kat 🍓

4:

Aw, man. That was so freakin' cute. I totally decided to read this because the first episode dropped yesterday, and after watching it I realized, I'm already rooting so hard for Mitsumi to do well that I just had to read the manga immediately.

As a bonus, the art style is LOVELY!! And the characters, too. Can't wait for Kurume to come out of her shell, and for Mika to let loose. That ‘mean girl playing nice' trope is so worn out, and I can tell she can be genuinely nice. Give in to the power of friendship, Mika!!

This seems like a good start to the story, very fun. I wanna know what happens next!

3:

Midway through reading this I got an ear infection and it was so awful, I'll forever and always relate this book to that. Maybe that's why I feel like I didn't appreciate this as much as the works of Banana that I've already gone through. I certainly experienced the familiar, out-of-body sensation that her writing evokes on me, but I didn't connect with these stories in the way I was hoping.

My biggest let down was for sure the last story in this short collection, Asleep, which gives the book its name. Terako's listlessness and her going through life as if disconnected from it, her escapism through sleep, they are feelings and states of mind I know really well. And I'd love if they'd been navigated differently, but it was all tied to a relationship to a man blander than flour; I just couldn't buy it. As for the other two stories, they were okay. They all had Banana's charm, and as usual it is a delight to read through her characters' internal monologues, but this is a story I feel I won't be revisiting.

4:

For what it's worth, even though this was gloomier than the first two installments from the get-go and infinitely more frustrating, and although it is still following the same formula of the Baudelaires get a new caretaker -> Olaf shows up in disguise -> nobody believes it when the orphans point it out -> Olaf murders the guardian -> the Baudelaires are, yet again, sad and homeless; we can already see there's a tiiiny bit of character development peeking out. The children are getting—justifiably— angry. Sunny MVP all my homies love and cherish little Sunny.

Aunt Josephine was incredibly obnoxious and selfish and ungrateful and, frankly, she was an overall terrible person. Why does Mr. Poe never do any background checks before just handing these traumatized children over to any ol' Joe Schmoe or Plain Jane? But Jo also was very valid. I, too, am afraid of most things.

Anywho, this is the kind of behavior the Baudelaire orphans deal with on a daily basis:

“These are very serious accusations,” Mr. Poe said firmly. “I understand that the three of you have had some terrible experiences, and I hope you're not letting your imagination get the best of you. Remember when you lived with Uncle Monty? You were convinced that his assistant, Stephano, was really Count Olaf in disguise.”“But Stephano was Count Olaf in disguise,” Klaus exclaimed.“That's not the point,” Mr. Poe said.”

RIP to the dummies who don't listen to the kids who are repeatedly right but I'm different.

3:

Everyone was singing their praises for this book and I have a free Scribd subscription so I thought, what the hell I'll give it a go. It was a spur of the moment thing, I planned on finishing it over the weekend, but I was hooked and done in a day. Boy that was wacky.

I gotta say, the audiobook performance was stellar. It's only two people narrating the whole book! It felt like a full cast kinda thing, wow. The narrators were so talented, I feel like their performance absolutely enhanced the quality of the story. They portrayed each character in such a natural, human way, with sighs and stuttering and getting choked up, they had different accents for a few of the characters, too. My god, I'd listen to it again just to drink in the storytelling.

As for the story itself, it was okay. Not perfect by any means, it had its issues. I mean, I can sort of pretend the whole 0 to 100 pace everything took to get going deal wasn't as bonkers as it was, because I remember what people were like with toilet paper at the beginning of the pandemic. It's ridiculous, but easily overlooked. And the time frame being confusing could be attributed to having a bunch of people telling their side of the story, and misremembering stuff, I suppose. What I REALLY didn't fuck with was the “aaah kids with their Facebook and their internet and their phones glued to their hands mutter mutter grumble grumble” thing that was brought up throughout the whole damn book. They seriously stated that all that shit went down because the “kids” didn't have their phones and were oh so very bored. For real? It was irritating.

However, I took this as a light (?) story that was meant only as entertainment and not as food for thought, and damn if I wasn't entertained. That one chapter, the one with the guy in the hotel? Nightmare fuel. Last night I had to convince myself to close my eyes and fall asleep, I was so scared.

