Take a photo of a barcode or cover
crusoe's reviews
201 reviews
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.0
Positives. This book has an amazing concept: Victorian lady pirates with flying houses and dastardly banter?? Sign me up! The humour was fantastic and the characters were quirky in their own unique way.
Negatives. In spite of the great premise, I was left disappointed. The book had a flying start but by the end it had committed the greatest crime of all: it was boring. The story slowed down greatly near the middle of the book and never recovered. It's not a good sign when you're left wondering what could happen to draw out the story for another hundred pages. I was also disappointed in Cecilia's character development: she was a great main character with lots of agency but had accomplished little by the end. Instead of keeping an adventurous touch, this novel devolved into a cliché romance story and that was not a great choice in my opinion.
Negatives. In spite of the great premise, I was left disappointed. The book had a flying start but by the end it had committed the greatest crime of all: it was boring. The story slowed down greatly near the middle of the book and never recovered. It's not a good sign when you're left wondering what could happen to draw out the story for another hundred pages. I was also disappointed in Cecilia's character development: she was a great main character with lots of agency but had accomplished little by the end. Instead of keeping an adventurous touch, this novel devolved into a cliché romance story and that was not a great choice in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Blood
Galatea by Madeline Miller
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Positives. As far as short stories go, this one is very strong. It is a story of a beautiful woman coming into her own as someone who is more than her beauty; she is curious, daring, intelligent and a loving mother. All of which is spoiled by her abusive husband who would rather see her as an obedient object of lust without thoughts or personality. The ending is devastating: while her last act gives her back her agency and stops her from being an object of lust, it also deprives her of the future she deserves.
Negatives. This story would have worked better as an addition to a collection or anthology. Ovid's stories are well known for connecting back to a larger theme. If you want to thoroughly critique Ovid's work, creating an anthology with an overarching theme would be the way to go.
Negatives. This story would have worked better as an addition to a collection or anthology. Ovid's stories are well known for connecting back to a larger theme. If you want to thoroughly critique Ovid's work, creating an anthology with an overarching theme would be the way to go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Positives. I am not in the target audience for this book and haven't been for years but I can imagine that it's very impactful for someone in highschool. Especially in 2007 when this book was released as mental health wasn't discussed as much back then. I think this book strikes a nice balance between sending the message that small negative actions can snowball into much worse things for the people around you while also not blaming the people on the tapes for the decision Hannah took.
I love the stylistic choice of having the story be told through tapes. Clay reacting to them in real time -especially during his own tape- makes the story conversational. It highlights different perspectives on the same events that happen in Hannah's life.
Negatives. One thing that I miss that the Netflix series does better, (even though it sensationalizes suicide far more than this book,) is that this book does not show the fallout of the tapes among those on it. (Think of Jessica and the night at the party or the harassment Tyler endures because of the tapes). Ignoring 'the snowball effect' of the tapes on the people on them while making this snowball effect central to Hannah's argument feels misguided. Then again, Hannah is not a perfect character and was never meant to be interpreted as such.
Quote. I guess that's the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push all the same.
I love the stylistic choice of having the story be told through tapes. Clay reacting to them in real time -especially during his own tape- makes the story conversational. It highlights different perspectives on the same events that happen in Hannah's life.
Negatives. One thing that I miss that the Netflix series does better, (even though it sensationalizes suicide far more than this book,) is that this book does not show the fallout of the tapes among those on it. (Think of Jessica and the night at the party or the harassment Tyler endures because of the tapes). Ignoring 'the snowball effect' of the tapes on the people on them while making this snowball effect central to Hannah's argument feels misguided. Then again, Hannah is not a perfect character and was never meant to be interpreted as such.
Quote. I guess that's the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push all the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking
Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Positives. The concept for "Lore" is fantastic; the continued ever repeating cycle of rulers dethroned by subjects and houses that hold onto cruel traditions to have a shot at killing a god... But in practice, it was a bit of a mess. I liked some of the twists, such as spoiler Gill being revealed to be the original Hermes (even if his motivation for taking Lore and Miles in was very unclear and he should have been reinstated as a god for his actions). Unfortunately, this novel was too ambitious, leaving a lot of plotholes to be filled.
Negatives. In spite of the intriguing worldbuilding, New York feels empty. If you're going to set your story in New York, write about New York! If your character has fallen in love with this city, make us fall in love with it too!
