Bernstein is a gifted writer. she reveals the subtle details of our world with sharp precision and lyrical prose. yes, the prose can be hard to read, Bernstein is a gifted writer. she reveals the subtle details of our world with sharp precision and lyrical prose. yes, the prose can be hard to read, especially if one is not used to this narrative style and voice, but i enjoyed it. i was amazed by what every sentence showed me in my mind's eye, what every paragraph revealed. the atmosphere was incredible— the tension so palpable and the setting so vivid. i was excited and intrigued and i just love the way this was written and executed....more
minimal prose yet totally engulfing. i was absolutely gripped by the exploration of human connection, power dynamics, and more. needless to say, i hadminimal prose yet totally engulfing. i was absolutely gripped by the exploration of human connection, power dynamics, and more. needless to say, i had the time of my fucking life reading this! ...more
Wake up one morning with a man you had thought you’d spend your life with, and realize, a rock in your gut, that you don’t even like him. [...] You caWake up one morning with a man you had thought you’d spend your life with, and realize, a rock in your gut, that you don’t even like him. [...] You can no longer trust your affections. People and places you think you love may be people and places you hate.
charming and tender. clever yet full of heartache and loneliness. the writing is exceptional; i have never before read a collection of short stories where every one of them is good. there is a sharp yet muted quality to the writing that lends all the stories solemnity. it's a story about lonely and longing women, about daughters and mothers, so yes i like this a lot. this is how you do short story collections!
how to be an other woman - 4 what is seized - 4 the kid's guide to divorce - 3 how - 4 go like this - 3 how to talk to your mother (notes) - 4 amahl and the night visitors: a guide to the tenor of love - 3 how to become a writer - 3 to fill - 3
And when your mother starts to lose her mind, so do you. You begin to be afraid of people on the street. You see shapes—old men and spiders—in the wallpaper again like when you were little and sick. The moon’s reflection on the lake starts to look to you like a dead fish floating golden belly up. Ask anyone. Ask anyone whose mother is losing her mind....more
i don't mean this lightly when i say that i was utterly devastated. finished this last night and i still can't get ovARC received for an honest review
i don't mean this lightly when i say that i was utterly devastated. finished this last night and i still can't get over it. that was a phenomenal reading experience.
i felt everything with the main character; i was laughing, i was falling in love, i was crying, i was angry, i was hopeful, i was crying, i was frustrated, i was desperate, i was delusional, i was longing, i was crying again. it was insane. and i think it is a testament to the author's writing skill to make a character so real and yet so endearing. i rooted for her. i saw myself in her. (and wow what a crazy thing to admit here.)
aside from the double ending punctuations, i don't think anything else bothered me. i usually don't like the presence of social media in novels but this one here is an exception. i also, on principle, don't think that three exclamation points should stand on their own as one line after a paragraph but here, it was appropriate and perfectly placed that i was just shocked of my own acceptance of it. plus, the karaoke scene that i usually love in fan fiction but don't commonly see done well in novels was so tense and so well set up and organized that i just have to applaud Madeleine Gray for this. add to this the sad yet humorous girl inner monologues, the music and movie references, and other pop culture or social media references, it was all arranged brilliantly. i don't know why it worked for me, just that it wasn't as corny or cringey as it is usually done in other novels.
i will say though, this book made me reflect on myself. a lot. i won't share them here but i must say that the author did such a great job with the progression of the plot, the presentation of the ideas, the rationalization of immoral actions, the expression of desperation, of hope, and of the absolutely sickening yearning. yearning for life, yearning for something big, yearning for someone, yearning for acceptance, yearning for love. and yes, it was sad, but it was also humorous. i was fully engaged and intrigued, so i really enjoyed myself here. and i bet the author was chuckling to herself naming her main character Hera!
anyway, pick this up if you like Madelaine Lucas' Thirst for Salt, Fleabag, Sally Rooney, and Diana Reid, and Genevieve Novak's books. or really, if you like a sad and funny novel that will make you reflect on your own life then go on ahead and read this one. this definitely made it to one of my top books this year!...more
(230614) no because i feel SICK to my stomach. what do i even say about this that will entirely capture my reading experience?
the writing is so gracef(230614) no because i feel SICK to my stomach. what do i even say about this that will entirely capture my reading experience?
the writing is so graceful and the narrative so intimate that it made the story resonate more deeply and personally with me. the fluid storytelling puts all the scenes in a gentle light, which makes sense because the narrator tells the story by recalling the past. the touch is so tender and sorrowful that my heart physically ached at times. i like the juxtaposition of the melancholic atmosphere and the warm beach setting; something so beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful about it all.
i just.. like it so much. i can't explain what exactly it did well, only that it worked for me and that it achieved what it set out to do. this is a fantastic debut novel. Madelaine Lucas is a skillful author that i will surely be looking forward to reading more of!
