Welcome to Litsy!

A novel of ideas and language more than plot. What do we do for love or faith (or the desire to have faith)? The characters are universally unlikeable and (except for our protagonist Will) basically unknowable - more cyphers for Will‘s own doubts than real people. But that is kind of the point. I‘m not sure I would say I enjoyed this, but it has left me thinking.
Trigger warning for sexual assault

This was not an easy read. Interestingly written, with 2 main characters & a 3rd relevant, but not prominent one, & constant switches between 1st/3rd person. A former evangelical (Will) who has lost his faith and found obsession with his first girlfriend, Phoebe, who herself is gradually falling in to a religious/terrorist cult lead by John. I was fascinated by these people that I didn‘t like at all.

Dark, sad, trigger-loaded, sublime.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

The writing style of this book is unique and took some getting used to for me. The book is written from the perspective of a boyfriend of a girl who joins a cult while in college. The idea behind the book intrigued me, but I never felt fully invested with the characters and always felt a little like I was trying to catch up to where I was supposed to be in understanding.

Recent anti-Asian rhetoric from public officials regarding the current pandemic has contributed to a steep increase in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination. In response to this, I wanted to highlight 10 LGBTQ+ AAPI authors you should check out! (I'm only posting 3 here, the rest on Instagram as PopCultureLiterary)! #LGBTQ #AAPI

This was a relatively quick read due to its shorter length. Based on the book description, I was intrigued and expected to enjoy it, but I found myself not connecting with the characters, the plot, or the writing. Overall it left me depressed and disappointed. I think I get the point the author was trying to express, but it just missed the mark for me.

Wow, this took me by surprise. R.O. Kwon creates flawed characters that really sit somewhere deep. I can see how people fall into extreme religious thinking and it leads to unconscionable actions 👀.

I was intrigued by the blurb; a young woman drawn into a cult which goes on to commit a terrorist act, the boyfriend who struggles to stop her, but this wasn‘t for me. I didn‘t feel what I think I was meant to feel for any of the characters and I wanted more than I got. I skim read the last third and am moving on...

Today Emily and I are talking reading wheelhouses and the books we just can't stop buying.

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https://stuckinthestacks.com/2019/11/13/wheelhouse-wednesday-haley/

#blogs #readingwheelhouse #favoritegenres

There‘s a Goodwill store not far from where I work. My co-worker goes there on his lunch sometimes and buys books quite at random. Sometimes, by chance, he gets something I‘ve been wanting to read and I‘m able to convince him to give it to me. This is what he “donated” to me today 😁😂

This was a quick read/short audible. It‘s a pretty dark book. A lot of the writing is in a somewhat poetic style. I didn‘t hate it, but I don‘t think I‘d recommend it to friends either.

10-2-19: My 80th finished book of 2019! #theincendiaries #rokwon I wanted to like this one more than I did. 📖#️⃣8️⃣0️⃣

Will and Phoebe find each other and fall in love at college, but Phoebe‘s growing fascination with the enigmatic John Leal and his group of worshippers threatens to be a breaking point in their relationship.

Read September 7-12
Book 47/55

This was a pretty quick and enjoyable read! It's told through a couple different perspectives and I always love that when it's done well.

⭐️⭐️1/2 This book is hard to review. Her writing style is good, but I don‘t think it‘s my favorite. With some sections in first person and others third, it was difficult to really sink into. I was also frustrated that the book jacket told so much of the story. I did appreciate the exploration of losing and/or gaining faith. Ultimately it left me feeling sad and unsatisfied. Maybe that was the author‘s intention?

More emotional than I expected, realistic, and incredibly sad. I enjoyed Kwon‘s interesting narrative style. My heart broke from the pain these characters felt.

A story about how loss (in this case, the death of a loved one) can lead to the seeking out of community (in this case, a cult), which in turn can lead to radicalization. I wouldn't say this the paciest story I've read this year, but I would say it's some of the best prose, and I'm looking forward to more from this author.

This book was not as compelling as I hoped but it has left an image of class, religion and the catalysts to what could lead to violent acts and the power of guilt, pain and the pull of persuasion. I think this is a book you might think about for a while as the characters are more impressions than characters.

This month‘s #under40bookclub pick is a story of college, privilege, obsession, religious fervor, and lies. I loved the technique and narrative style but was underwhelmed by the actual story. If you‘re going to give me a cult I want MORE of the details, not less! Still, at 210 pages I like a gut punch of a book, and this delivers. Definitely lots for a book club discussion.

This felt like the adult version of Looking for Alaska by John Green. I loved the writing style and the ideas the author was playing with, but the characters never felt fully fleshed out and Phoebe specifically was a little too “manic pixie dream girl”. Fast read, so I would still recommend it if you‘re interested. But it lacked some things I was looking for.

Book 5 of my #12booksofsummer challenge is a strange story of a young woman‘s growing involvement in a cult and then domestic terrorism. Some really good quality writing with great turns of phrase and interesting observations on faith, grief and belonging. Even in the first person (which is interestingly slippery at chapter beginnings), the narration is detached and hazy - not a completely good thing. Worth a read but you might forget it.

Not sure I will remember this book in six months. I was not very invested in the characters and the story telling was very straight forward. Had some interesting observations about faith and the lies we tell ourselves and others.

I can‘t tell if this is weird-brilliant or weird-weird. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Leaning towards brilliant...

I promise I will give Kwon‘s second novel a read if she learns how to use quotation marks. If lack of these is a deal breaker, then skip this book.

