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readsbyfatima's reviews
160 reviews
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
The fact that so many people love this book makes me extremely worried about how many people have been exposed to this book’s perception of sexual consent and abuse. Not only is the writing not so great (expect repetition of the same phrases throughout like “he cocked his head”, “my High Lord”, “my bowels turned watery” and “it would be impossible to paint”), but it was also such a drag to read and consistently romanticised abuse. The romance is the worst part of it all. So animalistic, brutal and borderline abusive. Both love interests (because it’s obvious Rhysand will become a love interest) are sexually dominant and abusive. Rhysand invades Feyre’s mind, forces himself onto her many times, repeatedly drugs her, strikes a bargain to save her life so long as she basically sells her body to him and marks her body with paint so no one else can touch her…and all I’ve seen on #bookstagram is people falling head over heels for this character and romance. I don’t care if his actions were ultimately to save his people/for the greater good. Tamlin BITES her neck and leaves a bruise…how is any part of this book sexy? I don’t care if the next book is better. I won’t be picking up anything else by Sarah J Maas again. I bought this book 7 years ago when I was still in high school and it’s been left unread on my shelf until now. All I can say is I’m glad 16-year-old me wasn’t exposed to this story. Sorry if you loved this book, this is just my honest review.
EDIT: I hear Tamlin is supposed to be painted as abusive when you read the rest of the series…seems like maybe the author did a backflip on the story? I still don’t think Rhysand’s character can be redeemed, personally.
EDIT: I hear Tamlin is supposed to be painted as abusive when you read the rest of the series…seems like maybe the author did a backflip on the story? I still don’t think Rhysand’s character can be redeemed, personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
3.75
Passing by Nella Larsen
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Irene Redfield, our main character, runs into an old friend, Clare Kendry who is now living her life as a white woman. Pretty soon, Clare’s secret and presence becomes entangled in that of Irene’s seemingly picture-perfect life.
The themes explored about a light-skinned Black person passing for white have endured until this very day. It digs deep into why anyone would want to pass for white, the dangers of doing so and the thrill of deception. The character of Clare Kendry is lovable, daring, infuriating and playful. She’s a very interesting person who is addicted to danger and having everything she wants. For her, passing is about getting her hands on everything she’s ever wanted and never running into the barriers or limits imposed by racial identity. Irene is her polar opposite. She doesn’t want to pass for white but is intrigued by Clare’s lifestyle and lack of sense of danger. Irene is a woman burdened by race, who wants the best for her family and only desires security rather than the thrill of deception. I found both women to be incredibly fascinating as each other’s “mirror images” and found their characters shed a lot of light on racial identity and some of its burdens. Also the introduction by Britt Bennett in this edition is incredibly insightful and a must-read once you’ve finished reading the book. I understand now how The Vanishing Half was inspired by Passing, despite how different those two books are.
Does anyone have an opinion on whether Irene pushed Clare or whether Clare jumped? And how did NOBODY notice what really happened?! Ahhh what a fantastic ambiguous ending.
Loved it. Thoughts?
The themes explored about a light-skinned Black person passing for white have endured until this very day. It digs deep into why anyone would want to pass for white, the dangers of doing so and the thrill of deception. The character of Clare Kendry is lovable, daring, infuriating and playful. She’s a very interesting person who is addicted to danger and having everything she wants. For her, passing is about getting her hands on everything she’s ever wanted and never running into the barriers or limits imposed by racial identity. Irene is her polar opposite. She doesn’t want to pass for white but is intrigued by Clare’s lifestyle and lack of sense of danger. Irene is a woman burdened by race, who wants the best for her family and only desires security rather than the thrill of deception. I found both women to be incredibly fascinating as each other’s “mirror images” and found their characters shed a lot of light on racial identity and some of its burdens. Also the introduction by Britt Bennett in this edition is incredibly insightful and a must-read once you’ve finished reading the book. I understand now how The Vanishing Half was inspired by Passing, despite how different those two books are.
Loved it. Thoughts?
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Slavery
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I felt this book was a definite page-turner, despite being over-hyped in my opinion. It was an okay read, but I felt little connection to the characters due to the writing being detached from them. I also felt Michaelides was doing a lot of telling rather than “showing” through great writing and imagery. The plot was also flawed, for reasons I’ll explain in my spoilery section of this review. Nevertheless, it was an interesting book with cool Ancient Greek motifs and other academia references woven throughout.
☕️ Despite all the many references to how one’s childhood shapes the human being, there wasn’t enough character-building into the psyches of these characters…especially Mariana and Sebastian! And Zoe…these are the main characters and we only get a glimpse into what makes them who they are. Sebastian’s journals provided some insight, but in the end, we never got an answer for why Mariana never knew about his childhood…I mean, wasn’t she his wife?
☕️ The plot didn’t feel wrapped up enough. There were too many loose ends…The ending felt too rushed. We didn’t get enough pay-off for why Fosca was the way he was and his motivations for sleeping with the Maidens. There was also no explanation of the repetitive swan symbolism…and what was with Fred’s “premonitions”?! Mariana’s relationship with Fred wasn’t properly developed at all…I felt zero chemistry between the two. I also felt that the killer being Zoe was so out of left-field. A string of murders to cover-up a single murder that you planned all along? Seems a little crazy.
☕️ I didn’t love the way Michaelides painted women in this story. The women weren’t developed as real humans at all…Sebastian’s journals were the most compelling aspect of the entire story. The fact that he is the puppet-master all along and Zoe is acting as his “proxy” (Michaelides words - not mine!) is just so unsatisfying. What are Zoe’s motivations? How did she experience Sebastian’s manipulation? None of this was developed right…the real “killer” was Sebastian.
☕️ The plot didn’t feel wrapped up enough. There were too many loose ends…The ending felt too rushed. We didn’t get enough pay-off for why Fosca was the way he was and his motivations for sleeping with the Maidens. There was also no explanation of the repetitive swan symbolism…and what was with Fred’s “premonitions”?! Mariana’s relationship with Fred wasn’t properly developed at all…I felt zero chemistry between the two. I also felt that the killer being Zoe was so out of left-field. A string of murders to cover-up a single murder that you planned all along? Seems a little crazy.
☕️ I didn’t love the way Michaelides painted women in this story. The women weren’t developed as real humans at all…Sebastian’s journals were the most compelling aspect of the entire story. The fact that he is the puppet-master all along and Zoe is acting as his “proxy” (Michaelides words - not mine!) is just so unsatisfying. What are Zoe’s motivations? How did she experience Sebastian’s manipulation? None of this was developed right…the real “killer” was Sebastian.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was such a page-turner for me given how fascinating it was. It features old Hollywood glamour, the grey complexity of morality and different types of love. Definitely recommend for anyone who loves drama, celebrity culture and a good plot. There’s also a tonne of character development in this novel. Evelyn Hugo is a mesmerising fictional character reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor. The journalist who is selected to pen her biography; Monique Grant is one who grows amazingly throughout the book as well. I only take issue with the way race is portrayed in this novel. I feel it was surface-level and didn’t dig deep enough with both Monique’s and Evelyn’s characters (who are both POC). I suspect this is primarily because it was written by a white woman. I felt Monique’s biracial identity and Evelyn’s Cuban heritage were simplified and acted as a side-plot to the main plot of the novel. It could have been incorporated a bit more. I don’t think Evelyn dying her hair blonde makes people completely forget her Cuban heritage. It’s interesting she didn’t face much racism in Hollywood besides when her hair was brown…Besides that I think the novel was excellent and it’s why I’d give it 4 stars rather than 5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Homophobia
Minor: Racism
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0