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stargirlish's reviews
42 reviews
Carmilla and Laura by S.D. Simper
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
i read this immediately after i read "carmilla", and i honestly think i liked them both about the same amount. i really liked simper's take on the original text, and love how closely she followed it. while i might not necessarily agree with certain changes (and that's like 2, btw. as i said, i REALLY liked this book), i still think it's probably the best retelling i have ever read.
the prose was especially beautiful. im simply in love with the writing. although, at times, certain phrases did feel repetitive. and i wasn't necessarily a fan of prologue and epilogue being set in our times, although it does feel hopeful to see carmilla and laura be part of a world that accepts them <3
the prose was especially beautiful. im simply in love with the writing. although, at times, certain phrases did feel repetitive. and i wasn't necessarily a fan of prologue and epilogue being set in our times, although it does feel hopeful to see carmilla and laura be part of a world that accepts them <3
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
lesbian vampires, i love you.
a very beautiful read and very short one as well. i loved the writing and the general atmosphere. i'm very excited to read some retellings now!!
a very beautiful read and very short one as well. i loved the writing and the general atmosphere. i'm very excited to read some retellings now!!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
i expected to like it a bit more than i have, but i cant say im disappointed! the story was definitely intriguing and i found the main character to be an interesting individual. i've seen people complain that "the story went nowhere", but i think that was the main. it wasn't action based, but psychology based. of course, thats not everyone's cup of tea tho!! so i cant fault people who dont like these type of stories for disliking this one!!
i really liked the prose as well. it was a beautifully written book, which is always a plus for me!!
i really liked the prose as well. it was a beautifully written book, which is always a plus for me!!
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i wanted to love this so much because i loved the first book and i actually thought "a good girl's guide to murder" was an amazing thriller / detective book. and i did love it. up to a certain point.
i feel like my main problem is that it's so obvious holly jackson didn't mean for this to be a series. the first book was perfectly crafted, in my opinion, and it gave hints to who the killers were from the very beginning (i mean, i figured it out on page 50, for fuck's sake). and i was actually so excited to see who the culprit in this one was, as i've read so much of it up until that point and i had no idea how it all connected still. but about 80% in, when the reader was finally given an ACTUAL hint like 3 pages before the reveal it felt... flat.
like, the thing that makes a thriller enjoyable, at least to me, is the possibility to figure out the killer if only you thought harder about certain "insignificant" clues. and that's what made the first one great; it made sense. but in this one, it didn't feel like it.
the ending was basically what i hate about most thrillers: a reveal that makes no sense, pulled out of the author's ass for shock value. and i hate that, because i actually loved the majority of this book.
i understand why people would like it, i suppose. i just personally didn't. i'm gonna have lower hopes for the third one now, i fear.
i feel like my main problem is that it's so obvious holly jackson didn't mean for this to be a series. the first book was perfectly crafted, in my opinion, and it gave hints to who the killers were from the very beginning (i mean, i figured it out on page 50, for fuck's sake). and i was actually so excited to see who the culprit in this one was, as i've read so much of it up until that point and i had no idea how it all connected still. but about 80% in, when the reader was finally given an ACTUAL hint like 3 pages before the reveal it felt... flat.
like, the thing that makes a thriller enjoyable, at least to me, is the possibility to figure out the killer if only you thought harder about certain "insignificant" clues. and that's what made the first one great; it made sense. but in this one, it didn't feel like it.
the ending was basically what i hate about most thrillers: a reveal that makes no sense, pulled out of the author's ass for shock value. and i hate that, because i actually loved the majority of this book.
i understand why people would like it, i suppose. i just personally didn't. i'm gonna have lower hopes for the third one now, i fear.
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.75
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
well, i actually didnt expect to finish it today ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ i also didn't expect to give it 3 stars, but after you're done with the first part, it gets quite good.
i had absolutely no expectations of this. not the good kind of expectations, at least. i only started reading it because the show adaptation is my favorite tv show probably ever and i knew the books were nothing like it but i still needed more of the universe. as expected, the show does remain better (shocker!!! an adaptation thats better than the book??) but the book was enjoyable enough.
i hated louis though. he was such an unlikeable protagonist, especially in the first part. in the other ones, i feel like hes less unbearable but he's the main reason why i found it so hard to actually finish the first part.
