pineconek's Reviews (816)

This is a dark and very difficult book that I couldn't put down. I'm not at all sure of my star rating since this book definitely evokes a lot of conflicting emotions. That said, I hope it reaches the people who need it.

I really enjoyed this collection of Japanese myths and legends retold from a modern and feminist angle. The stories made me smile, spooked me a little, and taught me a lot. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading modern "slice of life" stories and spotting little coincidences that are more than coincidences.

Well, that was a doozy. I read about half this book as a paperback, and listened to parts of the audiobook. The voice acting in the audiobook was commendable and I highly recommend it.

I had trouble putting this book down. The book is an exploration of three characters from the moment they meet to the days in which they part, many years later. All three narrate the story from strikingly different and contrasting perspectives. The people they care about are equally memorable and fleshed out. While there is a plot, it is not well defined since the book is more about following these characters lives.

I think this might be the book that makes me admit that I do enjoy historical fiction. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys character driven and clashing beliefs. Fair warning: the violence and visceral pain in the book are extremely graphic.

I read this book over 5 years ago and want to read it again because so many parts have stuck with me. This book is hard and painful to read but also engrossing and hard to put down. Innocence and violence are juxtaposed at every turn. Heather O'Neill in general has a beautiful way of writing about plants that sprout in concrete (for lack of better metaphor).

This is a hell of a way to lose a time war!!

This strange little novella packs a punch. I listened to it and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of sentimental romance, clever narrative turns, and can enjoy an excellent story without having all the context/facts.

I'm judging myself for giving this 5 stars but this was incredible. Fair warning: this book is extremely graphic, full of gore and psychological horror. It's not a happy book, and the characters are not good people. It's a breathtaking exploration of human depravity and I couldn't look away. It reminded me so much of 1984 in its construction that I'm sure it was intentional. Other classic works exploring this theme (dangerous game, modest proposal, Soylent green) were present. This was a horrifying book on a horrifying topic. I don't recommend it (unless you're feeling brave).

I wanted to like this book so much but it didn't work for me. I'm a perfectionist finishing up my PhD, so you'd think I'd relate to Grace Porter so much it hurts. But this book annoyed me so much it hurts. Notably with a mantra that was repeated ad nauseum so much it hurts (ok I'll stop now). You'd think this plot would resonate with me, and I expected another Transcendent Kingdom (which I adored). But good gosh... The writing ruined it for me. I don't identify strongly with "millenial culture" (does anyone?) and this book oozed of it. I also don't like to be spoonfed things while reading and I found the narration beat me over the head with the point (I understood Grace put too much pressure on herself the first twenty times it was explicitly stated...).

In short, the book would have benefited so much from editing that emphasized "show, don't tell". I don't think it's a bad book per se, but I don't think I was the intended audience (and ergo two stars - I didn't enjoy it but I would recommend it to specific people who are into this kind of thing).

Ok so I had about 0 idea what I was getting into when picking up this book. I didn't read this as a child (or I did and blocked it out, which is possible) but was interested since I love del Torro's directing and good horror cinema.

Don't let the 3 stars alarm you: this book is fun and I enjoyed it! It's definitely geared towards children and in no way a serious read. I wasn't going to rate it but the ebook I got had a great essay (15 pages or so) at the end discussing the folklore origins and contexts of a lot of the stories. I'm a big fan of folklore, legends, and myths so this dramatically increased my enjoyment of the book.

Recommended to anyone who wants to feel like they're at a scholastic book fair and only vaguely remembers the plot of the hook in the side of the car (if you know, you know).

I didn't expect the movie to be this faithful to the book. I'd loved the movie and am so so glad I've read the book now. The story is very dark and painful and is pretty much exclusively an exploration of different forms of denial after severe trauma so uh... proceed with caution.

I do enjoy a good book about grief and love. This short novella (two novellas? Two short stories?) is very slow paced and I took much longer to read it than I thought I would. That said, it was a beautiful read and I'd recommend it to anyone who has dealt with grief and is feeling melancholic.