Nagasravika's Book Reviews Blog

 Private Rites  By Julia Armfield  Finalist for Arthur C Clarke Award 2025 Published Year: 2024  Page Count: 235 pages  Medium Used: Kindle PW  Genre: Dystopian, Horror, Drama,Dysfunctional Families, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ,2026-read.  Rating: 3/5 😀😀😇 I came across this book while browsing the shelves of Arthur Clarke Award nominees for 2025. Immediately taken in by the idea of a story loosely based on King Lear and his three daughters, I picked it, setting aside three other books I was reading at that point. The dominant thought running in my mind all the time I was reading was, where is this story going? I also remember thinking, at multiple points, that the author is not a sensational storyteller. But I was resolute to not give in to the voice in my head prompting me to DnF and see the book through to the end. Having finished, I have ambivalent feelings for this. I liked the character development and appreciate the fact that there a...

The Three Body Problem [2008] By Cixin Liu  Winner of Hugo Award 2008  399 PAGES (Kindle Digital Edition) Rating 5/5👍 GENRES: Fiction, Hard core, Aliens, Dystopian. Not the usual kind of scifi novel. There are plenty of different elements thrown into the mix. I am at a loss of words on what and how to describe what I just read. Aliens are invited to invade planet Earth by a notable scientist who thinks their invasion would solve the crisises humans have been unable to solve for themselves. There cannot be a more naive assumption. As it is proved in the book, the intentions of the aliens for invasion turn out to be purely malignant and selfish in nature. Anyways, as mentioned, though that is the crux of the plot, it is also just one aspect of it.  The Three Body game which introduces the world of aliens called the Trisolaris is just amazing. . .no other words. Though it is a game that is played wearing a V suit and head helmet to experience the world and its c...

11/22/63  By Stephen King (2011)  Genre : Historical fiction,thriller, science fiction,time travel, horror, suspense,alternate reality,romance , 2021-read,big book, dystopian Rating 5/5 😍🥳 Stephen King - everyone knows is a genius with words. He has written a ton of books of which I had read a handful and liked them very much - but I say with conviction that this book is the best of all I had read. It's a blend of all elements that make up fiction. It's bone chilling,tenseful,fastastic, unputdownable - but  also  prompt to give nightmares to those that can't quite put it out of their mind. But still, I think Stephen King managed to infuse subtle - but certain - humor into this macabre and desolate story about a hanging-in-the-distance  bleak, dystopian future. 🤗 Coming to the story, Al Templeton is a cook at a diner and he finds this portal/"rabbit hole" that could transport him to a different time in the past. Precisely to a specific date and time in the yea...