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clacksee's reviews
1115 reviews
Snuff by Terry Pratchett
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book packs a hell of a wallop.
It’s a story of injustice and of ‘decent’ people who don’t see why they should care. It’s a story of people who are oppressed and of ‘good’ people who think that’s not such a bad thing, actually. All told with Pratchett’s gentle humour.
Terry Pratchett died almost a decade ago. And yet this is a book for today.
The final words are ‘pride and extreme prejudice’.
It’s a story of injustice and of ‘decent’ people who don’t see why they should care. It’s a story of people who are oppressed and of ‘good’ people who think that’s not such a bad thing, actually. All told with Pratchett’s gentle humour.
Terry Pratchett died almost a decade ago. And yet this is a book for today.
The final words are ‘pride and extreme prejudice’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Vomit, and Deportation
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
I started out hating Agatha. I’m not sure she actually grew or developed … but she did grow on me.
This book was published in 1993. It does show its age a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it might.
I might even read more of the series.
This book was published in 1993. It does show its age a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it might.
I might even read more of the series.
Saturnalia by T.W.M. Ashford
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
4.75
This claustrophobic sci-fi horror(ish) novel will keep you in the dark – sometimes literally – until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
informative
inspiring
4.5
It’s interesting. The politics espoused in this book are so much more progressive than anything we saw in her campaign.
Once on the Blue Moon by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A fun story of a genius 11-year-old who has to save a ship full of passengers after pirates board and lock everyone up.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Thanks, I hate it.
This is not a light, funny, ‘oh, isn’t she quirky’ comfort read.
Keiko is a neurodivergent women who works in a shop. She loves her job and is happy with her life – except for the fact that everyone around her wants her to leave her job and start being ‘normal’.
I adore Keiko – but I despised literally everyone else in this book. They’re horrible awful people obsessed with forcing everyone to live identically to them. Except for one other person, who’s awful but differently awful. Keiko’s sister and best friend are the worst.
As soon as it became clear that the MC was neurodivergent, I googled the author. This book is riddled with internalised ableism, right from the start. From what I read about the author, the premise of this book (though perhaps not the plot) seems to be autobiographical.
The main character is obsessed with what I can’t help but thinking of as self-inflicted ABA. I hope the author is more generous with herself.
The idea of neurotypical people reading this book makes me uncomfortable. But then maybe they need to read it in order to see the hell they put on neurodivergent people. But then, they won’t see it; they’ll just see a ‘charming’ story about a ‘quirky’ woman.
Ugh.
This is not a light, funny, ‘oh, isn’t she quirky’ comfort read.
Keiko is a neurodivergent women who works in a shop. She loves her job and is happy with her life – except for the fact that everyone around her wants her to leave her job and start being ‘normal’.
I adore Keiko – but I despised literally everyone else in this book. They’re horrible awful people obsessed with forcing everyone to live identically to them. Except for one other person, who’s awful but differently awful. Keiko’s sister and best friend are the worst.
As soon as it became clear that the MC was neurodivergent, I googled the author. This book is riddled with internalised ableism, right from the start. From what I read about the author, the premise of this book (though perhaps not the plot) seems to be autobiographical.
The main character is obsessed with what I can’t help but thinking of as self-inflicted ABA. I hope the author is more generous with herself.
The idea of neurotypical people reading this book makes me uncomfortable. But then maybe they need to read it in order to see the hell they put on neurodivergent people. But then, they won’t see it; they’ll just see a ‘charming’ story about a ‘quirky’ woman.
Ugh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
adventurous
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? Yes
4.25
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did Mal Goes to War. In fact, if I’d read it first, I might never have read the other – which would have been a shame.
Some of the themes and underlying ideas are the same between the two books, though the plots are quite different. I think what made me love this one less is that the characters weren’t as rich. They were good, whereas Mal and the characters in that book were incredibly vivid and compelling.
Some of the themes and underlying ideas are the same between the two books, though the plots are quite different. I think what made me love this one less is that the characters weren’t as rich. They were good, whereas Mal and the characters in that book were incredibly vivid and compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical content
Minor: Genocide
Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
mysterious
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
Complex storyline with a cast of thousands.
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
I think this is my favourite in the series – after the original, naturally.
Also, it includes the line, ‘Oh, so you think time flows that way, do you?’
Also, it includes the line, ‘Oh, so you think time flows that way, do you?’
Irmageddon by Maia Ross
funny
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? Yes
4.75
Irma is the best! But also terrifying.