Soph Tang (Author of Decadence)

Soph Tang rated a book it was amazing The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I cried–I properly cried. I properly cried for probably the last half hour of the book. It was cathartic, it was beautiful, it was heartbreaking, and it was so, so good. At first, I was bothered a lot by the writing–the adaptation into English seems to ...more
Oct 07, 2025 06:58PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang rated a book really liked it Deerskin by Robin McKinley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Where to start?... Let's begin with what I didn't like. I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that wou ...more
Oct 07, 2025 06:58PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deerskin by Robin McKinley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang rated a book really liked it Deerskin by Robin McKinley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Where to start?... Let's begin with what I didn't like. I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that wou ...more
Oct 07, 2025 06:43PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deerskin by Robin McKinley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang made a comment on Kim A’s review of Lightlark (Lightlark, #1) " LMAO beautiful; iconic "
Sep 22, 2025 11:13AM · see review
Soph Tang liked Kim A's review of Lightlark (Lightlark, #1): " I grabbed this because it was available on Libby, and I wanted something like a lighter fantasy that wouldn’t be head scratching complicated. Lo and behold, I spent roughly 70% of the time going “what? Huh? That makes no sense.” And that’s all I’ve r" Read more of this review »
Sep 22, 2025 11:13AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lightlark by Alex Aster. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lightlark by Alex Aster <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang liked Kim A's review of Moon of the Crusted Snow (Moon, #1): "A really great post-apocalyptic story! scary yet cozy and peaceful somehow at the same time. Very exited to read more from this author. "
Sep 22, 2025 11:12AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang made a comment on Jennifer’s review of the book of unsorted thoughts " you know that's a really excellent question. i'm not sure either. i think such is the nature of doing a project like this with absolutely no intention ...more "
Sep 22, 2025 11:11AM · see review
Soph Tang liked Jennifer's review of the book of unsorted thoughts: "I spent a lot of my time reading this collection wondering if I was supposed to already know certain things about the author and/or their background. It felt like reading pages ripped from a diary as there wasn't any framing or context for any of the" Read more of this review »
Sep 22, 2025 11:10AM · see review
Soph Tang rated a book liked it The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
[i really, really wanted to like this book–but it feels like the author didn't want me to] splitting the diff at 3 stars. i wanted to give it 4, but according to GR, that means i "really liked it", which is factually untrue. i think it was okay, but i ...more
Sep 19, 2025 08:08AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Soph Tang made a comment on Ruby Ridge’s review of black&white – Episode 2: SATURATION (Across Space & Time) " it is so funny to have read your review for ep3 first and now come back and read these. it kind of feels like a mystery novel! "it feels like the autho ...more "
Sep 05, 2025 08:37AM · see review

Soph Tang rated a book it was amazing

The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa

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Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

I cried–I properly cried.

I properly cried for probably the last half hour of the book.

It was cathartic, it was beautiful, it was heartbreaking, and it was so, so good.

At first, I was bothered a lot by the writing–the adaptation into English seems to ...more

Soph Tang rated a book really liked it

Deerskin
by Robin McKinley

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Where to start?...

Let's begin with what I didn't like.

I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that wou Where to start?...

Let's begin with what I didn't like.

I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that would be like a vegetarian going into a steakhouse and being like "yeah I dunno about that tbh".

I also feel like Deerskin spends a lot of pages wasting my time. It feels like it has things to say, and when it does, it says them well. But in between those moments, it rambles, meanders, and does what you could call "worldbuilding" but feels more like your mom is dragging you through the mall to run errands. There are pages, chapters even, that I think can be removed in their entirety without me missing a single sentence from them.

The beginning is especially rough for me, in part because I don't like the writing style, and in part because I don't really particularly care about any of the characters, and having the mundanity of their daily lives explained in multiple paragraphs of exposition doesn't change that fact, it's just frustrating.

In terms of bad things to say about Deerskin, that's mostly it.

The author does a phenomenal job touching on very sensitive topics in this novel, treating them with care and respect, but also a rawness that I think is important. The passages of dissociative, almost ethereal writing strike me the most in terms of how effectively they were written, and how exhausted they made me feel. The displays of her vulnerability, her strength, and her pain are all laid bare in a way that feels honest and true. Aside from my personal dislike of style, and a lot of wasted space, the parts that work in this book really work.

One thing that I particularly love is the sense of agency. In the first act, the plot largely happens to the main character, but after that, it feels like she has control. She drives the plot forward, decides what to do and what to do, what to engage in and what not to engage in. The conscious decision for her to ignore the questions of her identity I think is powerful in its framing of her agency, making her a survivor rather than a victim.

Additionally, the author does an excellent job of making the magic FEEL magical and reverent, rather than either a pure act of divine intervention or a scientific law of the land. There's an intuitiveness to the magic, and it serves to augment the plot, rather than to subsume it. There's just enough for it to be powerful, but not so much that it loses its mysticism.

For the most part, the book is a good read. The author does a good job of making me feel uncomfortable when I should feel uncomfortable; excited when I should feel excited; terrified when I should feel terrified.

Overall, I would say Deerskin is a good book. Maybe even really good. But in my opinion, the rambling exposition, the pages upon pages of *stuff* that does nothing to either advance the plot or give characterization to anyone meaningless, stops it from great. For anyone who's interested in reading it, I would say give it a shot. If you do, make sure to give it a little leniency, especially at the beginning. Give it time to find its legs.

... But also, feel free to skim through passages that bore you. Trust me, you're not missing much. ...more

Soph Tang rated a book really liked it

Deerskin
by Robin McKinley

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Where to start?...

