i don't know what it is abt this book that did not quite hit the spot.
the writing was average. the characters were likeable enough. it read like a shoi don't know what it is abt this book that did not quite hit the spot.
the writing was average. the characters were likeable enough. it read like a short story collection and some chapters were honestly quite boring. not terribly boring but just a bit unexciting. it lacks tension and weight. but, it was all very tolerable and i did not find any aspect irritating or awful.
overall, nothing quite remarkable and might even be mildly forgettable. it is just an ordinary book....more
Ernuax's prose is so lovely to read. i wish i could understand French to read it in its original text and language. it almost reads like poetry.Ernuax's prose is so lovely to read. i wish i could understand French to read it in its original text and language. it almost reads like poetry....more
not exactly what i had expected, considering the praises i heard about this.
first of all, it lacked significant depth overall. the characters felt flanot exactly what i had expected, considering the praises i heard about this.
first of all, it lacked significant depth overall. the characters felt flat and there was little to no development throughout the novel. the relationships were superficial, too, as their connections with one another felt forced and dry. given the context and setting of a rural small town, i expected the relationships to be more complicated and authentic. i expected the characters to have more distinct personalities with substantial depth. only the dreary atmosphere saved the book for me and i feel like it is the highlight of the novel. the writing was mediocre but i liked the pacing and the structure. i only wish more thought was given to the development of the characters and their relationships to one another. i also wish some plot points were resolved. they may not be the main plot of the novel but the author owes it to the novel to follow through with all the hints sprinkled throughout the book. so i can't say i enjoyed reading this.
my conclusion: it's an underwhelming book. not much going on except its decent setting and atmosphere....more
it dragged a lot so it took a while for me to finish but that epilogue gagged me! they truly matched each other's freaks. the neuroticism and overthinit dragged a lot so it took a while for me to finish but that epilogue gagged me! they truly matched each other's freaks. the neuroticism and overthinking are so relatable idk if i should be worried for myself or not, as i also feel things intensely and deeply. i like the tone of the text and i found the novel to be a delightful read overall. ...more
this was fucking insane. now i don't like referencing other novels in my reviews but this is perfect for Normal People and Love, Rosie enjoyers. in fathis was fucking insane. now i don't like referencing other novels in my reviews but this is perfect for Normal People and Love, Rosie enjoyers. in fact, i feel that this novel is heavily inspired by both books. nothing wrong with that, too, because this novel is well-written, well-structured, and solid on its own.
i devoured this in a day and ignored all my responsibilities. i felt everything so deeply and cried or yelled almost every time a new chapter started since the second part of the book. the third part was both beautiful and heartbreaking. i hated it and i loved it; i don't know. i just thought the rollercoaster of feelings i experienced while reading this was unlike any other, so i thought it was phenomenal actually. like, what a riot of a book. it's been so long since i felt so deeply touched by a novel that i have to give this a 4-star rating even though objectively i know that it is an average book that is only well-written (which is the bare minimum, but that's difficult to find now)....more
story and writing quality went waaay down the drain. so much needed to get cut out entirely because there were just too many words with absolutely notstory and writing quality went waaay down the drain. so much needed to get cut out entirely because there were just too many words with absolutely nothing happening. heavy editing is needed not just for the huge chunks of nothing but also for the typos and grammatical errors. i may not know what happens behind the scenes but i think going through its entirety like three more times is necessary before the author submits it to the publisher. then, there was also a severe lack of groveling and apologizing from Soren. where is the respect the literal Mother Rookesbane deserves? the escalation from enemies to lovers was just not believable and i am again disappointed with the recent quality of books being published. romantasy used to be fun and good! now, i can't say it's good nor fun because most of the book was intolerable to read. idk if getting out of this reading slump is even worth it....more
now this is REAL enemies to lovers and i enjoyed it enough. idk how the author will convince us of the transition to lovers but Soren has a lot of gronow this is REAL enemies to lovers and i enjoyed it enough. idk how the author will convince us of the transition to lovers but Soren has a lot of groveling to do.