There were also a lot of characters that I adored, like Jill, Sophie, and Clara, they were so badass. I liked Stu, and the guy from the hotel who's name I don't recall, and I really enjoyed Gregg's chapter, it was hilarious.

I feel like the book would've been wonderful if Mike had focused on more plot points instead of trying to pin everything on the youth's inability to think without a phone, but I'd still recommend this (the audiobook version, because I think it makes up for a lot of the issues) if you want a fun story and a quick scare. Hell, you could read the hotel chapter by itself as a stand-alone short story, it's seriously THAT good.

3:

Okay. I got the crap spooked out of me. Well... kinda. Anthologies tend to be sort of like mixed bags of goodies, and this was no exception.

The first story, El Chico Sucio, I read at night, sitting by myself in the front porch of my hotel room in Panama. I finished it and hurried along inside, doing my damnednest not to look behind. Then it was the same with La Hostería, where I looked up every time someone walked by because I was so creeped out. But the hidden jewel in here is for damn sure La Casa de Adela and brother, I was planning on getting a drink of water after writing this, but it's now 4AM and I've changed my mind. I'm sure I can wait until it's light and sunny outside.

Bajo el Agua Negra was a nice blend of creepy and gross and infuriating, but for the rest of the stories I wasn't as affected as I'd expected. By far, my biggest letdown was El Patio del Vecino. It had so much potential, but in the end it seemed silly to me and kind of revolting. Also it made me think about my cats who I'd left at home and it got me worried about them. Maybe it was more effective than I'm giving it credit for.

I haven't read a lot of Latin American horror, but I'm seeing a pattern of it being used for social commentary, which isn't all that unusual, and I appreciate it because it's mainly issues that most of us Latinos have witnessed in each of our countries.

4.5:

INCREDIBLY DEADLY VIPER, NOOO :(

Gee, is there not a single adult in the Baudelaire children's life who isn't either a repugnant jerk, abysmally incompetent and full of themselves, or dead? Why is Mr. Poe in charge, what an irritating little man. But he did deliver the absolute best quote in the whole book:

“Good God! Blessed Allah! Zeus and Hera! Mary and Joseph! Nathaniel Hawthorne!”

This was good! Olaf was nasty Monty was pretty decent! And there was that Herpetological Society dickwad who was rude and dismissive for no reason. Bad, bad, bad. Fuck you, Bruce.

I'm extremely upset at the ambiguous fate given to all the animals, I just can't get over it. WHAT do you mean they might just be put down? I'm heartbroken.

Once again I'm choosing to ignore Lemony Snicket's warnings about this story not going anywhere nice because I'm having so much fun with it. A literal murder takes place in this book, but somehow it's way more hilarious than the first one? Hang in there, Baudelaires!

3:

Overall, I think this is worth the read if you're into the more contemplative face of dystopias. I was pretty enraptured while reading, and the story flowed very easily, but I feel it could've done with a bit more world building. I wish she'd touched a bit upon WHY things were the way they were, you know? I know it wasn't that kind of story but still, I have questions!

Anywho, the characters were interesting, and the story very allegorical. It focuses on the characters, their bonds to each other, to themselves, their past, and their future. If you like this kind of story, you'll probably really enjoy it. I've read it's a 1984 sequel in spirit, but I've never read 1984 so I wouldn't know.

And this is more of a personal thing but I didn't like the romance angle at all. It took me right out of the story; I just can't understand why it had to be taken in that direction. Romance is not crucial in order to convey the depth of a relationship, and in fact I believe it would have been more poignant to show the lengths people are willing to go to for the sake of protecting their friends. It felt off to me, and the guy was married and expecting a child, too. It's like they completely forgot about that until it got to the phone ringing part. For me, it affected my enjoyment of the story.

I did have a good time with the book, because I enjoy Ogawa's prose. I liked The Professor and The Housekeeper loads more, though! It made me cry.

