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[BOOK REVIEW] The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Tw⚠️ misogyny

The Scarlet Letter is a heavy, thought-provoking book that dives into themes of guilt, shame, and societal judgment. Unfortunately it is very boring. It follows Hester Prynne as she deals with the becoming a moral outcast after she gives birth to an illegitimate baby in her puritan community.

What I liked about the book:

+ the message behind the book is timeless and many people still need to here.

What I didn’t really like:

- this book is boring and feels its age with its writing style and heavy handedness .

- Dimmesdale that’s it Dimmesdale.

⚠️SPOILER WARNING ⚠️

The Scarlet Letter is honestly pretty boring. The whole thing just keeps going on, especially with Dimmesdale and his guilt trip. This guy spends the entire book torturing himself over the affair ‘suffering in silence’ Every time he starts going on about his inner torment, I found myself rolling my eyes. It’s like, come on, we get it, you’re suffering. Can we just move the plot forward? Personally I choose to believe he carves the “A” into his chest like some kind of martyr because that would hurt him . His act is honestly so over-the-top, it made me want to slap him through the page.

And the pace of the book? It’s painfully slow. It spends so much time wallowing in guilt and shame, which, okay, I get it’s the theme, but it’s just repetitive. By the time I reached the end, I was just glad it was over. That being said, there’s still a solid message in The Scarlet Letter that stands out, even today. The way Hester is slut-shamed and treated like an outcast for something that both she and Dimmesdale were involved in is honestly still so relevant It’s just a shame the rest of the book can feel so slow and overly dramatic in getting there.

1/5 save yourself just watch Easy A

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[BOOK REVIEW] Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

Tw⚠️ Racism, abuse, death and illness

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a haunting and tragic tale of love, obsession, and revenge. Set on the bleak Yorkshire moors, the story follows the twisted relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw from their early days as children to their present selves. Brontë’s vivid, atmospheric writing captures the gothic intensity prevalent at the time. Its complex characters leave a lasting impression, making it a powerful, albeit challenging, read.

What I liked about this book :

+ From the minute we flash back to Heathcliff and Catherine childhood the book becomes impossible to put down.

+ Nelly’s character -by mid point of the novel you could tell she so done with Catherine and Heathcliff (mostly Heathcliff)

What I didn’t really like:

- The beginning of the book is quite slow and quite boring, but stick with it it does get good.

- The writing style- this book is a 19th century text and you can tell, from Shakespearean words to straight up slurs used to describe characters this book is dated.

⚠️SPOILER WARNING ⚠️

“I love my murder, but yours -how could I”

I love Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship -constantly swinging between fiery passion and full-on drama. They’re like two magnets, constantly drawn to each other, but the closer they get, the more they hurt each other. Their love is all-consuming, toxic, and at times, hilarious. The way they fight, make up, and then push each other away is almost cartoonish in its intensity. They accuse each other of being the reason the other dying a lot. And poor Nelly has to just deal with it. Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s toxic relationship is gripping, and Heathcliff’s descent into revenge makes you want to keep reading. Then, after Catherine dies, it slows down again, with the next generation taking over, and it feels like the drama from earlier in the novel fades.

And then the ending happens—Hareton (Catherine’s nephew who grew up in Heathcliff house ) and Catherine’s daughter start to bond, offering a faint sense of closure. It’s like the cycle of torment finally breaks, but it also feels a little anticlimactic.

3/5

(The movie casting is shockingly bad )

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[BOOK REVIEW] Five Survive- Holly Jackson

TW ⚠️ Exuctions, Gun violence, Consumption of alcohol and Mob violence

Holly Jackson's Five Survive is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Set over a single tense night, the story unfolds with a group of friends on a road trip in an RV that takes a dangerous turn, testing their resilience and trust in one another. Although a typical YA novel in style, Holly Jackson really knows how to write a page-turner.

I would not say this book is on my must-read list yet highly enjoyable thanks to Holly Jackson writing style.

What I liked about this book:

+ The writing style, This book is creepy, suspensful and the tension in the RV is papable

+ Holly Jackson really knows how to write a hateable character like every time Oliver spoke i wanted another character to shush him

What I didn't really like:

-Unfortaunly except for red the main charter the other characters where not very 3 dimensional example being Maddie who can be summed up by being Reds best friend

-A very unrealistic plot ( see spoiler section)

⚠️ SPOLIER WARNING ⚠️

I found the premise—a group of kids stranded after their RV breaks down (tyres shot out by the mob sniper???), with no cell service and a sniper lurking in the woods—very hard to take seriously. When a planted walkie-talkie is discovered and it’s revealed that the sniper is holding them hostage until someone “confesses a secret,” it only makes the situation feel even less believable. And shocking all but one character has massive skeletons in the closet from accidentally killing someone, knowing who killed the main character's mom, being a secret made-up witness to a mob case and being the mob leader's son it feels a lot like and then and then ...

Despite my complaints, the entertainment factor was there I did want to keep turning the pages, Yes its completely unrealistic and absurd, but I truly appreciate Holly Jackson's writing style and how she always manages to pull the rug out for under me.

3/5

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[ BOOK REVIEW ] The Secret History- Donna Tartt

Tw ⚠️ Abuse (emotional/sexual), Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia Incest and Misogyny

This book was about, the intoxicating allure of academia and wealth, the fragility of morality, and the weight of consequence. Set at an elite Vermont college, the story follows a group of 6 classic students whose intellectual pursuits blur dangerously with their personal lives, leading to profound and morally comprehensible choices. This book gets messy real quick diving headfirst into the chaos of fractured friendships, mounting paranoia, and the unravelling of carefully constructed facades of the main characters

Y'all need to read this but be warned it is not spicey but handles very heavy topics

What I liked about this book: + The mystery, the darkness I could feel the dark academia vibes

+ This Book is such a page-turner. I finished in a week! As a dyslexic reader that is fast

+ I love how the narrator could make me question my own morality It was so manipulating to understand what drives the characters

What I didn't really like:

- Camilla's Character seemed so underdeveloped compared to the rest of the main students

- the chapter length. A completely me problem but between some moments you need to take a break after what you just read to pick up the pieces.

⚠️ SPOLIER WARNING ⚠️

"The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation".

Just what an opening line

I was in bed when I finished this book and I think I just lay there processing what happened. My poor baby Francis like no one in the book is a good person but he didn't deserve that ending give him a little lavender marriage. Do I feel bad for anyone else absolutely not maybe Camilla because she lost Henry but she felt like the object that everyone was fighting over at the end.

4/5