however, even as i enjoyed it a lot, i cannot say that the writing quality is good. plot is too stretched out, the prose is not good� the author should edit more and cut down unnecessary information. i understand that it is part of worldbuilding but restraint in over explaining would serve the book well overall. some information can be too repetitive even though i see why the author wants to emphasize specific details. i might have skimmed some parts in favor of the more intriguing yet meandering plot and i still understood it, which is a testament to the overly detailed explanations of everything. this need not be over 600 pages long!
anyway, i wouldn't have touched this book if i weren't that desperate to get out of my reading slump. i needed something fun to read without requiring much brain energy and this about scratches the itch....more
truly a modern love story. i like the characters and following their individual journeys. i like how it was shown that without each other to keep themtruly a modern love story. i like the characters and following their individual journeys. i like how it was shown that without each other to keep them in check, they go overboard and lose themselves in the process. i like their connection and messiness because it shows just how imperfect and flawed people are and yet we love them for it� despite it. the pacing was even and i did not feel rushed at all or slowed down. i like taking the time to get to know them as individuals and as a couple and i like the unfolding of this sweet love story. however, i do think the writing and prose could be improved.
a mix of my favorite novels Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews and Normal People by Sally Rooney....more
this novel is aptly named after the main protagonist. she is selfless and anxious and flawed yet still likeable. she is someone i can root for even asthis novel is aptly named after the main protagonist. she is selfless and anxious and flawed yet still likeable. she is someone i can root for even as i get frustrated with her and this shows just how real she feels, which is a testament to the author's skill. i also like the main character's relationship with her family because it's so realistically nuanced. you resent them, you get frustrated with them, and they can make your life harder than it already is� but you still love them despite it all. besides the flawed yet likeable characters and the complicated family dynamics, i also liked the discussion of racism in dating and the overlooking of Black women in different corporate fields. people can be oblivious to these as the actions that maintain these behaviors and situations can be subtle. i like how the author encourages discussion surrounding it while not holding back the reality of living and working as a Black woman in predominantly white spaces.
another thing i appreciate in this novel is the role of community in our growth, development, and health. i like how this novel has put an importance to the healing power of community and friendship. i think it was done tastefully. the ending also wrapped up nicely and left us with more hope for the future.
what's that quote that goes: the grief is never ending, but so is the love? this novel is literally that line....more
i sometimes stay away from novels that depict deities and gods because authors can rarely capture the vastnesimpressed yet again with Vaishnavi Patel!
i sometimes stay away from novels that depict deities and gods because authors can rarely capture the vastness and entirety of their beings but Patel has obviously put much thought and skill in writing Ganga. Patel deserves praise for this reimagining of Mahabharata and her interpretation and depiction of Ganga's relationship with her son Bhishma. their characters were pretty solid and the worldbuilding was great. i may have been confused with the many characters at first but i trusted the author to offer me the necessary information in due time, which Patel did. i am not familiar with the original myth but i still enjoyed the story and felt that the narrative and themes were cohesive. i liked the themes on duty, justice, and responsibility and how the characters embody these. the plot can be a bit hard to follow at some point because it jumped several years back and forth but i got used to it eventually and even thought that the parallels drawn between past and present were clever and offered insight into the characters and the world they inhabit. the writing was truly remarkable because this story would not have worked with any other style.
so how faithful it is to the original, i cannot say, but i can say that this is a well-written novel. i'd recommend this to people who enjoy myth retellings and atmospheric novels. i look forward to Patel's future work! ...more
sad to report that this was genuinely one of the worst novels i have read in a long time. i will try to bARC received in exchange for an honest review
sad to report that this was genuinely one of the worst novels i have read in a long time. i will try to be less scathing in this review but i can't promise good structure or flow in this, considering the author did not.
