I usually find characters that are standoffish from the get-go difficult to rally behind, but Pheobe became more and more human as the book went and hI usually find characters that are standoffish from the get-go difficult to rally behind, but Pheobe became more and more human as the book went and her initial unsociable reactions to obviously friendly people made sense. And you know I love a found family, so when she started to actually change over the course of the book, I got invested in every relationship she had.
So cute, and I really enjoyed it, in short....more
Took me a lot of years to read this because I was living some pipe-dream that I would see it live first. But, one benefit of my useless brain that forTook me a lot of years to read this because I was living some pipe-dream that I would see it live first. But, one benefit of my useless brain that forgets everything 2 days after I finish reading it is that I get to re-read everything as if it were for the first time. So if I go see it live, no harm done by having read it now.
Well, I'm just a big fan of Emily Henry now, aren't I? I don't have much to say other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this.
It was cozy, and funny and fuWell, I'm just a big fan of Emily Henry now, aren't I? I don't have much to say other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this.
It was cozy, and funny and full of heart, and I stayed up late reading it, and I'm probably going to go pick up Beach Read and then eventually run out of books by her and add her to the list of Authors I'm impatiently waiting for the next release from because I am nothing if not a woman of strong, predictable patterns. ...more
So, the dialogue felt less like organic conversation and more like... reading through every option on the conversation wheel in a video game, before mSo, the dialogue felt less like organic conversation and more like... reading through every option on the conversation wheel in a video game, before moving onto another character to do the same? I mean, it kept things moving quickly, but I do think that no-one in 'The Tribe' realistically would have even liked the MC at all, because all she did was roll in and start prodding them about their trauma non stop, accused them of stuff constantly, and provoked them to fight each other by saying flat-out lies so she could further her agenda. And objectively, I know they were bad, and suss, and she should be asking a million questions, but also, I honestly was kind of hyped for her to be the bad guy after all because she just found this group of friends trying to work on themselves, living in the wild away from other people, just doing their weird culty thing, and just proceeded to harass the shit out of them until they coughed up their most tragic stories and gradually gave into the trauma they had been fighting to overcome. I mean, my social anxiety would have had me running for the hills the second I saw that place and I definitely found every character weird and unlikeable, cults are a no from me, but at least they went somewhere secluded to be weird, right? Leave some motherfuckers to their beach and body burying?
But I did actually enjoy the book and the ending... not sure how I feel about it, but I kind of like that I'm not sure....more
Very cute, easy to love, Halloween-y gem. Think the quaint, witchy charm of bewitched but the quirky, funny banter and steaminess of a Sally Thorne3.5!
Very cute, easy to love, Halloween-y gem. Think the quaint, witchy charm of bewitched but the quirky, funny banter and steaminess of a Sally Thorne novel....more
I'm very late to the party here (about 25 years it seems) but vain ol' me didn't have any interest in this book until it had a cover as pretty as thisI'm very late to the party here (about 25 years it seems) but vain ol' me didn't have any interest in this book until it had a cover as pretty as this. It just happened that, after deciding I wouldn't buy any new books for a bit, my boyfriend and I walked through the book shop... just because we were in the area, you know? And it just so happened that there was this pretty new version of a book that my boyfriend has been saying was one of his childhood faves for a while. So even though I technically bought it, and technically read it, it was technically for him, so if didn't count.
Anyway, were I a fair bit younger, I think I would have loved this. As it stands, it was a fantasy book with a lot of wayfaring terminology and war strategizing that made me snooze, but it was otherwise pretty good....more
2.5 There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, other than that I feel it advertised something very different than what it gave, and what it ga2.5 There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, other than that I feel it advertised something very different than what it gave, and what it gave is not my cup of tea.
"Laugh out loud funny" the quote on the cover says, but I found this book to be a heart wrenching, depressing journey. And it was appropriate, its the story of a woman who lost the love of her life, but it was at no point, ever, laugh out loud funny, so I don't understand why it was sold that way. It was beautiful in its own right, so I think it could have just been upfront about it....more
Just couldn't really get on board with these characters like I normally could. Nice ending, but Carey took too much BS for too long and I don't love boJust couldn't really get on board with these characters like I normally could. Nice ending, but Carey took too much BS for too long and I don't love books like that so much anymore....more
Other than making me feel high key stressed for a good portion of the book waiting for the inevitable implosion of everything, I loved this book. HelenOther than making me feel high key stressed for a good portion of the book waiting for the inevitable implosion of everything, I loved this book. Helen Hoang is (and has already been) in my buy-without-even-needing-the-blurb author list.
