Emma > Recent Status Updates

Right to the action. Flashbacks are relevant. Author really thinking through the implications of DAR and inserting those ideas organically.

Protagonist seems obsessed with death. The mouse. The moth. The miscarriages. She is also unbelievably annoying. Complains about her husband not sending letters from the trenches but then immediately says how she understands, then ccomplains still, rinse and repeat. It's like the author is inserting their own thoughts and trying to justify everything within the book rather than writing a beleivable character.

Overly descriptive of settings and feelings. Protagonist seems to be starting shit and against this whole process for not obvious reason. She came for help but doesn't seem to want it. Stubborn. Why is she even there?

Protagonist seems to not want a baby, showing signs of depression, but does want the baby to please her husband who she thinks desperately wants one. She also showed that her husband is her "good influence" and she must "try harder" to hold her tongue without him around.

Written as stream-of-consciousness or a poem rather than short stories. An acquired taste. Not for me. There's no depth and therefore no way to connect to the characters or really know what's even going on in the stories other than surface level descriptions.

Well written. Straight to the action. Great, unique characters. History and world-building elements organically interspersed within the story and dialogue.

A coming-of-age story of Skipper, a young woman, extremely introverted but also driven to help her family wherever and whenever possible. She may not be equipped to have a fancy job but she does her best to help in the ways she can. She sets out on an adventure with her sister to find their oldest sister who has disappeared.

Whimsy. Character-driven. Modern characters. Similar to Hammajang and Becky Chambers' stories.

All at once, a commentary on the how the American prison system is intertwined with capitalism - using prisoners as slave workers through loopholes; a commentary on forced labour so prisoners seem compliant; a commentary on the female experience (forced to be complacent and docile); a commentary on human beings as commodity in every modern situation. Modern capitalism in a nutshell.

A truly phenomenal story. Told in the way only an Indigenous person can. It is so refreshing to read about the truth of my country and through a futuristic dystopia that could come to be, even better. Some parts may seem odd to some readers but to me they are familiar and make me cry when I know others will only pass them by as a character trait or plot point. It is so nice to relate to a story and feel at home.

The story follows a woman from 1954 Shanghai to modern USA. Switching between her and her daughter, the author does an incredible job of explaining the nuances of being Chinese and Chinese-American after WWII. Describing thr political China and how it hasn't really changed at all, despite the constant regime changes and new leadership. Additionally, explaining the American Dream and the problems in the USA.

A cautionary tale about trying to control another human being.

The protagonist is so unlikable.

A clever commentary on game shows, fan culture, war, and authoritarian regimes all in one.

The original Hunger Games. The original Squid Games.

This book would never have crossed my radar without seeing the movie trailers. The first book I've read from Stephen King and I'm afraid I may have started with the best.

Satire akin to Margret Atwood. Cleverly disguised.