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anna_curlyquotesediting's reviews
180 reviews
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
I've loved this book since I first read it as a child, and I come back to it every now and then as an adult. I love how L'Engle emphasizes uniqueness as strength: "like and equal are not the same."
I know this book was written in a time when the fears of communism were rampant in the world, forced sameness and the death of the individual. And while A Wrinkle in Time is essentially about that, L'Engle spins those fears into strengths that a child can understand. I always finish this book feeling hopeful and glad of my uniqueness. I hope you do too.
I know this book was written in a time when the fears of communism were rampant in the world, forced sameness and the death of the individual. And while A Wrinkle in Time is essentially about that, L'Engle spins those fears into strengths that a child can understand. I always finish this book feeling hopeful and glad of my uniqueness. I hope you do too.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Confinement
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Too much for me once the gore started. Literally felt sick. I was uncomfortable before in a few spots, but just...nope. I'm out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Gore, Rape, Torture, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Weird book. Interesting ending.
Sometimes the book was sexual in a creepy, very uncomfortable way. The MC thinks about/considers sexual assault way too many times. The book treats sex as if it's entirely necessary for human male survival and that an adult has difficulty controlling himself, which . . . 1954 writing, I guess. It's not a good look. Didn't age well.
The science aspect is super far-fetched, which is sometimes OK. Suspension of belief is necessary for sci-fi and fantasy. But how fast Neville learns the science terminology is unbelievable with how specific the book gets. And that extreme specificity is where the problem is. Knowing words and general info is one thing, but true comprehension, study and experimentation is another. Either more mistakes needed to be made or more uncertainty about his theories would help that, I think. A simple time skip with a basic overview of what happened would have also been beneficial.
And then, when there finally was a time skip, it glossed over every single advancement/mistake/learning opportunity and ran straight for the plot, abandoning character growth.
Side note: I hope the movie I Am Legend (2007) said it was "inspired by" and not "based on" the 1954 novel. Because this book and that movie are different at their cores and by plotline.
Sometimes the book was sexual in a creepy, very uncomfortable way. The MC thinks about/considers sexual assault way too many times. The book treats sex as if it's entirely necessary for human male survival and that an adult has difficulty controlling himself, which . . . 1954 writing, I guess. It's not a good look. Didn't age well.
The science aspect is super far-fetched, which is sometimes OK. Suspension of belief is necessary for sci-fi and fantasy. But how fast Neville learns the science terminology is unbelievable with how specific the book gets. And that extreme specificity is where the problem is. Knowing words and general info is one thing, but true comprehension, study and experimentation is another. Either more mistakes needed to be made or more uncertainty about his theories would help that, I think. A simple time skip with a basic overview of what happened would have also been beneficial.
And then, when there finally was a time skip, it glossed over every single advancement/mistake/learning opportunity and ran straight for the plot, abandoning character growth.
Side note: I hope the movie I Am Legend (2007) said it was "inspired by" and not "based on" the 1954 novel. Because this book and that movie are different at their cores and by plotline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Violence
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Gun violence, and Rape
Crank Palace by James Dashner
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My first audiobook! I am a distractable chipmunk. That's all there is to it; I zone out, I think about other things, and I get too focused on what I'm doing instead of even paying semi-attention to what I'm listening to. So, no more fiction audiobooks for me. I miss too many details; I catch the important bits, and I'll know the gist of what's going on, but that's not enough to make me happy. I'll see how audiobooks go for nonfiction instead.
Anyway, I still liked the story here! (What I actually managed to absorb, anyway.) I listened to this right after reading The Maze Cutter, so I had more context for this story after rereading The Maze Runner series prior to that. Digging into Newt's state of mind and what really happened after Thomas and Co. left him felt terrible, but in a good way. Though I do wish we'd gotten the scene where Thomas and Newt meet again. The ending was abrupt because we didn't.
Anyway, I still liked the story here! (What I actually managed to absorb, anyway.) I listened to this right after reading The Maze Cutter, so I had more context for this story after rereading The Maze Runner series prior to that. Digging into Newt's state of mind and what really happened after Thomas and Co. left him felt terrible, but in a good way. Though I do wish we'd gotten the scene where Thomas and Newt meet again. The ending was abrupt because we didn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Police brutality
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I liked this book. But I also didn't. Story-wise, it was slow and grueling and sad. Just as a book like this is expected to be. None of those adjectives are a negative.
There were odd choices in the formatting: no quotation marks when someone spoke, not always new paragraphs when someone spoke, extremely long paragraphs with no breaks besides scenes, and a strange aversion to commas. There were huge numbers of run-on sentences and fragments. These choices made the book skip a bit like an old record, or like a shopping cart bouncing over potholes.
