apalershadeofwhite's reviews
244 reviews

This book is riddled with clichés. I'm usually not one who hates that, but when they're done badly, I become feral lmao. The whole overdramatic damsel in distress, slightly jealous best friend, oblivious MC thing? No thanks! Clara as a whole just felt so one-dimensional and I rolled my eyes every time she came onto the page. The book had so many scenes that were uselessly dramatic for effect but just made me uninterested in the narrative. The interactions didn't seem believable, but overtly constructed. It felt like this was written by an inexperienced writer dipping their toes into the genre because was a severe lack of originality and flavour. It was just a bit bland, to be honest.

It definitely felt like there was some serious word padding going on. The random inclusions of the killer's POV felt disruptive and misplaced. I found myself questioning why they were there because the only time it made sense within the narrative was when the narrator mentioned that the cat immediately greeted them, which hinted towards their identity. Also, there was sometimes two chapters that were the exact same scene just from a different point of view. I know it was probably meant to show the difference in perspectives and how two people can interpret the same thing differently, but some of the dialogue was completely different! It didn't make sense, at all.

It did get a bit interesting around the early-20s chapters when there was tension between Clara and Edgar, but it just seemed to drop off again afterwards. Also, the penultimate chapter felt so rushed and some of it was a bit useless, to be honest. Why are we getting one-sentence summaries about each characters that was ever briefly mentioned and how they fared after the case was closed? It again just felt like padding to hit a word count. Then, the epilogue felt quite lazy and unfinished. He just decided to fall asleep while driving and THAT'S how it ends? Ugh.

My thoughts when I first opened this book: ugh the cliché man who doesn't believe in love and thinks that all romance is doomed.

Despite this, the novel had a really good start. It was funny and had a solid set up for the rest of the story to smoothly take place; the conflict, the characters, etc. However, the amount of times I read the word 'unlucky' in that first chapter made me, as the protagonist would say, "irrationally violent". Otherwise, it was really easy to read. While I was turning the pages, I didn't realise how much of the book I was actually ploughing through. It was enjoyable because it was light-hearted and the banter between the two protagonists was actually believable

(Side note: do you think it was intentional that there's an aunty called Tía Maria? Lmao)

It's so funny that they hate each other so much and as a result they know each other so well haha. The scene in the lift where he says she looks fine and he knows immediately that she'll overthink that one word; when she gets the new job and she assumes he'll make a joke about her being the janitor and then two chapters later he makes that exact joke.

I was originally quite worried about the miscommunication trope, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't executed in a cringe way, thankfully. I didn't vehemently hate it like I usually do. I liked that they actually heard each other out and did it in a mature way, being adults about it.

I adored how close the Torres family were. They immediately jumped to see how they could help each other in time of unease or struggle and it's so wholesome to see. But the whole scene were Ami (tangent, but I didn't know how to actually pronounce this? Like Amy or Am-ee?) is just going IN on Olive (another tangent: her name immediately reminded me of the opening scene form Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging where Georgia is dressed as a stuffed olive lol) and saying all these things that she knows are her sister's fears in order to intentionally hurt her? She weaponised the closeness of their relationship to intentionally hurt her sister and it was so sad. 

I assumed that the entire book was going to be honeymoon and it was going to be super dragged out, but the pacing was actually pretty good. I was actually pretty riveted with the story and I especially loved the parallels that the author included. E.g. something brought up in one chapter would be brought up later on and could either mean the same thing or something totally different depending on the purpose of it being brought up. I also liked that we got an epilogue of Ethan's POV! It was really cute to see things from his side finally. Overall, it was a pretty cute book and I could see myself possibly rereading it when I'm looking for a quick and easy read.

This was such a nice change from the war and trauma in the last novels/s, to finally see the inner circle just enjoying Winter Solstice and learning how to live after what they went through. I think the content of the book reads like a fanfiction almost haha because these fluffy scenes that we get in this text are usually what you see in fan-written stories and spinoffs. We all just want to see our favourite characters finally happy, which is why this book was so heart-warming to read.

I do have a tiny gripe, though... even through the changing of perspectives - we get Feyre, Cassian, Morrigan, Rhysand, and even a tiny Nesta snippet - the tense changes. It goes from first person to third person, which was originally quite confusing to me as it took me out of my reading flow. Feyre's chapters were in first person and Cassian and Mor's were in third, but then Nesta's was in first person again? This possibly could have been a way of setting up the next book and how the tense will change with the change in character focus, or it could even have been drawing subtle similarities between the two sisters and likewise the two centuries-long friends, but it was just a little jarring at first lol. I personally like to get into character's heads, but I think that would be super daunting to write the personal inner dialogue of characters that have been presented to us through another character's POV for two or three previous books. Everyone has their own ideas of what their favourite character's inner dialogue would be like, both thoughts and the way they express themselves, and I think a third-person POV takes a bit of that pressure away.

Despite obviously knowing this was a much shorter novel when I picked it up, I got to the last sentence - "to the dreams that are answered, Rhys" (which is both a heart-breaking and heart-warming final line) - and expected another chapter. I think it was muscle memory for my brain to recognise I was reading SJM and to expect a thicc boi of a novel lmao. I was actually very sad that it was so short as it made it feel more like a filler to the story, a calm before the storm of the next book, but it was still so stunningly written. 

I'm so excited for the next book; I know it's based on Cassian and Nesta and I can just tell it's going to be a ride! Nesta is repeatedly described as 'queen' or 'queenly' or referred to as having 'queenly' attributes, which makes me so excited for what's in store for her character. I can just tell she's going to be such a badass!

