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I'm not too big on novels set in court, but I liked the characters. I'll continue on in the series.

I don't know if I was just in the right space for this book, but I found it was crafted beautifully. With narratives that dole out secrets sparingly, I've found many of them to be frustrating. But Jewell uses only podcast scripts and taped interviews for the flash-forwards. This keeps the 'current' narrative sequential. It worked well.

Also she initially develops the two main characters gently and with care. So as the deterioration implied by the title unfolds, it is gripping. So many emotions. Love it.

Great story. The flashbacks are a bit jarring, but okay.

I had a problem with the style; it kept pulling me out of the emotional journey. Something like it was dramatic in the wrong places, when the narrative held enough drama itself. (That's a horrible way to put it....you know when the music is wrong for a movie scene and pulls you out of the immersion? Something like that.)

This is a great book. Good writing, engaging story, full characters. For some reason I couldn't get into it though, like it wasn't what I was looking for. But don't listen to me; it really is a wonderful book, and Eugenides is a wonderful writer.

Not really a novel. Nor related short stories. The gathered snippets are short scenes. All from the same narrator, but almost unrelated. The book gives a poetic sense of place and a melancholy feeling, but not much of a narrative.

Epic storytelling (although not technically an epic) that takes you throughout a few characters and through the culture of the Dominican Republic. The device of the cemetery is excellent and the stories we tell ourselves and others are investigated thoroughly. The question still remains in the end as a good story will teach you about yourself but not give you an answer.

Content Warning: cultural racism and sexual harassment. (for the book, not the review)

One of the best titles about an enormous a**hole. And he is the 'good' guy. Great Leonard dialog from horrible Floridians.

Like some reviews say, this novel is a scathing rebuke of the capitalist system, but that's not what it's about. It's about finding one's place in the world. It explores this using dreams and literally walking into them. But what's different is that McGhee uses a protagonist that has zero emotional awareness to explore the self.

It is super interesting to watch the protagonist flounder around his life. And with these disparate elements McGhee's brought together, I can say she's totally successful to the point of endearment.

The two stories of 'Stories of Your Life' (the inspiration of the movie Arrival) and 'Tower of Babylon' are very readable. The others are still great, but get technical. Chaing really is a great short story writer if you like the media.

I was definitely engaged in the beginning. The confusing nature of the first book gave emotion to the investigation of Area X. This second book also ended well, a nice cliff-hanger toward the final story. But in the middle I got lost twice.

In plot, you can have confusing or dream-like parts. Similarly in the text, you can get poetic. VanderMeer tries both at the same time, walking a thin line. Of course I think this is done on purpose, mirroring the border line of Area X, amorphous and drifting. But when I as a reader cross it, this means I have lost communication. I then have to skim past words until I can pick up the narrative again.

I will continue on to see how the trilogy ends though.

Creepy house, downtrodden town. Got to be a curse of some sort, right? Wonderful exploration into this set up.

Harrow also has a knack for putting her protagonists in inescapable peril. Which works only if you care for them, which you do. The path out of it is satisfying.

I wanted to read more Atwood, but I forgot this was dystopian. I can't read about a dystopia while descending into one. Tabled.

Whoops, forgot to rate this one. I wanted to because it was so fun! It was the exact right amount of silly. Breezy and light words talking about villainy.

Um. I will continue on in the series. It was interesting. But let's see; the prose was... relentless. Like a pressure squeezing my temples. I can't say it was pleasant.

But now I feel obligated to continue. Like in homage to those traveled before.