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josefinceh's reviews
77 reviews
Flickan med sju namn by Hyeonseo Lee, David John
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.5
Read the Swedish translation.
The girl with seven names is about the authors life in North korea, how she escaped and, how she came back to get her mother and brother out as well.
The story gets you hooked quickly as Lee describes her childhood in North Korea. She goes into great detail both about the happy times as well as the fear and paranoia that is so deeply ingrained in their culture. Throughout the book she gives you just enough of a hint for you to see where things might be going but still keeps you at the edge of your seat to see what will happen.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although I did find the writing to be a little bit stocky (possibly due to the translation).
The girl with seven names is about the authors life in North korea, how she escaped and, how she came back to get her mother and brother out as well.
The story gets you hooked quickly as Lee describes her childhood in North Korea. She goes into great detail both about the happy times as well as the fear and paranoia that is so deeply ingrained in their culture. Throughout the book she gives you just enough of a hint for you to see where things might be going but still keeps you at the edge of your seat to see what will happen.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although I did find the writing to be a little bit stocky (possibly due to the translation).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Police brutality, and Trafficking
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Domestic thriller with unlikeable characters and unreliable narrators. Nick's wife Amy disappears the day of their five-year wedding anniversary. The police suspects that Nick is responsible, while he stands firm in his claim to innocence looking at any potential suspect who could have taken his wife.
My guess is that it, like with many thrillers, is best to have as little information as possible before the fact. The hype surrounding the film (and the book) meant that I had been spoiled on a few of the bigger twists. Luckily, the spoilers had been vague enough that it felt like it elevated the story for the most part. I knew what was going to happen, just not how or when.
The book really sucks you in, skilfully revealing just enough information to keep you curious, but not enough so that you see what will happen next. If you have an interest in psychology, this would be quite a treat. While the characters are unlikeable they feel infinitely complex, no action is unmotivated.
Some parts felt like they dragged on. Nicks character going on and on about childhood memories is one example. These lulls had a tenancy to feel repetitive. Really dancing in circles around the point we need to grasp to move on. There was also a theme between a lot of the characters of a general hate for all women. It does not feel as intrusive towards the end. In the beginning, however, the point that they all have a resentment for women became a little too hammered in.
Overall, thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Vinterträdgården by Christine Falkenland
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Not much for Poetry in a fiction trench coat. Also, overall, having a very hard time grasping what is happening and when time shifts and so on.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Little women tell the story of the March family, mainly Jo and her four sisters (Meg, Beth and Amy) as well as the Laurence family next door, over the course of 15 years from the girls being teenagers to way into adulthood. The story discusses themes such as family, love, ambition/dreams and class/poverty. Most of all, the book is about being grateful for the things you do have in life.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and exploring the character and relationships between the four sisters. The entire story has this romantic feel to it, treasuring every moment like it would be the last. You get a great connection to all the characters and the ups and downs of their lives. Even the part that I've heard a lot of complaints about ( When Jo declines Laurie's proposal and Laurie ends up with Amy in stead ) felt very natural to me. This might be because I already knew what would happen from seeing the film. It is beautifully written, and the dialogue has a lovely rhythm like a classic Hollywood film.
I did find that towards the end the pacing slowed down significantly, frustrating given that the book already has a very slow pace to begin with. The second con with this book comes from its habit of becoming overly preachy at times, especially when dealing with themes like loss, sickness and poverty. This bothered me mainly because I'm not a religious sort of person, but if you have a connection to the Christian faith you might feel different.
I recommend the book to anyone who wants a relaxing, though somewhat emotional at times, read. Or If you have watched any of the film/TV adaptations and want to explore the characters further.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Violence
A number of instances of ethnic stereotypes, both from the narrator and characters. I didn't notice any of them being specifically derogatory, but still worth taking note.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is the book that made me realise that gothic stories might not be my thing...
Jane Eyre follows the titular character through a large portion of her young life as she travels from one abusive household to the next. An orphan and left in an abusive home, Jane grows a strong will and sense of independence, rarely buckling from her own thoughts and will. What makes her stand out from other women in this era is that Jane travels like a man of her time. Majority of the time when she moves it is on her own accord and by her own means.
Jane Eyre follows the titular character through a large portion of her young life as she travels from one abusive household to the next. An orphan and left in an abusive home, Jane grows a strong will and sense of independence, rarely buckling from her own thoughts and will. What makes her stand out from other women in this era is that Jane travels like a man of her time. Majority of the time when she moves it is on her own accord and by her own means.
Like what you might expect from a book by one of the Brontë sisters, this one is packed with abuse and dark themes. However, this one is definitely one of the lighter stories. So if you've been curious about Brontë and this literary era, this iconic book might be a good place to start.
