This book was so many things that begin with H - harrowing, haunting, heart wrenching, horrifying - a5/5stars
this was a FANTASTIC way to kick off 2024
This book was so many things that begin with H - harrowing, haunting, heart wrenching, horrifying - and it did all of them SO WELL
This book is so many things - its a horror novel about parasitic, vampire-like creatures and a creepy, haunted apartment building, it's about grief and motherhood, its about grief and self and what its like to lose hold of your self physically and emotionally and mentally, its about rich vs poor and society, and its about probably a dozen other things I missed.
Truly this has such an amazing plot - a couple moves into an upscale, new york city apartment because they are picked in a lottery-esque system where lower class people can live there for subsidized rent. Once they move in, they notice strange things about the apartment and even stranger things happening to their new baby.
It has amazing, extremely REAL and RAW characters - a woman who has been paralyzed from childbirth and deals with hating herself and her own child, a man who is trying to do everything for his family at the cost of himself, and an unsettling cast of characters that they meet in this new apartment building
This had some of the creepiest scenes I've ever read that I don't think I'll ever be able to get out of my head - namely the stream of consciousness thoughts we get from Reid when he's on the roof with the other adults, everything to do with the Jacobs', everything with bugs/insects/spiders, and the entire final chapter.
This author has some serious talent - this should be made into a movie, for real, it would be INSANE. Considering how well this author was able to make it feel like a movie in my head, it would be amazing on an actual screen.
Absolutely loved this, but definitely can't recommend it for anyone with a faint heart or who gets scared/sick easily....more
I absolutely loved this - I laughed, I cried, and I had more brainrot about kit and theo than I have about a book couple (outside of danmei) i5/5stars
I absolutely loved this - I laughed, I cried, and I had more brainrot about kit and theo than I have about a book couple (outside of danmei) in a LONG time.
So, I think I am going to structure my review as a "in response" to the things people are talking about with this book.
First and foremost - the marketing PR package that contained a vibrator was insanely inappropriate. That should not be something that should be sent unsolicited to people, especially not to promote a book. There were so many things wrong with that and it makes me very upset/angry, also considering I think it turned a lot of people away from this wonderful book. But, that's what fucking happens when your marketing sucks
Second, I've seen a lot of people discussing sexuality/gender in accordance to this book - mostly saying that this is queer baiting, which I get physically angry over every time I see that comment in regards to this book. "Oh I thought Theo was a boy the first half!" "Casey McQuiston was trying to convince us all this was an m/m!!" like shut the FUCK up yall its still a fucking queer romance?? these comments are insanely transphobic imo and ya'll are WEIRD for saying these things.
I've also seen people talking about the bi rep and how it promotes the "bisexuals are all promiscuous" stereotype. Speaking as a pansexual person who actively seeks out bi/pan rep in media, can I just say... I feel like society has leaned SO FAR AWAY from that stereotype that we have basically started portraying bisexual characters as asexual or insanely prude. I cannot remember the last piece of media I have read/watched/seen that had bisexuals going out and having lots of sex and having fun - so to me, this portrayal of kit and theo was INCREDIBLY refreshing.
Next, a lot of people say that theo and kit are unlikable and they don't want to read about "rich people problems." Which, that's totally fair. I personally really love reading about slightly fucked up, unlikable characters with lots of baggage lol but also ya'll hate KIT FAIRFIELD?? HOW??
Europeans are mad about this being stereotypical about europe and how its so "american" womp womp sucks to suck casey mcquiston is literally american obvs its going to be from an american pov
Also can I just say, this book was SO SPICYYYYY oooh it was so fun and so smutty I LOVED it. I've been so annoyed with the romance genre recently feeling like really shittily written wattpad romances, but THIS? this was a spectacular AO3 fic with all the best tags. The smut was SO unique, so fun and interesting, I've read so much fanfic and so many books and Casey still managed to surprise me with a few tricks on this like WOW I'm taking notes for my own books. It had been a long time since a non-fanfic/danmei romance had made my stomach do the lil clenchy butterfly clench so probs to CM here.
