House of Hollow unlocked a vault of memories in my mind that I had completely forgotten about. About how, as a child, I had viThis was...breathtaking.
House of Hollow unlocked a vault of memories in my mind that I had completely forgotten about. About how, as a child, I had visited my school library looking for my next read, skimming the thick books of Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events only to find a small pink book about the History of Fairy Folklore. I think it was the first non-fiction book I had read. This book just reminded me of that time, so long ago.
The first few chapters of House of Hollow were intriguing and dark, gothic and surreal. I was reminded of why Magical Realism is my favourite genre—the matter-of-fact and confusing blend of reality and fantasy is always refreshing. Though I was peeved at the modern pop-culture aspects intertwined in its plot, the overwhelmingly addictive world-building and mystery in this book picked up tremendously after chapter 5, completely overtaking the aforementioned modernity. I was swept into this atmospheric read, the motifs of flowers and rot and putrid stenches and decay and dirt and death engulfing me from all angles. For such a short book, it did an amazing job at making you feel like you were immersed in an entirely different world—a dark, gothic, disgusting, frightening world.
As you make your way through this story, it just gets weirder and weirder, more creepy and scary and gory. Nothing is as it seems; nobody is who you think they are. I love books that confuse me, books that make you question everything, books that are so wild in their plots and mystery that you have completely no idea where it is going.
The plot-twists made my stomach turn. Vile, disgusting, inhumane, monstrous. The Hollow sisters will make your skin crawl. I haven't read anything like this before.
————————— Side note: it is vital to point out, though, that the author uselessly, distastefully and annoyingly makes two of the MCs part of the “rainbow” community. They always have to slip them in. - 1 star. ...more
So Blessed be Allah, the Best of creators. [23:14]
This book made me really emotional, though there is nothiفَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ
So Blessed be Allah, the Best of creators. [23:14]
This book made me really emotional, though there is nothing emotional about chemicals and biology. I suppose it was because it was an aching reminder of our feeble mortality. As I type this I am choked with emotion, for I never truly realised how terrifyingly easy it is for us to die, or how precarious the processes in our bodies that keep us alive are. I was overcome with a sense of powerlessness, for if one tiny thing was to go wrong in my own body there would be not a single thing I could do to save myself.
For some time, I became really anxious, overanalysing my health and wondering and waiting for something to go wrong, because it is simply unbelievable how many things have to go right in our bodies for us to be healthy. But then that anxiety and powerlessness just bled into tawakkul and awe of how Perfect and Powerful Allah is; of how there is absolutely no other explanation for me being alive and healthy right now other than His Mercy upon me. Alhamdulillah for health. Alhamdulillah. May Allah forgive us for ever being ungrateful for this na'mah.
This book was a stunning blend of biology, history and true crime. I was floored by how beautifully the author seamed these genres together, making it both interesting and accessible to all readers. However, despite all this man's knowledge, I could not help but think about how foolish one must be to study the mind-boggling complexity and perfection of the human body, to study poisonous plants, and not for a second believe that there is a Creator, a Higher Power so Perfect and Mighty in His creation
So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.[22:46]...more
This was undoubtedly a gripping thriller novel, and I am almost certain Sager drew inspiration from my favourite gothic book: We Have Always Lived In This was undoubtedly a gripping thriller novel, and I am almost certain Sager drew inspiration from my favourite gothic book: We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson. However, the last couple of chapters didn't sit right with me, the twists and turns bordering on preposterousness, for lack of better terms. This felt like something out of a Telenovela, which are notoriously known for being dramatic and frankly unrealistic in their plots. It was almost like Sager wrote down a list of all the typical plot twists to exist and made sure to include every single last one of them in this book.
I don't know how to feel. To an extent, I loved how unpredictable the story was, I absolutely adored the gothic setting, the house on a cliff, the mansion haunted by three murders, the rich mystery, world building, the morally grey characters. I would have given this 5 stars for that alone. But then...The Only One Left obliterated the fine line between realistic and unrealistic, gasp-worthy and rolling-my-eyes-so-hard-right-now.
To summarise what was wrong with this book:
(view spoiler)[I think Sager officially lost me after revealing Kit's father to indeed be the true culprit. While shocking, it was so hard to believe. It would have delivered a harder hit if we perhaps knew Patrick better. We knew absolutely nothing, not in Lenora's (AKA Virginia—totally predicted that, by the way) plot nor Kit's; not as Ricky nor as Pat. He was an empty character, devoid of all emotional attachment and buildup. Him killing Evangeline Hope? Meh. It just felt so weird to me. Here is this man I know nothing about killing the MC's parents and unravelling the core mystery—for a very stupid reason, too, no less—and I feel indifferent, almost annoyed. And the suicides of the Lenora and Patrick at the end? Ugh. Unbelievable. Almost like Sager was trying to tie up all loose ends. Don't even get me started on Virginia being able to walk after all this time and Jesse being her granddaughter. You're telling me this woman faked her paralysis for 50 years? Nuh-uh, please. (hide spoiler)] Highly, highly unrealistic. The more I reflect on this book, the less I like it.