The prose itself was excellent, but sometimes the poetry of it acted as a distraction. McCarthy seemed to struggle somewhat with a balance between experimental writing and readability. Sometimes the balance was perfect. Sometimes it was not. There was no connector between these times of "not" either, such as theme, mood, or memory.
I understand the why of the artistic style and formatting choices though: it's meant to slow you down, keep you a little disoriented and just off-step, to force the reader into the desired mood and the same patterns as the two main characters. It's done well. Really well.
Really, the formatting and readability--the way this book is written will definitely turn a fair amount of readers away--are the only reasons I gave the book less than 5 stars, because it drove me a little crazy sometimes too. But if you're up for a challenge and in the mood to be sad, I encourage giving this book a try.
There were odd choices in the formatting: no quotation marks when someone spoke, not always new paragraphs when someone spoke, extremely long paragraphs with no breaks besides scenes, and a strange aversion to commas. There were huge numbers of run-on sentences and fragments. These choices made the book skip a bit like an old record, or like a shopping cart bouncing over potholes.
The prose itself was excellent, but sometimes the poetry of it acted as a distraction. McCarthy seemed to struggle somewhat with a balance between experimental writing and readability. Sometimes the balance was perfect. Sometimes it was not. There was no connector between these times of "not" either, such as theme, mood, or memory.
I understand the why of the artistic style and formatting choices though: it's meant to slow you down, keep you a little disoriented and just off-step, to force the reader into the desired mood and the same patterns as the two main characters. It's done well. Really well.
Really, the formatting and readability--the way this book is written will definitely turn a fair amount of readers away--are the only reasons I gave the book less than 5 stars, because it drove me a little crazy sometimes too. But if you're up for a challenge and in the mood to be sad, I encourage giving this book a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Cannibalism
Minor: Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Animal Farm by George Orwell
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An incredible view into what happens when gaslighting meets censureship, ignorance, intolerance.
Of course, Orwell's Animal Farm is a commentary on Russian politics and practices during the 1940s, but they still apply to today's world. More-so, I'd say, in the age of the internet which gives access to nothing for those who cannot think critically and everything for those who can.
Of course, Orwell's Animal Farm is a commentary on Russian politics and practices during the 1940s, but they still apply to today's world. More-so, I'd say, in the age of the internet which gives access to nothing for those who cannot think critically and everything for those who can.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Animal death
The Maze Cutter by James Dashner
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book was not what I expected, and I wish I could say that it was in a good way. But it wasn't. I adored the original Maze Runner series, but . . .
There's nothing really wrong with the new lore, but the introductions of said lore is confusing and, at worst, lazy. Save for one or two, the characters felt flat with no real personalities and goals of their own. I also had an issue with one of the relationships in the book not being earned at all, which turned what should've been sweet into a cliché.
Overall, the book was choppy and felt somewhat thrown together with no clear plotlines or character arcs, which lead the book to being very slow. There were too many POVs and not enough connection between them to warrant their existence.
There's nothing really wrong with the new lore, but the introductions of said lore is confusing and, at worst, lazy. Save for one or two, the characters felt flat with no real personalities and goals of their own. I also had an issue with one of the relationships in the book not being earned at all, which turned what should've been sweet into a cliché.
Overall, the book was choppy and felt somewhat thrown together with no clear plotlines or character arcs, which lead the book to being very slow. There were too many POVs and not enough connection between them to warrant their existence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Minor: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
The Fever Code by James Dashner
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a slow read, but it is a good read. Prepare for trauma. Seriously.
Learning about Thomas's life before the maze adds a ton of nuance and depth to his character. I'm almost tempted to read The Maze Runner again, and I finished that book last week.
Learning about Thomas's life before the maze adds a ton of nuance and depth to his character. I'm almost tempted to read The Maze Runner again, and I finished that book last week.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt
The Maze Runner Files by James Dashner
informative
THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY A STORY!! The Maze Runner Files contains some documentation from WICKED (both before and after the release of the Flare) as well as two excerpts from upcoming (at the time) Dashner books. I only read the documentation, because that's what I picked up The Maze Runner Files for.
So don't be disappointed! This "book" is not a book; just think of it as a special edition file with extra goodies.
So don't be disappointed! This "book" is not a book; just think of it as a special edition file with extra goodies.
The Kill Order by James Dashner
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Really liked this one. It was both intriguing and horrifying. While still YA, this book leans closer to the adult side of things. The topics and content are quite heavy, and will definitely hit an adult harder.
That said, my only real complaint about The Kill Order is the flashbacks slowing the book down. Don't get me wrong, every flashback was interesting, but part of me wishes they'd been two separate stories.
That said, my only real complaint about The Kill Order is the flashbacks slowing the book down. Don't get me wrong, every flashback was interesting, but part of me wishes they'd been two separate stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm