Hanzy

A nice palate cleanser

Perhaps way too farfetched yet enjoyable all the same if you want some cosy mystery

LOVED it!
I found it hard to put this book down once I'd started. Loved the writing, the world-building was done quite seamlessly and I liked the communication done through letters. This is YA Fantasy at the end but I found it better done than some of the others I've read lately

I really wanted to like this and enjoyed the initial few chapters but my interest in it seemed to wane the more I read and kinda had to drag myself to the end. It's got interesting concepts and I'd love to reread it when I'm in the right state of mind + mood.

3.5
This was an enlightening and enraging read

I honestly don't know how I'd rate this book... certain chapters, especially those that touch on ‘The Centre', the language bits, (sans the whole dark side) felt quite interesting and intriguing. I'd have rated it higher had it not been bad Muslim rep and certain other parts that made me want to rate it as low as 1-star

While I could connect with the MC's anxiety, her need to plan everything, overthinking and overanalysing, and her spiralling out of control when things go a little awry, I could not help but get annoyed and frustrated by her too. I do admire how she stays true to herself though.

It's a light read

3.5

There's something about Yoshimoto's writing that I seem to enjoy, fluid and flow-y language that just eases itself in my mind, no effort required.

3.5

3.75

I really think this book could've been condensed to one a lot less thicker

4.5 stars

3.5

4.5

Maybe I'd expected too much? It's not a bad read but just not what I'd been looking for. My rating's completely subjective to how I felt rather than a reflection of how the book might be.

2.5

This was such a tough read. I'm unsure how I'd want to rate it or review it for now so I'll return later when I feel more collected

This was a strange read... the writing was immersive and led me through quite an experience

I've been loving middle-grade books lately, the way they pack in such meaningful messages and stories while being easy enough for anyone who reads

Having not read the blurb (yet again), I was deeply surprised by the way this book tackles the after-effects of war, the atomic bombing in Hiroshima in particular - a reminder of how utterly low humans can get and how despite it all, humanity prevails. A little compassion, a little empathy - we all need reminders to understand that those who suffer or have suffered are no different than ourselves, just a lot more unfortunate.

 We live and learn to take everything in great stride, but the cruelties and harshness of war should never be forgotten.

3.5

I wish I could have liked this better... the plot was interesting and reminded me a little of ‘The Night Circus' but I couldn't connect with the sisters, Scarlett and Donatella, they both annoyed me to the core.

While I loved the vibes, the atmosphere that felt so real and easy to get lost in, the bond between siblings etc...., I wish the characters showed more growth than staying so consistent through the entirety of this book.

4.5

This book felt surprisingly long for such a short book

I love Gabor Maté's talks but while this book shares a good deal of information, it got tiresome and dry with a lot of anecdotal bits. It just felt a little all over the place and like the same information could have been presented in a more concise way.

4.5

A lot of this book seems to hit home yet also manages to rub me off in the wrong way if that makes sense. I think I'm finally appreciating the author now, having read the final installation of this series. It's really an outsider's perspective on a culture/ country that is so closed off to the rest of the world. It's definitely interesting how our backgrounds affect our perception of the world, the way we see everything, and the way perspectives really matter in understanding those around us.

It's a West meets East scenario where Ferraris has tried her best to understand a culture yet can't help narrating it through her mind's eye. I chose not to get riled up by the insufferable amount of inaccuracies and misrepresentation and focus on the actual mystery and plot and perhaps it's the only reason why I could enjoy this read.

I'd love to read more of the author's works if she were to research better for I loved the writing but hated the representation.