angel_ontheother's Reviews (393)

There were some funny parts and things I related to, but as a memoir, it felt a bit too one dimensional.

I can tell this is a good book that I'd like, but the audiobook version was a poor choice for me! As a person who struggles with focusing on audiobooks, I found this to be a bit hard to follow, and I didn't entirely have a well rounded experience by the end. I definitely need to re-read this but through the print version. I love Backman's writing. There were particular moments that caught my attention and I liked them a lot. Backman is great at mixing whimsical fun, witty humor, and too-close-to-home relatability. 

This was kind of just mindless entertainment for me. I didn't think it was very good to be honest, I only finished because I needed something to listen to while working on some art. It was a bit disappointing compared to The Silent Companions by the same author, which I read a few years ago and enjoyed much more than this.

Not my kind of horror. Disturbing in a not-fun way. Also it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when there are anthro characters but then there are normal animals too?? Idk I didn't read that far, it's just not for me.

This is a YA, slow burn (no irony intended) romance, set in a small town – but it's also a story of a high masking autistic girl trying to pave her own path, without stepping on too many neurotypical toes along the way.

"She liked knowing why she was the way she was, it was a relief. A welcome key to her own mind."

I'm not a big fan of romance books in the first place, but I felt that the romantic aspects weren't written as well as they could have been. The build up to the end didn't exactly develop in a way that felt natural, and the end itself felt a little too happily-ever-after for my taste. 

The neurodivergence aspect is mainly what kept me interested! This type of representation, canonically autistic women; is something I never saw up until somewhat recently. I could identify with Jasper (the FMC) in a way I rarely do with other characters. I also saw elements of my fellow neurodivergent counterparts reflected in her.

I'm so grateful that Elle McNicoll and other authors/creators like her are on the come up, because this type of representation is necessary. Thanks to them, many neurodivergent people finally get to see themselves represented in a respectful way.

I rarely annotate books but this one called me to do it, as did "Keedie!" Many "hey, she's like me" moments. We're of course not the same, but there are certain aspects of Jasper that stuck out to me because, again, I rarely see those traits represented, especially not in a realistic way.

In addition to the neurodivergent element, I found the wintery setting to be nice, especially because I read the book during that same time of year. The romanticization of winter in media makes winter in real life feel a bit more bearable!

The story itself is okay, it kind of reads like a genuine children's story rather than a short story for adults, which isn't really my thing. But what I LOVED was the afterward, where Clarke talks about things she loves that subconsciously influenced her work!! The fact that she's a Kate Bush fan made me so happy and also made me want to read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. I absolutely loved Piranesi so it was cool to learn about the hidden influences behind that as well.

I wasn't expecting this to be so sad! Backman is a master of writing with simple language packed with deep emotions. So impactful.

Unoriginal, poorly written, and the ending made the whole thing feel like a waste of time. I would not recommend this.

Coming from the author of Our Wives Under the Sea, this was not what I expected. I feel like a lot of people will have the opposite opinion, but I definitely prefer Our Wives over this. OWUtS was a wonderfully weird,  unconventional, and thought provoking read. I expected Private Rites to have those elements dialed up to 11. Instead, it felt like your average 2020s lit-fic. For me, it was a bit of a drag, it took a long time to really get to the point, and once I got there, it ended too fast. If I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, or if it were longer, I probably wouldn't have finished the book.

Don't get me wrong, the writing style flowed nicely and there were some good moments, quotes worth revisiting and such, but I wish it got to the heart of the plot earlier on, and I wish it leaned further into the darker elements. Also, I felt that there were too many POVs. Especially because the characters didn't feel particularly distinctive. I kept confusing Isla with Irene because they have such similar names and narrative voices. I wish this were either more plot driven, or more character driven. It felt like it flip-flopped between the two styles, leading to both feeling watered down.

This wasn't for me, but if you like gloomy queer lit fic, and climate change speculative fiction, this might interest you. Even if you read OWUtS and disliked it, since Private Rites is considerably different.

This was challenging for me to understand. On top of being a sci-fi that's heavy on the fiction side, the plot is almost labyrinthian, in how many characters there are (considering this is only 160 pgs.), how they are connected, and how they each have their own motivations surrounding the center of the plot. Each character's introduction is brief, the writing style doesn't have many visual descriptions overall, and it's mostly made up of character dialogue, but without the cues that most writers use to make it easy to follow who said what. The book is very short and fast paced, but without those cues, it's all on the reader to track what's happening and why. I'll note that I read the English translation (the original language is Korean), but I don't think it was poorly translated, it's likely just the writing style that didn't click with me. (Anton Hur is an award winning translator, he notably translated Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung and Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park).

All that being said, despite having difficulty following the plot, I didn't think this was boring. I typically like dystopian sci-fi, so there definitely were some interesting elements that got my attention, otherwise I wouldn't have finished the book. Maybe the pieces will finish coming together over time as I reflect on what I remember. sometimes books grow on me long after I read them.

Whether I would recommend this or not, depends on the reader. If you're well versed in sci-fi concepts and terminology, and are into plot driven stories, then yes. Otherwise, this probably isn't for you.

In all honesty, the main reason why I picked this up was because I was curious about the author, who is anonymous and goes by a one-word pseudonym, which happens to be the same as my name, Djuna. I don't know if they pronounce it the same way but for me, the D is silent, so it rhymes exactly with Luna. Just replace the L sound with a hard J sound : )