I knew this book was going to somewhat upset me, and it did what I needed it to - it raised questions within me, but I was not expecting the helpless I knew this book was going to somewhat upset me, and it did what I needed it to - it raised questions within me, but I was not expecting the helpless anger it awakened. It's a brilliant approach to science fiction, humanness and especially womanhood. Bravo Sierra Greer.
Edit: I couldn't sleep all night after I finished this because I kept thinking about it. Might be my best read of 2024 so far....more
I started writing book reviews four years ago. Back then I had more time on my hands; more love to give, a softer soul, a more gentle heart. Today my I started writing book reviews four years ago. Back then I had more time on my hands; more love to give, a softer soul, a more gentle heart. Today my skin feels hardened. My days have more dish-washing and laundry-doing and bank-going and train-taking than they used to. Inevitably, the space my mind used to have for literature has narrowed further and further. And, I must admit, my optimism has faded too: after one good book out of a hundred, you start to feel a little hopeless.
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought: oh my, this is gonna be heavy. Interesting and maybe boring at the same time. I was wrong. My expectations weren't particularly high just because the author holds a Nobel prize for literature (Bob Dylan does too, so... but let's not get too controversial this early in the review.) Nevertheless, my academy assigned me a bunch of books to read during the summer, so I decided to start out with this one simply because it was on top of the pile I had recovered from my very own house library.
Disgrace is an uncomfortable book about uncomfortable things. It has a main character who's both extremely unlikable and surprisingly human; who can't apologize out of pride, but cries at the death of a dog. Whose thoughts are shaped like Wordsworth verses, like Byron poems, like old books and older words; and that is something I cannot help but relate to. David, professor David Lurie, is fighting for a passion he no longer feels, and soon enough finds himself in a situation far more complicated than he had anticipated. Because this book is not about him, or his affairs, not even about his complicated and ever-suffering daughter. This book is about society. And I feel it is an extremely relevant book to read, especially right now, as it reminds us of a universal truth: the tables will turn. The ones you enslaved yesterday will be your masters tomorrow, and will inflict onto you just as much pain as you did to them, and worse, so at the end who's the villain? Who's the real villain? There isn't one. There's only a humanity so raw it feels physically painful, like rubbing your skin so hard with dry sand it starts to peel. There's a man who only thinks about himself but also learns how unfair and unkind the world can be - because yesterday it was cruel to black South African natives, and today it's merciless towards white South African women, and what to say about tomorrow? There aren't good or bad people in a world like this. There's a woman who is not allowed to be herself but in whispers. Whose stubborness eventually turns into defeat, into: this is the way the world is. I cannot do anything to change it.
Disgrace is about pain, but also about family, passion, how all-consuming love can be, and how cold, almost methodical, meaningless lust can be. About how those whose land was robbed from them now want revenge, and it's not pretty. It's violent. It's horrifying. It makes bile rise up your throat, that feeling of helplessness that makes people punch walls in movies, that makes you kick at a chair until it clatters loudly to the ground. This is not a book that leaves any room for hope. It's a warning. In the words of David: history will repeat itself, but maybe we've learned something along the way. I can only hope. I can only hope, twenty or thirty years from now, I won't have to come back to this book and hold it close to my chest, thinking: You were wrong. I'm so sorry, but you were wrong. We have learned nothing.
This was the place nightmares came to be inspired.
I'm probably feeling way too giddy for someone who just finished reading a book about serial kil
This was the place nightmares came to be inspired.
I'm probably feeling way too giddy for someone who just finished reading a book about serial killings, but what can I say? It feels so good to be back to reading, especially since this book was positively exhilarating. It had that Infernal Devices vibe that I adore, with a little bit of The Diviners and a whole lot of uniqueness.
The case of Jack the Ripper and the brutal murders that occurred in London in the 1800s is one of the most famous throughout all history. And, as a lover of everything scary and gory, I was rubbing my hands excitedly at the thought of reading a book about it. I wasn't expecting much from the historical setting, but I was pleasantly surprised by its believability (and - sometimes, but not always - its accuracy.)
Stalking Jack The Ripper is an impressive debut novel. It had everything I could ask for: a gripping mystery, an intriguing setting, a fantastic main character and a sprinkle of romance. Maniscalco brought to life an extremely interesting set of characters, and she succeeded where many books have failed before. I've read so many stories that claim to be feminist and progressive one second, and shamelessly indulge in slut-shaming the next. However, this wasn't the case at all with this book. Audrey Rose is an unconventional woman for her time. Despite knowing that she cannot completely disrupt the social order, she is not willing to let go of her interest for forensic medicine, and spends almost every day helping her uncle dissecting cadavers in a gloomy morgue. Needless to say, her father - a paranoid man still plagued by the grief of losing his wife to sickness - does not approve 0f her unladylike hobbies. But Audrey is more than just a girl who wants to do a man's job. She is aware that she has every right to enjoy both fine gowns and forensic medicine, that she can be in love without becoming a slave to a man's wishes. And I loved her dearly for being so unapologetic.