(There was one detail that irked me, and it was that the mom and the girl at the train station gave them an apple AFTER fruit disappeared. What was that about??? They were all casual about it, even though it should've been the riskiest, most careless ‘thsnk-you' in existence? Maybe it signifies something but I can't grasp the meaning with my tiny little brain. Whatever the case, it was an odd choice that fucked with the story's continuity, so weird.)

4.5:

Unfortunately, I loved this very much. There's not that much of a nostalgia factor here for me, because as a child I only ever watched the Jim Carrey adaptation, which aesthetically shaped me as a person during my angsty teens. But I know for certain that, had I picked this book up at 11 when I probably should have, I would've eaten it right up. WHY did the Baudelaires only ever suffer? I can't stand it, I positively HAVE to keep reading because surely the tide will change for them? Surely it will?

Lemony Snickett is also hilarious, and for obvious reasons this book is very short, yet I highlighted a whole bunch of quotes because they made me laugh out loud. The whole vocabulary schtick must be an amusing way for kids to learn new words, I know kid-me would've loved it.

Reading this was way too much fun and I can't wait to get to the rest of the series. I ain't watching the Netflix adaptation though, because I don't like NPH. Sue me.

5:

For years and years I've wanted to get a hold of this book, and I was delighted to finally receive my copy back in February. It's a 29 year old, second-hand, but very well kept copy. Gosh, I love used books.

I adored Kitchen. I lost my grandpa a few months ago, and a sa result gone through my fair share of books regarding grief. Perhaps she's not saying anything that hasn't been said before, but Banana has a way with words that's just so beautiful and touching. I became endeared to the leading ladies in both Kitchen and in Moonlight Shadow—which is a novella that's included in the book. There's healing in the mundaneness of every day life, and I kept rooting for Mikage's determination to feel her pain, but to also not get bogged down by the heaviness of her grief. And although her story wasn't as emotionally taxing (to me) as Mikage's, Satsuki's need for closure and companionship moved me deeply. Reading this book felt like cozying up in bed after having a good, long cry.

I also noticed that, just as she did in Goodbye, Tsugumi, Banana is a master at setting her stage. While reading, it truly feels like you're in Japan in the 90's, with the big sofas and the bright, plant-filled apartments. Really good when you need a pick-me-up.

2.5:

Here's a bunch of god-awful people, and the many expectedly... questionable decisions they made. I almost dropped this, like, 17 different times. I just can't stand the theatrics over their trivial privileged people problems, and the fact that real people don't talk like that was just the cherry on top. It was the whitest thing I ever did read, and I've read Normal People.

Surprisingly, I ended up liking Bobbi the most, even though I metaphorically rolled my eyes every time she opened her mouth at first. And Sally's writing is fairly engaging, even when her dull roster of characters can very much convince you otherwise, and this was shaping up to be a solid 3 star read. But then, that ending... so disappointing, and I didn't even have expectations to begin with. There were aspects of the story in general that I appreciated better here than in Normal People, but absolutely this was a flop for me.

3:

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that.

Well actually, I kinda do know. I'd read and enjoyed Convenience Store Woman, so I was gunning for weird, but cute and whimsical. Instead, I got smacked in the head by domestic abuse and pedophilia like, right at the beginning of the story. Yeah... the explicitness of the latter made me queasy, and I had half a mind to drop the book, but I kept going because I wanted Natsuki to kick everybody in the balls.

That last part was so bonkers though, I'm not too squeamish while reading, but I was cringing and curling my toes. I liked the tone and the underlying message, but geez that was almost comical; I laughed at the “we're all pregnant” comment.

Not my usual choice at all but I still want to read everything else by Sayaka.

Edit: oh my god and there was incest. I forgot about the incest.

4:

In my heart I'm almost certain this could have been a 5 star book, but I can't give it that in good conscience, because there's something deeply unsettling buried in Michelle's memoir, and it rattled me in the worst of ways.

Michelle bared herself in this book. It's raw and authentic, almost seems like too personal a story to be shared. Her grief and hurt run deeply, and they're so palpable, it's almost like they're an entity of their own; and it's made clear that her mother was intrinsically woven into every single facet of her being, so it comes as a shock to absolutely no one that Michelle was ripped to pieces and lost her sense of identity after her death. And that's exactly my issue.