4 years later and this still had me laughing out loud. I feel like you can just feel the explosion of ideas and colors and chaos in her head, pouring 4 years later and this still had me laughing out loud. I feel like you can just feel the explosion of ideas and colors and chaos in her head, pouring out all over these pages, and it resonates with me so hard.
__Original Review__ Ugh! I loved them when they were petty, I loved them when they were a team. I loved the narration, I loved the dialogue, the pacing, the side characters, the plot. I was laughing non-stop.
I'm officially in for whatever Sarah Hogle has to come. Devoured this book....more
Super cute. The "Happily ever after" for *everyone* was a little full on and drawn out, but how can I be bitter about someone trying to make me happy?Super cute. The "Happily ever after" for *everyone* was a little full on and drawn out, but how can I be bitter about someone trying to make me happy?
Great start to my 2020. Too bad the real world can't be this glossy ...more
My friend said to me that she thought the message in this book was that her best friend was her soulmate all along, and I couldn't agree more. This 4.0
My friend said to me that she thought the message in this book was that her best friend was her soulmate all along, and I couldn't agree more. This book was 100% about their unconditional love and support for each other and all the guy stuff was secondary.
Great premise, super uplifting and inspiring book. Pretty sure I'm team Ethan....more
The last third of this book was better than the first 2, and I was going to give it a higher rating, but then I wrote my review and dEye-roll emoji/10
The last third of this book was better than the first 2, and I was going to give it a higher rating, but then I wrote my review and decided nuh. I had no god-damn idea what has happening for the majority of this book and I'm not blaming myself this time. That's 4/4 of her books I've been completely lost in.
Between the narrator intentionally not giving us massively plot relevant information (a huuuuuge pet peeve of mine), using totally different names for characters all the time, even while they refer to themselves (Darlington, Daniel, Danny, Virgil, Alex, Galaxy, Stern, Dante-THESE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE), and rules to the magic that were completely undefined, I felt like I had no chance at solving this mystery.
And why was this even a mystery she was involved in in the first place? She got enough evidence to turn her away at the beginning, she's a girl struggling her way through college, never finished highschool, and is completely uninterested in the whole Dante thing -- why did she keep investigating a closed case and insist on jeopardising her ability to even be there? Because of a feeling. Another pet peeve of mine. Magical powers of greater insight given to main characters because plot.
Additionally, the timeline on this was chaos. We would flip back and forth between the past and the present in different chapters, but we would read more about the past in the present chapters, as well as further in the past, so when she starts talking about how she's sitting on a chair I had no fucking idea what timeline we're talking about. Maybe I'm the idiot, but I was lost, or uninterested 80% of the time.
I loved Six of Crows, but I have always found Leigh's writing to have too many names, places, powers, beliefs etc to follow. When she says 'Colin', I'm supposed to remember who he is, where we've seen him before, what house he's associated with, what magic his house deals in, and how that might associate him with the murder? And then there are how many other characters with how many other unexplained names?
Things began to pick up towards the end as I finally started to understand the rules a bit better (or at least she finally stopped introducing new ones) but somehow I still managed to call the culprits early - even if not how or why. So take from that what you will. Predictable character set up? Not to mention - they have glamours, portals and compulsion. The murder could have been literally anyone because any alibi could have been bullshit. There was no way to properly figure this out
Speaking of characters, where are the Kaz's and the Jespers?? Everyone in the story was a piece of toast or blander - none less than our protagonist. I wasn't invested in anyone except maybe North, who she was pretty much an ass hole to consistently anyway. So that didn't make me like her any extra.
Finally, my last gripe is (view spoiler)[
Gentlemen Demon!?(hide spoiler)] What the fuck is that? Most unbelievable thing in a book that features bad weather literally brewed in a teapot.
Oh. And P.S? RAPE ISN'T NECESSARY FOR EVERY STORY. Why is it just a standard part of every female protag's life? I get enough horror in the real world - I don't need it constantly thrown in my face how defenceless I am and how it can happen anywhere from anyone. So Trigger Warning for that. When she's talking about the butterfly santuary....more
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