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adhesivedolphin's reviews
105 reviews
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I didn't dislike this one, but I didn't feel like there was enough of a story. I liked the world and wish there was more of it. Unfortunately, the brevity made it fall flat for me. I'll be borrowing bits of this for D&D at least!
Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Was this a bad book? No, not at all. But it felt too quick to make a real impact with me. I was drawn by the cover and the concept, but the story was pretty to the point. I wish there had been more to this. I've heard the audiobook version is hilarious, so if you're into comedy (I'm broadly not for books) this might work for you.
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've read the whole series and it's just a nice, relaxing read. It was interesting to hear stories from new perspectives. I did feel like the two plotline barely interacted,. Which was odd. It's a good, easy read that builds on the three book plot with more development for the brothers.
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So... Earthlings. I'd heard that this had a dark twist but I didn't entirely realize just how soul-crushing and sad this story is. Natsuki has such a deeply sad life, so horribly abused and gaslit until all she can do it pretend that she is another species and that is why this evil is happening to her. Some of the lines in this book are hauntingly painful and felt like a stab to the heart.
The dialogue was clunky throughout, which I actually feel like was a very clever move by the translator (I can't speak to the original verse) to highlight that these people are still hurt kids. Even as adults, the awful things done to the leads is so encompassing that they are never able to really grow up. They are never able to trust another fully and hurt each other and the world as a result.
This is a story about metaphor. Do I think this actually happened? No. But does that matter? At least to me, no. I've read a lot of books in the last few years that use 'eating' as a way to explore themes of capitalism, consumerism and excess. I think it does that provocatively. Personally, the ending 'twist' didn't hurt my soul the same way her childhood did. I had to stop reading for the night after she lost her ability to taste. It was so real and so visceral.
I won't read it again. But it made an impact and I'll carry this story with me. That's what art should do.
The dialogue was clunky throughout, which I actually feel like was a very clever move by the translator (I can't speak to the original verse) to highlight that these people are still hurt kids. Even as adults, the awful things done to the leads is so encompassing that they are never able to really grow up. They are never able to trust another fully and hurt each other and the world as a result.
This is a story about metaphor. Do I think this actually happened? No. But does that matter? At least to me, no. I've read a lot of books in the last few years that use 'eating' as a way to explore themes of capitalism, consumerism and excess. I think it does that provocatively. Personally, the ending 'twist' didn't hurt my soul the same way her childhood did. I had to stop reading for the night after she lost her ability to taste. It was so real and so visceral.
I won't read it again. But it made an impact and I'll carry this story with me. That's what art should do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book! It was on my to-be-read since it came out and I'm glad to have gotten to it. If you want lovable, heroic main characters, you won't find them here. So were the characters lovable? They were human, which is what I like. It feels odd to say that a gothic horror was 'cozy' but it you can get past the taxidermy and murder and the annihilation of self, it is. After all: “Revenge was a grisly business, but there was no reason not to be civil about it.”
It's fundamentally about four fathers and two daughters above all else. The setting was so vibrant and I could imagine the moments in the book so clearly. This exploration of this greenhouse as something that, initially is a safe place and eventually became a prison. I felt like there we a lot of great concepts hinted at, where re-reading would let me enjoy the story more. It also did a thing that I love, where my favourite and least favourite character flip partway through the book.
Is is a perfect read? No. I can tell this is a debut novel. Sometimes the characters act to further the plot and it's not clear why they make certain decisions. The flipping between when Gregor and Simon love/fear their creation doesn't really follow a logic I understand. For me, I was able to write these issues off as unreliable narrators, but I get why some didn't find that satisfying. No murder is investigated or even noticed, it seems. The only one that bothered me was when one character at the end (I'll be vague) leaves and comes back changed for off-screen reasons. I didn't love that and didn't need it.
So, not perfect, but what I wanted and needed. I enjoyed it and I liked exploring this concept. I can't think of another book that I can so vividly see in my mind's eye.
It's fundamentally about four fathers and two daughters above all else. The setting was so vibrant and I could imagine the moments in the book so clearly. This exploration of this greenhouse as something that, initially is a safe place and eventually became a prison. I felt like there we a lot of great concepts hinted at, where re-reading would let me enjoy the story more. It also did a thing that I love, where my favourite and least favourite character flip partway through the book.
Is is a perfect read? No. I can tell this is a debut novel. Sometimes the characters act to further the plot and it's not clear why they make certain decisions. The flipping between when Gregor and Simon love/fear their creation doesn't really follow a logic I understand. For me, I was able to write these issues off as unreliable narrators, but I get why some didn't find that satisfying. No murder is investigated or even noticed, it seems. The only one that bothered me was when one character at the end (I'll be vague) leaves and comes back changed for off-screen reasons. I didn't love that and didn't need it.
So, not perfect, but what I wanted and needed. I enjoyed it and I liked exploring this concept. I can't think of another book that I can so vividly see in my mind's eye.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Medical content, and Murder
William by Mason Coile
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I heard this had a great twist and it did! I'm not always a big thriller reader, but I ate this one up in an afternoon. I didn't see the twist coming, but once it was revealed, it made sense with all the things I'd written off to that point. I thought it was a really interesting story. It takes place at Halloween, so this might make a good read at that time of year!
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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
I put this one off for a while, because I heard it wasn't as good as Kuang's other books, but that was a mistake. While I didn't like it as much as Babel, I thought it was a powerful story that kept me engaged and never left me bored. I expected this would be the case upon meeting June, but as much as her logic was flawed and her morals suspect (to say the least), I never got bored of the way the story was told. This is really a fantastic reflection on the publishing industry and EDI from the perspective of the oppressor. It's a really neat twist and one I enjoyed throughout. It's so critical right now to reflect on how people become alt-right supporters and the small logical jumps that end up with real, tangible violence being done to marginalized voices.
Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston
I really wanted to love this one. The premise alone got me. But in practice, I found myself struggling to keep track of what was happening and understand the larger implications of the novel. I want novels like this one to exist, but sadly, it just didn't keep my attention and was hard to keep with.
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Even while reading this book, I was unsure how I was going to review it. It defied being defined early on and only every shook things up. Told over three generations (but 100s of years apart) it's a story about ecological rangers (and allies) who want a free planet and free people under their corporate owners. The only characters who stick around through all three eras are the rich elite, which is a powerful statement on its own. I've never read a book like this, focused on 'ranger issues' like how to deal with other peaceful settlements, how to ethically and ecologically build a mass transit system and how to deal with gentrification and corporate greed. A lot of the book takes place in meetings and discussions about infrastructure, in a way that I thought should have been boring. But the writing is top notch and I did end up loving all the characters (who are diverse in pretty much every way you can imagine, with some of the leads being flying moose and a literal sky train). I agreed with the ideas here, and appreciated the opening line when you meet new people across the world "Hey Friends!" which was very cute and didn't get old for me. This is a weird one, but I also enjoyed in a lot, in part for that weirdness.
System Collapse by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I sincerely hope I never read a Murderbot Diary that's less than 5 stars. Every one is a charming visit with an old friend. The narration never ceases to impress and the new plot arc is gearing up in a really interesting way.