sandro_reads's reviews
102 reviews

Project Hail Mary puts the science firmly in Science-Fiction so there is a lot of [insert theory, theory, solution] repetition but told in witty, first person narration that has a lot of heart. 

Something Wild is a heavy read exploring the family dynamics between Lorraine and her two daughters, Nessa and Tanya. 

Although no one comes off all that likable, it is a brutally honest look at familial roles and how trauma affects everyone differently.

It’s rare that a book can evoke both laughter and fear which is a testament to how grounded the story feels in the wonderful cast of characters.

Masterfully written with the perfect mix of nostalgia and tension, Lost Man’s Lane is a coming-of-age tale with a touch of supernatural/horror in the vain of Stephen King.

SPOILER-ISH

My one minor complaint is when an author has a character reveal the full backstory which could have easily been shared much earlier.

As someone who does not normally read non-fiction, I was excited when this came up as a book club selection because it sounded fascinating. 

This book though was not. I struggled to get into it or retain any information as it read like a text book. I may revisit as an audio book in the future. 

Despite a predictable reveal and heavy-handed message of acceptance, Razorblade Tears is reminiscent of the unlikely buddy movies of the 80s - packed with funny one-liners among the action and gore. 

After a number of heavy subject reads, I was looking for a palette cleanser and My Best Friend’s Exorcism was the perfect camp horror escape.

Having been around the same age in the 80s as our protagonists, I relished the referenced song lyrics, turns of phrase and long forgotten brands - wrapped into this coming of age story about friendship. 

Time moves fluidly in Giovanni’s Room. The narrator, David, spins a circular tale of desire and shame that encapsulates internalized homophobia and gender norms of the 1950s but still feels daring by today’s standards. 

The Door reads like a fable of sorts - a tale of the growing friendship between a writer, Magda, and her almost mythical housekeeper, Emerence.

It’s a challenging relationship filled with literal and figurative doors that will confound and haunt. 

I Who Have Never Known Men is a curious selection for BookTok to have rallied behind. Rather than attempting to answer the many why’s and when’s and how’s, it is a powerful but bleak, existential examination of what makes us human and, more specifically, a woman in a world devoid of all societal constructs. 

Don’t we all just want to feel “normal?” Marianne and Connell have found that feeling in one another which both attracts and repels them. 

Sally Rooney has given us two complex characters where the silence between them is as palpable as what they say. It feels honest in a way that few books with a central relationship do.