Look, I know as much as every daughter in the history of ever, that the relationship a girl has with her mother is always its own shade of complicated, and everyone processes things differently and whatnot. But I was uncomfortable at so many points in the story. It is one thing to showcase the abuse you've endured, as there are countless valid reasons to do this, and I fully support it. It is another thing entirely to make it seem as if everything that was done to you was fine, forgiven, and forgotten in the end because: 1. Your abuser got cancer and died, 2. You were a “terrible child” and a “troublesome daughter to raise”, 3. That's how immigrant parents are and they got worse done to them from their parents and, 4. They only ever did those things because they are your mother!!! They LOVED you and had your best interests at heart!!!

Fuck outta here. There were some straight up disturbing snippets in the book. She literally said that now it was her turn to be her mother (???). She got MARRIED just because her mother was dying, and the whole ‘I'm only beautiful if my mom thinks I am and without her I am nothing' deal? Shivers.

That being said... well, I did like the book haha. I genuinely felt seen in many of the things Michelle said, as I mentioned, I think every mother/daughter relationship is always complex. I love my mom, but at times she can be my harshest critic, it's true. And yet there's the moments when it really does feel like your mom is the one who'll love you the most. Complicated shit.

I enjoyed her style, and the fact that it was so engaging; I was having a mild reading slump and it took me right out. Her incorporation of food and cooking and culture as healing mechanisms is enthralling, and it may sound weird but my favorite parts in the story were her descriptions of what and why she was cooking, it was delightful.

5:

Short and sweet, but it took me a month to finish it. Man, January sucked major ass. This was all, of course, because of my general state of mind and being, and not a fault of the story.

Even over a year after reading, it won't leave my soul. This little book lingers at the back of my mind at all times when I'm in need of comfort.

(There was an unspeakable act of animal cruelty that broke my heart, I feel that I must mention. Yikes!).

2.5:

There's not a lot I have to say about this book, really. I'd read it was similar to Convenience Store Woman, which I loved because I resonated with it; but I don't see the similarities, other than having a female protagonist with a “menial” job.

I like how descriptive Elisa was of Sokcho, its sights, its inhabitants, and their food. I felt I was walking around with the MC. The dreariness of a tourist location in its off-season made me think of my own home.

I feel like we didn't really get to know the MC that well, and for me it takes away from the story, which doesn't seem to have a plot at all. If her relationship with the Frenchman was a romance, albeit a seemingly unrequited one, it wasn't very convincing. There were different paths the story could have taken, maybe she could have delved deeper on the topic of body image, and beauty standards.

To me it wasn't all that memorable in the end, but it flowed nicely and was easy to read.

1:

Funny story: I went to my local bookstore and saw this book, thought it looked pretty, read the blurb and saw it was about an abortion. It piqued my interest, but I didn't buy it at the moment. Flash forward a few weeks later and I'm back, I don't remember the name or the author but I know it's pink with a girl on it; eventually I spotted this one, and was so delighted at having found it that I bought it right then and there. Turns out the book I was looking for was in fact another one by this author, and it just happens to have a cover that looks almost exactly just like this one. Haha. Anyway. This was so fucking boring.

It's like she had this thing that happened and she wanted to talk about it, mentioned the thing, then started rambling about the geography of her childhood hometown, and the French language. I was bored out of my wits, and the only reason I finished this was because I'd already bought it, and it was very short. I know Annie has won the Nobel prize, but now I don't even want to read the book I was looking for initially, I'm completely put off by her writing. I feel awful for saying this about a memoir—which I usually enjoy reading even if, as is the case here, I don't know the person the book is about—, but I felt nothing reading this, past the initial scene which did genuinely make me interested.

So, this was a disappointing start to my 2023 reading journey. No me tumba un viento frío, though. Onwards!

4:

Squeezed one last book in right before the end of the year! I like having uneven numbers around, so 31 is just perfect. Also kinda loving my new tendency to read a bunch of books by the same writer and have the very last one be my favorite.