MINI SPOILER ALERT I GUESS??
i absolutely loved claudia, lestat and armand though. im excited to see more of them (well, to read claudia's story in her case). i really wanted to like the third part and i did enjoy it more than the others, but i really hated the pacing. i feel like that was a problem throughout the whole book for me.
all in all, not as bad as i thought it would be but definitely not as good as it could've been.
i had absolutely no expectations of this. not the good kind of expectations, at least. i only started reading it because the show adaptation is my favorite tv show probably ever and i knew the books were nothing like it but i still needed more of the universe. as expected, the show does remain better (shocker!!! an adaptation thats better than the book??) but the book was enjoyable enough.
i hated louis though. he was such an unlikeable protagonist, especially in the first part. in the other ones, i feel like hes less unbearable but he's the main reason why i found it so hard to actually finish the first part.
MINI SPOILER ALERT I GUESS??
i absolutely loved claudia, lestat and armand though. im excited to see more of them (well, to read claudia's story in her case). i really wanted to like the third part and i did enjoy it more than the others, but i really hated the pacing. i feel like that was a problem throughout the whole book for me.
all in all, not as bad as i thought it would be but definitely not as good as it could've been.
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.75
ok so, i will try to keep it as short as possible; i doubt anyone is really reading reviews, but i doubt that anyone is reading LONG reviews even more and if i start yapping, i won't stop.
this was almost perfect to me. i wanted to rate it 5 stars, but something about it just wasn't perfect enough?? i think it was the lack of real action because while i do love symbolism and love things i can analyze more than anything (because the complexity of a character and their relationship is more important to me than anything), i do feel like it could get boring at times; and i get it. it makes sense. marian was supposed to be "abnormally normal" and she was. but understanding the reasoning behind it doesn't mean i necessarily liked it. so, it ended up being a 4.75 read for me.
this definitely isn't a book for everyone, but it was for me. i could really see myself in marian and i think a lot of women / afab people can. i really liked the metaphors used in this book and i especially loved marian's dynamic with duncan (not romantically, sexually or platonically but a secret fourth thing). i could probably talk about it for hours (and i did. sorry to my friends who had to listen to me).
and the ending was truly satisfying for me as well. i don't think i've ever rooted for a main character more in my life and i think it was sort of inspiring too for those of us who see themselves in marian.
i think my favorite part was the pov switch; going from first person in the first part to third person in the second and back to first person in the third. it really shows you where marian is mentally and emotionally and it's just a very interesting and smart writing decision.
all in all, i really enjoyed the book and im so happy i finally found a pdf version of it. i hope i will find a physical copy too soon because id love to have it on my bookshelf <3
this was almost perfect to me. i wanted to rate it 5 stars, but something about it just wasn't perfect enough?? i think it was the lack of real action because while i do love symbolism and love things i can analyze more than anything (because the complexity of a character and their relationship is more important to me than anything), i do feel like it could get boring at times; and i get it. it makes sense. marian was supposed to be "abnormally normal" and she was. but understanding the reasoning behind it doesn't mean i necessarily liked it. so, it ended up being a 4.75 read for me.
this definitely isn't a book for everyone, but it was for me. i could really see myself in marian and i think a lot of women / afab people can. i really liked the metaphors used in this book and i especially loved marian's dynamic with duncan (not romantically, sexually or platonically but a secret fourth thing). i could probably talk about it for hours (and i did. sorry to my friends who had to listen to me).
and the ending was truly satisfying for me as well. i don't think i've ever rooted for a main character more in my life and i think it was sort of inspiring too for those of us who see themselves in marian.
i think my favorite part was the pov switch; going from first person in the first part to third person in the second and back to first person in the third. it really shows you where marian is mentally and emotionally and it's just a very interesting and smart writing decision.
all in all, i really enjoyed the book and im so happy i finally found a pdf version of it. i hope i will find a physical copy too soon because id love to have it on my bookshelf <3