Rather than telling a cohesive story, it felt like the characters went from side quest to side quest which made this (500+ pages!!) book loose its tension. Relevant information was also only brought up as soon as it was relevant for the plot which took away all the fun of trying to guess where the story would go next.
Negatives. In spite of the intriguing worldbuilding, New York feels empty. If you're going to set your story in New York, write about New York! If your character has fallen in love with this city, make us fall in love with it too!
Rather than telling a cohesive story, it felt like the characters went from side quest to side quest which made this (500+ pages!!) book loose its tension. Relevant information was also only brought up as soon as it was relevant for the plot which took away all the fun of trying to guess where the story would go next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Positives. I have both read this book and "the love hypothesis" and it's true what they say: these books are extremely similar. But that's why I love them! You can see the plottwist coming from miles away. I adore the Marie Curie references and that Ali Hazelwood books have surprisingly good queer representation despite 'technically' being straight romances. It's the perfect no-brain book.
Negatives. I'm not a big fan of the antagonist. Obviously he's supposed to be a twist-villain but he's so similar to the antagonist in "the love hypothesis" that all his interactions with Bee and Levi seem malicious from the start. His bad-guy-arc was uninteresting and poorly set up.
Quote. Levi cups my face, forehead touching mine. His hands- they are my home. 'Bee, don't take this from us,' he murmurs. Ragged. Careful. Hopeful. 'please.'
I've never wanted anything more than to say yes. I've never wished to reach for some thing as I do now. And I've never been so utterly, petrifyingly scared to lose something.
Negatives. I'm not a big fan of the antagonist. Obviously he's supposed to be a twist-villain but he's so similar to the antagonist in "the love hypothesis" that all his interactions with Bee and Levi seem malicious from the start. His bad-guy-arc was uninteresting and poorly set up.
Quote. Levi cups my face, forehead touching mine. His hands- they are my home. 'Bee, don't take this from us,' he murmurs. Ragged. Careful. Hopeful. 'please.'
I've never wanted anything more than to say yes. I've never wished to reach for some thing as I do now. And I've never been so utterly, petrifyingly scared to lose something.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Positives. I couldn't put down this book. How could I when this retelling was so fresh, so compellingly written? I love when retellings bring something new to the table and this novel for that both in style (by alternating between POV's until they had each reached their conclusion or by alternating the form in which the story was told, such as through the letters of Penelope) and perspective. The prose had a brutal beauty to it and did not sugarcoat the effects of war.
This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories.
Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read.
Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.
This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories.
Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read.
Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity
A Walk In The Woods: The World's Funniest Travel Writer Takes a Hike by Bill Bryson
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.25
Positives. Although Bryson is probably not 'the world's funniest travel writer' as the cover suggests, (granted, I don't know many travel writers,) he has a pleasant way of storytelling. You meander along with Bryson's scenic descriptions as he weaves facts about the Appalachian trail with his own experiences. I likely won't remember much of the story after a few days but sometimes getting lost in the pages of a book is all you need.
Negatives. The way Bryson talks about deaths on the AT -especially sensationalized murders- was a little hard to swallow. It abstracts from the real tragedy of the deaths. This juxtaposition between the tragic deaths and the lighthearted way Bryson writes about them becomes especially grating at the end of the book when Spoilers for the endinghis friend Katz gets very close to becoming a statistic himself when he almost loses the trail. This was a thematically satisfying end but it clashes heavily with the lightheartedness that characterizes the book. This section also goes by so fast that you don't have time to process the shock of what happened before the book ends.
Quote. "'Anyway, we did it,' Katz said at last, looking up. He noticed my quizzical expression. 'Hiked Maine, I mean.'
I looked at him. 'Stephen, we didn't even see Mount Katahdin.'
He dismissed this as a petty quibble: 'Another mountain,' he said. 'How many do you need to see, Bryson?'
I gave a small laugh. 'Well that's one way of looking at it.'
'It's the only way of looking at it,' Katz went on and quite earnestly. 'As far as I'm concerned, I hiked the Appalachian trail. I hiked in snow and I hiked in heat. I hiked it in the south and I hiked it in the north. I hiked it till my feet bled. I hiked the Appalachian trail, Bryson.'
