March '23 BOTMs Review

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

• Character Development: ★★★★☆

  • Shiori is written as a genuine character who reacts to each plot point in an organic way and develops as a character gaining maturity and wisdom throughout the novel.

• Pacing: ★★★★★

  • The pacing in this book is some of the best we have encountered so far! Each page flows by naturally and is incredibly immersive. This is all thanks to Elizabeth Lim’s beautiful writing style which is the perfect balance of detail and action.

• Plot: ★★★★☆

  • This story makes use of elegant world-building in hand with vivid cultural aspects. The plot is sewn together with twists and turns.

• Coherence: ★★★★☆

  • Writing was clear throughout the book whilst still maintaining profound detail. Although the ending was more difficult to parse, collectively the chapters were cohesive.

• Enjoyability: ★★★★★

  • From the general plot, Shiori’s unique and authentic character, the cultural ideas represented in this story, and every shocking plot twist, this novel has everything to offer in terms of enjoyability! Readers will also enjoy the beautiful cover art, chapter headers, and map which add to the reading experience as a whole.

• Bonus Criteria: How much this raised our cravings for rice cakes: ★★★★★

  • Rice cakes were on our mind the whole month thanks to this book!

• Booksify Scale rating: 4.5

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes

• Character Development: N/A

• Pacing: ★★☆☆☆

  • The density of the writing overwhelms the pacing. It does not flow easily and requires more willpower to push past and not fall into a reading slump.

• Plot: ★★☆☆☆

  • A specific plot is not present but rather commentaries on plot/ depictions of women in Greek mythology. The author presents well-thought approaches to the plot.

• Coherence: ★★☆☆☆

  • There is not enough supporting information, chronology, etc. to provide a background for the reader to comprehend the book to the best of their ability.

• Enjoyability: ★★★☆☆

  • The commentary in this book reflects the author’s research and love for Greek mythology. The actual content of the book was cumbersome to process although moments of humor and quips were included.

• Bonus Criteria: How much this book made us respect the women of Greek myths: ★★★☆☆

  • This book helped us understand the perspective and misconceptions of women in Greek mythology, however it may bring readers down with heavy content which reflects on a history of misogyny.

• Booksify Scale rating: 2.4

Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence, Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers by Lauren Burke, Hannah K. Chapman, and (illustrations by) Kaley Bales

• Character Development: ★★☆☆☆

  • While this collection focuses more on the summaries of each author’s history and motivations rather than their character development, this book does a lovely job capturing the essence of each author it describes by providing us with little windows into what makes each author unique.

• Pacing: ★★★★☆

  • The pacing in this book is very comfortable and pleasant, perfectly suiting the purpose of this collection. Each story is consistent in length and is easy to breeze through, making this book a cute and fun read!

• Plot: ★★★☆☆

  • There is barely any plot in this book due to it being a recap of the lives of several classic female authors, however each segment did a skillful job summing up the history of each author and capturing their motivations for writing.

• Coherence: ★★★★☆

  • This book is very easy to understand and follow due to the appealing illustrations and engaging writing. The graphic aspect of this collection helped further progress the story and make it overall super coherent!

• Enjoyability: ★★★★☆

  • This is a short and sweet collection of stories that helps educate its readers and inspire them by providing stories of strong female authors prevailing throughout history!

• Bonus Criteria: How much this book made made us want to be feminist historians: ★★★★★

  • We felt equal parts feminist and historian while reading this collection!

• Booksify Scale rating: 3.7

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As we get further and further into the year, it’s time to enjoy the changing of the seasons and the newfound traits of nature this process brings with it! As the famous saying goes: “April showers bring May flowers” and this month is all about focusing on the wonders of the land and the water, so beautiful they are almost magical.

Our BOTM for April 2023 will be The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh.

This book explores themes of fantasy and builds an alluring sense of place around it, focussing on the ideas of tangible landscapes such as the sea, the Spirit Realm, and more. Delve into this wondrous fantasy world with us and focus on the surreal qualities that can be found in this novel’s beguiling world-building!