Perhaps if Sager opted out of a few of those absurd twists and focused on developing a certain character that ended up being detrimental to the plot, this would have been a 5 star read for me, hands down. There is no denying the atmospheric pull and absolute craft Sager handled this story with. Unfortunately, that cannot be done. Hence:
This has to be one of the best thriller novels I have ever read.
I was hooked from the very first page. A little backstory that expands on how atmosphThis has to be one of the best thriller novels I have ever read.
I was hooked from the very first page. A little backstory that expands on how atmospheric and gripping this novel was: my sister, who does not read at all, took The Whisper Man from me while we were waiting for our flight and was begging me to let her read it by the time she finished the first chapter. A chapter was all it took.
This was an amazing, amazing book that satisfied my craving for a blood-rushing thriller novel beyond belief. It had me grabbing my pillow as a shield and walking around my house to check for any intruders at the slightest sound. I was frightened. I felt sick, nauseous. I cried—multiple, multiple times—for the following reasons:
1. The tension was just too much for me to handle 2. North included the most vile, disgusting humans in this. I couldn’t help but cry at how twisted the world is 3. The heart-shattering father-son bonds that are portrayed and explored throughout this novel 4. Fear. Just plain, old fear.
The pacing, the atmosphere, the slight, subtle dip into paranormal activity—so subtle, actually, that you—along with Tom—start to question if Jake is really experiencing something otherworldly, or if it is simply him being smart and deductive. Who knows?
This was such a rich novel. Thriller aside, the exploration of different father-son dynamics will have you trying to rip your own heart out of your chest to stop the pain. The most twisted one has to be Carter and his son. (view spoiler)[I was so sickened by them both. I was sickened by Francis, I hated him for what he almost did to Jake, for what he did to Neil. But then North just had to include that last scene with him in prison; where Carter finally comes to torture and kill his own son and you start to wonder: how fully can you blame Francis for what he did? After all the wicked, inhumane things his father made him watch, after letting him know he wanted to torture his own son the way he did those little boys, how could we expect Francis to turn out any other way? Can we really blame him? I hate how I wanted him to get tortured by Carter, yet, I couldn’t help but feel so much sorrow for him. Is he not but a product of circumstance? (hide spoiler)]
There were many questions like this going through my head; a lot of prevalent grey areas in terms of morality, which I really enjoyed because it gave depth and room for exploration of the plot. Not a single character was two-dimensional; I felt like I knew every last one of them personally (not always a good thing, especially when it came to Carter).
I am not satisfied from this novel, not in the sense that it was lacking, but rather in the sense that I couldn’t get enough. This beats Stephen King’s The Shining any day, hands down.
"When you’re famous at eighteen, you spend the rest of your life fading away. You dream of the glory days, but you know they’re gone forever. I wish I"When you’re famous at eighteen, you spend the rest of your life fading away. You dream of the glory days, but you know they’re gone forever. I wish I’d never seen a football."
Beautiful, beautiful. Human hearts are so beautiful—do you often think of that? It is reading books like this that remind me of my humanity; that remind me of how powerful the heart is and how easy it is to create unbreakable bonds. I loved this book.
A book about loss, about the fragility of youth, about the complex nature of hate and love, about regrets, about people with strings tying them and bonding them beyond blood or family or race. Bleachers completely transported me to the small, passionate town of Messina. I was right there on those bleachers, heart cracked and open, breathing in the cold air and bitter memories with Neely, Paul, Mal—all of Rake’s Spartans. I could almost feel myself collapse under the rigorous training Coach Rake put his boys through, I could feel myself sink under the weight of time and forgotten glory days with Neely. I could see the field lights, I could feel the brotherhood that connected these players, the drive to never quit, to push yourself past your boundaries, to win, win, win.
The nostalgia was palpable—I found myself longing for a town and a place that didn’t exist. I am trapped by this atmospheric read. I have never read such a heartfelt, gripping book. I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who wants to be completely encompassed by a small town with deep love and a bigger-than-life coach, by the anomaly that is life and how it takes these Spartan football players on a journey they will never forget.
Sadie is a book I have been anxiously anticipating since I bought it two years ago. I kept waiting for the perfect moment to read this YA Thriller, thSadie is a book I have been anxiously anticipating since I bought it two years ago. I kept waiting for the perfect moment to read this YA Thriller, the perfect gap in time so that I may fall into the folds of this evident tragedy. Lo and behold, said gap presented itself when my professors decided not to show up for the first week of the semester–I immediately picked up Sadie.
And I did not regret it.