Negatives. The way Bryson talks about deaths on the AT -especially sensationalized murders- was a little hard to swallow. It abstracts from the real tragedy of the deaths. This juxtaposition between the tragic deaths and the lighthearted way Bryson writes about them becomes especially grating at the end of the book when Spoilers for the ending
Quote. "'Anyway, we did it,' Katz said at last, looking up. He noticed my quizzical expression. 'Hiked Maine, I mean.'
I looked at him. 'Stephen, we didn't even see Mount Katahdin.'
He dismissed this as a petty quibble: 'Another mountain,' he said. 'How many do you need to see, Bryson?'
I gave a small laugh. 'Well that's one way of looking at it.'
'It's the only way of looking at it,' Katz went on and quite earnestly. 'As far as I'm concerned, I hiked the Appalachian trail. I hiked in snow and I hiked in heat. I hiked it in the south and I hiked it in the north. I hiked it till my feet bled. I hiked the Appalachian trail, Bryson.'
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Positives. The artstyle suits the story wonderfully and mixes elements of western and arab illustrative styles which visually translates the identity conflict within Marjane. The story is told with so much nuance, acknowledging Marjane's (in comparison to many of her peers) privileged position, while leaving enough room for other people in her life to express their lived experience and subsequent opinions in the story. The graphic novel thrives on astute observations, such as how war can so quickly become a taken-for-granted fact or how signs of 'modern' womanhood can become signs of protest.
Negatives. Because this graphic novel is a chronological life story which compiles important events from the author's life, it does not have a traditional story structure. The eclectic storytelling suits the life Marjane has lived but the lack of structure makes some sections drag on.
Negatives. Because this graphic novel is a chronological life story which compiles important events from the author's life, it does not have a traditional story structure. The eclectic storytelling suits the life Marjane has lived but the lack of structure makes some sections drag on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Religious bigotry, War
Minor: Drug use, Xenophobia, Grief, Alcohol
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Positives. I can understand why so many people are touched by this book. It is written with children in mind (as the narrator often mentions) but it also takes a very abstract and philosophical approach to storytelling that jabs at the core of what makes life worth living. The ending is also heart wrenching, and surprisingly dark.
Negatives: I did not care much for the framing of the narrator as an active character in the book as it distracts from the travels of the little prince. The book is also so vaguely abstract at times that I can't possibly see what a child may stand to gain from it. But what do I know, I'm just a stupid grown-up anyway.
Quote. "'At night, when you look up at the sky, since I shall be living on a star, and since I shall be laughing on a star, for you it will be as if all the stars are laughing. You alone will have stars that can laugh.' He laughed again. 'And when you have got over your loss (for we always do), you'll be happy to have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And sometimes you will open your window- just like that, for the sake of opening it- and your friends will be amazed to see you laughing as you look up at the sky.'"
Negatives: I did not care much for the framing of the narrator as an active character in the book as it distracts from the travels of the little prince. The book is also so vaguely abstract at times that I can't possibly see what a child may stand to gain from it. But what do I know, I'm just a stupid grown-up anyway.
Quote. "'At night, when you look up at the sky, since I shall be living on a star, and since I shall be laughing on a star, for you it will be as if all the stars are laughing. You alone will have stars that can laugh.' He laughed again. 'And when you have got over your loss (for we always do), you'll be happy to have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And sometimes you will open your window- just like that, for the sake of opening it- and your friends will be amazed to see you laughing as you look up at the sky.'"
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Positives. This book deserves to be a classic. It is brilliantly written. Nothing that happens makes any sense but that is quite alright; in a world where nothing makes sense, everything does. This story is probably an English major's dream: it has songs, rhymes and reason, drawing on traditional literary forms and playing with language any chance it gets. Alice is a very funny main character who runs on her own logic which made this a pleasant read.
Negatives. Because the songs and language are rather old-timey, a lot of the jokes and wordplay flew right over my head. That is a shame because a lot of the strange situations Alice finds herself in are rooted in wordplay and linguistic confusion. I would recommend investing in a copy with explanations in the footnotes so you can fully appreciate the world Carroll has built.
Quote. "'But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, 'to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!'"
Negatives. Because the songs and language are rather old-timey, a lot of the jokes and wordplay flew right over my head. That is a shame because a lot of the strange situations Alice finds herself in are rooted in wordplay and linguistic confusion. I would recommend investing in a copy with explanations in the footnotes so you can fully appreciate the world Carroll has built.
Quote. "'But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, 'to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!'"