johnbat's reviews
86 reviews

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.75

It feels like it was written by a man, but it was written by a woman. The various females characters in the book feel incomplete and serve only to fulfill a purpose in the male narrator’s life. 

Sometimes the action in the narration was a little hard to cipher because of the overwhelming use of the pronoun “he” when referencing the narrator.

The ending felt out of character - only in character in the fact the the narrator once again reveals that this one-dimensional female character, Jasmine, is going to be slaughtered.

The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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? No

4.25

very imaginative, setting, and very effective language for the story.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

as someone who is new to translated fiction, I did find some of the language sometimes a little confusing. In terms of character conversation, I felt as though there were unusual changes in tempo in the dialogue. However, these are nitpicky comments, and I overall thought it was a wonderful book that reflected on the philosophy of science and mathematics and the nature of the universe.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

adventurous funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Next to Normal by Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

adventurous inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5