This book is such an incredibly important read, centering around a part of history that we don’t talk about nearly often enough. That being said, I reThis book is such an incredibly important read, centering around a part of history that we don’t talk about nearly often enough. That being said, I really appreciated the subject matter of this novel, and it gave such an in-depth look into what this moment in time was like for thousands of Japanese-Americans. You feel like you’re along in the journey with all of these characters in the things that they endure, and the way they are seen and treated by the rest of the country.
On the other hand though, I feel reeeeally bad that I had a difficult time actually connecting with this book and the characters. I think the issue lies in the fact that there are just so many narrators in this story, and it hops from one to the other throughout the entire novel without ever circling back to any of them again. So you’ll read from the perspective of one character in the beginning and then never read from them again. So when you have this many characters, it can be easy for them to get lost amidst all the other character perspectives, and before you know it you’ve completely forgotten who this character is or what their story was, or you end up getting characters and plot lines mixed up and they all sort of blur together.
I went into this really excited to connect with these characters and feel a part of this strong friendship group that they have, but I just never got to that point. I think the story would’ve benefited a lot more if it was told from a single-character perspective. That way you would still be introduced to all of these characters and their individual struggles, all of this being experienced and told through one central character. I think that would’ve been a lot more impactful, plus alleviate the confusion of jumping from one character to the other through the entire novel and having to distinguish between all of these characters and their stories that end of blurring together.
Again, I really appreciated the subject matter of this novel and already felt like I learned so much more about this point in history. My big hang up was that I just had a really difficult time connecting with the characters—even returning to this book after taking a week-long break, I had zero recollection of any of the characters. Unfortunately, this is going to be an instance of a book with a memorable topic but otherwise completely forgettable in all other aspects....more
I’m so ashamed of past me for having the audacity to give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because I’m on my second time readingUpdated review: 4/14/2020:
I’m so ashamed of past me for having the audacity to give this book 4 out of 5 stars, because I’m on my second time reading this and it is DESTROYING ME. Granted, I am still aware of the few points in the story where I feel a bit “meh” (It’s okay. We can say Mabel) but I don’t think this should have any impact on the overall rating, because THIS BOOK IS SO DAMN GOOD. I feel like most of my reading experience has just been me whimpering over how much I love all of these characters so deeply and how much it physically pains me to see them hurting in any way.
I will say this, too: I think a major contributor behind my past rating was the fact that I had listened to this book mainly via audiobook, which is why I cannot do audiobooks. Maybe if I’ve already read the book and feel like listening to the audiobook for a fun, added experience, sure. But if I’m reading a book for the first time, I need to experience it for myself, with my own inner reading voice and read in my own particular way. As much as I LOVE January LaVoy as a narrator for these books, there’s also something special about connecting with a book for the first time on your own and having your own intimate experience with it, without the aid of a narrator.
**** This book series continues to be exceptional and SO well crafted. Don't let the four-star rating fool you. It's more like a 4.5. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book; I just maybe liked it a liiiittle bit less than the first two. It was definitely slower in the beginning but oh MAN does it intensify in the last half.
I'm also thankful that while I am SO READY for the fourth book to come out, I also wasn't left quaking from an intense cliffhanger and reduced to a puddle of emotional distress. Like, yes, there are definitely still many questions I want answered and I'm anxious to find out what happens next (especially to a CERTAIN character, ahem!) but it's not necessarily dire. I feel like I can survive waiting for the next book... even if it's probably going to be a lonnng wait (*sobs*)...more
Oh my word... oh goodness... Nothing prepared me for just how much I absolutely LOVED this book. Perhaps a more detailed review later, but right now IOh my word... oh goodness... Nothing prepared me for just how much I absolutely LOVED this book. Perhaps a more detailed review later, but right now I'm just in a state of complete awe and a feeling like I've just stumbled upon my new favorite book series. Seriously, I'm exhausted over how freaking exceptional this book was....more
This was such a delight to read! And so. Much. FUN.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't know what to expect going in, whether I would even like this bookThis was such a delight to read! And so. Much. FUN.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't know what to expect going in, whether I would even like this book very much. Everything about it screamed "not my type," what with this being a retelling of a classic British novel (hate 'em) and a girl's face being on the cover (aesthetically speaking, not usually a fan)
But the second I opened this, I was swept up into a whirlwind adventure with Victorian ghost hunters and I loved every second of it. It features a ragtag cast of characters that you can't help but fall in love with. It's so much fun to see them interact as they go through this crazy chain of events together, and along the way you find yourself growing more and more attached to them. This book almost gave me Fantastic Beasts vibes for this very reason, and the two stories definitely share that same overall spirit of these characters thrust into a chaotic situation together, chasing after something—whether that be creatures or ghosts.
I also just can't stress enough: this book was so, so much fun. I felt like I was grinning the entire time, and there's so much of that dry, offbeat British humor that makes this book absolutely hilarious. (see below for my favorite moments) There are times when I can't quite get into dry British humor that I often found others raving about in various books and TV shows, but when I read this, I felt for a moment like I got it, like I knew what people were talking about and I could finally get in on it. Huh. Maybe all this time, all I needed to enjoy books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre was a little more modernizing and a smidgen of Ghost Busters vibes!
I genuinely can't say enough good things about this book. I loved all of the characters so much. Especially Charlotte... and Bran... and Helen... and okay basically all of them. I shipped the everliving heck out of two of the characters in this book and was SO happy when they finally got together. There are just so many warm fuzzies that I will forever feel when I think about this book now, and it'll just make me want to go on a good ol' spoopy ghost adventure with my favorite 19th century friends all over again.
Favorite quotes: --- Even when she was committing murder, she was thinking of others.
--- And that's when, as they used to say, the dung hit the crosswind.
--- And with that, Jane and Helen found themselves out the door. Alone. On a dirt road. Which was blanketed in a thick fog.
"This is going so well," Jane said. "We're all going to die," said Helen.
--- Charlotte swallowed down a lump of disappointment in her throat, both because she was a wretched female and because she had never died, not even once. It all felt so wildly unfair. ...more
This turned out to be such an unexpected surprise! I didn't have any expectations going into this book, but I found myself enjoying this so much. The This turned out to be such an unexpected surprise! I didn't have any expectations going into this book, but I found myself enjoying this so much. The only reason I'm not giving it five-stars is because I wouldn't say it goes down as one of my favorite reads of all time (which is generally in the ball park of what I award five stars). Still, this is a great middle grade read— British classic meets ghost story in this intriguing novel, perfect for curling up with on a winter night.
The interesting thing about this book is that it reads very much like classic literature, including the dialogue (also due to the fact that it takes place in late 1800s Liverpool). At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about this, not being too fond of classics, but I adapted very easily to it and found that it really added an authenticity to the novel. I highly commend the author for perfectly crafting a classic children's novel for the modern reader. ...more
I decided to read this due to my rising interest in both women's studies and sex studies, as well as my intrigue with supposed "women hysteria" in theI decided to read this due to my rising interest in both women's studies and sex studies, as well as my intrigue with supposed "women hysteria" in the Victorian era. I have to say that I loved this! I was enthralled by it from the first page to the very end! Sarah Ruhl is a brilliant and wonderful playwright....more
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