The thing about having read three of her novels in quick succession, though, is that I can't help comparing them all. As I said, this is my favorite! But I noticed that, well when you think about it, the leads in Emily's stories could be interchanged and it wouldn't make a huge difference. This is particularly strong regarding the male leads because Alex, Augustus, and Charlie are all the same brand of scruffy, but secretly-soft-and-sweet grump. And the heroines too. They do have layers to themselves but it's really hard to stop thinking about it.

I did like Nora and Charlie way more. They are hilarious together (in fact this book is very funny, and I guffawed all through it so points for that), and Nora does seem to deviate a bit from Emily's heroine mold. I hoped she'd be a bit bitchier, but I enjoyed her sense of humor, and how she navigated through her inner struggles.

Which leads me to my favorite part of the book! Fuck the romance, I'm here for Nora and Libby doing their damndest to not hurt each other and keep their little family together. I was INVESTED. They loved each other so much and I just... UGH. I got teary once they wore each other out and talked about what they were going through, what they were feeling. And the ending was the cherry on top.

I'll read again if I don't like Happy Place as much when it comes out next year. But I feel this was a good choice to close 2022 with.

Can't wait to see what I'll read in 2023!!

3.

Well, fuck. The cheating dad made me cry. Not sob, but a few tears trickled out here and there. And that last part with Shadi made me cry too because it reminded me of my friends, and I love my friends. Shadi was so perfectly my favorite character.

As for the rest, well. I get it, okay? I GET it!! He has a crooked mouth, liquidy dark eyes, messy hair, and rumpled clothes!!!! Got violent flashbacks of shining orbs all over fics (not that that's a bad thing, really. It was just funny how often it was mentioned).

I liked People We Meet On Vacation a lot better. Here, it took me so long to warm up to the main characters, I feel like it dragged on a bit too much at the beginning. But I ended up liking them just fine. I didn't like Pete at all, though. She was very annoying.

The plot was really good even if it took a while to both take off AND land, in my humble opinion. There's just something about broken people finding comfort in each other. In the end, this particular take was not exactly my cup of tea, but I drank it anyways. And I DID cry a bit so I for sure had a good time.

5:

First and foremost, I am a Carrie Soto apologist. I am justifying every single despicable thing Carrie did and said, because I love her. Oh Carrie, you and I are in a parasocial relationship, except ours is way worse than every other parasocial relationship, because you don't even exist ♡

I say that, but I didn't know who to root for at the end, because I am tender-hearted and I love Nicki Chan as well. I had an inkling of what she'd turn out to be like, but damn, she was so much better. What blossomed out of her and Carrie's rivalry felt like a breath of fresh air. I wanted it and squealed with glee when it happened, because I did not dare just hope for it.

This was everything I'd ever wanted from a TJR novel and although at times it was predictable and somewhat clichéd, as it stands, it is perhaps my favorite out of all of them. I couldn't put it down. Just... wow. Consider me wowed.

My heart raced and leaped and broke. I am sad to part ways with Carrie and Javier (that's where most of my heart broke), and Bowe, Nicki and Gwen, but it was so fun a ride.

4:

Am I giving this book 4 stars solely on the fact that it made me cry, even when there were a whole bunch of things I disliked about it? Yeah, pretty much so. It's hard to get my feelings straight about it.

I was 20% into the story and three sex scenes with six different people had already taken place. Why? I mean, I think TJR was trying to draw a parallel and so it made sense, and that might be okay for some readers, but to me it was too much. Then there were also too many side characters that I did not care about, and wish weren't included. Like the threesome lady, and the chandelier drunk, and Vaughn that got about three whole pages. What was that for? At the party ending scene I didn't feel a thing when we learned what came of them, it was annoying.

And of course, the men, who all sucked here. Not sure if BranRan was just too cartoonish, or if men are in fact just that ridiculous. My favorite quote in the book was “Kit regretted every single choice she'd made that had brought her to this moment.This is what she had always wanted to avoid: being forced to pretend men were interesting.”