This book is brimming with thriller and trauma and sisterhood and emotions. So many emotions. I quickly and easily sunk into Sadie's soft love for Mattie; a love that circumstance and bad people quickly sharpened into a blade. Reading this from the comfort of my couch, peering in on a girl whose fate was not in her own hands, I could not have felt further away from Sadie and the pain that has carved itself into every bone in her body. Yet, I have never felt closer to a character–her love for Mattie, her thirst for revenge, her fear that she used to fuel her bravery, it was so, so humane, bare, raw. It almost felt like I didn’t have the right to know so much about her.
Sadie was gripping, passionate, scary. I not only feared the human soul–how easily one can hide their most carnal, disgusting attributes within the folds of themselves–but also the human body and how swiftly it can muster bravery, muster strength to fight for what you give your entire heart to. Sadie is a girl I aspire to be like. She keeps moving despite the tragedy that comes hand in hand with life. She sacrifices everything for the ones she loves, she will endure whatever pain, will be the umbrella, the shield.
I surely will not forget this heart-wrenching book anytime soon, nor will I soon forget the ending that was left so perfectly unanswered. 5 stars....more
"During these moments, I can't help but think that the other Susannah is calling out to me as if to say, I may be gone, but I'm not forgotten."
This wa"During these moments, I can't help but think that the other Susannah is calling out to me as if to say, I may be gone, but I'm not forgotten."
This was an amazing, amazing memoir. I have never been more in awe of the human body. We are a miracle, a sign of a Greater and All-Powerful Creator. There is simply no other explanation for all these tiny, perfect processes that go in our bodies, how they all feed into each other, how one microscopic malfunction can suddenly rob you of everything that makes you human. The complexity of the human body is too mind-boggling to not have a Creator of Limitless Power and Wisdom. Reading this had me saying alhamdulillah and subhanAllah on repeat.
I learnt so much about the human brain, about the history of neurology, about the hazy lines that define mental illnesses. Cahalan's writing is transportive, transformational. I had to take a short break during the early chapters of this memoir, for her descriptions of her hallucinations and psychosis had me feeling ill and off the rails. I couldn't stomach her seizures, the way she was becoming a hollowed out version of herself, her worth and dignity rapidly diminishing along with her brain.
I was frightened. I was amazed. I was touched.
I have come out of this memoir counting my blessings, for the simple health of my body means they are endless. I have come out questioning myself and the reliability of my memories—truly such a fascinating process. In a way, I have come out of this novel wary of my own mind and body—wary of how the vessel that houses our souls can so easily switch up on us, can quickly become our enemy, our demise.
5/5 stars. I don't think I will ever forget this....more
Wow. The blend between supernatural horror, psychological thriller and a whodunit mystery was absolutely perfect. I’ve never read a book that blended Wow. The blend between supernatural horror, psychological thriller and a whodunit mystery was absolutely perfect. I’ve never read a book that blended all these genres so seamlessly.
I absolutely loved this book. Loved it. I saw many reviews complaining about the “simplistic” writing style, and while I am one who places about 60% of a book’s value on the complexity of the writing style alone, I found it to be absolutely relaxing and refreshing. Perhaps these feelings are a product of circumstance—I have been spending the last five months reading very heavy and formal prose—but I loved how it made Mallory more solidified as a character; more approachable, more real. In a paradoxical way, this made the novel’s contents spookier.
And how original was it to include Teddy’s drawings! I got goosebumps every time I saw one of Anya’s pictures. And the horror! The suburban setting! Mallory’s past! That plot twist! This was just such a satisfying read, I don’t know how else to explain it. Reading this felt equivalent to drinking water after trying to quench your thirst with everything but—soda, juice, coffee. Nothing extinguishes that specific feeling of thirst like water.
Hidden Pictures is… unique, thrilling, heartfelt. I couldn’t take my eyes off the page. When I did, all that was going through my head were questions upon questions upon questions about Teddy and Mallory’s past. I will say, however, that I took off a star because of some very cliche horror-movie-tropes (the psychic next door who helps the MC, the Ouija board to talk to the dead etc).
All in all, I enjoyed this immensely! And that ending will forever be seared into the backs of my eyelids—I’m traumatized.
I’m confused as to why all the community reviews are so negative--this is, hands down, the best instalment in the series. I mean, sure, I did get (occI’m confused as to why all the community reviews are so negative--this is, hands down, the best instalment in the series. I mean, sure, I did get (occasionally) confused (but confused, nonetheless) at certain points in the novel, however, that plot twist at the end, the adrenaline rush, the fear that Kate’s inhumane physical abilities would finally fail her, the very sweet and innocent friendship between The Society members--it was all so very enticing. Plus, if I ever want to feel dumb, I can simply think about how Reynie solves unfinished riddles in a second, (view spoiler)[how Kate can run 2.5 km and disarm a barrier in under 24 minutes (hide spoiler)], how Sticky can memorise (and understand) 200 pages worth of computer code in 20 minutes and how Constance can read minds ...more
What a rich, heart-breaking story of hope and strength and love. Of persevering through the darkest of times, blinded, yet trusting that the light of What a rich, heart-breaking story of hope and strength and love. Of persevering through the darkest of times, blinded, yet trusting that the light of faith in your heart will be enough of a guide.
