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ninetalevixen
Being a linguistics major who spends a lot of time on The Interwebs, I was not surprised to find that this was right up my alley, especially since it came recommended by one of my linguistics professors. I remember being in high school and reblogging Tumblr language posts like those McCulloch mentions, experimenting with punctuation to indicate sarcasm, and trying to make lsimh ("laughing silently in my head") happen as an alternative to lol.
But even accounting for my prior interest in the topic, this is a well-written book — all the more impressive when you remember that it's really not easy to make nonfiction accessible and appealing to both the layperson and the reader with more base knowledge. (I won't claim to be an expert, but I did recognize many of the foundational sociolinguistics studies McCulloch cites.) The meta-jokes definitely help, in addition to casual use of correct linguistic and pop culture terminology; McCulloch's credibility also benefits from periodically acknowledging potential biases and blind spots.
This book offers a solid primer in Internet language, some relevant linguistics fundamentals, in addition to why we should even care. I'm not exaggerating when I say it actually made me reevaluate the way I think about and use language, and actually makes me want to keep my new year's resolution to read more nonfiction.
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CONVERSION: 11.5 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 8 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 7 / 10
Credibility: 9 / 10
Organization / Structure: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact / Interest: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5
But even accounting for my prior interest in the topic, this is a well-written book — all the more impressive when you remember that it's really not easy to make nonfiction accessible and appealing to both the layperson and the reader with more base knowledge. (I won't claim to be an expert, but I did recognize many of the foundational sociolinguistics studies McCulloch cites.) The meta-jokes definitely help, in addition to casual use of correct linguistic and pop culture terminology; McCulloch's credibility also benefits from periodically acknowledging potential biases and blind spots.
This book offers a solid primer in Internet language, some relevant linguistics fundamentals, in addition to why we should even care. I'm not exaggerating when I say it actually made me reevaluate the way I think about and use language, and actually makes me want to keep my new year's resolution to read more nonfiction.
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CONVERSION: 11.5 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 8 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 7 / 10
Credibility: 9 / 10
Organization / Structure: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact / Interest: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5
This was engaging enough that I wanted to keep reading to untangle the mystery, though I had a strong hunch about what was going on (which turned out to be right, and somewhat cliched to be honest) — but the prose didn't work for me, it kept jarring me out of the flow, and I really wasn't sold on any of the characters/their relationships/the group dynamics. Even at the end of Part One, it felt like we were still in the very slow exposition; Part Two felt like a completely separate novel, with just a handful of shared backstory elements.
In other words, although I was intrigued by the setup, I was disappointed by how it played out. There were some fairytale and/or fantasy allusions and tropes that I liked, but it felt like they were introduced only to be fairly quickly abandoned (not undermined or twisted, just abandoned) in order to keep the plot moving along.
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CONVERSION: 6 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 2 / 5
In other words, although I was intrigued by the setup, I was disappointed by how it played out. There were some fairytale and/or fantasy allusions and tropes that I liked, but it felt like they were introduced only to be fairly quickly abandoned (not undermined or twisted, just abandoned) in order to keep the plot moving along.
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CONVERSION: 6 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 2 / 5
I received an advance review copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.
The idea is fun, and as a stationery lover I appreciate the aesthetic, but this is basically just a series of (mostly-visual) typography puns which doesn't tell a cohesive narrative.
The idea is fun, and as a stationery lover I appreciate the aesthetic, but this is basically just a series of (mostly-visual) typography puns which doesn't tell a cohesive narrative.
I received an advance review copy through Edelweiss. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
3.5 stars.
It took me a while to acclimate myself to this story, but around halfway or so I started getting pretty into it. Among other things, I hadn't realized this was magic realism so that threw me for a loop at first; however, the cultural beliefs and traditions (such as offering food to the spirits of deceased family members) are comfortingly familiar and the magic feels like a natural extension thereof. I particularly love the motifs of food and music since they figure prominently in my memories with my parents, as they do in Natalie's; this book is a celebration of culture, from recipes for various Asian dishes to descriptions of the erhu. And it's definitely not just performative: there's emphasis on filial piety and community obligations and respect for elders and scenes where characters fight for the check — and their general motives and attitudes definitely reflect Chinese values and upbringing.
Though as much as I enjoyed the details, the big picture doesn't quite work for me. Nothing is wrong with the narrative structure, but the pacing and some of the dialogue felt off: the former too condensed, limiting the emotional impact of each moment, the latter comprehensible but not quite natural. Certain developments also stretched my disbelief pretty far — not to breaking, but there was definite strain. I wasn't quite sold on the romance either; it wasn't really problematic, but honestly I thought it was a little unnecessary. (I know a romance subplot is almost an essential element of commercial fiction in this day and age. Doesn't mean I have to like it.)
All that said, this was a fun read overall. The recipes are intriguing — I just wish they included measurements; I know experienced cooks often don't, my mom eyeballs most of hers, but for a beginning cook like me it would be more accessible and less daunting. Of course, I love that they were included at all, and the sheer variety is mouthwatering.
content warnings:
rep:
3.5 stars.
It took me a while to acclimate myself to this story, but around halfway or so I started getting pretty into it. Among other things, I hadn't realized this was magic realism so that threw me for a loop at first; however, the cultural beliefs and traditions (such as offering food to the spirits of deceased family members) are comfortingly familiar and the magic feels like a natural extension thereof. I particularly love the motifs of food and music since they figure prominently in my memories with my parents, as they do in Natalie's; this book is a celebration of culture, from recipes for various Asian dishes to descriptions of the erhu. And it's definitely not just performative: there's emphasis on filial piety and community obligations and respect for elders and scenes where characters fight for the check — and their general motives and attitudes definitely reflect Chinese values and upbringing.
Though as much as I enjoyed the details, the big picture doesn't quite work for me. Nothing is wrong with the narrative structure, but the pacing and some of the dialogue felt off: the former too condensed, limiting the emotional impact of each moment, the latter comprehensible but not quite natural. Certain developments also stretched my disbelief pretty far — not to breaking, but there was definite strain. I wasn't quite sold on the romance either; it wasn't really problematic, but honestly I thought it was a little unnecessary. (I know a romance subplot is almost an essential element of commercial fiction in this day and age. Doesn't mean I have to like it.)
All that said, this was a fun read overall. The recipes are intriguing — I just wish they included measurements; I know experienced cooks often don't, my mom eyeballs most of hers, but for a beginning cook like me it would be more accessible and less daunting. Of course, I love that they were included at all, and the sheer variety is mouthwatering.
content warnings:
Spoiler
death of parent, depictions of mental illness (agoraphobia and likely depression), cultural insensitivity towards mental illnessrep: