zatannacomic's reviews
115 reviews

Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au

relaxing slow-paced

3.25

This is a short and sweet book about family, understanding and remembering each other. It's an just okay book to me. The writing was average to me, nothing stood out to me about it. The characters and their actions were interesting though. There were lots of thoughts and feelings explored and I can always appreciate that reflective element in a story. 

Assembly by Natasha Brown

medium-paced

3.25

A short book with an important message, but  I wasn’t obsessed with it. There is too little happening and too little focus on the characters, so I didn’t connect to this story. On top of that, I found that the ending was very random and open, but not in a way that made me ask questions or imagine what would have happened. 

Eve out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.0

It’s a collection of short chapters about messy lives and complicated people. It’s a story told from four perspectives and each has their own voice. However I’m not sure if I really enjoyed this?

The story was interesting at the start, but kind of dips toward the middle of the book, then picks up for a moment again, but loses steam again in the last quarter of the book. There were interesting elements, but nothing really fully got my attention.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

I liked this book, but I felt like the plot was lacking or confusing in some parts. The language used, while beautiful, made this a really difficult read, since it was too much flowery language. 

What shined in this book for me were the characters. I loved the dynamic between the main character and the plague doctor. The other characters involved were interesting. 

The Half of It by Madison Beer

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

This memoir made me get to know Madison and her struggles better. She gives an interesting perspective on fame and the effects it had on her mental health. She is very reflective over her own life and speaks as someone who has grown. 

The audiobook was pleasant to hear. She has a great voice to listen to. The writing of the book was nothing super special, but it was understandable. Near the end, the book got a little repetitive. Lastly, the journal prompts are a cool idea, but I appreciated the 'Dear Madison' questions way more.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, عدنية شبلي

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I read this to try and understand the (history of) the horrible situation that’s currently going on. This book shows the point of view of an unnamed Palestinian girl, discovering and trying to research a crime that happened before she was born. 

 

What adds to the story is that no one is named, which to me shows that what happens isn’t an exception, it’s the norm.

This in reference to the meaning of the title makes this book even more sad and painful. It also makes it an important book to read. 

De avond is ongemak by Lucas Rijneveld

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

This book is shockingly gross. It reminded me of the uncomfortable feeling I had while reading Lapvona. At certain points it was a bit too much for me. I’m conflicted though, since this was well-written. I underlined many beautiful lines in this book. 

While I usually don’t mind books with little plot, however I did miss more depth in this story. Especially when there is potential in the story. There was a fantastic novel brewing in this book, but it got hidden behind the body horror (if that’s the right word to use), but I’m not author so maybe I can’t really say that. 

I think that if I had known some of the content warnings before I started reading, I probably would not have picked this up. However I am interested in reading more from this author (but maybe I’ll look into the content warnings first). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Incest, Suicide, and Grief

Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? by Linda Nochlin

inspiring fast-paced

4.25

A lot of meaningful lines were written in this article. It was interesting, I learned a lot and would recommend this to everyone who wants to read more feminist and/or art-related books.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

I breezed through this book and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a great book to get you out of a reading slump. 
It's a book with lots to say and with characters that have much to achieve. Bonnie Garmus is a great writer - even if she uses all caps yelling, which i hate. However her writing is understandable, even when writing about chemistry. 

The protagonists are likeable and inspiring. I found them a little one dimensional at some points, but I still could connect with them and that's more important to me. 

 

My only little issue was the ending. I’m kind of conflicted on that. While there were hints through out the book, it still felt too fast. Even when the hints aren't what you think they are. Still adored the book, so I’m not mad about it.

 

The Vampyre; A Tale by John Polidori

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

3.75

I enjoyed this short story. I would love to read a book that explored the storyline further and longer, since it has great potential. However I liked this as an addition to my list of vampire stories. The writing was fine, bit aged and confusing at some parts, but I managed.