mar's reviews
358 reviews

Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger by Ken Perenyi

informative medium-paced

4.0

a not particularly well written book by a deeply insufferable man but GOD what an unbelievably fascinating story

The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt

adventurous mysterious slow-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

2.25

priscilla "hutch" hutchins is bisexual. jack mcdevitt doesn't know this but i do

anyway kind of impressive how this book managed to make xenoarchaeology (easily one of the top #3 tropes guaranteed to make me go crazy) kinda boring. booooo where's the creativity

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Racism and Sexism

Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.25

books that make you go "maybe being infected and consumed from within by a horrifying alien ecosystem that makes me an interconnected part of itself so fully i never feel lonely again wouldn't be the WORST solution to my problems actually"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Slavery

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, and Gun violence

Minor: Torture

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

here's the thing. i ADORE the way holly jackson writes mysteries, they're so carefully planned and well thought-out and seeing the pieces come together to form the solution is very satisfying. #1 author that makes me wanna go it's always sunny pepe silvia meme halfway through the book <3

however. the idea that

the fallout from the revelations of the novel's climax could get so easily and neatly wrapped up into a happy ending with a bow on top

just makes NO DAMN SENSE TO ME

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility and Rape

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.5

literally had to come back and up my rating after a couple of days bc i cant stop thinking about this book. i want what they have

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death and Miscarriage

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

HOLY SHIT

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Body horror, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

really loved most of this book!!! i do think the climax was weirdly tonally dissonant but for 90% of the story i was having a great time :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Transphobia

Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo

sad fast-paced

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

1.5

idk i think this should've gotten more fucked up sorry. i mean i got the themes it was going for - kinship with animals, ethics in science/research, loneliness, repression - but it just fell competely flat for me :/ 

also, very confused as to why this book is labelled as horror - it's unsettling in the way a nonfiction book about climate change is unsettling, but i really wouldn't call it horror. unless you're creeped out by a failing marriage ig

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Racism and Sexism

README.txt: a Memoir by Chelsea Manning

dark informative medium-paced

5.0

as someone who was only vaguely familiar with chelsea manning's story beforehand - i'm not american & was a child when it all went down - learning what she had to endure was absolutely infuriating. nothing new i know but GOD the shit the american military gets away with is fucking mind-boggling

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and War