youreawizardjerry's reviews
110 reviews

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I appreciate the heart of this story a ton, and it's intense layers.
Like Shrek, its an onion (it has layers!!!), and like an onion, it made me cry. Sob. Several times. Chunky Studio Ghibli tears.
On top of that, as someone who's usually not a fan of following action scenes in novels, this fucking rocked on that front too. It maybe changed my thoughts on it altogether. It can be good people! This is the first I've ever read a book like this and I easily stayed engaged the whole time. I never, not once, knew what was coming next either.

It had it's moments that could have been omitted, especially for its length, but overall a solid emotional ride well navigated and executed. This book has brought my soul something necessary and unreplicable that I'll be ruminating on for the next few weeks. Definitely a new M. L. Wang fan.

PS I love u Setsuko i am free on thursday night thursdays i am free
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The two sweet creatures in trousers have my whole heart. 
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Gosh, there were many interesting bits and bobs throughout this book... but they never became much more than that. The heart of this novel is fascinating yet for a world that is presented as vast and complex as it is, the scope of the story is actually quite restrained. Ultimately, not much happens and there are a whole lotta words for a whole little happenings--which could still have packed a critical punch-- but unfortunately those little happenings were not very engaging to read either.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
gave it the whole first section and still just couldnt get into it
Foster by Claire Keegan

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

i dont have anything to say and da said thats ok <3
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

phenomenal!!! im sobbing!!!
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

as a queer who once desperately tried not to be, this struck many sympathetic chords (to say the least). There is a distinct sabotage in the self-hatred fallout where one can't help but grossly implicate the innocents who love them most. That inevitability lives in these pages, evocative and still deeply relatable despite them being over 65 years old. The intersecting identities surrounding our morally gray characters were expertly woven in (obvi it's james baldwin) and created such vividly believable scenes and emotional dialogue. And all in under 200 pages?! Fucking legend. I'm just echoing what y'all already know but wow. A very human story that a very human me will keep in my human memory box for a very long time. Loooved.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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medium-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
esthers biggest mental illness is actually her being a racist *ptooey* yet its the one she doesnt care to work on, go figure
there is a testament to it still being relatable and technically well-written (again, aside from the hitler greenwood moments).... but even accepting it as a product of its time (which some of y'all are leaning enthusiastically heavy on as rebuttal) i still found it lukewarm at best and mostly at worst. a few hahaha-I-do-that moments don’t change that fact for me. im not one of the girlies that this is for, and I’m clearly in the minority here, which i think is fine (but esther would not) 
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.75

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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just let my good sis stock the items, damn