I also recommend reading this in a day or two, totally possible because it pretty short. 3.5⭐️

What is your beef with quotation marks, Kwon?? Hurts the flow so much for me. Sometimes I have no idea when people are talking!!

This is the face of a cat who is settling in for a long nap after her mom returned one book to the library and came home with five more.

Ugh. I hate when the writing is beautiful but the story itself is so lacking. I tried to keep an open mind, but I just did not enjoy this one, apart from the sparkling sentences sprinkled throughout. College students take different paths. Religion is a strong theme. I had the #audiobook from #Libby.

How can a book that is only 200 pages feel SO DAMN LONG. This has all the makings of a novel that I would like, but it‘s so uninteresting.

@AmyG Thank you so much my friend for this lovely surprise! This book looks so good that I am almost tempted to rearrange my day and start it immediately. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Lauren Groff calls this book God haunted, which is a perfect descriptor. Two people living with loss and guilt and the longing for faith. R. O. Kwon‘s description of the loss of faith is exquisite.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Maybe it was because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading, but it felt like just when the story was just getting started, the book ended. I wasn‘t very interested in Will or John and wished I could have gotten to know Phoebe way better.

I tried to like this book because it seemed like it was in my wheelhouse. There were some very engaging parts but, for the most part, I found the book rather confusing. In the end, I can only give it two stars. But, that‘s just me. Like Anne Bogel always reminds us, “Not every book is for every person, and that‘s OK.“

This intense, brief novel traces the relationship between two university students from very different backgrounds. Will is a former evangelical teen who lost his faith; Phoebe is a party girl whose carefree manner masks personal tragedy. When Phoebe is drawn into the orbit of a charismatic preacher, Will's jealousy battles with his desire to save her, and Phoebe's newfound faith leads her to take actions no one could have anticipated. Haunting.

Utterly compelling. Sparse and opaque, Kwon‘s prose requires focus, but it is far from a chore. I‘m still astonished at how she managed to alter my perspective with a single sentence in the final pages of the book.

There were some beautifully crafted sentences in this book. The beginning really had me....by the middle I was confused and wishing for more depth to the characters that I couldn‘t picture clearly. I kept reading in hopes the ending would redeem the flaws, but much like the characters in this book, there was no redemption.

I‘m soo behind on posting. I finished this like a week ago. Really enjoyed this one. It was a pretty quick read, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and probably could have been drawn out a bit more but other than that, it was pretty solid.

4/5

I am snuggled into bed with this beauty.

“In this life of blue honey, I don‘t think of the waste. I lap; I crawl. Navel oranges shine like medallions. A hired man whistles, fishing out the rot. No one lacks food, or falls ill.”

“She came up flailing, smiling to break her mouth.The lake healed itself around her hips. In a dress like the sun, she splashed out. She picked me up, spattering lake silt.I touched my mother‘s head,the hair wet,sanctified.”

Excellent. Through an engrossing three-perspective narration, the novel examines what it means to have faith and the costs of (re)invention. Elite private college + a cult + the line between love/obsession/control. Highly recommend.

Starting this one next.

I expected to like more than I did, because at surface level, it ticks a lot of my favourite boxes. The Incendiaries is told in sparse, carefully crafted prose, is driven by exploration into the psyche of its characters, and asks big questions about big ideas like faith and violence. Unfortunately, all this potential was a bit unrealised for me. Kwon is undoubtedly a talented writer, with some interesting and challenging ideas.

Nothing like a cult novel 👌🏻

Meh. The writing was ok but I found the book confusing at first and slightly boring.

I liked the writing, I liked the style but I‘d say, for me, this book feel midway between a so-so and a pick. A solid 3.5 ⭐️

I wanted to love this book and I‘m sad I didn‘t. Many people who have the same tastes as me love this book. And I totally rock with the author. I think if I had read it at another point in my life, I would have absolutely rode for it. The writing is beautiful in its own way. The voices are distinct and trippy. It def gets points for Asian-American working class characters and complicated, deep love, and the painful ways we try to find belonging.

My opinion continuously shifted over the course of this slim novel. While there is a lot to unpack about the nature of obsession and religion none of the characters were presented in a way for me to understand WHY the obsessions took root. Perhaps that‘s part of the danger - I wouldn‘t fall for it so why would anyone else? I‘ll be thinking about this one for a long time and R.O. Kwon is immensely talented. 3.75-4 🌟.

1.3.19 This book took me a while to get into and enjoy. The way the story is written and told is odd and different to get used to at first. For the first half of the book I was waiting for something interesting to happen. To be honest I was getting a little bored and almost returned it to the library - but I am SO glad I finished it.
The events that happen towards the end of the book are shocking and heartbreaking, definitely worth the read!

#decemberstats #Decemberwrapup

Fourteen books read made December an excellent reading month. Again no 5* reads, but the tagged one came close and the three others were my 4* reads.

With more books read than ever this year, totally based on Litsy 💕, I am looking forward to next year and wish you all a #HappyNewYear 🥂💃💋

#WinterWonderland

Wonderfully melancholy tone with a good mix of hope and optimism. Phoebe‘s descent into a cult seems to mirror Will‘s transition into a lifestyle of drinking, fraternity life, and a career in finance. He clearly perceives her changes, but seems almost blind to his own. Even though both lose their way from where they started you have hope that their positive underlying traits will win out.

This review is for Kwon‘s short story “Legends of the Seoul Dogs” day 23 of the Short Story Advent Calendar about a Korean boy living with his father, a doomsday preacher, in northern California after his mother leaves them. The boy is the master of 2 leonine dogs, golden maned and perfect companions for the boy- perfect protectors. The framework is mythological. Very well told.