nathalia

i read Pedro the Vast and honestly... i was kind of lost.

there were definitely moments that felt insightful and philosophical, like lines that made me pause, but overall it just didn't fully land for me. maybe some of it went over my head, and i'm okay with that, but it never pulled me in enough to want to sit with it or think about it deeper.

it was interesting, just not engaging in a way that made me care to unpack it any further.

notes on your sudden disappearance by alison espach is a quiet, reflective read that will probably stay with me. if you go in looking for plot, you might miss what it's bringing. this isn't about one moment changing everything, it's about how life continues and slowly absorbs grief over time.

it really captures how something sudden can stay with you, even when you're supposed to be “over” it. i read it through the lens of how grief manifests, especially between siblings, and that's where it hit. sally doesn't just lose her sister, she carries her, staying in conversation with her in a way that feels both beautiful and heartbreaking.

not a dramatic read - just honest on grief soft, reflective, and quietly devastating.

how not to drown in a glass of water by angie cruz was a bit of a slow start for me. at first i struggled with the writing style and found it a little distracting, but once i settled into it and understood what the story was doing, it really started to click.

the novel unfolds almost like a conversation, and by the end it felt like sitting with your grandmother while she tells you the story of her life — the good parts and the ugly parts alike. there's something very human about the way cara shares her experiences, sometimes messy, sometimes funny, and often painfully honest.

what i appreciated most was how the book quietly opens a window into the lives of immigrants and older people in america. we often see these communities only from the outside, but through cara's voice we get to see the complexity of her life, her pride, her struggles, and the circumstances that shaped her decisions.

once i understood the rhythm of the storytelling, i ended up really enjoying it. it's a small story in many ways, but a thoughtful one that lingers.

the guest by emma cline was such a chaotic and unsettling read. alex is a deeply messy character, someone who feels very broken but also hyper-aware of her own flaws in a way that allows her to justify them rather than change.

there's something both depressing and oddly honest about the way she moves through the world. she adapts, observes, and manipulates, all while maintaining a kind of detached awareness of herself that never quite leads to growth.

i found myself wishing i knew more about her, but i think that absence is intentional. she feels less like a fully formed person and more like someone constantly reacting and surviving in the moment.

the ending fell a bit flat for me, but it also felt like the only way the story could end. there's no real resolution or transformation, just continuation. unsettling, frustrating, and very much the point.

a town called solace by mary lawson was such a good palate cleanser for me. i'd honestly describe it as grief-emotion lite. it still carries emotional weight, but in a way that feels gentle and grounding rather than overwhelming.

i really loved how all the characters' stories tied together. the connections between them felt natural and quietly satisfying. liam finding a sense of home, elizabeth stepping into a kind of unexpected maternal role while still carrying her own grief, and clara finding comfort and safety in liam, especially in the ways they mirror each other in small, subtle ways.

the novel does a beautiful job showing how grief can shape people's actions, but also how connection can soften that weight. i was left wondering about a few things at the end, but the way everything came together, especially with moses, left me with such a warm feeling.

a quiet, thoughtful story that lingers in a really comforting way.