We follow Audrey as she examines bodies (let me tell you: if you are easily disgusted, then this book is not for you) and tries to solve the mystery of the identity of Jack the Ripper. And, as she tries to deal with her father's opium addiction, her uncle's strangeness and with society's expectations, she slowly starts to realise that the murderer might be closer to her than she thinks. During her investigations, Audrey meets Thomas, her uncle's young and arrogant - but undeniably charming - assistant. Thomas hides his emotions behind a facade of sarcasm and indifference, and one cannot help but be fascinated by his cheekiness - absolutely outrageous for a gentleman - but also by the detached and cold way he looks at death and loss. He is always able to let go of his emotions and focus entirely on his work, something that Audrey still struggles to do. And yet, their interactions were absolutely hilarious, and had my heart speed up a little bit every time they met each other's gaze. Thomas is disrespectful and often inappropriate, but Audrey never lets him get away with it. And faced with real danger, his cold exterior starts to crumble, and you realise how deeply he actually cares about people, and how hard he fights to try and hide it.
This book managed to be witty and scary all at once, having me shiver at the bloody and grotesque scenes and giggling like a little girl at Audrey's exchanges with Thomas. The plot was fast-paced and the characters refreshing, and - through Audrey's smart and confident voice - the author made it very clear that enjoying typically feminine things and allowing yourself to sometimes be vulnerable does not make you any less brave or capable to do your job.
Roses have both petals and thorns, my dark flower. You needn't believe something weak because it appears delicate.
My Wi-Fi is still down, but I will write all my reviews as soon as it's back and running. But still, this was probably the best YA historical4.5 STARS
My Wi-Fi is still down, but I will write all my reviews as soon as it's back and running. But still, this was probably the best YA historical fiction I've ever read. I'm impressed....more
Bastille - Flaws All Time Low - Therapy Cat Stevens - Wild World Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism Ed Sheeran - The A Team EMy playlist for this book:
Bastille - Flaws All Time Low - Therapy Cat Stevens - Wild World Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism Ed Sheeran - The A Team Emeli Sandé - Clown Noah And The Whale - Give A Little Love Goo Goo Dolls - Iris Jack Savoretti - Written In Scars Keane - Somewhere Only We Know Mikky Ekko - Smile Mumford Sons - Little Lion Man Passenger - Things That Stop You Dreaming R.E.M. - Losing My Religion Ron Pope - A Drop In The Ocean The Rocketboys - Viva Voce X Ambassadors - Renegades
I had this feeling suddenly. I get this feeling a lot, but I don't know if there's one word for it. It's not nervous or sad or even lonely. It's all of that, and then a bit more. The feeling is, I don't belong here. I don't know how I got here, and I don't know how long I can stay before everyone else realizes that I'm an impostor. I am a fraud.
I don't usually write very personal reviews. Being a naturally reserved person, a similar approach is what I'm generally comfortable with: talking about my opinions, never about my life. But with such a book, I feel like it's time for me to step out of my comfort zone. This Song Will Save Your Life is an honest book. It's a touching book, and it made me teary-eyed, and it warmed my heart. It's the story of a girl who was never quite right. Who was always precocious, always a little bit too smart for her own good, always unaware of what she should have been like. She thought she could be whatever she wanted. Then, slowly, she realized that she could only be what other people wanted her to be: friendless. A loser. Depressed. Suicidal. Hateful. So Elise cut herself, because she needed attention. Because she needed to be seen.
It is no secret that teenage years are often one of the hardest and most complicated times of our lives. I was no exception. And now, looking back, I'd like to take my younger self's hand and tell her that I'm proud of her, that she's strong, that she's valuable, and that she's doing the best she can. And that's okay. Because I was a million different people: I was the awkward girl, I was a loner, I was frigid and then suddenly a slut, I was quiet, then aggressive, and then I was the new girl, I was the quirky girl, I was even the popular girl that boys wanted to date and girls wanted to hang out with, and then I was just me, I was just a writer and a dreamer and sometimes a good friend and sometimes a bad one. I was a million different people, and it was impossible to live with it, because the world is merciless. And because once they see you're different, they'll do whatever they can to make your life hell. But you have to fight back. You have to stop apologizing for being who you are, you need to grin and say thank you when they call you weird, and eventually you'll find out that you don't really care. That you went through all that judgement and thought it was going to destroy you, so you hurt yourself a little bit too, you hurt others because you didn't know any better, but at the end of it all... you understand it's not worth it. You find out that it feels so much better when you say whatever you want, you wear whatever you want, you do whatever you want. Because it doesn't matter if you're quirky weird cold-hearted she thinks she's so much better than all of us. Because you're you, and you're so, so bright. So full of passion and anger and strength, and you could change the world.
