Mostafa Chizari

"I decipher his face. I observe the corners of his eyes, the edges of his mouth. I list his micro-expressions like an expert in lie detection. I take his temperature. I measure his pressure. I am his cardiogram."

Is she neurotic? Does she have emotionally unstable personality traits? Is she just French??? No. She is just utterly batshit crazy. An unhinged psychopath. And I am here for it, all the way through.

This book is a monologue into her thoughts, and frankly, it is exhausting. Is this really what some people go through? Every tiny stimulus has to be meticulously analysed, and every single action must be pre-planned. There is jumping to conclusions, and then there is this lady, who is practically flying to the moon looking for answers as to why her husband was breathing funny the other night. There is believing in horoscopes, and then there is her: painting each day of the week a certain color to justify her mind-boggling thoughts and actions.

"I have kept a notebook since the beginning of our relationship. In it, I note his kindnesses and his slights. I weigh them. I calculate the balance. I must always owe him nothing, and he must always owe me everything."

It is a profound rollercoaster of a character study. Ventura’s writing is sharp, direct, and keeps you wholly uncomfortable in the exact way a great, dark book should. I finished this in a flash and haven't stopped thinking about how beautifully unhinged the execution was. A true modern classic of the psychological thriller genre.

I did not care for this book, unfortunately.

The whole plot can be summarised into:

1. Neurodivergent woman works in a shop
2. She forms an alliance with a widely despised incel to conform to societal values
3. She slowly realises she is losing herself in the process, and decides to go back to working in a shop

The premise has potential, but I found the execution bland, dry, and flat throughout. The main issue is that the side characters (the incel, their families, the coworkers) were completely devoid of any substance. I enjoyed the philosophies of the village and our innate value as humans within an economic network, but these were only ever superficially discussed. It’s a shame, because it could have been dark and rich material, but it settles for a very simplistic tone instead.

It was easy to read though, so I guess it had that going for it...

I have to start by saying the audiobook is wonderful - I still can’t get the words "little Liesel Meminger" in Rosa's voice out of my head.

Moving on. This is fundamentally a young adult book, so I’m clearly not the target audience. It understandably shies away from being too graphic or overly complex, though the hints of deeper themes are there if you want to dive into analysis and inference. It is well-written, and using Death as a narrator is a refreshing choice, but there is a lot of literary prose for not much gain throughout most of the book (the man waffles about the weather an awful lot).

The middle definitely stretches out, but once again, the audiobook performance saves it and makes the journey worth it, even for an adult reader.

This book tried to do too much and ended up skimming the surface of it's genres. It’s a time-travel tale where the reality-shattering shock of teleportation is glossed over way too quickly, but also a historical look at the brutality of slavery that it mostly just jumps through. It flirts with some fascinating, messy controversies like whether the oppressors deserve a shred of sympathy, but the overall execution feels a bit wishy-washy.

Butler drew heavily from actual slave narratives but watered down the grim reality to cater to a 1970s mass market. Personally? She diluted it too much. The profound moments are there, but they arrive in frustratingly short bursts, and I wish she’d committed to broader, sharper takes. The silver lining to all this dilution is that it makes for a fairly easy read. While it’s definitely not a breathless page-turner, it’s a smooth enough ride with just enough solid moments to keep you moving forward.

This is one hell of a book - and one I never thought I would enjoy. Having read Human Acts, I knew Kang was garish and bold, but I had no idea she could weave a storyline into such a profound, edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster. While she remains brash and direct, the chronology and seamless transitions between chapters mould this into an exquisite narrative, with plenty of subtleties to digest along the way.

It’s a book that made me wholly uncomfortable, in the exact way a great book should. As a man reading into the horrible acts men can do, I followed along with disgust, disdain and trembling fear. Towards the end, I felt a deep urge to reflect on philosophies of life I previously thought were set in stone. That doesn't happen by luck; it’s a testament to the sheer skill and talent Kang clearly possesses.

I finished this book in a single day, and I haven't stopped thinking about it for a month. It has genuinely altered my worldview, and I can ask nothing more of a piece of literature. A true modern classic.