Let's begin with what I didn't like.

I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that wou Where to start?...

Let's begin with what I didn't like.

I think this style of fairytale writing just isn't for me. It didn't work for me in Bone & Nettle, and it doesn't work for me here, either. But that's a me-problem. Rating a book based on that would be like a vegetarian going into a steakhouse and being like "yeah I dunno about that tbh".

I also feel like Deerskin spends a lot of pages wasting my time. It feels like it has things to say, and when it does, it says them well. But in between those moments, it rambles, meanders, and does what you could call "worldbuilding" but feels more like your mom is dragging you through the mall to run errands. There are pages, chapters even, that I think can be removed in their entirety without me missing a single sentence from them.

The beginning is especially rough for me, in part because I don't like the writing style, and in part because I don't really particularly care about any of the characters, and having the mundanity of their daily lives explained in multiple paragraphs of exposition doesn't change that fact, it's just frustrating.

In terms of bad things to say about Deerskin, that's mostly it.

The author does a phenomenal job touching on very sensitive topics in this novel, treating them with care and respect, but also a rawness that I think is important. The passages of dissociative, almost ethereal writing strike me the most in terms of how effectively they were written, and how exhausted they made me feel. The displays of her vulnerability, her strength, and her pain are all laid bare in a way that feels honest and true. Aside from my personal dislike of style, and a lot of wasted space, the parts that work in this book really work.

One thing that I particularly love is the sense of agency. In the first act, the plot largely happens to the main character, but after that, it feels like she has control. She drives the plot forward, decides what to do and what to do, what to engage in and what not to engage in. The conscious decision for her to ignore the questions of her identity I think is powerful in its framing of her agency, making her a survivor rather than a victim.

Additionally, the author does an excellent job of making the magic FEEL magical and reverent, rather than either a pure act of divine intervention or a scientific law of the land. There's an intuitiveness to the magic, and it serves to augment the plot, rather than to subsume it. There's just enough for it to be powerful, but not so much that it loses its mysticism.

For the most part, the book is a good read. The author does a good job of making me feel uncomfortable when I should feel uncomfortable; excited when I should feel excited; terrified when I should feel terrified.

Overall, I would say Deerskin is a good book. Maybe even really good. But in my opinion, the rambling exposition, the pages upon pages of *stuff* that does nothing to either advance the plot or give characterization to anyone meaningless, stops it from great. For anyone who's interested in reading it, I would say give it a shot. If you do, make sure to give it a little leniency, especially at the beginning. Give it time to find its legs.

... But also, feel free to skim through passages that bore you. Trust me, you're not missing much. ...more

Soph Tang made a comment on Kim A’s review of Lightlark (Lightlark, #1)

" LMAO beautiful; iconic "

Soph Tang liked Kim A's review of Lightlark (Lightlark, #1):

"
I grabbed this because it was available on Libby, and I wanted something like a lighter fantasy that wouldn’t be head scratching complicated. Lo and behold, I spent roughly 70% of the time going “what? Huh? That makes no sense.”

And that’s all I’ve r" Read more of this review »

Soph Tang liked Kim A's review of Moon of the Crusted Snow (Moon, #1):

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

"A really great post-apocalyptic story! scary yet cozy and peaceful somehow at the same time. Very exited to read more from this author. "

Soph Tang made a comment on Jennifer’s review of the book of unsorted thoughts

the book of unsorted thoughts by Soph Tang

" you know that's a really excellent question. i'm not sure either. i think such is the nature of doing a project like this with absolutely no intention ...more "

Soph Tang liked Jennifer's review of the book of unsorted thoughts:

"I spent a lot of my time reading this collection wondering if I was supposed to already know certain things about the author and/or their background. It felt like reading pages ripped from a diary as there wasn't any framing or context for any of the" Read more of this review »

Soph Tang rated a book liked it

The Conditions of Will
by Jessa Hastings (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

[i really, really wanted to like this book–but it feels like the author didn't want me to]

splitting the diff at 3 stars. i wanted to give it 4, but according to GR, that means i "really liked it", which is factually untrue. i think it was okay, but i ...more

Soph Tang made a comment on Ruby Ridge’s review of black&white – Episode 2: SATURATION (Across Space & Time)

" it is so funny to have read your review for ep3 first and now come back and read these. it kind of feels like a mystery novel!

"it feels like the autho ...more "

Soph Tang’s Followers (37)

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Preview — The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

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Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley

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Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley

See a Problem?

Preview — Lightlark by Alex Aster

See a Problem?

Preview — Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

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Preview — The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings

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	Decadence 4.50 avg rating — 46 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	black&white – Episode 1: HUE 4.60 avg rating — 20 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	black&white – Episode 2: SATURATION 4.94 avg rating — 16 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	black&white – Episode 3: VALUE 4.86 avg rating — 14 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	the book of unsorted thoughts 3.59 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2025	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Soph Tang’s Followers (37)

Soph’s Bookshelves

Soph’s Friends (6)

Soph Tang

Goodreads Author

Learn moreAsk the Author

Combine EditionsSoph Tang’s books

rssSoph’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

See a Problem?

Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley

See a Problem?

Preview — Deerskin by Robin McKinley

See a Problem?

Preview — Lightlark by Alex Aster

See a Problem?

Preview — Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

See a Problem?

Preview — The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings

recent postsSoph’s Groups

Soph’s Friend Comments

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
Soph Tang’s books

rss
Soph’s Recent Updates

recent posts
Soph’s Groups