This book often hit a little too close to home. Elise had a beautiful family. She had parents who loved her, siblings who cared about her. She was talented and smart and strong, but it still wasn't enough. Because the world saw her light and wanted to snuff it out, and kids can be so cruel, and kids can be so sad. So Elise brought a knife to her wrists and cut deep until she was bleeding. Then she picked up the phone and, almost through a haze, she called for help. Her life didn't get any better after that; in fact, it got worse. She felt so lonely and numb and out of place that she had to take long night walks to get to breathe again, to feel like she wasn't trapped. To feel like she was free. And it was during one of these walks that Elise discovered Start, a warehouse nightclub, and she discovered her love for DJing. I've always thought that artists are all somewhat alike: musicians, writers, singers, painters, even DJs. There is nothing like the feeling of creating something. And while Elise found out that all her passion and talent and love for music had not disappeared after all, she also opened herself up to the world. To friendship. To new people, good and bad, people that would stay and people that would leave - because that's what happens. The world that is waiting for you outside those walls is not inherently good or bad: it's just there, in its infinite shades of gray, waiting for you to explore it. Elise's journey wasn't pretty, and it wasn't easy. It was raw and real, and far from over, but it was something. She watched the people dance and cheer and kiss and she knew it was all because of her - and what a glorious feeling that was.
Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all.
This is not a review on what this book is about. I'm writing this because I feel like This Song Will Save Your Life is a book for us. The artists, the outsiders, the ones that can't sleep at night, the people that were or are or will be in pain, the people that know what passion is, that know what it means to care so much and so little at the same time. It's a book for dreamers, for all of us who believe that we can, that it is possible to change things, that it is a gift to be yourself, and for those who were hurt by the world but always fought back. It's a book for those of us who look at the sky and wonder, who maybe have lied and shouted and are not proud of who they were, but they are still trying. And, as the song goes, maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live, maybe one of these days you can let the light in....more
WHAT DID I JUST READ. There's nothing better than going into a book with little to no expectations, and then have it take you completely by s4.5 stars
WHAT DID I JUST READ. There's nothing better than going into a book with little to no expectations, and then have it take you completely by surprise. Ruined was intense, original and captivating in ways I would've never expected. RTC. ...more
I am really happy right now. I also have an outrageous number of things to say for such a short stoSpoilers for The Mortal Instruments series
4.5 stars
I am really happy right now. I also have an outrageous number of things to say for such a short story, so I'd better get down to them really quickly. First of all, dear Cassie, THANK YOU for writing something else from Magnus' point of view. The reason I loved The Bane Chronicles so much was mainly that I finally got to see the world through one of my favorite characters' eyes. There is something about Magnus that makes my soul see its equal in him (yes, I am randomly quoting Renee Ahdieh - again. I'm sorry.) He's alien to both old and young, frozen in time and immortality: he's been alive for centuries, and there's nothing more precious to him than the present. And yet, Magnus realizes that being immortal doesn't guarantee you will always be there. Raphael Santiago is gone. Ragnor Fell is gone. They were his friends, and they were supposed to be immortal, and now they're gone forever and Magnus is left to mourn them. He might wear his usual charming smile and even joke about it sometimes, but whenever he thinks about them his heart still aches. Things are different now - he has Alec by his side and, unexpectedly, it's not just the two of them anymore. Magnus and Alec as parents really are the cutest thing! This novella felt like a bittersweet happily ever after for all of them. Simon is going to Ascend and, no matter what he does or doesn't remember, he still loves Isabelle - and he wants to make things right. He wants to be a different kind of Shadowhunter. Jace is always the same - confident and sarcastic and simultaneously the best and most terrible friend ever, and seeing him playfully banter with Alec was absolutely wonderful. I'll always have the strangest relationship with Alexander Lightwood. He's the kind of character you respect immediately, but only slowly you learn to love. I'm not sure why, but this feels like goodbye. It was good to see all the characters from The Mortal Instruments one last time, all together - even Alec and Isabelle's parents, oddly enough - and I hope they will each get their own happy ending. And never forget about those they left behind.
"There’s a scientific phenomenon to describe something that happens when an object is in motion. You think you know exactly what path it will take and where it will end up. Then suddenly, for no reason you can see... the arc changes. It goes somewhere you would never have expected." Magnus snapped his fingers, and the coin zigzagged in the air and returned to them as Simon stared, feeling like he was seeing magic for the first time. He dropped the coin in Simon's hand and smiled, a blazing rebel's smile, his eyes as gold as newly discovered treasure. "It's called the Magnus effect."
Are 5 stars a bit excessive for a 74 pages novella? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no. I'm not sure why, but it seems that Cassie always does so much better wAre 5 stars a bit excessive for a 74 pages novella? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no. I'm not sure why, but it seems that Cassie always does so much better when the characters from TID are concerned. I honestly can't wait for The Last Hours, because if it's going to be anything like this novella, I already know it's going to blow my mind. I'm not sure whom I loved more - if the aloof (yes, I'm sorry), somewhat shy and extremely smart James Herondale, the young and brazen Matthew Carstairs or Jem, quiet and wise as always, acting as a father figure for James. Did I mention I am 100% Jem Carstairs trash? *heavy sigh* I NEED MORE OF THIS AWESOMENESS.
You are the flame that cannot be put out. You are the star that cannot be lost. You are who you have always been, and that is enough and more than enough. Anyone who looks at you and sees darkness is blind.
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