The Girl You Left Behind feels like a glowing orb of life in my hands. A story of two women--a century apart--a painting, and the inexplicable power of love and kindness that binds them all together. The torment that Liv and Sophie went through--and the relentless strength and hope that they still possessed throughout it all--it truly makes one turn their gaze inwards and reassess: could my heart ever be as strong?
I love this story (calling it a “story” feels underwhelming) immensely. It has transported me to France, 1917, to London, 2006, to a love that surpasses the barbarity of humanity, to a painting done using the colours of love, to a lifetime of sorrow and heartache and family and loss. Reading books like this never fails to leave me in awe of the immense power of intimacy between two souls.
I don’t know what more to say, honestly. Just another book to reaffirm that Historical Fiction is my favourite genre and that any 5-star book in said genre automatically winds up on my all-time-favourites shelf. Hey, I don’t make the rules. ...more
Wh-what did I just read? Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. I need a few minutes. God, I’m going to throw up.
*10 minutes of staring blankly at the wall and conteWh-what did I just read? Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. I need a few minutes. God, I’m going to throw up.
*10 minutes of staring blankly at the wall and contemplating my existence, the complex relationship between reality & time, and the state of my sanity later*
Have you ever wanted to cry from how scrambled your brains are after reading a mind-scramble of a book? My mind is numb. This is such a dense and intricate plot that my brain is struggling to fully process it, to process the ending and the freaking infinite endings within it. Wait. Wait. Wait. Pause. Can the world stop moving for just a second? God, I’m trying to think.
I cannot? I cannot process this book right now. Here is a random list of reasons to read What We Buried because my brain is a useless lump of putty that is currently unable to form full sentences:
-Amazing atmosphere, amazing setting (the deserts of Nevada) -Not just one unreliable narrator, but two--yes, you can imagine how crazy you are going to feel while reading this -My thoughts while reading this: What is happening? *cries* What is happening? Why is that happening? How is that happening? What? -Will keep you guessing at every turn of a page--and long, long after you have finished it, as you can tell from my current state -Deep, complex characters with dark pasts and major trauma -A broken relationship between two siblings (warning: will make your heart clench) -Horrible parents -It’s messed up. The ending is literally So. Messed. Up. -Will leave you numb -Has some scary scenes that make you scared of the dark -Very possible that you will not understand what you just read -Ending has multiple interpretations, all of which will make you doubt your sanity ...more
How many hearts need to be stored in boxes for the pain to be transformed into something else? But the pain, he intuits, is the only thing that keeps How many hearts need to be stored in boxes for the pain to be transformed into something else? But the pain, he intuits, is the only thing that keeps him breathing. Without the sadness, he has nothing left.
I've never read a book with such a dark writing style. I felt as if I was drowning in the black pit of Marcos's soul; no light, no end, no escape.
I was very much entranced by this atmospheric novel. You see, some books make you have hope in humanity; in the endless love and kindness we are capable of showing. And some books show you the wretched monster hidden behind the flesh, the one bound by social conduct and norms, by morals.
Hence the question arises: what happens when what we define as "normal", as "right", as "socially acceptable" changes? Tender is the Flesh perfectly answers this.
We are monstrous. This is supposed to be a dystopian telling, and it might be the first time that I wholeheartedly see this coming to fruition, that I believe the savagery that exists within the human soul can go to such lengths, if only given the permission to. (view spoiler)[A prime example of this has to be Marcos. We are tricked into believing this man has held onto his humanity in a world filled with devious, immoral people, that he didn't let what society defined as normal define him(hide spoiler)]. But—not so ironically, actually—Bazterrica takes this trust we have placed in her and breaks it, true as ever to the message she is trying to portray.
Somewhat emotional, somewhat vulgar, somewhat heartbreaking. This would have been a 5 star read for me if only the author didn't include a very degenerate scene that I felt was absolutely disgusting and held no value to the plot of the story, none at all. I really hate that in doing so, the author made me take off 1.5 stars. Hence:
Honestly patting myself on the back for picking the perfect book to dive into after my hiatus. Short, gripping, mysterious. My second Agatha Christie Honestly patting myself on the back for picking the perfect book to dive into after my hiatus. Short, gripping, mysterious. My second Agatha Christie book and definitely not my last.
Per Agatha Christie style, I was guessing until the very end. I must admit, I did not suspect the actual culprit--(view spoiler)[I literally thought it was Vera and Anthony paired up this whole time (hide spoiler)] I was not, however, oh-my-god-how-did-i-not-see-that-gasp-i-need-to-rethink-my-detective-skills shocked at the big reveal, though it was cleverly hidden.
