Carolyn V

Carolyn V3.75 // I had a lot of fun reading this. It was fluffy little second chance, which, per usual, I felt like could have used more angst. However, that’s a me problem, not an issue of the actual work. I have two minor criticisms of the work: the way passing diversity is a bit clumsy, and the fanfic moments. Re: diversity, the way that the ethnicities of background characters that we spend zero time with were told to us just felt clumsy and weird. Why do I care that the front desk girl is Vietnamese? She doesn’t speak on page, and is never again mentioned. Even Michelle’s Italian heritage felt superfluous. It didn’t effect her day to day, she had nothing in her life that was distinctly Italian American, and it didn’t need to be mentioned more than once. The interspersed fanfic chapters were unnecessary and I didn’t super buy that Alexis Daria had any knowledge of fandom spaces. It felt like it was tacked on for the sake of it because fanfic is a hot topic. EVERYTHING ELSE, however, delightful and so fun. I really feel the love that Alexis Daria has for the Latin diaspora when I read her work, and she writes a good romp.

Carolyn VIf you’re unfamiliar with the Magdalene laundries, it would be helpful to consume a few documentaries about it. The book was released not long after they discovered the mass grave at Tuam and the movie is an Irish movie for an Irish audience, so, if you have no knowledge of what happened, it might go over your head. Delicious, though. I love this. I wasn’t angry with what was different between the movie and the book, and Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson were so good.

Carolyn VBRING (spoiler: can’t say the name) BACK

Carolyn V3.75 // so cute! Genuinely sweet little paranormal, and a great fluff book. This is the rare occasion that I could have used a prologue flashback, but I can accept it as it is. I do hope that this becomes a series.

Carolyn VA powerful novella about a man who reflects on the kindness done onto him, and then makes the incredibly brave decision to also put forth that kindness back into the world.

Carolyn VI would have probably rated this lower, because I didn’t enjoy the act of reading this one, especially compared to the first book. However, I really loved that Allen tried to humanize sex workers. In an Andrea Dworkin/Contrapoints, exclusionary rad fem world, I find that more important than finding the work a bit plodding and clumsy. Did it feel a bit like spaghetti thrown at a wall? Sure. Did I genuinely laugh at parts? Yes, absolutely. Once Allen learns to tighten up her storytelling a skosh, and make her moralizing a little less after school special-esque, I really do think she’d be great.

Carolyn VTo call this a memoir would be incorrect, but rather a personal history and the documentation of what dehumanizing a race of people to manufacture consent to fund war, and genocide causes. It ultimately leaves one at a loss. The world is awful, and empathy and love is met with a total decimation of opportunity and pursuit of happiness. It was incredibly fascinating to consume this after Trump’s inauguration/the failure of the Harris Walz campaign. Watching the police suppress freedom of speech with the same tactics they weaponized against peaceful student protestors. It’s hard to not say that this is the natural consequences of allowing the genocide to rot us from the inside out. El Akkad is a masterful writer, but I am left despondent.

Carolyn VVery much so if its time, but oh, so fun.

Carolyn VThis was a hard book for me to finish. The start and finish were so incredibly strong, but the middle felt gummy and plodding. I don’t mind cheating as a plot point, and I actually think that chapter foreword is some of the best written material of the book. Low key a bit sad since it’s at like 84%. Unsure of where I stand for Carley Fortune, but I am curious at minimum.