240206 edit: 5 stars bc i'm still thinking about this novel...more
i'm so glad i gave this novel a chance because aside from its ugly title, what is not to love?
i got: - a fun and enjoyable fantasy romance novel that'i'm so glad i gave this novel a chance because aside from its ugly title, what is not to love?
i got: - a fun and enjoyable fantasy romance novel that's substantial AND funny - decent characters and creative worldbuilding - "enemies with a past" and there's essentially "fake dating" in the subplot - EXCELLENT enemies-to-lovers (what they did to each other can hardly be called petty and i'm OBSESSED) - the ANGST is DELICIOUS. like MgRWMRMWWAHG HGHRhHrRr hHMRrWHAHHWr MMhAMMgM MMMRWMAHMAgH MMMMHJgMRRHMHJHRRMRR SO TASTY my heart actually PHYSICALLY ACHED - dialogue is hilarious (fantasy romcom? but no, it's also gory and heavy...) - the plot is brilliant and the isekai concept is fantastic - the writing is effective and addictive (finished in less than 24 hours, i've missed enjoying books so much)
like i went through at least 3 brain aneurysms. i feel unhinged...more
the vibes of this book? EXCELLENT. it kinda changed smth deep within me idk i didn't know it had until i've finished reading and even now i feel like the vibes of this book? EXCELLENT. it kinda changed smth deep within me idk i didn't know it had until i've finished reading and even now i feel like my amygdala and frontal lobe are overreacting and sensitive to stimuli help me
edit: I KNOW NOW. it felt like i was in a liminal space the entire time...more
i didn't know how sensitive of a person i was until i read this. it was so tender and delicate that it made me feel so fucking devastated. i swear somi didn't know how sensitive of a person i was until i read this. it was so tender and delicate that it made me feel so fucking devastated. i swear something shifted in me when i read the last words of the book. i felt this too deeply that i legitimately sensed the change in my brain chemistry. ...more
i cannot begin to describe how much i appreciate the amount of work and effort that was put into this novel.
ok so some little oversharing from me: i gi cannot begin to describe how much i appreciate the amount of work and effort that was put into this novel.
ok so some little oversharing from me: i grew up underweight and weak and sought many traditional Chinese doctors, who could diagnose me in an instant by feeling my pulse. i have always been amazed by their ability to read my pulse and it was what had initially inspired me to pursue medicine. anyway, my point is that i have always been interested in Chinese medicine and that i read this book at the right time!
so, i really REALLY enjoyed reading this. from the female friendships, feet binding practices, and Ming dynasty hair and fashion to the Ming dynasty justice system, traditional Chinese medicine, and the women's politicking in the household. some might find the details too plenty that it may bog down the narrative, but for me it was perfectly balanced that i could immerse myself into this time and atmosphere. i could picture the gardens and courtyards so well and feel the tension in many scenes. Lisa See has good ideas and can execute them competently, which is really all i want in a writer. i especially liked the Chinese aphorisms and the many metaphors to describe their emotions. the characters may feel flat for some, which may hinder other readers from connecting with them emotionally, but i feel that the characters were well-written and well-developed, considering that they are women of their times. actually, as women of 15th century China during the Ming dynasty, i admire how Lisa See was able to flesh out characters with distinct personalities and thinking. also, some people may find all this boring and uneventful, but it wasn't the case for me— it was all very interesting and intriguing to me (maybe because i'm into Chinese medicine? idk).
well, i think i've said a lot already. again, i am stunned by the amount of research Lisa See put into this. i love when i can tell that a novel was written carefully, every word and detail deliberately chosen to be included. it shows that not only does the author enjoy writing, but that they also enjoy the process of learning more about something to satisfyingly tell the story they want. like i just love it. Lisa See new favorite author for sure....more
what a fun and exciting debut novel! i can't wait for everybody to get their hands on this
this is an amazing sci-fi thriller that will definitely keepwhat a fun and exciting debut novel! i can't wait for everybody to get their hands on this
this is an amazing sci-fi thriller that will definitely keep you up all night reading. the plot keeps moving forward and you can't help but be curious about the next chapter. it really is like the game Among Us though i've only played it once because i never got the hang of it. the novel is peopled with diverse characters with decent characterization. what i really like about our main character is her motivation and her ability to think outside of the box. i also really like how the characters are all smart and perfect in their own ways, yet still flawed-- showing that they are still human, which adds to the story's verisimilitude. this is a testament to the author's skills, as it is difficult to build believable characters who are incredibly smart and yet flawed in their own unique ways. the atmosphere in the novel was great and i think the setting was developed nicely. it's indeed a thrilling sci-fi read that will keep you reading! i was deeply immersed into the story and i was very invested in the plot.
one of the small details i like is the structure of the novel, in that the flashbacks give us a taste of boarding school drama with all the intelligent, competitive kids while also giving insights to present events. it's structured as a typical mystery/thriller book, which i am familiar with, but the sci-fi setting and fantastical atmosphere (due to augmented reality) lent the story some novelty and freshness. i also like the main character's niche interest in birds, as it fit right in with the story. i was intrigued by how it was incorporated into the plot and it was really a creative way to do it (i enjoyed it a lot). the modern science and tech in the novel were well thought out and imaginative, as it gave us an idea of how their world looks like (from the geopolitics to the environmental disasters happening on earth), and they were smoothly connected with the plot by how these events affected the crew. the stakes were high and i felt the thrill while reading. though i had already guessed who did it because of the familiar mystery/thriller structure, it was done well because the motives and characterization were aligned and it made sense.
overall, i genuinely enjoyed my time reading this novel and i am looking forward to its release into the world! i don't want to compare books i read and i usually avoid mentioning other books in reviews, but this book is exactly what i wanted "Do You Dream of Terra-Two?" to have done.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review ...more
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