This was a very enjoyable and short read. Not to mention scary--who knew nursery rhymes have the same chilling effect in books that they do in movies? If you see me reading nursery rhymes to my kids, I swear it’s on site. I’ve been traumatised.
Genre: Thriller/Mystery Age Range: Adult (includes drug abuse, drinking, pedophilia, crude language, non-consensual nude photographs, infidelity)
The ClGenre: Thriller/Mystery Age Range: Adult (includes drug abuse, drinking, pedophilia, crude language, non-consensual nude photographs, infidelity)
The Club by Ellery Lloyd was a gripping book that not only kept my eyes glued to the pages but also left a story so twisted and rich that I was left thinking about it long after I flipped the last page. Told from four perspectives, The Club explores the dirty, hidden secrets buried in Island Home--a notorious and luxurious club meant for only the most elite and lucrative of celebrities--after a "murder of the century" takes place. The plot was thrilling and packed with information about our four main characters as they each try to run away from ghosts of their pasts and the horrifying secrets celebrities hide behind their extravagance--it almost felt like taking a peek at the intimate life of celebrities we only get the chance to see on T.V.
What I personally found to be very unique about this book was its structure. In between the whodunit mystery, Lloyd strategically seduced our curiosity by giving us little snippets of a Vanity Fair news article written on the murder at Island Home post-incident. With it came more clues and hints as to who the victims were, who the murderers were and what exactly happened on that three-day launch of Island Home, all building up to the grand reveal. The characters were imperfect and human and untrustworthy--just when you thought someone was harmless, a shocking fact is unearthed when you least expect it, leaving you questioning who is innocent and who is not.
I wouldn't say this book had jaw-dropping plot twists. It did, however, have a very rich and indulging plot that left the reader with infinite scenarios about how the book would play out, and, honestly, it left me startled and disgusted at the extent humans would go to for fame and fortune. The Club is a book I think allows us to explore morality and the price we pay for fame, all while having readers play detective in an anxiety-inducing murder mystery. It truly is worth the read. ------------ Special thanks to Vidya for providing me with an ARC :)...more
What is going on with my luck this year? I am finding amazing books upon amazing books. This was no exception--chilling to the core, eerie, mysteriousWhat is going on with my luck this year? I am finding amazing books upon amazing books. This was no exception--chilling to the core, eerie, mysterious, unique.
I have never read a book like this. I know what you’re thinking--that’s what I say about every book. But when I say I have never read a book like this I mean it literally and not exaggeratively. Let me explain in two sentences why this book was different: two prep school kids find a book from “those below” in a hidden tunnel under their school’s library and accidentally release a demon that wants nothing more than to wear the heroine's skin.
Not enough to convince you? Okay, how about the fact that the heroine is Jude-from-The-Cruel-Prince strong and the male interest is as much of a mush as Cardan, and that their chemistry is through the roof? Last one: it’s pretty freaking scary and gory and disgusting and would 100% make you check your surroundings in raw fright. You understand what I mean, now? The Devil Makes Three was set in a world so vivid that when I pictured it, everything was tainted in a vintage orange glow, the modern world non-existent and evil sharp in the air. It was magic.
I must note that this is not for the faint-hearted. The gore in this is vivid and descriptive, and as someone who gets easily queasy, I must say I was not prepared for what I read--not for the book cover that felt like skin, not for the Devil’s chapters where he refers to himself in the second person, not for the endless knives digging into thick skin and scraping bones. I was not ready to be swept away by such ironically endearing characters. But...
That last line? What was that? It has been two days and yet I still cannot process the fact that (view spoiler)[In the comfort of the library, in the sanctuary of Tess Matheson’s body, you opened your eyes was the last line! (hide spoiler)] Anyway, moving on from the sore fact that authors will never allow both their readers and characters to be happy, I must point out the flaws in this book that made me painfully take a star away. There was a point in The Devil Makes Three where the plot became slightly predictable, though it did not take away from my enjoyment in the least. Alas, there is more to my tale of woe. I wish there was more backstory to the Devil. We got some insight to his icky and dark perspective--which, I won’t lie, gave me goosebumps the first time I read it because he sounded like a loose cannon--but was too vague to understand anything of value. I couldn’t understand if (view spoiler)[the demon was actually a painter who had magic like Eliot and used it to make himself powerful at a very high cost or if the demon was a dark type of magic on its own that wrapped itself around the man who wanted more? (hide spoiler)]
This was all left unexplained and unsaid and everyone here should know by now how much I loathe unanswered questions.
