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463 reviews by:
wretchedtheo
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Yet another book I just can't complain about. Everything was on point - if I get into too much detail about all the aspects of storytelling and characterization that I admired I would promptly run out of space. Reading the blurb I just knew I'd love it (France, dolls, history...it was right up my alley!) and Mr. Carey DELIVERED.
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(If you're worried that I lack critical thinking, because almost all my reviews are positive, be assured: I am very meticulous in choosing my next reads. I don't have enough money to just blow on anything that looks like Something I Might Like, and that's taught me to understand my own likes and dislikes very well. Therefore it's very rare for me to be disappointed by a book I've selected for myself. Got it? Sweet - back to the review!)
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This is a story filled with death from the get-go but also, somehow, so life-affirming. And, well, it's ALIVE. I almost don't care how historically accurate this novel based on Madame Tussaud's life is or isn't - because the author brought her to life so vividly, so effortlessly, that I couldn't imagine this woman any differently if I tried. I was impressed by how real she felt to me. This novel felt like an autobiography, honestly; I kept forgetting the author was not Madame Tussaud herself but a man who is actually still alive in our own day and age. :)
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The pacing is slow and deliberate, letting the reader assimilate everything before proceeding to the next event. The characters are all vivid and believable. The writing style is so polished and elegant. The setting feels solid and immersive. The main character is fascinating, unique, with a voice all her own that is impossible to forget. All things considered? There's nothing I can do but recommend Little to any and all historical fiction fans - or, really, just anybody looking for a Good Book™. You'll get what you want.
.
(If you're worried that I lack critical thinking, because almost all my reviews are positive, be assured: I am very meticulous in choosing my next reads. I don't have enough money to just blow on anything that looks like Something I Might Like, and that's taught me to understand my own likes and dislikes very well. Therefore it's very rare for me to be disappointed by a book I've selected for myself. Got it? Sweet - back to the review!)
.
This is a story filled with death from the get-go but also, somehow, so life-affirming. And, well, it's ALIVE. I almost don't care how historically accurate this novel based on Madame Tussaud's life is or isn't - because the author brought her to life so vividly, so effortlessly, that I couldn't imagine this woman any differently if I tried. I was impressed by how real she felt to me. This novel felt like an autobiography, honestly; I kept forgetting the author was not Madame Tussaud herself but a man who is actually still alive in our own day and age. :)
.
The pacing is slow and deliberate, letting the reader assimilate everything before proceeding to the next event. The characters are all vivid and believable. The writing style is so polished and elegant. The setting feels solid and immersive. The main character is fascinating, unique, with a voice all her own that is impossible to forget. All things considered? There's nothing I can do but recommend Little to any and all historical fiction fans - or, really, just anybody looking for a Good Book™. You'll get what you want.
Elizabeth Acevedo's debut novel is colorful, raw, and energetic. It is a story about a fighter who learns to be strong through her words, and I loved every page of it! The Poet X combines the raw realism of current issues with the beauty and lyricism of poetry - a truly potent mix that made me unable to put it down. I flew through it in one morning and enjoyed it thoroughly. This review is more of a happy gush! I just loved the book so much. All of the protagonist's confusion and angst and anger and joy and wonder just SPILL THROUGH in a triumphant blaze of words. I felt for her, I felt /with/ her, and I think I learned from her too. I just wanted to give her a hug and some apple slices.
Let me just rabbit trail into a rant about the representation of Christianity in The Poet X. I loved the fact that, Xiomara's best friend, Caridad, is a christian and that's not...portrayed as a bad thing? it doesn't make her prudish or sniffy or detached from the world, like so many Christian characters in modern media? Even though Xiomara (who is SO valid by the way) struggles with Christianity because of the poor experiences she's had with it, christianity isn't portrayed as a bad thing in and of itself and THAT MADE ME HAPPY!! Caridad and Father Sean are christians and they're good people that Xiomara likes. There /are/ bigoted and harmful christians out there and many people /have/ been negatively affected by them - and that's represented too, in Xiomara's mother. But! /both/ kinds of christianity are represented in this book. The harmful, misleading kind /as well as/ the true kind, which is innately accepting and loving. I appreciated that....it made me so happy to see nice christians, for once, in a book that isn't Christian Literature™.
