viscountess_black's Reviews (427)

All I See Is Violence

Angie Elita Newell

3.0

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

In "All I See is Violence" we learn through the eyes of Little Wolf, a warrior; Nancy Swiftfox, a mother; and General Custer, an american puppet; how the Sioux land is taken by force, how it is violated, and how it loses its essence, since the people who nurtured and loved that land are obliged to live sequestered in what was once their home.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is difficult to describe the emotional rollercoaster this book produces in you when you read it.
It has some plot twists, I didn't see coming near the end of the book, that made me stop reading because it hurt me, it really hurt me.
This is not a book for everybody, but I think is one we all should read at least once in our lives. It's one of those books that gives you an open handed slap in the face, one of those that cleans the fog in your head and makes you wake up. Wake up to the world, wake up to what happened, and keeps happening all around the world.

SPOILER + TRIGGER TAGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE READING:
This book contains colonisation, confinement, graphical violence, gun violence, racism, rape, animal death, homicide, suicide.

Content Warnings

The Comedy of Errors

William Shakespeare

2.0

funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It was entertaining (I gotta be honest, I needed a cup of cold black coffee with me to finish it but hey! I did it!). I enjoyed it once I stopped feeling sleepy (that's on me, thanks to my dear friend, insomnia).

Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up A Chair, Shuffle The Cards, And Lets Talk Tarot

Melissa Cynova

3.0

funny informative fast-paced

This was a fun book to listen to. Light and informative, I'd say it's a good book for beginners and for those who don't feel ready yet to read for other people (other than themselves, friends or family).

Midnight Ruin

Katee Robert

2.0

challenging medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

In Midnight Ruin we follow the story of Eurydice, sister of Persephone, now living and making her life in the lower city, where Hades reigns. Here she gets to know herself in various aspects of her life, yes, including the sexual one (this book IS spicy). We have a beautiful yet coddled (and because of that, uncomprehended) heroine, her best friend (the extra hot Head of Security of Hades, which already makes things complicated) and her ex, the artist that broke her heart.

Let's start with what I did like: I was so surprised at how open the author is concerning sexuality and gender fluidity, it's amazing to see the characters being not only accepted for their own preferences but just being a part of the community, no questions asked. Just existing and coexisting like the human beings that they are. This book is a big yes for the LGTBQ+ community, and I LOVE that.

Now, let's go with my personal opinion:

I am going to be honest. I didn't like it AT ALL.

At first I thought this was going to be a Greek retelling (if you've read Natalie Haynes' books or The Song of Achilles, you'll understand what I mean) BUT it couldn't be more different. Silly me, I didn't thought of checking before and I got surprised when I noticed this book is in fact the book number six of the Dark Olympus series. Honestly, silly me. I don't have anything against the series or even the author, it's just that it didn't appeal to me. It kind of reminded me of my first teenage books, because it reminds me (the vibes of it) of Beautiful Disaster. Yes, I know it's not the same. Yes, I know it doesn't compare. I just mean THE VIBES.

I thought it was going to be something completely different and that affected how I read the book, I struggled to come to terms with it. Still, I don't think it's a bad book, it just a book for me. I'd say you give it a chance, you never know and you might like it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Katee Robert for giving me a free digital copy of this book to review.

Babel

R.F. Kuang

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's genius, it's well written and I feel in love with the characters, but suffered with and for them too. It's a big yes for The Secret History fans.

Love at First Psych

Cara Bastone

3.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was sooo cute and funny.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Suzanne Collins

5.0

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

My thought are all mixed together and I only know that I loved it.
The author gave me a character I had to remember myself that I had to hate, I needed to hate, because I couldn't help being empathetic with his sufferings throughout the book, but at the end, she gave us the beginning of the tyrant.