Nevertheless, this book was successful in scaring me, making me check under my bed, helping me loose sleep, crave more dark academia books and fall for Eliot. What can I say? Books and studying are my calling. Combine them into one and add a low-key enemies-to-lovers arc, an actual eerie plot and frequent perspectives from the third person, and you have got you a very happy--and scared--Hiba on your hands....more
I’m just going to go straight to the point: Does this book deserve five stars? Hell, yes. Does the author? Nope. Let’s rewind to when I was first skimI’m just going to go straight to the point: Does this book deserve five stars? Hell, yes. Does the author? Nope. Let’s rewind to when I was first skimming my bookshelves to decide what book I wanted to read next. I thought, “Gee, it really would be a great idea if I read one of my most anticipated books by an author that is extremely credited for the first time while I am studiously working at a school five days a week”. What a genius idea, I thought.
Boy, was I wrong.
I knew in the deepest pits of my gut that I would end up reading The Shining in the choppy manner I very much hate and try to avoid as it absolutely dilutes the magic that reading gives you. Did I listen to my gut feeling? I think you already know the answer to that. Due to my rather impulsive decision, I have suffered greatly by not getting to fully enjoy this book in all its greatness--because, surely, it was great.
Initially, my cocky self thought that there was no way I could ever get scared by a book (you would think I’d have learnt about all the emotions that books can create after years of reading by now). I mean, what’s so scary about a bunch of words on a page? A lot, apparently. I kept finding myself throwing wary glances over my shoulder in case The Dogman was behind me, just waiting for me to slip up and bite my head off. That was fortunately not the case, but it didn’t make me any less scared. I think what really solidified this Horror story was the very realistic foundation it was built on--Jack’s anger, his abusive father, his alcoholism. All things that could push a man to try to kill his family. Imagine what a supernatural force would do once thrown in the mix.
The Shining was a thrilling, gripping novel. When I had to put it down, it was only because I absolutely had to. Its characters haunted my mind, Danny especially (his innocence was so wholly visible yet his awareness of the bad, dark things that surrounded him gave his innocence a whole other feel). I think what really pulled at my heartstrings was the last several chapters--(view spoiler)[it hurt me to see Jack get sucked into the ghosts of The Overlook. And that last line, the part where he told Danny to run and that he loved him... it about ruined me. (hide spoiler)]
However... the use of the N-word multiple times to describe Mr. Hallorann? 100000% not okay. I am not giving this book any stars because of this. It is not okay, no matter what. I was very disturbed by how openly and freely King used this slur, as if blind to its weight, to its past. It made what otherwise would have been an enjoyable book dirty and sickening. I wish he never included that derogatory term...
So, that was my rollercoaster review of this horror novel. I am yet to decide whether I still want to read his books or if I should just boycott him. We’ll see. ...more
“Nothing is an accident,” Pauline would say, again and again. It was her favourite mantra, Mia had learned, in both photography and in real life.
“Nothing is an accident,” Pauline would say, again and again. It was her favourite mantra, Mia had learned, in both photography and in real life.
Okay, so you know when you’re trying something new at a restaurant and you don’t know what to expect, then your food arrives and you take a bite and then this huge burst of flavour and spices and richness just explodes on your tongue and you just sit there in total shock and awe, savouring the rich taste? That was what reading this book was like. It was rich. So wholly, grossly, Bill-Gates-level-of-money rich. The first thing I thought when I was halfway through Little Fires Everywhere was, “This is a story within a story within a story”.
And it’s true.
There was so much life, so much humanising and so many details that I truly felt like I dived into the depths of each of the character’s souls. I understood them--it eerily felt like I knew them. That is how powerful this book is. Celeste Ng has done it again. She has managed to make me empathise with every one of her characters--there is honestly not a single “side character”, because every single person had some light shed on the darkness of their past. This was truly an amazing book.
I was slightly disappointed at the end of Little Fires Everywhere--solely a fault of my own--mainly because I kept expecting a huge, mind-melting plot twist. I’m not quite so sure why I deduced in my mind that this would be a mystery novel more than a thriller one (while it was just the opposite), but it did make me anxious for something that never came. Regardless, this didn’t take away from the beauty that was this omnipresent, raising-of-ethical-questions, can’t-take-my-eyes-off-the-page-because-I-have-to-know-what-happens-I-have-to, deeply empathetic book.
(view spoiler)[Oh, and I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that Izzy actually left the Richardsons? I mean???? Wow. And the fact that Pearl and Moody will never make up? That Trip actually had feelings for Pearl and would never get to pursue their relationship further? That Mia would forever have to keep running from the Ryans to keep her daughter hidden? What a life. (hide spoiler)]
(I also hugged my mum as soon as I finished this ...more
How absurd to call youth the time of happiness--youth, the time of greatest vulnerability!
Before I go into a whole discussion about how my eyes w
How absurd to call youth the time of happiness--youth, the time of greatest vulnerability!
Before I go into a whole discussion about how my eyes were glued to the screen, I must vainly state that my first suspicion was (view spoiler)[Simon and Jackie (hide spoiler)]. I just had to put that out there.
Okay. Now that my ego has been fed, let us commence.