first off, i need to get the most uncomfortable aspect of this novel off my chest first: Celestina's relationship with her father. i did not like the development nor did i feel like the narration of minor, passing characters regarding their relationship as necessary. we were introduced to so many characters and get to read from their perspectives throughout the novel, but for what reason? it did not add to the depth of the main characters nor did it provide any insight to the story that was unfolding. reading from some random movie director about Celestina's relationship with her father took us away from the very sensitive and intimate events that were happening. also, i hated the reason of her father's condition, seemingly out of nowhere, no explanation whatsoever. this decision of the author not only justified the behavior of her father by explaining it away as a result of this fantastical element, but it also reduced what happened as a trivial plot device that pushed our main character to develop further, which i hate. what was the reason for all this anyway? if it's a way to drive the character towards developing her identity, then it was a cheap and unnecessary way to do so. i cannot believe this will be published in the year of our lord 2024. maybe this novel has taken years to come together, but surely one can move with the times and idk, find better alternatives to drive the story forward? everything was so poorly escalated, too. the dialogue and narration were so stilted and awkward, which brings me to my next point.
so what can be done to improve? i suggest two more years of heavy editing tbh. this is not publication ready. i would have liked a focus on the influence of local myths to the stories because then it would have made sense why the fictional serials of Celestina's father are such a hit. with this emphasis and connection to the characters, it would have meant a lot more for Celestina to take the house that was so haunted by the many spirits that her father writes about. to be honest, the magical realism was so poorly incorporated into this novel. i would have appreciated a more consistent and cohesive approach rather than it being sprinkled around when convenient. this brings me to my next point: the lack of a central theme. how can one write a decent novel without a main theme? why are you even writing this novel? why is this even titled “Celestina's House� when our main character Celestina just prances around Manila and tries to find love? we have lost the main point of the story. i wish we got to explore the house more and focused more on what having her own space means and what this old relic of a house has done to her self-identity, even as it is haunted by spirits of the past. i would have wanted her to develop a deeper connection to the haunted house and how this could have been an avenue for her to heal from her traumas. i would have wanted a focus on the various Filipino superstitions and how it affects everyday rituals and routine. perhaps here, her Chinese identity could have been better inserted, as Fil-Chi have many more superstitions that are centered around fortune, health, and marriage. and now, you can see how this can connect to the old haunted house. but anyway, i am only a reader and this will be published either way. what happened was that the characters move through the book like they're not real. events happened, escalated tackily, and the characters were too passive to make a good story.
so, there is no overarching theme! there was no connection nor cohesion to the narrative. things happen and then we move. have i mentioned how ridiculous the plot escalation was? and how soap opera-like, too: unnecessarily dramatic and unrealistic. dialogue was stiff and narration was clumsy. nothing was done well except the descriptions of Manila, which i applaud� as only someone who has lived here and walked these streets can know what to describe. but then again, the characters read like they were written by a 12 year old, so one-dimensional and nonsensical. actually, the entire story is so poorly written that i am very disappointed in everybody involved in the making of this novel. i'm sorry. if i could give this zero stars i would, but i'll be nice and give this 1 star for the worldbuilding....more
was not as mind blowing as i had expected, but everything's so subtle and offbeat you'll miss it if you don't pay all your attention to reading thiswas not as mind blowing as i had expected, but everything's so subtle and offbeat you'll miss it if you don't pay all your attention to reading this...more
holy shit. what a beautiful and transcendent reading experience. De Robertis has the skill and competence to capture the essence of the myth and make holy shit. what a beautiful and transcendent reading experience. De Robertis has the skill and competence to capture the essence of the myth and make it narratively stunning with compelling characters and an incredible atmosphere. their writing is simply gorgeous and i will go through each point while trying not to spoil this so bear with me on this one!