My main dislike and discomfort of the story comes from the relationship between Mr. Rochester and Jane. The dynamic of the relationship made me incredibly uncomfortable due to its abusive nature. Jane is blinded by her affection for Mr. Rochester in a way that I could never completely comprehend. As he harms and lies to her, ending each action with a declaration that his affection for Jane should be obvious, still not denying that he might hurt her again. Perhaps there is a comparison to real life abusive relationships that can be seen here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I like to preface this with noting that I did listen to this as an audiobook, which usually results in me not paying as much attention to the story as I would if I read a physical copy.
I feel like this is a lighter option to Moby Dick as far as how in depth Verne goes with the science fact. The story wasn't held up by the factual notes, and Veren's picturesque description of the world he draws is just as intriguing in this book as with his others. This story had a lot of ups and downs, at some parts it was extremely intriguing, and the rest was incredibly slow and just seemed to drag on.
I feel like this is a lighter option to Moby Dick as far as how in depth Verne goes with the science fact. The story wasn't held up by the factual notes, and Veren's picturesque description of the world he draws is just as intriguing in this book as with his others. This story had a lot of ups and downs, at some parts it was extremely intriguing, and the rest was incredibly slow and just seemed to drag on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Blood
Minor: Racism
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was my first time reading any Tolkien, so without any reliance on nostalgia I can confidently tell that I enjoyed every page.
From what I've heard of the Lord of the Rings books, the hobbit definitely seem like the lighter option. I had been warned that Tolkien has a habit of getting to into the details, no matter how insignificant. However, I did not find that to be an issue at all. Any insignificant detail was only briefly mentioned and helps make the world feel more well-rounded and interesting. I got incredibly invested in the characters and their motivations for this journey.
It has most likely been said many times, but the one wish I have for this book is for just a few female characters in the mix.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Animal death
Warning for the f-slur. In this context it means a bundle of stick used for a fire. It pops up in a song in chapter three.
Cheese in the Trap, Season 4 by Soonkki
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Stalking
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Homophobia
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
adventurous
dark
medium-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? It's complicated
2.5
The second book in the Themsis files. Following the employees at the EDC after the discovering and learning to control Themsis, the ancient giant robot with backwards legs. The atmosphere gets tenser when another giant robot appears in the middle of London and standing in silence as the characters try to figure out how to react.
The book really has a lot of good mixed with a lot of "meh". The characters of the story just didn't come across as clearly and honestly lost a lot of their personality, or the traits that had been established in the previous book. This became especially clear with Kara and Vincent whom, I felt, made a pretty much total reset as characters.
It's also worth noting that the recordings format that the books have didn't work as well as in the previous book, especially since there were a lot more characters at play which made some "recordings" a bit confusing and I often mixed up which character said what.
What I was disappointed by: Karas development
I was really frustrated with how Kara was built up to be this really strong character but kinda became a pushover and just there to move the plot forward. She was strongly against both children and marriage and ended up having both (a very frustrating recurring thing in media), the only point to have her around was to bring Eva into the story, and then when the brought Eva in and introduced her to Vincent, Kara's role was over, and so she was killed of.
What I liked: Mr Burns, More about the mystery interviewer, Rose Franklin
let's start with Mr. Burns, probably my favourite and most interesting character of the entire book, I don't really have much to say about him, I just really enjoyed the chapters where he was around.
Mystery Interviewer, I was really surprised that he also was killed of, I do still like that you get some Insight into his life, his son and how he ended up doing what he was doing. Especially liked the part of him basically saying "I don't work for anyone, people just think I'm scary either way"
Rose was also a high point for me, I loved her development as the characters and her understandable struggle with coming back to life not knowing what had happened. I do wish that her talking to Mystery Interviewer from beyond the grave would be a recurring thing, that he would be some support for her even after death.
What I wished for it: Strip it down and focus on fewer things instead of trying to deal with everything that could be important for the next book.
The book really has a lot of good mixed with a lot of "meh". The characters of the story just didn't come across as clearly and honestly lost a lot of their personality, or the traits that had been established in the previous book. This became especially clear with Kara and Vincent whom, I felt, made a pretty much total reset as characters.
It's also worth noting that the recordings format that the books have didn't work as well as in the previous book, especially since there were a lot more characters at play which made some "recordings" a bit confusing and I often mixed up which character said what.
What I was disappointed by: Karas development
What I liked: Mr Burns, More about the mystery interviewer, Rose Franklin
Mystery Interviewer, I was really surprised that he also was killed of, I do still like that you get some Insight into his life, his son and how he ended up doing what he was doing. Especially liked the part of him basically saying "I don't work for anyone, people just think I'm scary either way"
Rose was also a high point for me, I loved her development as the characters and her understandable struggle with coming back to life not knowing what had happened. I do wish that her talking to Mystery Interviewer from beyond the grave would be a recurring thing, that he would be some support for her even after death.
What I wished for it: Strip it down and focus on fewer things instead of trying to deal with everything that could be important for the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism and Body horror
Minor: Grief