I knew that the vise-like grip of Death on the Nile was wrapping around my neck when I first cracked open the book and saw the multiple perspectives of the main characters before the main plot--typical Agatha Christie. Always giving readers just a taste of what is to ensue, lighting a match and tossing it into the roaring fire that is human curiosity...
The beauty of Agatha Christie books (or any substantial thriller novel) is the way the plot makes you doubt and change your belief of who the killer is. That happened to me so, so many times while reading Death on the Nile. Initially, my mind was whispering “Simon and Jackie colluded and killed Linnet”, then Monsieur Hercule and his digging made me think, “Oh, how could I be so stupid? It’s definitely Tim and Mrs. Allerton” and so on. Reading this book was equivalent to that well-known sensation of twirling round and round and round in the middle of your living room when you were 7 years old--the sensation of pure dizziness and nausea accompanied with excitement at having your whole world spin while standing still... to put mildly, it was an adrenaline rush in a book. Also, I’d really just like to show appreciation to that sociopathic ending--um, what? I never suspected that Jacqueline was such a loony-case (at least not to the extent of killing Simon then herself). I will admit that this story opened a new door for me, one that sheds a light on the prospect of “love justifies everything”, because for the first time, I’m starting to see the ugly side of love...and it is downright petrifying.
Other than the dizzying plot and--let’s admit it--humorous, big-hearted, unconventional detective Hercule Poirot, I really learnt a lot of new words. Thank God for Kindle’s built-in dictionary, because I found myself tapping on at least 2 to 3 words every five pages...not that I’m complaining. I wish everyone talked the way the English used to in the early 1900’s. Vulgarity was so rare, back then (humankind would also be way smarter)....more
Honestly, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in with zero expectations and, if I’m being honest, I was quite doubtful after rHonestly, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in with zero expectations and, if I’m being honest, I was quite doubtful after reading some GR reviews, but I am so happy to say that GR negative reviews are wrong, once again. This was one of the most unique books I have ever read. So many aspects of this story pleasantly surprised me, and I don’t mean in a “twist-you-never-saw-coming” type of way (even though it has this element) but rather the fact that every minute detail shocked me from its absolute peculiarity.
1. I just need to emphasise on the slavery aspect of this book--wow. Wow. Honestly, I have never been so immersed in African-American History more than I did while reading this book. The depth of the History in this made the story so realistic that the fine line between reality and fiction started to blur for me. I would get up to eat some biscuits and suddenly I would find myself worrying and thinking, What the hell is going on in Pinebank? or Why hasn’t CNN covered the news about Thomas Perkins? You know, the usual.
2. What genre does this book go under? Fantasy? Historical Fiction? Horror? Romance? The answer is yes, my friends. Yes. It is all of the above. I loved how intertwined the magical aspect of this book was to the factual and logical part. A girl who sees ghosts and a boy who wants to be an architectural historian. Literally the perfect mix for disaster.
3. The plot was so addictive. I finished this book in one sitting (in case you were wondering; yes, my back and butt are sore). As soon as I flipped the first page, I was hooked by these characters and their weird families and that goddamned house and all the eerie and spooky things that surrounded it.
4. Despite how much I hated Law’s Homelife and parents, I cannot help but show appreciation for the author’s clever idea of making Law’s parents an interracial couple. I could literally feel Law’s internal struggle between the two halves of himself. Will he stand up for the injustice that was caused to black people for centuries in America? Will he follow his dreams and save an architectural perfect house owned by a slaver? Will he disappoint his dad? Will he believe Katie? Will he? Will he?
5. Talk about grey areas. If you’re reading this book for a simple good-versus-evil plot, you’ve got another thing coming, let me tell you.
6. (view spoiler)[I’m kind of sad for Katie... I was hoping her mum would visit her and she would get some closure. (hide spoiler)]
7. WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO FUNNY? Katie and Law were sarcastic little beans. When Law said he felt whiter than Eminem I had to reread that line about three times before I fully allowed myself to laugh at it.
8. Um, the knowledge I gained about African-American history? Unmatched.
If there’s one thing I’m learning about myself, it is that I am an absolute sucker for unknown books that sweep you off your feet. The Other Side of Dark should honestly have more ratings than it does. I feel so transformed and doused in a kind of ethereal entity. My only complain about this novel would have to be the fact that the great abundance of history got slightly confusing at points, but I am willing to overlook this because of how different this story was. 5 stars!!...more
Do you know what this book has taught me? It has taught me that Magical Realism has become a new f
I loved you before, Ava. Let me love you still.
Do you know what this book has taught me? It has taught me that Magical Realism has become a new favourite genre of mine. Wow. What a gem. I won’t lie, it took me some time to wrap my mind around the peculiarity that is this book, but once I’d done a little research on magical realism, it became easier to accept and value these strange things as they came along.
