nadia's Reviews (587)

I really enjoyed this! I didn't know what the book was about at all before going into it and I'm really glad I didn't read the blurb. I love the way King tells a story, weaving in different perspectives and mediums. I always feel so immersed! It's also a book that raises moral and philosophical questions and I'm always appreciative of when a book can do that while maintaining a compelling plot.

I enjoyed reading this and was intrigued by the characters, their relationships, and the mystery surrounding them! I definitely think that Calla Henkel tied everything together well but there was little something about the plot and characters' actions that didn't fully click or connect for me.

I didn't read the blurb before going into it and I'm really glad I didn't. I had no clue where it was going and it added to the mystery.

I really enjoyed this one! There were many different facets to it and it's a story richer and more complex than it may seem at first glance, and I’m always appreciative of books set in Nigeria and featuring Nigerian culture, traditions, and customs. 

I was hoping to love it even more but I didn't fully connect with the characters and some of their actions and I wasn't as emotionally impacted as I thought I would be.

It's definitely one to check out if the themes of motherhood, family, marriage, and what it means to love are some of your favourites!

While the subject matter of this story is incredibly important, I wasn't a big fan of the implementation. A lot of the dialogue didn't feel natural — maybe this was because I was listening to this book rather than reading it on paper — and quite a few things felt unbelievable or unsatisfying. 

(Apparently this is meant to be the first in a series though, which I didn't know and only found out after Googling the book just now because I was very surprised and confused about a couple things... this definitely helps to explain some of my frustrations with the novel. Hopefully they will be addressed in the following books!)

I knew essentially nothing about this part of history and so it took me a little bit of time to get situated with all the different parties, factions, and characters, but once the context was set in mind, I was hooked!

I love narrative nonfiction where I'm learning a lot but also feel like I'm reading riveting fiction a lot of the time and Keefe's writing style delivered just that. Sometimes I felt emotional and other times I was on the edge of my seat. Keefe is a fantastic storyteller and I can't wait to pick up Empire of Pain!

I was conflicted on what to rate this one!

First, it's a lot more memoir than is advertised and so I'm torn between being disappointed that there wasn't more depth to the part on Greek mythology, but also I do like memoirs!

Then there's the content of the memoir itself, which was, on the whole a super negative self-portrayal, and potentially (I'd have to think about it some more and check in with some other people), in parts, problematic.

I also don't think that listening to this book is the best way to consume it. For the parts of Greek myth that were included, seeing the names written down on paper and also being able to quickly flick back and forth to remind myself of who's who would have been super helpful.

I've also left the book not really remembering much of the Greek stories and I think part of that is to do with an unclear narrative thread running through the book.

Still though, my interest was sustained for most of the book and I did enjoy the idea of reclaiming/reframing what it means to be a woman classed as a monster.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this! Definitely a few laugh out loud moments and chuckles. Part of me wishes I'd read this sooner, but I wonder if being older and wiser (I was 20 when this came out, 30 now) meant I got a lot more out of it.

Very focused on being Black in America, but still a lot to take away regardless of where you're from and I think this is especially entertaining, sometimes painfully so, if you are Black.

My first 5⭐️ fiction read of 2022 and my favourite book of the year so far!

The last Hobb I read was in July 2020 and when I started this one I berated myself for leaving her books for so long, given how much I loved the Farseer Trilogy!

I was so immersed in this world, loved the variety of characters and storylines, and all of the different aspects covered. I'm so curious to see what happens next!