Unapologetic Reviews

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a short, self contained comic by Deya Muniz , inspired by her relationship with her wife . It is the kind of book you can read in one sitting. I read it on the bus home from work, yet it still manages to feel complete. The full story is available at the end of the book, so I will avoid spoilers here. The premise is simple and playful. In an alternative history world loosely reminiscent of seventeenth century France , a Countess presents as a Count. The reason why she needs to pretend to be a man is obvious, the Count has no male heirs, and that’s not a good thing even in this world. What really carries the book is its tone. The side characters are sweet and humorous. There is a lightness to the dialogue and the situations, and of course an abundance of grilled cheese sandwiches , that keeps everything warm and approachable. The art supports this perfectly. Soft lines , expressive faces , and a colour palette that feels very feminine ....

I started reading Jane Austen ’s Sense and Sensibility as a book but switched to an audiobook halfway through, listening to Karen Savage ’s version. My aim is to read all of Austen’s novels this year and watch the movie adaptations as part of my “ Year of Austen ” project, celebrating her 250th birthday . Sense and Sensibility was Austen’s first published work. It was originally intended to be an epistolary novel , a style where the story unfolds through characters' letters. Although Austen eventually moved away from that format, hints of it remain. Conversations are often reported rather than directly shown, giving the style a slight distance that can feel stark to modern readers. The story itself is overall positive but carries a distinct realism, especially regarding money matters. Elinor is the main character, and it’s largely through her eyes that we view the world. At 19, she is already remarkably mature: sober, fully aware of her place in society, and with few illusions. ...

I'm Glad My Mom Died is a memoir by Jennette McCurdy , written in her own voice and from her own experience. As a child, Jennette wanted to be a writer, not an actor. The book’s provocative title sets the tone, and while it may sound shocking at first, by the end I understood her, and was also glad her mother died. Many describe this as a book about the dark side of childhood stardom , but they are only partially right. This is more a story about abuse and enmeshment —about a mother so entangled with her child’s identity that there is no space left for that child to grow, express herself, or even exist as a separate person. It should be required reading in psychology courses as a modern case study of dysfunctional family dynamics . While the book covers disturbing aspects of the entertainment industry, Jennette herself recognises that being a child actor doesn’t have to be inherently damaging. During the filming of Sam & Cat, she briefly becomes friends with Ariana Grande , an...

The Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie is a Poirot novel that was first published in 1934. Christie plays with a theatrical structure in Three Act Tragedy, dividing the mystery like a stage play.  The story begins with a party at Sir Charles Cartwright ’s house. We are introduced to the cast of characters and you immediately start to wonder who is going to die. It’s really best to go into the rest of the story blind, as it has surprising twists and turns from the beginning. The story itself is rather slow-paced and feels meandering at some points, more focused on the characters than the mystery, but in the end it all comes together. Although this is a Poirot story, he appears very little in it. He’s there when the first murder takes place, briefly mentioned in the second act, but only returns for the third act to solve the mystery and dazzle everyone with his little gray cells . The majority of the sleuthing is done by Mr Satterthwaite and Hermione “Egg” Lytton Gore . Mr Satt...