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kimschouwenaar's reviews
340 reviews
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
there was so much goddamn unnecessary sex.
A Thousand Boy Kisses: The unforgettable love story and TikTok sensation by Tillie Cole
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
wth was that ending?
i think i have officially outgrown these kinds of books. did i cry? yes. has it impacted my life and left an imprint on my heart? nope.
it was repetitive, sappy, and i am so pissed about that epilogue.
perhaps it’s the aroace in me, but this did not grip me as much as people promised it would.
i think i have officially outgrown these kinds of books. did i cry? yes. has it impacted my life and left an imprint on my heart? nope.
it was repetitive, sappy, and i am so pissed about that epilogue.
perhaps it’s the aroace in me, but this did not grip me as much as people promised it would.
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
no.
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Bunny by Mona Awad
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
not gonna lie, this was not what I expected going into this
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Racism and Classism
Medusa of the Roses by Navid Sinaki
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying that I really wanted to love this. And I tried. The synopsis intrigued me to no end, and I was so excited to start reading it, but the story fell flat before I was halfway through.
Medusa of the Roses follows Anjir, a gay man living in a very homophobic Iran, where becoming - yes, becoming - transgender and living as a woman is accepted but being gay is not. In fact, the government prefers men surgically transitioning to women over a man being gay. Anjir spends most of the novel looking for his boyfriend, who disappeared right before the beginning and who flickers in and out of Anjir's life throughout. Being gay in a country such as Iran is unimaginably tough, and this review is in no way intended to undermine that experience.
Sinaki's prose is cinematic and poetic, containing lots of allusions to different mythologies and classic literature. And while I enjoyed his style, it also felt as if he was determined to put as many memorable quotes into the novel as he could within 240 pages. The writing style is extremely somber and melancholic, which, after a while, becomes dense and more difficult to read.
The plot itself was heartbreaking, which fit the style of narration perfectly, but even for someone who often reads sorrowful novels with unhappy endings, this was a bit much. There is not a ray of sunshine in Anjir's life, even at the moments he reunites with Zal - his lover. However, the plot itself was not the element I had an issue with. In fact, together with the imagery of Iran and allusions, it saved the novel from a two-star rating. That, and the very unexpected plottwist. The main problem I had with this novel is the over-sexualisation. Anjir found an internal sexual relation to almost every character and object apart from his family and because of this, his character fell a little flat. His only characterisation is that he is a very sexually active gay man, and I wanted more than that.
Perhaps I went in with too many expectations or this novel just wasn't meant for me, but I expected more. I will say, however, that Sinaki is a very talented artist.
Let me start by saying that I really wanted to love this. And I tried. The synopsis intrigued me to no end, and I was so excited to start reading it, but the story fell flat before I was halfway through.
Medusa of the Roses follows Anjir, a gay man living in a very homophobic Iran, where becoming - yes, becoming - transgender and living as a woman is accepted but being gay is not. In fact, the government prefers men surgically transitioning to women over a man being gay. Anjir spends most of the novel looking for his boyfriend, who disappeared right before the beginning and who flickers in and out of Anjir's life throughout. Being gay in a country such as Iran is unimaginably tough, and this review is in no way intended to undermine that experience.
Sinaki's prose is cinematic and poetic, containing lots of allusions to different mythologies and classic literature. And while I enjoyed his style, it also felt as if he was determined to put as many memorable quotes into the novel as he could within 240 pages. The writing style is extremely somber and melancholic, which, after a while, becomes dense and more difficult to read.
The plot itself was heartbreaking, which fit the style of narration perfectly, but even for someone who often reads sorrowful novels with unhappy endings, this was a bit much. There is not a ray of sunshine in Anjir's life, even at the moments he reunites with Zal - his lover. However, the plot itself was not the element I had an issue with. In fact, together with the imagery of Iran and allusions, it saved the novel from a two-star rating. That, and the very unexpected plottwist. The main problem I had with this novel is the over-sexualisation. Anjir found an internal sexual relation to almost every character and object apart from his family and because of this, his character fell a little flat. His only characterisation is that he is a very sexually active gay man, and I wanted more than that.
Perhaps I went in with too many expectations or this novel just wasn't meant for me, but I expected more. I will say, however, that Sinaki is a very talented artist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Car accident
Trivia: or, the Art of Walking the Streets of London by John Gay
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I like this a lot more than I though I would. John Gay skilfully interweaves classical references with specific places in London and events that he observes as a pedestrian. Trivia, which comes from the latin triviis (crossroads) and is another name for the goddess Diana (goddess of crossroads), is essentially one of the first travel narratives and guidebooks for walking through London.
Gay really said 'I am going to walk through London and look at what's happening and write a long poem in heroic couplets about it', and I really respect that. The satirical elements made it very fun to read, regardless the many, many, many classical and biblical references that I had to look up.
Gay really said 'I am going to walk through London and look at what's happening and write a long poem in heroic couplets about it', and I really respect that. The satirical elements made it very fun to read, regardless the many, many, many classical and biblical references that I had to look up.
The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
Jean-Yves Moreau deserves the fucking world, I will die on this hill. There is less action than in the original trilogy because The Sunshine Court is all about healing and finding your place again. We finally see the Neil and the Foxes through someone else's eyes, and I adored every tiny reference to them. Something I was not prepared for was Jean being such a comedian. The nicknames he comes up with are peak humour. I've seen a lot of negative reviews saying they wanted more of the Foxes and Neil and Andrew, but Jean's perspective post-TKM is much more significant. The boy who didn't survive every other draft deserves to learn how to live again.
Cannot wait for the sequel later this year <3
Cannot wait for the sequel later this year <3