Two stars solely for that ending. If the entire book would've been as entertaining as the end, it would've been fantastic. Unfortunately, I dragged myTwo stars solely for that ending. If the entire book would've been as entertaining as the end, it would've been fantastic. Unfortunately, I dragged my way through this entire book and feel like I read something entirely different than everyone else. ...more
Edit: Took down to a one star because I actually kinda despised this.
A star for Kara (positive), but also a star for Kara (negative.)
I haven't really Edit: Took down to a one star because I actually kinda despised this.
A star for Kara (positive), but also a star for Kara (negative.)
I haven't really seen anybody talk about this with Upgrade, and I don't know entirely if I want to be the one to, but as a lesbian, I felt mildly uncomfortable with the characterization of lesbians in this book. It felt vaguely demonizing. I don't know how to say it without spoilers, though, so below are the spoilers.
(view spoiler)[I worry I'm being overdramatic, but as a lesbian reader, I do take slight issue with making the lesbian in the story the villain (even if her motives were meant to be complex) while making the cishet men the heroes who had to stop her and take her down. Further, one of the twists was that Another lesbian was the rat, making both "villains" in the series the lesbians. Even further, bury your gays was then implemented in a really rushed sort of way. I'm not saying that men can't write lesbians or that lesbians can't be villains. I love lesbian villains. But I think you have to be tactful and careful when you aren't a lesbian, or else it comes off with weird undertones. Upgrade came off as having weird undertones, and I may lower to a one star if it continues to sit with me and bother me.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)]...more
Finding out I'm a hater through and through and I DONT LIKE IT !!!!
I wish I would've loved this like everyone else but I just . didn't. this is a caseFinding out I'm a hater through and through and I DONT LIKE IT !!!!
I wish I would've loved this like everyone else but I just . didn't. this is a case where I think the hype was it's downfall because I expected WAYYYYYY more emotional impact and commentary than TBDatE offered. the characters were just fine, the writing was alright, the plot really lacked, and while the ending was emotional, it was also anticlimactic?? this needed to pack more of a punch in my opinion and just missed the mark. it's a real bummer because this had so much potential and could've done a whole lot more. ...more
I truly don't like rating DNFs, but when I am groaning and sighing and dragging my feet on picking the book back up, that's a pretty bad sigDNF at 35%
I truly don't like rating DNFs, but when I am groaning and sighing and dragging my feet on picking the book back up, that's a pretty bad sign. I almost tried to soldier through SOLELY so I felt justified in giving this a one star rating, but then I read the phrase "Washed her pits and bits" and truly could Not anymore. So sorry, I am a hater. ...more
deciding not to rate this or add to my reading goal for the year because i didn't read 50%, but fucking yikes. i'm sick and tired of fantasy books whedeciding not to rate this or add to my reading goal for the year because i didn't read 50%, but fucking yikes. i'm sick and tired of fantasy books where the male author can imagine a world of magic but not a world where women aren't seen as whores and sexual objects to be either objectified eye candy or horrifically assaulted to benefit the male lead. ...more
i'm not counting spinning silver toward my reading goal because i only read 25 pages lol, and i wish i could just mark it as dnf not as read, but nonei'm not counting spinning silver toward my reading goal because i only read 25 pages lol, and i wish i could just mark it as dnf not as read, but nonetheless. i'm not sure what doesn't work with me with naomi novik. her books should be what i love, especially spinning silver, but there's just something about her writing style i can't seem to mesh with. i might come back to this another day if i think i can get through it, but for now, it's a no....more
I feel like I have a lot to say but also so little to say?? The writing was good, and I didn't mind the characters however their inconsta2.5???
Oh boy.