Side note: I've always loved and found it interesting that Rhys is described in a feline way (they specifically use that word A LOT) or using cat-like descriptions and imagery. I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before and I just didn't take notice of it, but when he made the bargain with Feyre Under the Mountain and placed the tattooed eye on her palm; IT'S A CAT'S EYE! It's such a subtle details but it's so powerful, important, and effective. The attention to detail that SJM has is unmatched and unparalleled.

The introduction to this anthology by Lincoln Der was astounding. It was such a heartfelt and beautiful way to introduce the collection and it made me excited for what was to come. I hoped the poems were as good as the introduction was and, thankfully, they were! There was some truly stunning writing in here. I found something I liked in almost every poem, whether it was an entire stanza, a phrase or a line, or even the whole poem! One thing I loved especially was the natural and world imagery, similes, and metaphors. I adored how the poet included the sky, the sun and the moon, the earth, and other things. They were all so gorgeous!

The distinction between 'Little Me' and who they are now was interesting by itself, but the poet sometimes referred to them both as "we" which I absolutely adored. They are different people, but yet the same. Two versions of one soul. It was interesting to analyse the format and layout in response to the two narrators throughout this collection. The experimentation with structure was really cool and executed really well. The choice between experimenting and conforming to classic, traditional poetry rules was really interesting overall, but especially interesting when it came to analyse who the narrator was: the younger or older self.

This book was written in a way, for me, that is similar (but with a different writing style) to My Policeman and Where the Crawdads Sing. I've learned recently that I LOVE books like these, which I have come to learn is a literary fiction style. It just takes you through their lives and not everything has to be a crazy plot twist or absolutely bursting with literary prestige and linguistic techniques; it just focuses on good writing. It was written so well that you forget time is passing while you turn the pages because you're so taken into the narrative. These sorts of books give me the same sort of feel that I imagine people get when they watch documentaries or true crime, etc. where it's not so crazy that you've got to stop and be like 'what just happened' in shock, you can just read it from cover to cover and be so content. Obviously they make you feel things, but they don't play on your emotions in the same way as an epic fantasy or crime / murder mystery, for example. It feels more calm and serene to read. Bu the work is still so exciting, you feel calm reading it. It's such an exciting novel where you get so invested in the characters, and I think it's such an interesting layout. I like that every couple chapters goes back to Monique. It feels like it's mimicking the real world and reminds you that there's other things and people than these huge stars that we get obsessed with. These celebrities aren't the be-all-end-all, they're still people and they're surrounded by other people who are just as interesting despite the celebrity status. Being set in 1950s Hollywood, such a coveted time held in high esteem, people would be super excited to get to know the gritty details, but the book almost goes 'wait now, hold your horses' and teases us while also reminding us that there's a world outside of these stars.

I mean, the entire premise of this book plays on a lot of people's need to be nosey, to know what's behind the scenes, the secrets, anything about these celebrities that we've put on a pedestal and detached the word 'human' from. People see them as objects of entertainment and forget they're actual people. This whole book is about Evelyn reclaiming that, putting herself out there whether people find it pretty or disgusting. She just details her life and things that she kept secret throughout her fame. We have this inane need to know everything about these people, even though we are not entitled to that at all. They can tell us these things in they want to, but we are not entitled to know everything about them, which is proven by the fact that Evelyn is in her 70s and telling her life story.

I loved that the novel didn't end when Evelyn finished her story. I did not see that being the reason she chose Monique to write the biography, but I really like that we got to know and see how Minique reacted. The last few chapters really showed the nuances of human emotion, which is so interesting to me. How you can feel all these things and don't know why you feel them, or feel bad things and be unashamed, or be ashamed of feeling good things. The nuances of human emotions truly fascinate me, and it was done beautifully.

 The Clerk's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer is an odd one, to say the least. I'm not a huge fan of this tale due to the writing style and I am unsure if I will read more of his work. Though, I loved the actual narrative of this tale! However, I think the power dynamics of Walter and Griselda were displayed well in this story

Synopsis: This is one of the many tales in 'The Canterbury Classics' and tells the story of a man who marries a woman named Griselda. To test her loyalty to him, he takes away her children and says he is going to kill them. After saying he is going to annul their marriage and presents the firstborn as his wife, he reveals his actions to Griselda and they live happily. 

 It was really interesting to read a theoretical essay on male stereotypes as opposed to the commonly discussed female stereotypes in literature. Reading this essay, it explains how men are just as entrapped by patriarchal, societal, and historical stereotypes as women are.

Despite the focus of this text, however, I was slightly confused reading it because no matter what route this text took, it always linked back to femininity and women being inferior. It was interesting, though, to read examples of how however men try to oppose the stereotype of maleness, it always leads to being regarded as feminine and therefore emasculated. For example: if men loved a woman it was called 'womanly love' and they were emasculated, if men didn't want to take a wife it was seen as odd and effeminate, if men didn't portray their superiority and power over women they were emasculated, and if you lived comfortably and didn't have a hard life you were feminised and emasculated.

But even in such an enlightening essay, there is still the ever-present blame towards women. Women were blamed for a man's impotence and sterility, for example, and officials blamed specifically witches and their craft. 

 

The context and other interpretations I've been reading on Bluebeard are really interesting! I've read essays where people interpret the bloody chamber as a physical space, a metaphorical space, a space in relation to the patriarchy, this story in relation to feminism and as a feminist story, and it's been really interesting! I would definitely recommend doing research on this story yourself