be an honest review if I didn't explain my problems with this narrative. For starters, all of the underlying narrative arcs feel incredibly disjointed. Even once they all tie together, it unfortunately falls short - I think this is largely due to the incredibly low stakes of this piece. Maggie is given everything on a silver platter. Any genuine struggles she goes through as a protagonist are short-lived and resolved without consequence. At no point did I feel worried for Maggie, because the conflicts are set up in a way that suggests she'll come out entirely unscathed - which she does. The primary antagonist of American Housewife is unfortunately a walking stereotype of failing the Bechdel test, incredibly undynamic, and only emerged in the last ~40% of the book. The entire conflict of the book is tied up and resolved in a singular conversation between Maggie and her husband in the last ten minutes of the book, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste.
While I can definitely see why people of more relaxed, straightforward narratives will appreciate Abriel's writing, the dialogue and scenes felt quite blocky and interrupted the reading experience for me. American Housewife fell short of my expectations, but I can understand and respect the angle it is written from. If you want a historical fiction that is more cozy and low stakes, I would full-heartedly recommend this book.
Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 3 by Inio Asano
dark
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
3.0
The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
BestGhost by C.J. Daley
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you for the free copy accessed through Netgalley!
BestGhost is functionally the perfect teaser trailer for what can be expected from the rest of this book. As a long-time fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Files, Daley perfectly encapsulates the banter of two guys exploring horrific places. This novelette was eerie, mysterious, and definitely had me looking over my shoulder a few times.
I can't recommend BestGhost enough and (once I put my big girl shoes on) am excited to tackle the full story! 5/5 stars.
BestGhost is functionally the perfect teaser trailer for what can be expected from the rest of this book. As a long-time fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Files, Daley perfectly encapsulates the banter of two guys exploring horrific places. This novelette was eerie, mysterious, and definitely had me looking over my shoulder a few times.
I can't recommend BestGhost enough and (once I put my big girl shoes on) am excited to tackle the full story! 5/5 stars.