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ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)
Gifted by the publisher
A moving tale about complex sisterhood. Alternates between past (written like a diary) and present day. I really love the mental health aspect and the grandma-granddaughter relationships.
The ending is a bit sappy (even though I still cried like a baby). The writing is pretty straightforward and the topics are a bit more surface level - this is a very quick beach read type of book.
A moving tale about complex sisterhood. Alternates between past (written like a diary) and present day. I really love the mental health aspect and the grandma-granddaughter relationships.
The ending is a bit sappy (even though I still cried like a baby). The writing is pretty straightforward and the topics are a bit more surface level - this is a very quick beach read type of book.
4.25/5
Gifted by the publisher
Very stream of consciousness writing style that could be a hit or miss for readers. The sentences are also super long and sometimes I have to reread a couple times to understand the meaning. Definitely not a quick read even though ifs only 230 pages.
It’s hard to write about Black trauma without making it read like trauma porn. The author does a really great job describing everything Black men experiences—racism, violence, poverty, etc—that doesn’t feel melodramatic.
The writing style also strikes a good balance between funny nonchalance, dark humor, and incisive social commentary. It reminds me of that GIF of a boy laugh crying, and that was my reaction too!
Some of my favorite quotes:
I think about what it means to die of natural causes, or really feel natural or get to decide what is natural or unnatural and under what circumstances and in whose language, as I return to Red Top's room.
The symbolic in politics, the racism, the sex-ism, these things had already bored us for so long, just like the guilt of those newly discovered liberals who just then, six months into a forever war that should have, like most all wars waged by the empire and elsewhere, been illegal-where the legal vs. illegal had already been a bit of a sardonic double bind-come to discover their conscience after one of these psychos mows down a human fleeing in an open field with a vehicle-mounted .50-cal just because he planted a small bomb that didn't even kill anyone. (Yes this is one sentence
Gifted by the publisher
Very stream of consciousness writing style that could be a hit or miss for readers. The sentences are also super long and sometimes I have to reread a couple times to understand the meaning. Definitely not a quick read even though ifs only 230 pages.
It’s hard to write about Black trauma without making it read like trauma porn. The author does a really great job describing everything Black men experiences—racism, violence, poverty, etc—that doesn’t feel melodramatic.
The writing style also strikes a good balance between funny nonchalance, dark humor, and incisive social commentary. It reminds me of that GIF of a boy laugh crying, and that was my reaction too!
Some of my favorite quotes:
I think about what it means to die of natural causes, or really feel natural or get to decide what is natural or unnatural and under what circumstances and in whose language, as I return to Red Top's room.
The symbolic in politics, the racism, the sex-ism, these things had already bored us for so long, just like the guilt of those newly discovered liberals who just then, six months into a forever war that should have, like most all wars waged by the empire and elsewhere, been illegal-where the legal vs. illegal had already been a bit of a sardonic double bind-come to discover their conscience after one of these psychos mows down a human fleeing in an open field with a vehicle-mounted .50-cal just because he planted a small bomb that didn't even kill anyone. (Yes this is one sentence
3.25/5 ARC gifted by the publisher
A lighter beach read about the power of friendships. I enjoyed how seamless the author weaves Iranian history and politics into the story. The food descriptions are to die for. I got so hungry reading this book.
It is however very book clubby, and I can see that this will make a nice beach read, especially with the short chapters. I wanted more depth to the characters—I feel each of them are trying to fit a stereotype.
Also the main focus is on the wealthier FMC’s pov and I was more interested in learning about her friend’s story. Actually, all of the side characters seem more interesting and seem to have a richer interior life than the FMC. I didn’t care much for her POV
A lighter beach read about the power of friendships. I enjoyed how seamless the author weaves Iranian history and politics into the story. The food descriptions are to die for. I got so hungry reading this book.
It is however very book clubby, and I can see that this will make a nice beach read, especially with the short chapters. I wanted more depth to the characters—I feel each of them are trying to fit a stereotype.
Also the main focus is on the wealthier FMC’s pov and I was more interested in learning about her friend’s story. Actually, all of the side characters seem more interesting and seem to have a richer interior life than the FMC. I didn’t care much for her POV
3.5/5 ARC gifted by the publisher
A beautiful coming of age story about brotherhood and religion. The themes of friendship, belonging, and one’s wavering commitment to faith are beautifully rendered. The juxtaposition of Islam vs Catholicism in the contexts of boarding schools is very intriguing. The middle got a bit repetitive and too YA for me, but overall a great story.
A beautiful coming of age story about brotherhood and religion. The themes of friendship, belonging, and one’s wavering commitment to faith are beautifully rendered. The juxtaposition of Islam vs Catholicism in the contexts of boarding schools is very intriguing. The middle got a bit repetitive and too YA for me, but overall a great story.
ARC gifted by the publisher
This novel will be very polarizing. I can see this working for patient readers, those who love unconventional structures, metafiction enthusiasts.
As metafiction, it really depends on what the reader takes away from the story. So I’m marking this review as spoiler because the themes don’t really become clear until the epilogue
I really love the themes of “untold stories”—why they exist and their significance to readers. The relationships between readers and writers is another fascinating aspect of the book.
