alisarae's Reviews (1.65k)

FINALLY finished this book... it only took me 6 months. I had a hard time getting into it, and it really wasn’t until page 250 that I became interested in the story. Up until that point, there is a lot of setup and describing of daily routines but not a lot of information about WHY things are the way they are (even though the characters know why, the reader is left in the dark for a good while).

I always have this problem with Margaret Atwood—I like spec fic, she is an objectively amazing writer, I love the physical way that she plays with words, and yet I never really care about the characters. I always want bad things to happen to them just to kickstart some action into the plot. For me, Atwood is one of those “you have to read this” authors because of cultural and literary significance, not because her books are entertaining or absorbing.

This thriller hit all the right notes. Usually I dislike first-person narration, and I abhor unreliable narrators, but the pace of the story outdid itself to cover for those sins ;)

Recommended for long trips or if you are trying to shake off a reading slump. This will really make the hours fly by.

I was so excited for this book when I started it. The beginning is so full of potential with beautiful character setup, but then it peeters out to a fizzle (in terms of creativity with the plot).

Grady is a rich rebel in jazz era New York. When her parents leave for the summer, she is left alone to finally get away with all of her wild teenage plans. It’s a literal car wreck.

While Grady’s character motivations are explained in the beginning as being the opposite of her mother and perfect-daughter older sister, it seems that she has something else going on that is never fully explained. Why is she so fixated on sexually manipulating men? The book says that she had the popularity and opportunity to sexually manipulate women, but neither her own popularity nor female relationships interested her. Why is she so reckless? It seems that every safety lock along the way serves to only make her choose even worse decisions. There are multiple points that I wish the internal dialogue of the character had been developed or at least that more time would have been spared to dwell on the implications for the characters, but this is only a novella. If I had been the editor, I would have pushed it to be a full length novel.

Edit: just read some other reviews that said this was never meant to be published. So there’s that.

This book punched me in the gut at least twice and made me think so much that I had to pause in the middle of church to write down some thoughts and get them out of my head.

I first tried to read this collection a few months ago but wasn't in the right head space. I am so glad I tried it again today (#poetrySundays). If you have this same problem, I suggest getting in a cozy quiet place, exhaling, and skipping to the Whereas section of the book.

The best sort of contemporary art does the following:
1. Engages the viewer / reader
2. Reveals something personal about the artist
3. Responds to or redefines a particular social-political-cultural problem
4. Is uniquely rooted in time and space

Whereas hits all four solidly on the head.
1. Engages the viewer / reader -- not only is the majority of the content interesting in a human sort of way, Layli Long Soldier plays with verse shape and physical typographical appearance on the page.
2. Reveals something personal about the artist -- this book of poetry is autobiographical
3. Responds to or redefines a particular social-political-cultural problem -- the bulk of the book addresses Obama's official apology to the Native American nations in light of the Dakota 38, Standing Rock, and countless other systematic dismantling of treaties and deliberate promise breaking. She doesn't stop there, though. How this history of ours is played out in interpersonal relationships and interactions and in internal dialogue and psychology is a cornerstone of this book.
4. Is uniquely rooted in time and space -- see above.

The more voices who are so different from mine that I read, the more humbled I am. What a good final book for 2017.

This is a really beautiful history of a refugee family immigrating to America. As the author learns more about her parents' and Vietnam's political history, she comes to terms with who they are as people and the lessons, for better or for worse, that they passed on to her.

This story carries with it the rich traditions, sounds, ideologies, smells, and sights of the MENA region. If I did not live in the Middle East I would have missed out on so much of the truth that is thoughtfully and provocatively slipped into the lines. Poetical.

The second in the trilogy, this left me with more questions than answers. I really hope the final book satisfies my curiosity!

I recommend this book for people who want to read a more interesting and modernized HP Lovecraft story. I am not a Lovecraft fan, but I really like authors that were inspired by him. Plus there is a movie coming out soon, so read up!

YA books that center around family relationships are quickly becoming my favorite thing. I LOVE that this blended family loves each other, works to communicate well (even though that is a... work in progress), and has their own special traditions.

Set in summertime LA, Suzette aka Little, returns to her family after a year at boarding school to find that a lot of people, including herself, have changed in the past year. Sexuality, dating, friendships, and family relationships are all in motion. Not to mention that Suzette's older brother is going through a mental health crisis.

There were a couple key things that I had doubts about...
- How do all of these underage teens drink ALL the time, and there is not one concern displayed by anyone about getting caught? And how do they have access to so much alcohol? Like, there was a deeper explanation of how they got fireworks than of how they got such a variety of beverages. Is this an LA thing?
- Lion's bipolar crisis is really well-put until he spins completely out of control. Suzette always trying to read the room, trying to plan her actions around not causing a reaction, looking for signs of how Lion is feeling without asking him directly, and trying to empathize with him are really great pictures of what it's like to live with someone who has bipolar disorder. Without spoilers, I know that what he does IS what can happen to some people with bipolar disorder, BUT I think it is played up for the drama.

... and something that the author did really well: sexual consent is really clearly portrayed. The discussions between the characters are there and shown in a really natural way.

So anyways, I really liked all of the characters in this book and I hope there will be a sequel. I don't think one is planned, but Suzette has some unfinished business so I'm crossing my fingers!

It took me a while to get into this, but after the half-way point I really wanted to know what led to Humbert Humbert's downfall. I know this is crazy, but Humbert Humbert is fascinating. Perhaps because his character is so deeply and remarkably written, but also because he is an enigma. I listened to this performed by Jeremy Irons, which was stellar. A+