Having said that, as always, TJR just has a knack for punching through a rib cage and squeezing hearts tight. The first time I lost it was when June decided to love Hud. I loved June so much. And her children. I basically spent all of part two crying. I cried when Nina had to take over, and her growth was wonderful. I cried through Kit's self-acceptance journey, cried when Hud did after Jay told him what he needed. I cried when they took Casey in and cried at the climax of the story and I cried at the resolution. Basically I am dehydrated now.

The most beautiful thing in the story was the deep love and loyalty the Riva kids felt for each other, how they respected each other. I adored how they always were looking out for one another, even though it may hurt them. They were all my favorites, although I do have a soft spot for Kit.

Yeah. I wasn't in love with the whole thing, but it's like the family dynamics story was tailor-made for me.

(It feels so right to be wrong and Carrie Soto I loved you from the moment you rolled over in bed at Brandon's whining. She sucked so bad, I'm so excited to start her story)

3.7:

Why can't I have a Swapna Bakshi-Highsmith in my life? I am in love with her.

Poppy and Alex are so adorable, I can almost forgive them for sounding a bit like millennial Buzzfeed employees at times. And I know Poppy's whole character arc revolved around how the fancy traveling and lush vacations weren't in fact the things that brought her joy and happiness, but I'm still jealous, okay?! Let a girl dream! I have the same issues she had—particularly (excruciatingly) the career burnout—, though mine are decidedly not as glamorous, and this story felt like a respite. But also I want to love someone as hard as this, and now I hate my job even more.

I wish Emily had elaborated a bit more on Alex's POV, though. Because for a while there I was convinced he actually just loved Poppy as a sister. He revealed the depth of his feelings later on but all the same, I was a bit irked.

Weighing my options because I want to read another book by Emily and I can't decide between Beach Read and Book Lovers. I think I'll go for the latter since it came out this year and I'm particular like that.

3.5:

The way I felt about this book must be how some people feel about the Kardashians: mildly entertained because I'm a sucker for observing trashy people, except this was trashy (affectionate), and the Kardashians are just trash. It's a mess and I couldn't and wouldn't avert my eyes. Perfect choice of book to steer my attention away from cramps and period blues.

It was fun to read in this format, especially because it just felt like a long conversation, and I love books that are rich in dialogue. TJR has a real gift when it comes to writing like this, and she brings life and personality to each of her characters. I think it'd make sense to have another go at this book after the author reveal; perhaps I'll get to it right before the mini series comes out.

Can't give this more than 3.5 because this story didn't speak to me even though it should have, I mean, Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies. The thing is, well, I didn't really grow fond of anyone here. And the whole thing with Camila is just... girl. I don't know anyone like that in real life, I asked my friends what they'd do in that situation, and the general consensus was: fuck that noise.

(I liked Pete the best and I'm bummed they cut him from the series. Dude got his girl, got his fun, got his coin and fucked right off. Pop off, my liege.)

4.7:

Yes, hello. I'd like to add my name to the list of people ready to lay their lives down for Zoey Roberts, please.

It wasn't hard to quit this book the first time I picked it up, once I realized it'd be better to get The Glass Hotel out of the way first, and that was because I wasn't invested. There was the Edwin storyline, and frankly it put me off, I don't think we needed all of that. Not that it was bad, but after finishing the book and realizing how amazing it ended up being, I wish Emily had elaborated more on Gaspary's POV instead. The beginning is, for me, what keeps it from being a solid 5 star book.

Now then, Sci-fi is not what I usually gravitate towards, but holy shit, that was intense and I did NOT see the twist coming. I loved all the little references to Emily's other works, the details that connected everything. I loved the humanity of the characters, loved how they touched on so much more than just time travel.

Zoey and Gaspary's relationship was so sweet and heartbreaking, and it got my sisters wondering why I was so clingy for, like, a week. Also Gaspary was a hoot, I laughed loudly at his blunt lines so many times.

This was great but also emotionally draining, and so I'm officially on a sad-book-hiatus, and also a pandemic-book-hiatus, until my little heart recovers.

4:

I could tell Agamemnon was a little bitch from the get-go, because his name is so bothersome to pronounce, yeah?

What I liked the most about this book, was the feeling it gave me. You know how some books just have the vibe that tells you they must be read all cozied-up in bed, preferably with the sound of pouring rain on the window? Yeah. I felt transported, and—as infuriating as Achilles can get—I know this is one I'll read over and over again.

