matmatmatty's Reviews (128)

Really enjoyed this!

For anyone reading this review to find out if they should read it, please PLEASE check out the CW/TW beforehand! Those scenes are written so beautifully and they aren't graphic but were still very emotional.

I am honestly a little speechless after reading this.

I've had this book on my shelf for a while, and had a lot of people suggest it to me, but only recently got around to reading it.

This is such an important story that I really cannot recommend more. I wish I had read it earlier and had the opportunity to take in what I took from it then.

This story follows 12 separate characters and their story of self discovery and finding themselves. Some of these stories are within a couple of years, some over entire lifetimes. They are all unique and feel so real.

All of these stories are connected, in different ways, and you get to hear about characters from multiple perspectives (including their own) which gives them a greater depth (I also got to think about how we can be our own unreliable narrator for ourselves and those around us)

Evaristo's writing style might not be for everyone - it's very poetic and not structured like a "typical" writer but if that's a barrier for you, I would really try to overcome it because this book is so worth it.

This volume starts with Myne (who is now Rozemyne) being baptised as an archnoble, and being officially adopted by the Archduke.

It seems like Part 3 will be Myne getting used to being in noble society, and introducing us to the difficulties (and maybe antagonists) of her noble life.

I skipped from the first book to this one (since I had watched the anime) and i really enjoyed this book compared to the first one - the writing is much better, Myne isn't as whiny, and I think it was also interesting to see new events happen, and meeting new characters.

Compared to what I know happened in the previous volume, this story was a bit boring but I imagine it's mostly scene setting for later volumes. I still enjoyed it much more than the first one and I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

This is the story of Yinka who at 31, finds herself single while her sister and cousins are all married or engaged.

With a lot of pressure to get married, Yinka decides to start a plan to get a date for her cousin's wedding, which kicks off the story.

This is a romance but it isn't so much about finding love but feeling worthy of love. Yinka is someone who has certain views about the world that work in her disfavour - she sees other women's curves and immediately compared them to her own, she talks about how light others are in comparison to herself.

Yinka does a lot of things that I don't agree with (she lies to friends and family, she decides to change herself entirely, and drinks when she has always been a light drinker) but this is all to show her characterisation and her spiral (like I think it's clear that you're not meant to be rooting for her while she does this)

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but the final quarter was extremely emotional for me and really pushed this over the edge.

Beautiful narrative, weaving in stories of Prophets from the Quran with stories from the author's life.

Really showed what it meant to be a queer Muslim, to be an immigrant, to be an "other" in your community. 

This one really got me.

Short funny stories about a man who gave up being a Yakuza (or member of a gang - think the Mafia but Japanese) to become a househusband.

Stories don't say anything in particular, but the main message is "don't judge a book by it's cover". Tatsu is very passionate about what he does now, even if it doesn't look like that's what he's doing.

V cute.