Overall, do I think this book is for everyone? absolutely not. It seems that Casey McQuiston is simply not for a lot of people which is becoming abundantly clear with how many people have been picking them up after the RW&RB movie and absolutely HATING their books. BUT Casey has now written 3 of my favorite romances of all time SO I'm very happy with this one <3...more
I really, really enjoyed this! I saw some reviews saying that WWI books are getting a bit boring because it's so overdone, but as someone wh4.5/5stars
I really, really enjoyed this! I saw some reviews saying that WWI books are getting a bit boring because it's so overdone, but as someone who hardly ever reads historical fiction, this book was incredibly new to me. I absolutely loved how it showed the relationships and friendships between all of the men we meet in this book, and how they change during the war. Gaunt and Ellwood in the beginning of the book and the end are entirely different characters, and it was absolutely heart-wrenching to watch that change. Usually, character development is something that is wonderfully necessary - watching a character go from point A to point B is usually something to be celebrated, but with these boys, it was like watching a slow car crash. They, and their relationship, are not something I will be forgetting any time soon....more
the gay pirate romance of my fucking DREAMS. The perfect blend of character development, romance, and plot with just a few twists and turns to5/5stars
the gay pirate romance of my fucking DREAMS. The perfect blend of character development, romance, and plot with just a few twists and turns to it. 100% recommend, probably one of my top favorite romances ever at this point!...more
Absolutely incredible, weird, mind fucky, and genius
This book is like if you somehow mixed "The Lathe of Heaven," "Ready Player One," "The Rin5/5stars
Absolutely incredible, weird, mind fucky, and genius
This book is like if you somehow mixed "The Lathe of Heaven," "Ready Player One," "The Ring," "Dark Matter," and Murakami into one book and yes it's as brilliant as that sounds
I'm so confused if the murakami refs I found in this book were supposed to be there cause they were never address - the "man called Crow" being a ref to Kafka on the Shore, and the main characters name being K is a reference to "Sputnik Sweetheart." But neither of these books, or murakami, were ever brought up....more
I have come to the conclusion that Ruth Ware doesn't write good mysteries or thrillers, but she writes a damn good book. For all four of her n4/5stars
I have come to the conclusion that Ruth Ware doesn't write good mysteries or thrillers, but she writes a damn good book. For all four of her novels that I've read I've managed to guess the twist ending before the 50% mark. Yet something about them makes me keep reading and not be disappointed when that very obvious ending comes. She knows how to write characters and atmosphere and a very compelling story, even though her mysteries are mediocre at best.
I would love to see her right literary fiction or something outside the "thriller mystery" genre, because I truly think she has a skill for writing and has a really good voice. Her books are always well done and always very memorable - even if the plot twists aren't that great lol...more
This might be my new favorite thriller. This book was a perfect balance of humor, a character case study, high stakes, and incredibly smart in5/5stars
This might be my new favorite thriller. This book was a perfect balance of humor, a character case study, high stakes, and incredibly smart interesting twists and turns but also bringing together so many different threads. The characters were so fascinating to me, especially the prince, and I thought the writing was both very smart but also very entertaining. Highly recommend!!...more
Such a fantastically written book, and I've never seen someone so accurately portray how I feel in a novel. If you've recently gotten your mas5/5stars
Such a fantastically written book, and I've never seen someone so accurately portray how I feel in a novel. If you've recently gotten your masters or doctorate degree, HIGHLY recommend....more
This was WONDERFUL. Such an amazing exploration and discussion of the misogyny that occurs in patriarchal societies from the moment a girl is 5/5stars
This was WONDERFUL. Such an amazing exploration and discussion of the misogyny that occurs in patriarchal societies from the moment a girl is conceived until she’s an adult. This book really managed to hit the majority of problems within the topic, and although we specifically follow a woman in South Korea, this is VERY relevant for ALL places.
Everyone should read this. Women will relate, millennials will also relate and men will learn more about women than they ever have before. Cho Namjoo really put women’s experiences and feelings into the most succinct prose that I think anyone could read and fully understand....more
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