I'll confess I wasn't sold on Patroclus at first, because he reminded me of those bland girls in teen stories that always get the popular guy by virtue of being the main character. There was a bit of spunk there, and that was it. But then he came into his own and I was ecstatic to see his growth. When the story got to what he did after Achilles lost himself and deserted Briseis (whom I adored), I was in deep. Patroclus best boy, he's my favorite character, perhaps along with Chiron.

The flourishing of the boys' relationship was lovely, and I adored the Pelion storyline, in fact I half-hoped they'd linger a bit more in the calm, but once the action kicked-off, I was pumped and I inhaled it. It's so well-written that it's nearly impossible to put it down.

(There's a whole bunch of rapists in here but this is set in Ancient Greece so I guess that's par for the course. Still, big yikes.)

3.5:

This is only the second book by Emily St. John I have read, and yet it's twice now that she's made my favorite character kick the bucket :( you stop that, Emily >:c

Perhaps, because of the deep fondness I have for Station Eleven, I had incredibly high expectations for this one, and although the storyline was fascinating, it fell a little flat for me.

For one, I thought the whole “why don't you swallow broken glass?” graffiti shtick was blown ridiculously out of proportion. I mean, I can sort of see what the intention was but, seriously? Vincent cried over it? The whole outrage around it? I don't get it, the drama. Be for fucking real, it sounds like a 13 year-old's idea of a witty comeback, at best. I just don't see anyone in real life reacting in the way everyone did, and I couldn't keep from being annoyed every time it came up.

Then there's the fact that Emily can be INCREDIBLE when it comes to handling a large roster of characters, but that quality didn't shine as bright in here as it did in Station Eleven. There were a few characters that popped in, then were mentioned again later on and I'd be like, who's this again?

I was quite amused, however, by the fact that I didn't actually like any of the characters. They were all terrible, selfish, greedy, shitty people. I particularly hated Johnathan, for obvious reasons, but I felt repulsed every time Paul made an appearance. Snivelly little prick. it's funny because I'd accidentally started reading Sea of Tranquility before this, read the first scene he was in, and it was on sight. Disgusting. See? I'm already irritated.

Now for the good, I was tense and on edge at so many points in the story, and I kept pondering over the very real life worry I get sometimes of suddenly losing the very little I own, and what I'd do in that situation. Lose my mind, most likely. I did not need that! I'm shocked that a book about Ponzi schemes could be so entertaining.

I also liked the bits of magical realism. I wonder if those were ghosts, or maybe visitors from somewhere else. Either way I found it oddly charming, and the ending scene was beautiful and moving.

The book was good, I was just expecting something different. I'd still recommend it on the basis that this is Emily St. John Mandel and I want to eat her writing like a dog eats homework. I'm gonna finish reading Song of Achilles, and then finally get to the last installment of this trilogy of sorts. Can't wait!

5:

This was the hardest and longest I've cried over a book this year, and I am so, so sorry that Jaycee and, unfortunately, so many kids around the world have had to go through such sickening ordeals.

And it was so hard to get through. Jaycee has a very sweet voice, and she is quite descriptive of the cruelty she had to endure. I had to physically step away at times because I couldn't handle it, I just can't understand how there can be people like that just walking around, and HOW society all around the world keeps failing these children, and people in need. I am beyond disgusted.

She had so much taken from her, and it's impossible to stomach the unfairness. But despite it all, Jaycee is such an incredible woman, and a loving, devoted mother. Many of my tears were out of anger, but most were because, when she finally takes that deep breath of relief, I felt it too and it shook my whole body.

I am so glad that she and her daughters are out of reach from those revolting individuals, so glad that justice was served in regards to them, and so happy that she is back with her mom and the rest of her family, that she is moving on, and that she can, hopefully, one day, leave this all behind.

(Also I'm not here to pass judgement but I saw people leaving 1 and 2 star reviews because they expected her to write an in-depth psyschoanalysis of her state of mind through this whole thing and I just have to say: eat a dick.)