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Caroline Kelly (4 KP) rated Reasons to Stay Alive in Books

Nov 17, 2017  
Reasons to Stay Alive
Reasons to Stay Alive
Matt Haig | 2016 | Essays
8
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
A book to help if you are struggling
A friend of mine going through a hard time recommended this book. I'm not usually one for reading non-fiction books but as my friend found it useful and I wanted to help her, I decided to read it. It's not a difficult read (although it's an emotional read) nor a long read. It tells Matt's own tale of wanting to die and how he moved on from that. Knowing how my friend was struggling (and found it difficult to communicate her feelings), I found this emotional,reading how someone could feel so low, could contemplate ending their life. It opened my eyes to how my friend might be feeling and helped me communicate with her.
  
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Josh Palmer (2 KP) rated After The Cure in Books

Jan 4, 2018  
After The Cure
After The Cure
Deirdre Gould | Horror
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great characters with a story that flows well. (0 more)
A new twist and an old genre.
So, I got this book on google play for 25 cents I think it was. One of their sales. I didn't know what to expect from a book that was about the aftermath of the zombie outbreak but in the end I was surprised.
The characters are ones that I generally cared about and that made the book that much better. The story moved along nicely while not seeming to sacrifice content.
The worst part about this book is that to me it seemed caught between young adult and normal fiction. Not that it hurt but some points just didn't feel up to the task of being a grown up story.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Poisonwood Bible in Books

Jul 24, 2017  
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.9 (15 Ratings)
Book Rating
Detailed look into colonialism in Congo
Barbara Kingsolver's epic novel about missionaries and colonialism in the Congo through the eyes of the women in a Christian American family is decadent and detailed. While many will complain about the hard hitting truths of complicity of western nations in destroying the country, it is extremely important and brings to light many historically overlooked issues.

Keeping in mind that this is fictional, the various narratives​ are well researched to the point where at times it seems plausible and factual. The four main voices are completely different from one another and sometimes the anti-communist voice seemed like a mockery of that type of rhetoric. Leah's voice seemed more realistic than the others. Overall, a well written piece of literary fiction.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Exit West in Books

Jul 24, 2017  
Exit West
Exit West
Mohsin Hamid | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
8.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
A dystopian current affairs magical realistic fiction
A deeply tragic account of how two people can be caught in circumstances of war, how easy it is to lose everything and the potential hope that humanity offers. Saeed and Nadia attempt to face an apocalyptic situation in the face of adversity despite having a tenuous connection to one another. It is quite a depressing read especially given the current situation in the Middle East - but Hamid does a great job in humanising the characters. They are just two simple people attempting to make a relationship work under intense circumstances. A beautiful account, I just wished the story was slightly more developed as it tended to run from one scene to another.
  
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Mr Renard (10 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books

Jul 25, 2017  
Ready Player One
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
3
8.9 (161 Ratings)
Book Rating
Promising concept buried under clumsy craftsmanship
A great concept that should in theory be catnip to an 80s kid such as myself. However this is to pop culture junkies what Fifty Shades of Gray was to S&M enthusiasts: poorly written, drawn out fan fiction that is in dire need of a more competent editor.
The 80s pop culture references are so clumsily laid on, they lose any fun they may have held for me after the first chapter.
Sure, the author has done his research, but this reads as if it was written by a machine trying to approximate human emotion and interaction; technical pitches for gadgets yet to be commissioned in place of wit, story and heart.

Very disappointing.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books

Jul 25, 2017  
His Bloody Project
His Bloody Project
Graeme Macrae Burnet | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well written, realistic penny dreadful
The author has done quite a spectacular job of researching this piece of historical fiction, bringing to life a gruesome episode in 1800s Scotland. Expect to read a documentary type book and not a particularly suspenseful thriller. It took a long time to get into this book, mostly because the performance was quite dry and dull, hence I struggled to concentrate. During the crux of the story, in which Roddy is in court, the story picks up slightly, sounding more like a courtroom drama. He attempts to explore the idea of moral insanity, but falls short mostly because of the lack of understanding they would have at the time the book is set.

Well written and researched but a bit bland.