I feel like I have a lot to say but also so little to say?? The writing was good, and I didn't mind the characters however their inconstancy drove me up the wall and I feel like the handling of their struggles was a little in bad taste. For example, Molly is very clearly Neurodivergent coded and I just feel like it wasn't handled fantastically or really . good . at all. But it wasn't the worst thriller/mystery I've ever read, which says a lot. I have such low expectations for this genre nowadays that I didn't hate this frankly flat experience because at least it didn't make me wanna put my head through a wall COUGH survive the night COUGH....more
I'm so conflicted on how to rate TQotT as it's a true 1.5 but,,, I have such strong opinions about everything wrong about it that I'm rounding down. TI'm so conflicted on how to rate TQotT as it's a true 1.5 but,,, I have such strong opinions about everything wrong about it that I'm rounding down. The Invasion of the Tearing unfortunately sits on my shelves though, so I'll be continuing,,,, Sighhhhhh...more
I realize I'm not even near the target audience for The Hating Game, but I read it nonetheless and hateI hate to say it, but are straight people okay?
I realize I'm not even near the target audience for The Hating Game, but I read it nonetheless and hated every waking moment.
The use of the g slur, paired with thinly veiled ableism and fatphobia, all while the love interest is the definition of an incel, was too much for me.
Lucy had no personality besides being small and tiny, small and tiny, small and tiny, did I mention small and tiny? And also a doormat. Josh, too, had no personality besides being big and having blue eyes. Seriously, ST used every metaphor for blue eyes on every page, and every synonym for small she stapled onto Lucy's forehead.
Had really similar feelings when reading Lock Every Door. I find Riley Sager to be predictable and cheap with twists, yet his books are still e2.5???
Had really similar feelings when reading Lock Every Door. I find Riley Sager to be predictable and cheap with twists, yet his books are still entertaining I guess....more
DNF at 39%. I debated if I should rate this or not due to fact it's such a harsh rating for not finishing a book, but I was bored out of my mind, absoDNF at 39%. I debated if I should rate this or not due to fact it's such a harsh rating for not finishing a book, but I was bored out of my mind, absolutely hated the love interest, and found the tropes so over the top and annoying that I decided to anyways. I also read some reviews and just decided it definitely is something I wouldn't have changed my mind on if I had continued. ...more
In the author's note, Grady Hendrix said this book is essentially pitting Dracula against his mother. After finishing it, I would say a more accurate In the author's note, Grady Hendrix said this book is essentially pitting Dracula against his mother. After finishing it, I would say a more accurate representation is he pitted Dracula against women, children, and Black people, and made horror out of misogynistic and racist trauma as a white cis man. Oops.
Also, who's going to tell male authors that they don't have to include rape as trauma for female characters, and that making a vagina body horror scene after rape for shock value is so massively insensitive and distasteful that I don't even have the words for it.
I get that this is supposed to be horror, and horror is nasty, but in a genre with as much creative freedom as horror, and you Still make these choices? Sorry, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I also get that the author was trying to make a commentary, but I don't think he was the right person to try to have that conversation, nor does it erase how icky the representation of these themes was. If you want horror that properly tackles themes of misogyny and racism, read horror written by women and POC.
Edit: In how frustrated I was when I wrote this review right after finishing, I forgot to mention the egregious white savior complex of the entire story, the grooming and pedophilia plots, and the fact the MC's son is a literal Nazi and this is never confronted. I am seriously surprised this is as popular as it is, as all these topics were handled so poorly by this, yet again, white male author. ...more
i wanted to love this so bad. i won it in a giveaway years ago which is like a sign from the universe that i should read and love something. but all ii wanted to love this so bad. i won it in a giveaway years ago which is like a sign from the universe that i should read and love something. but all i got was incoherent horror nerd ranting for 405 pages, a terribly boring writing style, poorly handled sexual abuse, and a story i did not care about.
side note, why is it that every horror novel i read by male authors uses sexual trauma for their female characters? it's always done poorly and it's like they can't imagine women and girls having any trauma outside of sexual assault. ...more
a little life destroyed me and it's a book i wish i hadn't read for a multitude of reasons. i'm deciding not to rate it because i have such complicateda little life destroyed me and it's a book i wish i hadn't read for a multitude of reasons. i'm deciding not to rate it because i have such complicated feelings about, well, everything. the writing is stunning, and the characters have my heart. however, i have some opinions on how trauma and other subjects are handled within a little life. i recommend reading andrea long chu's article on vulture: "the hanya yanagihara principle." it puts everything me and many others have thought into words. this also took me over six months to read . take that as you will....more
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