Let me just rabbit trail into a rant about the representation of Christianity in The Poet X. I loved the fact that, Xiomara's best friend, Caridad, is a christian and that's not...portrayed as a bad thing? it doesn't make her prudish or sniffy or detached from the world, like so many Christian characters in modern media? Even though Xiomara (who is SO valid by the way) struggles with Christianity because of the poor experiences she's had with it, christianity isn't portrayed as a bad thing in and of itself and THAT MADE ME HAPPY!! Caridad and Father Sean are christians and they're good people that Xiomara likes. There /are/ bigoted and harmful christians out there and many people /have/ been negatively affected by them - and that's represented too, in Xiomara's mother. But! /both/ kinds of christianity are represented in this book. The harmful, misleading kind /as well as/ the true kind, which is innately accepting and loving. I appreciated that....it made me so happy to see nice christians, for once, in a book that isn't Christian Literature™.
These beautiful old masterworks definitely deserve their fame; they chronicle all the myriad stages and instances of love, from young infatuation to jealous despair to matured contentedness (and more!). They have certainly earned their place in literature history - and they'll always be some of my most favorite of Shakespeare's writings.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It impressed me so much I put off reviewing it til I was certain I could do it justice.
I ... actually have no complaints with this book? I found it stylistically irreproachable, beautifully written, and quite gripping too. Each time I picked it up, I found I flew through it until life forced me to put it down. Eleanor Oliphant balances hilarious, relatable moments with heartbreaking ones; companionship with crushing loneliness; and the eponymous main character is so /odd/ and loveable, she really shone. I want her to be real so I can hug her. She FELT real.
The themes are perfectly handled, too. There are two aspects of this which impressed me so much that it made the book a favorite:
1. - Eleanor battles depression and yet /this isn't one of those ✨depression aesthetix✨ books/. In fact, she gets help and support, (and, thank HEAVENS the therapist is not demonized because Nobody Understands Me™ - a tired and harmful trope I keep seeing). Her battle with mental illness isn't the main theme of the book (hooray, I think we've all had enough suffering porn in our literature); rather, it's treated, well, just like any other illness. She gets off work, she sees a specialist, her friend checks up on her and brings her food and nice things - it made me so emotional. Books like Eleanor Oliphant help normalize and humanize mental illness in a society that often treats it as taboo.
2. - The book focuses on Eleanor's personal growth and the way she views the world - and the author didn't give her a romantic partner to Show Her The Meaning Of Life (OR, God forbid Cure Her Depression). Let's hear it for fiction that DOESN'T focus on romance. Her friend Raymond helps her, and it's so sweet and he's such a good person and PLEASE CAN WE HAVE MORE BOOKS IN WHICH FRIENDSHIPS ARE SEEN AS EQUALLY SPECIAL AND FULFILLING TO ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS??
In short, we need more books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. A shining example that several contemporary authors would do well to learn from!
I ... actually have no complaints with this book? I found it stylistically irreproachable, beautifully written, and quite gripping too. Each time I picked it up, I found I flew through it until life forced me to put it down. Eleanor Oliphant balances hilarious, relatable moments with heartbreaking ones; companionship with crushing loneliness; and the eponymous main character is so /odd/ and loveable, she really shone. I want her to be real so I can hug her. She FELT real.
The themes are perfectly handled, too. There are two aspects of this which impressed me so much that it made the book a favorite:
1. - Eleanor battles depression and yet /this isn't one of those ✨depression aesthetix✨ books/. In fact, she gets help and support, (and, thank HEAVENS the therapist is not demonized because Nobody Understands Me™ - a tired and harmful trope I keep seeing). Her battle with mental illness isn't the main theme of the book (hooray, I think we've all had enough suffering porn in our literature); rather, it's treated, well, just like any other illness. She gets off work, she sees a specialist, her friend checks up on her and brings her food and nice things - it made me so emotional. Books like Eleanor Oliphant help normalize and humanize mental illness in a society that often treats it as taboo.
2. - The book focuses on Eleanor's personal growth and the way she views the world - and the author didn't give her a romantic partner to Show Her The Meaning Of Life (OR, God forbid Cure Her Depression). Let's hear it for fiction that DOESN'T focus on romance. Her friend Raymond helps her, and it's so sweet and he's such a good person and PLEASE CAN WE HAVE MORE BOOKS IN WHICH FRIENDSHIPS ARE SEEN AS EQUALLY SPECIAL AND FULFILLING TO ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS??
In short, we need more books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. A shining example that several contemporary authors would do well to learn from!
What a skilled adaptation of this classic tale. The art style was just right for it, with thoughtful imagery and great atmosphere. I read it all in one sitting, too.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Why did nobody tell me I would love the Kane Chronicles so much???why don't these books have more ATTENTION. Cos they deserve it. They're fun, witty, super enjoyable, with poc leads and tons of cool info about Egyptian culture. I enjoyed every page of it and can't wait to read more. Carter is baby. Sadie is an icon. I like all the gods and goddesses. WOWZA