meganisnotokay
she/her • anxious & asexual | i mainly read speculative fiction ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
3662 points
meganisnotokay commented on corneliaandivy's review of Belladonna (Belladonna, #1)
DNF at 46%
My first one star of the year! I wish it wasn’t so early into it. Anyways, I was excited for a good gothic romance. I studied gothic lit before, and was hoping for the good criticisms of society that come along with it. Instead, it’s rich girl goes to rich mansion and gets bullied. Oh did we mention scones? And ghosts?
I had interest in reading this up until recently, mostly because I could not stand Signa anymore. She literally yells at Death for… killing people? Okay? And? THAT IS HIS JOB???
Also, I am coming to understand that Death is the love interest and I don’t like it. I don’t like the way he talks to her, of her, around her. It’s icky. There are ways to write immortals and mortals falling in love that doesn’t make it look like a groomy love story.
I’m annoyed.
4meganisnotokay wrote a review...
3.75/5 rounded up
I thoroughly enjoyed this one; I listened to the audio and felt it was done very well (I actually think I wouldn’t have liked it as much if I was reading it physically).
It would’ve been a full 4 stars, rather than a 3.75, if it wasn’t for the ending. It was kind of abrupt and felt a bit jarring, unfortunately. However, I enjoyed the rest of it decently well so rounding down felt like it’d be giving it too low of a rating / would feel disingenuous (hence why I rounded up to a 4).
0meganisnotokay finished a book
White Smoke
Tiffany D. Jackson
0meganisnotokay wrote a review...
Rating Breakdown: Art Style - 5/5 Concept & Originality - 4/5 Plot & Overall Narrative - 4/5 Worldbuilding - 4/5 Setting - 5/5 Characters - 4/5 Character Design: 5/5 Dialogue - 4/5 Readability - 4/5 Personal Enjoyment - 4.5/5 Memorability - 4/5 Ending Type: slight cliffhanger
── ⋆｡°ঌঌঌ°｡⋆ ──
This was so cute and fun! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and absolutely loved the art style & character design. This definitely would've been a new obsession of mine had I read this in my preteens.
0meganisnotokay commented on a post
The only other occupant of the car is a young boy, bundled so heavily he resembles a sphere more than a child. (page 1)
This made me laugh.
But also I’m digging that just from the first page I can tell our narrator seems to be an observer, logic-forward, an overthinker (?), funny (whether purposeful or not), and possibly socially inept. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a character like this, and I’m excited to see where things go.
3Post from the Leech forum
The only other occupant of the car is a young boy, bundled so heavily he resembles a sphere more than a child. (page 1)
This made me laugh.
But also I’m digging that just from the first page I can tell our narrator seems to be an observer, logic-forward, an overthinker (?), funny (whether purposeful or not), and possibly socially inept. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a character like this, and I’m excited to see where things go.
3meganisnotokay started reading...
Leech
Hiron Ennes
0meganisnotokay is interested in reading...
The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux
0meganisnotokay TBR'd a book
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe
0meganisnotokay commented on meganisnotokay's update
meganisnotokay DNF'd a book
Heartless
Marissa Meyer
1meganisnotokay DNF'd a book
Heartless
Marissa Meyer
1meganisnotokay wrote a review...
Concept - 5/5 Plot & Overall Narrative - 4/5 Characters - 3.5/5 Dialogue - 3.5/5 Ending - 4/5 Craft - 4/5 Writing Style - 3/5 Readability - 5/5 Personal Enjoyment - 2/5 Memorability - 4/5
I had read this one in middle school (8th grade) for assigned reading. I really loved it back then. Reading it now, I realize just how much went right over my head though.
Funnily enough, I enjoyed it more when I didn't fully get everything, than I did this time around. I think one reason I really loved it when I was in middle school was that it was the first literary book I had read that used writing mechanics (grammar, spelling, vocabulary, etc.) in a unique way to tell the story and show how a character is changing.
Overall I thought it was good, but not as exceptional as I had thought back in 8th grade. I can appreciate it for what it is and the themes it presented, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it.
EDIT: I don't know why the first part of my review (the breakdown) is so huge and bold 😭
0meganisnotokay commented on a post from the Founder Announcements forum
Our next Special Event will celebrate Japanese literature, culture and its influence on the world. Like the sakura (cherry blossom) trees Japan gifts other nations to promote cross-cultural exchange, we hope reading these books together will connect the global Pagebound community. We've intentionally selected a broad range of genres and authors to spotlight, so everyone can find a book they're interested in. This event will run from March 15 to April 15.
Check out the Special Events page (in the More tab on the app, or click the pink banner on the Discuss page on web).
The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura: a translated Japanese magical realism novel about a mysterious bookshop that appears during cherry blossom season (vibes: cozy, poignant)
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: a metafictional novel about belonging & home, identity & immigration. Ozeki is the first practicing Zen Buddhist priest to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize (vibes: literary, meditative) - check triggers
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji: a 1987 translated Japanese murder mystery novel (vibes: a classic "whodunit")
Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki: a memoir from Japan's most celebrated geisha in Kyoto's Gion district during the 1960s & 70s (the UK title is Geisha of Gion). Iwasaki was one of the geisha's interviewed by Arthur Golden for his book Memoirs of a Geisha that fictionalized her story. It included many inaccuracies, and here, Iwasaki sets the record straight.
What's a Special Event? Each quarter, we run a short 1 month readalong showcasing diverse voices in literature. Read one of the selections and comment or post in the forum during the Readalong to earn a special badge. Unlike Seasonal Readalongs, you do not earn a special badge for reading all the selections.
Excited to see the discussions for this event!
Happy Reading, Jennifer & Lucy
226meganisnotokay is interested in reading...
A Tale for the Time Being
Ruth Ozeki
0meganisnotokay TBR'd a book
Donora Death Fog: Clean Air and the Tragedy of a Pennsylvania Mill Town
Andy McPhee
0meganisnotokay TBR'd a book
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
Caitlin Doughty
0