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Nothing Can Hurt You Now by Simone Campos
A banger of a premise is let-down by sensationalistic storytelling, a banal plot, and a writing style that for all its attempts to be gritty & edgy comes across as laughable. Worst still, the narrative seems under the impression that it is doing a lot, in terms of unconventional female characters and challenging simplistic representations…
2 STARS, 3rd pov, Adult, amateur detective, brazil, brazilian author, Contemporary, f/f, female authors, graphic content, kidnapping, LESBIAN, lgbtq+, men who are sleazy, missing girls, missing persons, models, MYSTERY, Neurodiversity, Not Like Other Girls, Nothing Can Hurt You Now, prostitution, published in 2019, queer, read in 2022, sapphic, sex, sex scenes that are yikes, Simone Campos, SISTERS, smut, style over character, survival, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, TRANSLATED FICTION, trying and failing @ feminism, wannabe gone girl -
It Is Wood, It Is Stone by Gabriella Burnham
Aside from its pretty cover It Is Wood, It Is Stone doesn’t have a lot to offer. It is one of those novels that is very much all style, no substance. Plot and character development are sacrificed in favour of gimmicky narrative devices and flashy metaphors. I finished this less than a week ago and…
1st pov, 2 STARS, Adult, ALIENATION, America, american brazilian author, ARTISTS, BISEXUAL/PANSEXUAL, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, brazil, cheating, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, ennui, female authors, Gabriella Burnham, It is wood it is stone, latin america, latin american, latinx author, lgbtq+, LITERARY FICTION, MARRIAGE, My reviews, navel gazing, published in 2020, purply prose, queer, read in 2021, reading, SEXUALITY, slow pacing, style over character, stylised prose -
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
“There was no one clear point of loss. It happened over and over again in a thousand small ways and the only truth there was to learn was that there was no getting used to.” Boasting her signature writing style State of Wonder is a captivating and thought-provoking read. Ann Patchett’s quiet yet graceful prose…
3rd pov, 5 STARS, ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE, Adult, age gap, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, ANN PATCHETT, beautiful prose, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, brazil, doctors, Dreams, favourite authors, female authors, GRIEF, identity, latin america, LITERARY FICTION, loneliness, Longing, MAGICAL REALISM, minnesota, morality, motherhood, My reviews, nature, published in 2011, re-reads, read in 2016, read in 2021, reading, restrained prose, science, scientists & co, State of Wonder, summer reads, travel -
CREMA by Johnnie Christmas
I won’t lie, the main reason why I picked up Crema was the f/f romance (the pretty cover also helped). Sadly, although Crema had the potential of being a sweet love story with a touch of the supernatural, the execution left a lot to be desired. The plot felt hurried and the undeveloped main characters…
2 STARS, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Atla Hrafney, Black & Black heritage authors, brazil, CREMA, Dante Luiz, f/f, FANTASY, ghosts/spirits, Graphic Novels, Johnnie Christmas, lgbtq+, MAGICAL REALISM, male authors, NEW YORK, published in 2020, queer, read in 2020, ROMANCE, Ryan Ferrier, sapphic -
Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey — book review
Ways to Disappear tries hard to evoke the absurd and surreal atmosphere that is often associated with Latin American magical realism, the end result makes for a rather dismal homage. The lack of quotations marks and the inclusion of word definitions hardly make Ways to Disappear innovative. A nondescript American translator flies to Brazil after…
2 STARS, 3rd pov, Adult, affairs, America, AMERICAN AUTHOR, BOOK REVIEWS, books about books, books about writers, brazil, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, female authors, Idra Novey, language, MAGICAL REALISM, missing persons, missing women, MYSTERY, no quotations marks, Pennsylvania, purply prose, read in 2020, surreal, Ways to Disappear -
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
A novel that is both challenging and hear-rendering, and Allende showcases her skills for creating vivid characters and riveting storylines. This translation carries through a rhythm that is resonant with the one of writers such as Alice Hoffman.But before I delve into a review…who thought that cover was a good idea?I can’t believe that someone…
1970s, 20th century, 3.5 STARS, Adult, America, brazil, chile, Chilean American author, Contemporary, drama, family, female authors, found family, friendships, guatemala, HISTORICAL FICTION, IN THE MIDST OF WINTER, ISABEL ALLENDE, latin america, latin american, latinx author, LITERARY FICTION, migration/immigration, NEW YORK, read in 2017, ROMANCE, social issues
luce [is reading] 