splitdice's reviews
76 reviews

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

not as weird or as gross as I was expecting based on reviews I read. confusing, sure. but I really enjoyed the ending.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

family sagas should be written by women and pachinko is the perfect example of this 😭 even after characters leave the narrative their echos ring throughout the book and haunt these characters. genuinely felt like I was watching a movie. so much love i hold for all of these characters, so many tears cried. 

i read east of eden (my favorite family saga) earlier this year and I can't help but to see how they tackle the same themes of good vs evil and of course the abel and cain story... so so so good

my only complaint is that pacing is a little lopsided and important events happen at weird times... though it almost gave a sort of texture to the book. also i don't think the 20% was super effective but I think the other 80% is still really solid and strong


HE WAS NOA BECAUSE HE WAS THE ARC THAT BRIDGED SUNJA FROM KOREA TO JAPAN


Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

the audience for this book imo is very niche (lesbian milf lovers with mommy issues who love toxic relationships) however I fit that to a T so I can't help but love it.. i also think the writing was so readable and digestible, kinda reads like emily austin but darker and more sexually explicit

i guess my only complaint is that it's kind of disappointing that greta is one of the few fmcs who is over like 25 but she acts like a teenager. I get why but it just feels like a missed opportunity 
Bunny by Mona Awad

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

was gonna be like a 4.5 but the ending saw what i saw and gave me everything then took it away🥹

other than that.. honestly it isn't weird as I thought it was gonna be and not hard to follow at all... if you read any kind of weird horror or weird japanese litfic you'll be fine
Luster by Raven Leilani

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funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I think i need to read this again at some point... I liked a lot of the aspects by themselves (the kind of unlikable narrator, Rebecca, the narrative voice) but I feel like it kind of missed the mark execution wise? But idk I might just need to reread it later down the line
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

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challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

So I read this book right after Orbital and honestly I think this book used it's inherent structure as a fiction book sooo much better than Orbital did. I cried multiple times, it's honestly a very challenging read emotionally so probably not best read if you're emotionally struggling right now. It's so bleak but also hopeful
Bright Young Women: A Novel by Jessica Knoll

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I thought it was good but it kind of missed the "punch" to elevate it above a 4
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

You sigh with the weariness of the Earth, and do not reply other than to nod and walk away. I am so afraid as I watch you leave.
I cried i won't lie
Melania by Melania Trump

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slow-paced

1.0

say what you want about melania as a person but this was not a good book in the slightest. ai... maybe? it reads like a badly written college essay. the included pictures were probably the best part
Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag

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informative medium-paced

4.0

i think On Photography should be read first, especially in refrence to the first few essays, but the last few are really impactful.