kou

Why was I incapable of stopping? ...What was it that I wanted?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh boy. How do I even rate this book.

TWs: child abuse, sexual assault, rape, animal abuse, suicide

Like A Little Life, it is certainly not an easy read, and it makes you really question ethics, morality, human life... Yanagihara sucked me in with her writing again, but the content.. the content is so disturbing. Taking place mostly on a fictional island of Micronesia, Norton finds a discovery that earns him a Nobel prize. But at what cost? Endangerment of the tribe and people who lived there, the turtles they, Norton and the ones that come after him, hunted for their experiments, and harming the lives of the children he adopted. And for what? The warm feeling he felt with a child that 'comforted' him. attempt to kill an adopted child because he's an animal. Calling his adopted children "creatures" and his "extravagant collection".Another thing that disturbs me is the ending. The editor for Norton, Ronald, has also disappeared with him. For him to say he needs to prove Norton's innocence, or at least his commitment in science and providing his research, then run away with him? Guilty, guilty, guilty.

4.5 rounded up

3.5 rounded up; I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book but happy I finished the duology! I didn't expect August to have such character development, but I suppose that is natural in a dystopian world. I wish Kate had survived at the end and had a happy ending with August. ;-; though, she was a character I had difficulties liking

4.5 rounded up; this was really cute! I suppose it's a more romance book so the fantasy/magic components/world building were very shallow but still enjoyable. I think the con is the background story behind Niamh's illness? I feel like it was so quickly brushed on despite its severity -- I need an epilogue about it or something

3.5 rounded down; This book immediately reminded me of [b:Our Wives Under the Sea 58659343 Our Wives Under the Sea Julia Armfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1633437192l/58659343.SY75.jpg 92277854] for some reason, maybe because of its quietness and uncertainties throughout the book. There's really no plot, a narrator-mother duo traveling around Japan as the narrator reminisces. I think it threw me off that the memories were beginning to stray, like it started it off with narrator-mother, so I expected its memories to be more connected with them, but it began to be all sorts of things and it immediately disconnected me. I enjoyed the first half, didn't care much for the last half. Beautiful writing though.

3.5 rounded down; I enjoyed the first half and then the last half broke me and I did not enjoy ;-; After all that death, I was hoping a happy ending for Forest and Sarah ;-; the rest of it seemed very anticlimactic, and I was confused with Enva's presence in this book -- she barely partook in anything and ran along I think my expectation for this book was too high because the first book was really good!!

TWs: Sex with a minor, drug use

4.5 rounded up; It's amazing how much attention a reader can pour into an unlikeable character's story. Alex is a 22 year-old woman who hops places after a misstep with her ‘lover' Simon. She eventually finds a way into multiple people's lives, figuring out how she can use people and manipulate them so that she can shelter with them until Simon's party on Labor Day weekend.

It was a truly gripping read, unsure how Alex was going to act and figure out things as we went along with her story. Her personality was truly manipulative, only caring about her current situation and destination. The most frustrating part for me was Jack, who's a minor ;-; all of her 'errors', only causing Jack trauma and who knows what happened after the ending. It was terribly sad. The ending..!!

The narrator did such a great job, it wrecked me ;-;

3.5 rounded down; A short story collection about Palestinians who reside in America for different reasons, and they all carry their troubles and issues. It raises voices to their experiences as there are culture clashes, and what it means to be yourself, bringing in a part of you that doesn't quite fit this country. I enjoyed Mr. Ammar Gets Drunk at the Wedding, which was most relatable as two cultures clash. I highly suggest the audiobook!

3.5 rounded up

But my time belongs to me, be careful what you ask people to endure.