gvstyris's reviews
66 reviews

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is one of the most inventive and creatively inspiring novels I’ve ever read, and I’m so excited to discuss it in class tomorrow! 

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

adventurous reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I’m constantly in awe of queer history and culture, man

The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

the homoerotic tension between you, an emotionally constipated duke with daddy issues, and your wife’s brother, an equally emotionally constipated 28-year-old man with small dick energy 🤩

that was 12 hours of my life I’ll never get back </3 I’ll miss Simon’s ICY blue eyes very deeply 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, and Death of parent

Minor: Violence

Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal by J.K. Rowling

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death and Murder

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

Alias Grace is the most ‘Handmaid’s-coded’ Atwood novel I’ve read in a while, and man, I missed it. Lots of research to do now, though 😅 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Sexism

The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

 Victims. Victims of a transitional period of morality. That is what we both certainly are. 

Funnily enough, The Setting Sun reminded me of El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba: both are novels I deeply respect the literary/cultural significance of, but struggled to connect with because of the very literary techniques they're renowned for. That being said, there are some beautiful images here, and

Naoji's final letter really resonated with me.

. 

I also can't help but feel like this novel was somewhat lost in translation for me, unfortunately. 

But perhaps, just as it is true of my love, they could not go on living except in the way they do. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and War

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. 

I can’t rate this any higher in good faith because of its handling of sexual violence, the presentation of the Dothraki and the youth of its characters, but man, there’s just something about the original ASOIAF novels that House of the Dragon and the Game of Thrones adaptation can’t quite capture.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Honestly, I’m just glad it’s over; this book was way too Cat's Eye-adjacent for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Confinement, Sexism, Islamophobia, Toxic friendship, and Deportation