songmingi's Reviews (199)

I'm scared to give this five stars but woah! this is the first fantasy book in awhile I was able to completely immerse myself in.  The concept is so unique and interesting and despite never reading a mafia book before I loved this. I think Hilo is my problematic fave. I think Fonda lee is also insanely talented for this storyline I'm excited to start the next installment already.

Unlike a lot of people in the reviews, I did not come across this book on social media rather I saw it in-store and the cover made me interested because it looked so obscure. Regardless I was still really disappointed, this book does not feel complete it feels like a rough draft. None of the ideas or plot lines are fully developed, while I saw the other did a lot of research into content moderation it seems perhaps they should have spent some of that time actually developing the plot of their book. 

The observations and commentary on how social media sites treat their content moderators and the innate horror of their jobs are so surface-level. If you were to read an article on this topic you would come away with better conclusions and it would be more interesting to read. The storyline around Kayleigh is similarly poorly developed, it was cliche and I don't really feel like I could fully understand when or how she was changed. I think focusing the plot not around the content moderation but rather on relationship drama was certainly a choice and I don't think it really paid off. I just did not understand or connect with the characters of this book, again their traits and choices were explicitly laid out to me and not really developed. 

Overall I feel like this book was a waste of what could have been an excellent short horror instead it feels like a bit without any teeth.

The concept was this book was so interesting and unique, however I really did not enjoy the writing, its incredibly juvenile and to be a bit harsh cringe-worthy. The main character was written in an insufferable way instead of being a "sass-hole" she was simply childish and irritating. The random use of Chinese words without any glossary might be prove a further challenge for those who are not familiar with the language. Overall very disappointing. I think there is many more well written Chinese fantasy offerings making this book not worth your time.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the stories were varied and unique and I really like the authors writing style. Despite the challenging themes and grotesque imagery I found the writing at times to be so tender and earnest. I think the best phrase for it is "oddly touching". In the introduction Chuck Wendig said that Eric LaRocca has empathy for his characters despite their glaring faults and I can't help but agree. I think the authors writing feels so intimate like we truly are peeing into someones inner most thoughts. Definitely worth reading if you want to see relationships, love and loss explored through horror.

Not in the mood anymore maybe I will return to this someday 

It feels weird to give this book a rating or even to condense my thoughts into a single review, but I want to atleast try. 

The color purple is a really important piece of historical fiction. It earnestly shares the experience of black women, their dreams, their thoughts, their ideas and their battles and their understanding of their identities. I found reading about all the different perspectives through Celie fascinating. I think this book celebrates the resilience of these women and also the diversity of their thoughts. I'm found of all the female characters in this book, they are so unique and distinct in their own way. 

While this is obviously a very sorrowful book, I think it's also a book that celebrates love, and power relationships hold. Reading it I reflected a lot upon how we as people can uplift and support each other. The discussion of faith is also one worth reading. 

Overall I think this book deserves its spot as a modern classic, the language is accessible but none of the themes or ideas are simplified rather they are showcased in their full complexity. As the new movie comes out I hope people turn to the source material and experience this book for all it has to give.

This was an interesting read, I had heard very mixed reviews about this book but I knew there was to be some shocking plot twist. 

At first I found the book a bit odd, the writing style is a bit eclectic and strange and found myself a little confused at times. However I believe the might have been the goal. After awhile I was invested in the mystery and was trying really hard to figure out where the story was going and what exactly happened to Cadence.

The plot twist was unexpected but I dont particularly find myself blown away by it, I consumed a lot of media where the narrator or main character is confused or lost about their past and some incident and in comparison to those things its mystery and intrigue is a bit juvenile. 

That being said the book was engaging enough for me to stick around to the end, and I think for someone new to the mystery genre this could be a great entryway read. 

I just dont care about this book anymore especially since I found out rebecca yarros is weird

Almond was a poignant read. It explores human connection and relationships in such an interesting and compassionate way. Despite being quite short I found this book to be still quite impactful.  The writing was easy to read but by no means overly simplistic, it left me reflecting on the themes discussed continuously. In a way, the story was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  I think we are very fortunate to live in a time where such unique stories and writings from across the world are available to us to read in English. I would recommend reading the author's note to gain further insight into the ideas behind this book. Almond is a book that will continue to occupy my mind, I hope to revisit it soon.