What didn’t work for me is the execution. It’s pretty much all telling and 0 characters development. I didn’t care about the multiple stories at all because I couldn’t get a sense of who these people are.
I also really dislike the naming conventions in the book, some examples—Dragon Child National University, Radiant Tiger People, Four Verdant Mothers, Radiant Dynasty, Lord Fiery Dedication, etc. Maybe I missed the deeper meaning but it sounds so childish I couldn’t take it seriously.
Tbh the book reads like Wikipedia summary rather than an actual novel. It’s like the author wrote out a detailed plot of “A happened and then B and then C” and left it at that.
So while the premise is interesting and the themes have a lot of potential, they’re not enough to make up for the poor execution.
I suggest reading these books if you’re looking for books with similar topics:
- A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING
- LONG DIVISION
- 地底三萬呎 (not translated to English)
This novel will be very polarizing. I can see this working for patient readers, those who love unconventional structures, metafiction enthusiasts.
As metafiction, it really depends on what the reader takes away from the story. So I’m marking this review as spoiler because the themes don’t really become clear until the epilogue
I really love the themes of “untold stories”—why they exist and their significance to readers. The relationships between readers and writers is another fascinating aspect of the book.
What didn’t work for me is the execution. It’s pretty much all telling and 0 characters development. I didn’t care about the multiple stories at all because I couldn’t get a sense of who these people are.
I also really dislike the naming conventions in the book, some examples—Dragon Child National University, Radiant Tiger People, Four Verdant Mothers, Radiant Dynasty, Lord Fiery Dedication, etc. Maybe I missed the deeper meaning but it sounds so childish I couldn’t take it seriously.
Tbh the book reads like Wikipedia summary rather than an actual novel. It’s like the author wrote out a detailed plot of “A happened and then B and then C” and left it at that.
So while the premise is interesting and the themes have a lot of potential, they’re not enough to make up for the poor execution.
I suggest reading these books if you’re looking for books with similar topics:
- A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING
- LONG DIVISION
- 地底三萬呎 (not translated to English)
ARC gifted by the publisher
alternating between multiple POVs and timelines, SONS is a multigenerational tale with a hint of magical realism following a family of queer Luchadores. I appreciate that the vignette-like chapters act as a puzzle for the readers to piece together. The readers never see a complete picture of the characters but rather follow how their discoveries of family secrets affect their selfhood and identities. In this sense, SONS doesn't have the sweeping feel of most multi-gen stories I'm used to, but it's an impressive and unique work in and of itself.
alternating between multiple POVs and timelines, SONS is a multigenerational tale with a hint of magical realism following a family of queer Luchadores. I appreciate that the vignette-like chapters act as a puzzle for the readers to piece together. The readers never see a complete picture of the characters but rather follow how their discoveries of family secrets affect their selfhood and identities. In this sense, SONS doesn't have the sweeping feel of most multi-gen stories I'm used to, but it's an impressive and unique work in and of itself.
finished copy and ALC gifted by the publisher
following one family living on the Texas-Mexico border and a curse reverberating across generations, MALAS is a passion and revenge-filled duo-POV. I love the atmospheric writing in the 50s, whereas the Y2K timeline is more YA. The themes of generational grief, breaking the cycle of trauma, and how we make peace with the past to embrace our future are what I love most about MALAS. This book pairs well with THE DJINN WAITS A HUNDRED YEARS (Shubnum Khan).
following one family living on the Texas-Mexico border and a curse reverberating across generations, MALAS is a passion and revenge-filled duo-POV. I love the atmospheric writing in the 50s, whereas the Y2K timeline is more YA. The themes of generational grief, breaking the cycle of trauma, and how we make peace with the past to embrace our future are what I love most about MALAS. This book pairs well with THE DJINN WAITS A HUNDRED YEARS (Shubnum Khan).
finished copy and ALC gifted by the publisher
With incisive and heartfelt writing that examines her complex relationship with her white-passing mother and the subsequent severance of her Puerto Rican heritage, Figueroa embarks on a self-(re)discovery to reconnect with her mother, motherland, and mother tongue. Figueroa covers plenty of ground, from how mother figures are used to perpetuate white supremacy, redefining ourselves without the confines of whiteness, to writing as an act of healing. I highlighted so many passages that resonated deeply with me. MI is a new fav read about complex mother-daughter relationships that deserves more hype! This book pairs well with UNDISCOVERED (Gabriela Wiener).
With incisive and heartfelt writing that examines her complex relationship with her white-passing mother and the subsequent severance of her Puerto Rican heritage, Figueroa embarks on a self-(re)discovery to reconnect with her mother, motherland, and mother tongue. Figueroa covers plenty of ground, from how mother figures are used to perpetuate white supremacy, redefining ourselves without the confines of whiteness, to writing as an act of healing. I highlighted so many passages that resonated deeply with me. MI is a new fav read about complex mother-daughter relationships that deserves more hype! This book pairs well with UNDISCOVERED (Gabriela Wiener).