I am sure I am not the only one who experienced three lifetimes worth of the most horrible heartbreak within the 300 pages that make up The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. We follow what seems to be a very specific and detailed memoir of Ava and her ancestors lives (which, if you ask me, was too detailed to be just research that she gathered over time. I didn’t consider this a flaw, though. I found it rather eerie that she knew everything down to their thoughts and summed it up as yet another strange characteristic of the Lavender women). I remember reading reviews here on Goodreads that were rather unhappy with Walton’s focus on the entire bloodline of the Lavender women. I found it to be utter literary genius. It made me appreciate the value of ancestry and how every little action has a greater impact beyond what we can see. If John wasn’t horrible to Jack, he wouldn’t have had the need to prove himself useful and leave Viviane. If Satin Lush didn’t betray Emilienne, she would have never settled for Connor. It was like watching how their different lives all merged into each other to give us Ava’s story, with an almost eerie similarity in the fact that love always, always made them such fools.
I almost thought it to be a curse, the fact that Maman, Emilienne, Viviane and Ava could not find true love-or rather, could not open their hearts once they were broken, sitting idly and blind as true love passed them by. I am happy that Viviane finally opened her eyes and saw Gabe for what he was-a man that loved her patiently and vigorously, a thousand times more than that coward Jack every could. This book just proves that there is by no means a shortage of horrible people in this world, and each of our characters had a taste of that, from Beauregard to Satin Lush to William Peyton to Jack Griffith to that filthy animal Nathaniel Sorrows.
But I realised that with every tragedy came a new hope, a new love. Gabe, our gentle giant, loving Viviane from a distance, staying with her through the thick of it, loving her kids as his own, just waiting and waiting and waiting to be the balm that healed her broken heart. Rowe, who loved Ava despite everything that happened to her, that remembered her everyday after her wings were sown off and her innocence was crudely taken from her (just a side note: whenever I read such things, about people who send letters to their loved ones who are oceans away, I can’t help but admire the depth of that love. We humans thrive on reality, on our senses. One must have such earth-shattering love to go to such lengths). Even Penelope and Wilhelmina.
It is important to remember that love doesn’t only exist between a man and a woman, but a mother and her child, between two friends, between workers, a brother and sister, all of which were portrayed in this novel. Cardigan visiting Ava twice a day to feed her and read to her and lie down next to her. Henry and Ava’s tender relationship, the fact that they could understand each other with no words spoken at all. We even see the stone-cold Emilienne shed her hardened shell towards the end of the novel, opening her heart to her daughter and grandchildren, and, eventually, her own deceased siblings. Love seeps through our bones no matter how hard we might try to block it.
I do not see this novel as one of pain, though it is portrayed in great abundance. Though our characters had horrible lives, met some horrible men and were forced to make tough decisions. This was a book of love, a book brimming with it. I am sure we all know this very worn saying: love and pain come hand in hand. You cannot choose to love and expect there to not be pain. No matter what path you decide to walk, pain will be but a step away. If you choose not to love, are you not setting yourself up for pain? It is how life works, and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender portrayed that exactly. I am absolutely enamoured with this book and its omnipresent narrator, its lyrical writing, its strange and heart-warming people, the magic weaving through the words. It was really thought-provoking and allowed me to really appreciate this mixture of love and pain that is life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update: I reread this-only 4 days after reading it the first time, mind you-and I think I have a few different interpretations of the ending:
1. I would like to think Walton was trying to communicate to us through a symbolic and hopeful ending (this is certainly less frustrating than considering option 2). We all know that Ava’s wings are brown, but at the end, we learn that the new wings she has sprouted are white and angelic. The part of me that despises option 2 hopes that Walton was trying to say that with love, you can sprout new and better wings to overcome any boulder that is placed in your path. With love, you can start to hope again, and hope on its own gives us wings. Ava was surrounded by such love that I am rather shocked I didn’t sprout a pair of feathered attachments of my own. I want to believe the intended ending was one of hope, and that René’s little meeting with Ava only a few minutes before she soared into the sky was but a coincidence.
2. Ah, the dreaded option 2. If I hadn’t seen Walton’s answer to a question about her intention behind the baffling ending, I most probably would have stuck with this rather sullen option. My second interpretation is that René came to take Ava’s soul away, and that she died and became an angel. It would make sense considering the context of their conversation prior. I dislike this interpretation very much, because I believe that magical realism is all about the hidden meanings and what the strange occurrences in the book mean to the character, and is not about taking things so literally. I have also taken into consideration that René did end up taking Emmiliene’s soul instead of Ava’s. As sad as this was (especially because she was just opening herself to love again), I couldn’t help but be relieved. Ava still has a lot to live for-she is only just spreading her wings-which is why I truly and sincerely believe that option 1 is the more sensible theory.
Reading this book a second time really put a few things into perspective for me, and I truly appreciated feeling like the omnipresent narrator (mostly because I already knew what would happen, obviously)....more
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