first of all, i do not just drop the word "beautiful" without conscious thought and intention. i mean it wholeheartedly: this novel is beautiful. i wanted to sob several times, but i noticed that this overwhelming feeling came over me when tender and innocent thoughts are put into words so precisely and whenever there is a deep yearning for a better world for women. everything was so richly imagined; so vivid were the fields, rivers, and ocean and the characters were so authentically represented, from the sisters to the goddesses. the writing played a huge role in all this, of course, and i found the lyrical prose so emotive and graceful. the sweet innocence of Psyche and her child-like wonder and glee upon glorious freedom within the palace of Eros, her journey to self-discovery and finding agency in her own life, and her fulfilment of identity and her solid certainty by the end of it were captured in its full beauty and marvel. it brought out feelings of wonder in myself, about how much words can have an impact on how i see the world and myself, but most especially� it made me realize how utterly beautiful it is to be able to live in this world and experience life as it is. for instance, it made me appreciate the ocean and the beauty of its primordial being. its sounds and waves and its vast, ancient body brought about so much appreciation for my existence at this point in time, when i can recognize its immeasurable being and my privilege of being myself. now, if you know me, i was very suicidal, so this acknowledgment from me is a pretty big deal. my point is that: this novel has imparted in me a deep and beautiful message that had made my reading experience transcendent (there really is no other word for it)!
bouncing off from that statement, i would like to emphasize that the writing is genuinely so exquisite. this is divine prose. De Robertis has the skill to look into the minds of Psyche and Eros, and the ability to write them so realistically. it requires great effort, not to mention competence and finesse, to execute such a narrative so satisfyingly. the author was able to give so much dimension to Psyche as a woman and as a human person and also offer a different perspective to the myth. the characterization of other deities must have also been fun to imagine, as the writing has shown. so i must give praise to the artistry and sophistication that the author has showcased, as i do not think i have ever read a combination of words as unique and clever before this. i have read many novels with similarly gorgeous prose, but none so like De Robertis', which is distinctive in their efficiency and brevity. i really enjoyed reading the words and knowing how much intention was put into each word choice, with as much nuance as the English language can give anyway. i was enthralled.
moving onwards to the themes of the novel, i thought the discussions were well done. i don't know how else to describe it but the integration of all these themes were incorporated into the narrative seamlessly. i understand the separation of the phallus to the male identity and i really appreciated how Eros was depicted as trans, which came as a delight to me. because how often do we encounter feminist stories that are trans inclusive? i was elated to come across such a story because i would not have given this a chance if it were the typical mundane Greek retelling. there are only some details about Eros' story that did not sit well with me. i do understand that Greek retellings are uncomfortable given its incestuous and male-centered foundations, but i felt that some were not necessary nor vital to the narrative being shaped here. i also understand that Eros needed a greater reason than her mother's rage to be doing all this, so i am still considering my rating; otherwise, the novel is really perfect. i do not think this is anything major to deter you from reading though. i especially liked Psyche's detailed experiences of freedom and it never came across as tedious or repetitive to me. her acknowledgment of her desire and her discovering her identity were endearing to me, as a repressed girlie myself. i enjoyed reading every little realization she has about anything and every little discovery she comes to terms with, even as she paints and weaves and lusts� to experience all this through Psyche moved me. again, the writing is so full of emotion. one cannot help but feel a tenderness towards Psyche, her innocence and fact of being will endear anyone.
finally, have i said that the prose is gorgeous? no? okay, i will say it again: the prose is gorgeous. beautiful. stunning. DIVINE. it was the foundation of the dreamy atmosphere and i cannot seem to stress it enough how insanely well-written this is, in all aspects (except one). please read this when it comes out, you will not regret the time spent on this masterpiece!
such a charming and hilarious novel. i adored the characters very much and the family dynamics felt so authentic. i enjoyed reading their petty argumesuch a charming and hilarious novel. i adored the characters very much and the family dynamics felt so authentic. i enjoyed reading their petty arguments and knowing the little banal details of their lives. i love the diversity and how interconnected and close all the characters are. also, i really liked that there were socio-political themes involved and it did not feel out of place nor performative. i think the author is skilled in writing dialogue that is humorous and clever while also retaining the emotional aspects of it. overall, a totally delightful read! completely endeared me to characters who are not even real <3...more
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