There was simultaneously way too much happening in this book but also nothing at all.
Also, in order for there to be political intrigue…..the politics need to be intriguing lol.
Anyways, there were parts that I really enjoyed and there were parts that draaaaagggeeedd. I was so sad that Ciri and Yennefer were barely in this one.
The last fifth of this book picks up so much and gets so much better. This is around a 3/3.25 star. 

An extremely important and heart breaking read. The writing is simplistic but does not sugarcoat the realities of what happened. I am so happy that the author has found passion in helping his community and advocating for other North Korean refugees.

I would definitely recommend this to middle school readers! The writing is simple and the message of the story is powerful. It says YA, but I would say it’s more towards the middle grade level. 

Although littered with problematic issues, No Longer Human was such a fascinating read. Knowing that Dazai was very troubled himself and largely put his own life into the novel, it is so interesting, and horrifying, to watch the events unfold. Yozo has a distinct dislike towards women (it is implied that he was assaulted as a child) and we watch as he repeatedly inserts himself into women’s lives, tears them to shreds, and runs away with his tail between his legs, all while actively blaming the women. There are moments that are truly rage inducing. Yozo is self deprecating and suicidal, but also egoist and self centered. The writing was captivating, and the gloomy, bleak atmosphere really nails how your mind is when struggling with depression.  I would love to hear a psychologists thoughts on this book. Please be careful when deciding to pick up this book, it can be very triggering.

Although I did enjoy this one overall, I’m sad that I didn’t seem to have the same reaction as most people. I think the premise is brilliant, but the execution just didn’t work for me. I can be pretty hit or miss when it comes to satire, and I wasn’t into it in this novel. The authors writing is great and the overall themes are very important, but the pacing was a bit off and lacked tension. I've noticed that I just can’t get with stories following cops that have racial social commentary. It just makes me feel so disconnected because I find the story/messaging so important, but I’m very ACAB minded so I just can’t balance the two. I had the same problem with All the Sinners Bleed. I think I’ll just stay away from cop novels in general lol. I am excited to read another Percival Everett though :) I will say, I think I might’ve had a better time had I read this physically rather than the audiobook. Although this book wasn’t for me, I absolutely see why so many people love it.