melc's reviews
1131 reviews

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.5

This coming of age dystopian novel has well written prose which made it really satisfying and compelling.

There is a lot of exploration of love and identity which were interesting and authentic. However, I felt that there needed to be more conflict for the sibling relationships to feel more convincing - coming from a complicated background, hardly knowing each other to begin with, the ease with which they drew together even before the apocalyptic events just didn't feel real. Plus I couldn't quite accept the incestuous relationship that happened in this book as easily as the characters did which was growing from before the end of the world and it never seemed to be acknowledged that as half brother and sister this was taboo.

The dystopian plotline was tense and mysterious, but it's lack of resolution was frustrating. I have read quite a few dystopian novels now which don't reveal the details of what has happened to the world and I'm ok with that, but this just felt a little too elusive and strange and ultimately left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Overall, this was an interesting read with a lot of tender exploration of sexuality, identity and family relationships, mixed with end of the world, we're the only people left vibes.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

The Tower: A Novel by Flora Carr

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.

This is a claustrophobic fictional glimpse into the days Mary Queen of Scots spent in imprisonment.

The historical research and detail is thorough and somewhat interesting, although it has been extensively written and rewritten before. I also found the flow between historical information and background didn't often merge well with the fictional narrative and found the jumping around jarring.

There were too many florrid descriptions and metaphors that began to grate on me. I struggled to relate to the characters although some of the themes of status and class were interesting. But, although I understand they were in a situation that was incredibly tough, frightening and degrading - I began to find their internal voices whiney and irritating, particularly after Seton arrived.

I started to become quite bored and dnf'd at 44%, but I imagine that many readers would enjoy the feminist, LGBTQ themes with the famous historical figures. However, for me it just didn't blend together well.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Clear by Carys Davies

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-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

4.0

This novel is beautifully written with exquisite evocative crafting of its setting, the thoughts of its characters and the imagery of the sea, nature and the wildlife.

The exploration of isolation and how this can happen through geography and our own choosing was profound.

Then there's the idea of loneliness and how this is different to isolation and can often be more obvious when we are with others, particularly if we feel we have damaged the relationship we have with them.

The historical setting giving insights into the church upheavals and the Clearances of Scotland were interesting and grounded in a tender love of the furthest reaches of rural Scotland and its people.

However, I did find the ending rushed and couldn't quite get on board with the resolution of the story feeling that I needed more character insights and time spent in the moments towards the end to feel more satisfied.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced