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notesofacrocodile's Reviews (258)
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
a group of characters whom we follow and just so much happening. i thought the premise itself was very interesting and the book did not disappoint. i do however think that i will reread this book in the future because i want to absorb even more, about the plot and the questions it poses. i enjoyed following the threads of all the characters; none of them made me feel bored or made me want to skim through. there's also a lot of contemporary relevance to be found in the happenings and trajectories of this book.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
this book was structured in such a unique way- an encyclopedia of sorts surrounding the characters of a fictional tv show 'little blue', which was the favourite show of a character who is already no longer alive as the book begins.
this character, vivian, happens to have been the narrator's best friend and the love of the latter's life (as she described it herself). the encyclopedia becomes a way for her to remember her best friend through the tv show, and talking about it gives her a chance to reminisce what having known vivian was like. it was a moving course on the ebbs and flows of grief, the life and memories of a trans woman who was always bold and herself in the face of a world that is deeply prejudiced against her. one of the reasons why i loved it is because of the deeply poignant and liberating feel that comes from reading about love, grief, and companionships in trans and queer spaces + the invoking of aspects of pop culture in such meaningful ways. i still have no words to describe the sort of book this was or how much i loved it, but i would recommend it wholeheartedly.
this character, vivian, happens to have been the narrator's best friend and the love of the latter's life (as she described it herself). the encyclopedia becomes a way for her to remember her best friend through the tv show, and talking about it gives her a chance to reminisce what having known vivian was like. it was a moving course on the ebbs and flows of grief, the life and memories of a trans woman who was always bold and herself in the face of a world that is deeply prejudiced against her. one of the reasons why i loved it is because of the deeply poignant and liberating feel that comes from reading about love, grief, and companionships in trans and queer spaces + the invoking of aspects of pop culture in such meaningful ways. i still have no words to describe the sort of book this was or how much i loved it, but i would recommend it wholeheartedly.
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
devoured this within 3 days despite the fact that i was quite busy over the last week. it examines the western imposition of diagnostic categories upon other cultures and its own disregard for indigenous systems of healing and understanding of disordered behaviours, as well as a criticism of the takeover of the field of mental health by big pharma. this is an aspect that has piqued my interest for a long while now and i found that it left me satisfied for the most part, but still managed to leave me more curious about everything discussed.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
finished this one on the plane and safe to say, i was impressed by it. such self-destructive characters, all of who are flung into even worse circumstances because of what their queerness entails in a deeply unaccepting society. chiefly constructed with monologues and storytelling rather than any actual plot that unravels in front of us as the reader, it still managed to hold me in till the end.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
this is my first time reading nonfiction by isabel allende and i really enjoyed her writing style in this; matter-of-fact, precise, and sometimes with the occasional laugh just around the corner. i don't think i agree with some aspects of her feminist belief and it is true that i expected something much more radical from this, but i suppose for her time she was a very radical woman in her own right.
informative
reflective
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
uniquely structured, thoughtfully told. i had been working on a psychology assignment criticising the pervasiveness of the biomedical model in the clinical psychology setting, and tezer özlü's experiences in the psychiatric space definitely added to the depth of my understanding regarding this.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this to me is one of those quiet novels; a silence suffused with something heavy and tragic, a silence punctuated only by the whooshing of the minari in the winds and the occasional murmur. i enjoyed the atmospheric writing and the concept of san as a character: doomed to repeatedly find herself sabotaging her own situation, the hollow winds of loneliness thrumming just under her chest.
"where the minari grows, this scene i kept only to myself, her dry lips, a soft joy, the deep green spot, i will love you more than myself—these are where the letters blur."
"where the minari grows, this scene i kept only to myself, her dry lips, a soft joy, the deep green spot, i will love you more than myself—these are where the letters blur."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Misogyny
a very concise introduction that really helped cement my understanding of some of the more basic concepts of marxism before moving on to the readings of marx and engels