Alicia
Tough book to write a review for — I enjoyed it but obviously I didn't ENJOY it. I often struggled to remember I was reading a memoir because the vignettes Jennette highlights, and their timing, is just so insane. I was most impressed with the way this book emulated the feeling of loving someone who struggles with addiction. I wanted her to make the right choices and was devastated when she didn't, but it really highlighted how debilitating her struggles were/are. I don't think I would call it particularly funny though which is what I kept hearing — certainly grim and in some sections darkly humorous/ironic, but some parts felt over-the-top joke-y which killed the jokes for me. Worth reading, but I won't be revisiting
*Came back to dial this down to 3 stars, sorry everyone, I was too scared at first to not love a beloved book!! But now I've read a few more memoirs and feel more confident in my rating lol
Paul Tremblay masterfully tackles stories that make you skeptical and leave you wondering. Was that real? Is that true? What if.... But what if....?
This book had me in an insane grip. It gave me goosebumps, it took the wind out of me, AND I didn't want it to end. I would literally be on the train with my face all scrunched up trying to figure stuff out, and at some points I had to read the same paragraph over and over because I was so shocked by what I had read. The characters and the family dynamics feel so real and authentic and we even manage to get doses of heartwarming moments and humor in the midst of sheer dread.
Hell is other people, but A Head Full of Ghosts takes it to an even further and more unsettling place. Five stars. Can't wait to read it again.
2.75?? 2.5? 3 feels way too generous but 2 feels too harsh.
This was a really fun concept and there was a lot that I was ready to like, but it mostly felt like wasted potential. I loved the product guides at each chapter and the little clues/jokes/nods in those moments, but otherwise it just fell flat. There's a whole commentary on capitalism here that just.... Never materializes, despite Orsk/IKEA literally being a prison. In some moments it seemed to go in the opposite direction, framing it as “thank god IKEA is here because otherwise my life would be so sad”. Also couldn't help but notice how the Black and Asian characters are specifically called out as such, but no one else is. There's a way to demonstrate a characters race/ethnicity without resorting to stuff like “she just had to act like a Japanese school girl to make the guys like her”
Consider this 1.5 stars - 1 star bc the book was terrible but half a star bc it got me back in the reading swing.
The end of this book actually enraged me. About 75% of the way through I realized this book was bad (I'm a late bloomer) and it just continued to get worse as I got to the end. It's fun to meet a bunch of characters but then absolutely nothing interesting ever happens. Moments that should be dramatic get glossed over and recapped quickly, and the ending is barely an ending. Another reviewer said the book doesn't do much end as stop having more pages and I couldn't agree more. Rare instance where the movie is WAY better, with the exception of not featuring Astrid as much. Every other character is barely a character.
I liked this book! I feel like I learned a lot about Japan including the complicated racial tensions between Japanese and Korean folks, the historical context for the police and their behavior in Japan, and his teasing in general. I liked it but didn't LOVE it - def didn't feel like I wasted my time but also didn't find myself wanting to run back to this book to figure out what comes next. Not for the faint of heart!
Holy crap this book is beautiful. This is the first graphic novel I've ever read all the way through (not usually my speed) but this was BEAUTIFUL and I finished it in one sitting. Every character is captivating, and I was drawn in immediately. I was honestly surprised at how quickly I became emotionally invested in all the characters, not just the main duo. Truly spectacular.
I think I first read this book at about 12 or 13, but I gasped remembering Inkheart and Inkspell - this was one of the first books I ever read that had me on the edge of my seat and really viscerally invested in what was happening with the characters. Funke weaves such a comprehensive world with such rich relationships within it, and I remember breathlessly reading on to find out what was to come of the characters I'd grown to love. Highly highly recommend, particularly I think for young adults/adolescents, and definitely on my list to re-read.
