yolanda_h's reviews
284 reviews

I give it a 4,5 instead of 5 because it took me a while to get used to the characters, the language and the storytelling. In the beginning I didn't feel very much invested in the characters and their story. But I'm very happy I continued reading. While the writing style felt distant in the beginning, after a while it felt like poetry. The characters grew on me, they are complex and layered and you get to see multiple points of view. One of them literally was a shift in the wind for my view on that person.

To me this book is about (not) belonging, searching for a home outside and inside yourself, being looked at but not being seen - but wanting to be really seen, identity, family, trauma, class, having (no) rights but most of all the right to write your own story.

Content Warnings

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry

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adventurous funny informative medium-paced

4.0

Great place to start when you want to know more about Greek mythology or feel you could use an update. The characters come alive, from deity to human, with all their merits and flaws. The stories show how the gods are flawed and how they are just like humans. And perhaps how godlike humans can be as well.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

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challenging emotional inspiring 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

4.25

This story is important and made me realize that I have much to learn about the history of slavery, colonialism and culture. I learned a lot from this story and hopefully it will be a gateway to a more diverse reading habit for me.

It did take me quite a while to get used to the writing style (rural and partly phonetically written down) and I had to work hard to understand it. But the work was worth it.

Content Warnings

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was so much more than I expected it to be. The writing is in turns melancholic, reflective, fast paced and then so descriptive that I could see the flowers and trees surrounding Manderley. I could hear the sea and I could taste the scones and angel cakes. I could feel the tension and the dark shadows inside Manderley, lurking in corners and nooks, and the shadows inside its inhabitants. Manderley will have a special place in my heart for some time, as will this book as a whole.

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yolanda_h's reviews 284 reviews

yolanda_h's reviews
284 reviews