3.5
The bride’s dead grandmother has returned to her as a parakeet, to tell her to find her brother.
What. This book is so weird and rambling and lonely. I kind of loved it.
The paragraphs are long, the chapters somewhat non-sequential , and we never learn the bride’s name. This isn’t a straight forward novel. The protagonist is messy and awkward- she does things like trying to fit as many pieces of gum as she can into her mouth at her wedding. She’s unhinged, but in a relatable, weirdo-next-door kind of way.

I’m not sure what this book was trying to say. I think I’ll have to come back it.

CW: grief, death of a loved one, racial slurs, racism, injury, medical trauma, drug addiction, panic attacks, gas lighting violence, suicide, wedding, infidelity, fat shaming, eating disorder jokes, General body talk, transphobia, sex

When I first started this book, I was skeptical-the confidence of a mediocre white man to do literally anything. In this case, writing typewriter poetry, something Sonia-Wallace neither studied nor was interested in before randomly deciding to do it.
That irked me. It always does.

Then I kept reading. Brian traveled the US, connecting with people of all backgrounds and ages. They shared a few moments. Art happened.

Art, I believe feeds our souls. How can you say art is worthless than consume it constantly, through movies, books, tv, graphic design, music, landscaping...? As a writer and theatre artist myself, I have found that I am desperately missing the communities that Sonia-Wallace describes in his book. I need to connect with art, other artists. My creativity needs it. I need it.
All this to say, I found The Poetry of Strangers inspiring. Not for me to go and write typewriter poetry, though I certainly could, but to connect with art and artists again.



CW: witchcraft, transphobia, sexism, racism, prison, immigration, religion, drug use, colonization, death of a child, vomit

Retribution.
That’s what this book is. Pure vengeance. I didn’t find it particularly scary, just gory. I’m sure, if a ghost elk was after me, I’d be scared though.

In the first two sections especially, I kept having to reread sections. Somewhere between the action and SGJ’s style, I got lost. There were also a lot of basketball scenes that seemed out of place to me.

However, this is a fantastic spooky season book. Just be prepared for tons of gore, human and animal alike.


CW: drugs, violence, racism, animal death/ cruelty, medical trauma, vomit, body horror, murder, death of a child, gore

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing. I wonder if I’d know a little, I might have liked it better. The best way to describe The Starless Sea is a book within a book within a book within a book...

There are some truly beautiful moments in TSS, lovely characters, the lyrical, fairytale writing reminds me of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy. Unfortunately, The Starless Sea dragged on aimlessly in my opinion.

Morgenstern’s previous book, The Night Circus also fell flat for me. I love her worlds, concepts, but she just isn’t my favorite writer

Atmospheric and spooky, this book could have been a great Victorian thriller/ romance, but ultimately failed plot wise. There was so much build up, but the final act was disappointing. Iris was an intriguing character, but she didn't make interesting choices. I didn't see a drive with her.


Reminecesnt of Patrick Suskind's "Perfume"

If Dark Academia went to Buddhist Summer Camp

Did I actually like this book or just the eerie premise? Girls at a remote Buddhist summer camp, attempting levitation, influencing each other, trying to grasp some semblance of control.
It stirred up harsh memories of my own, of early teen years. thankfully not of levitation or rituals, but of spite and exclusion and the grossness of camp showers.

CW: suicide, religion; Buddhism, drugs, body talk, grooming, sexual assault, fat phobia, rituals, disordered eating, choking, violence, child abuse, rape, pedophilia, panic attacks, witchcraft

No Spoilers!”
I ended up liking this way more than I thought I would. I expected a breezy sci-fi light contemporary. Just some light time travel fun.

Oona’s life is wibbly wobbly, but at least she’s got money. There were a few “Oh Sh!t!” moments. You really could feel Oona’s loneliness, being the only one living life scrambled.
There were some chapters (or years) that could have been shortened, but overall I enjoyed this book.

CW: mugging, drugs/ drug use, death of a parent, negative body talk, death of a parent, on page sex, slurs, homophobia, violence, alcoholism,xenophobia, infidelity, profanity, cancer