I loved this book at the beginning, but then its style began to wear on me. The story is told through journal entries and letters and telegrams which I loved this book at the beginning, but then its style began to wear on me. The story is told through journal entries and letters and telegrams which is my least favorite form of storytelling.
I can't deny the genius of the book, but this rating is for enjoyability. ...more
I liked this a ton better than the movie. And now I'm going into why which contains some indirect spoilers about the endings of both the movie and theI liked this a ton better than the movie. And now I'm going into why which contains some indirect spoilers about the endings of both the movie and the book. (view spoiler)[The movie implies that love conquers all, that all you need for mental illness to go away is someone who loves you. I had assumed it got the ending from the book and was pleasantly surprised to find that not the case. I found this ending much more palatable and realistic. (hide spoiler)]
Moving on.
This was a very quick read: I finished it in two sittings. It was different enough from the movie that I wasn't always sure what was going to happen next. The movie was fairly lighthearted, considering its content, and while this was certainly a light book in tone, the content felt much more weighty.
Those disappointed in the somewhat silliness of the movie might enjoy this....more
There were so many things I didn't like about this book. First of all, the way the series of events played out seemed pretty much like the first book There were so many things I didn't like about this book. First of all, the way the series of events played out seemed pretty much like the first book taken to the extreme. Sure, I read sequels because I liked the original, but that doesn't mean I want to read the original again.
Don Tillman and Rosie are married and now, surprise, Rosie's pregnant! Don doesn't know how to deal with this which results in typical Don misunderstandings.
Here are the things I didn't like: -- Rosie stops behaving like the Rosie we fell in love with -- Don, usually hyper rational, makes a series of uncharacteristically irrational decisions -- Don is somehow a savant when it comes to fixing everyone's problems; it reads like magic, not realistic fiction -- There's an incident with a plane that I couldn't quite suspend my belief enough for...more
Loved the premise of this one. Superheroes AND zombies? Zombies who can talk? Superheroes who turn into zombies? Pretty cool.
That said, I felt that thLoved the premise of this one. Superheroes AND zombies? Zombies who can talk? Superheroes who turn into zombies? Pretty cool.
That said, I felt that this would've been a much better comic book than novel. The author introduces too many characters by name that we only see once, and plot holes are more obvious in this format than they would have been in comic format. There was very little character development (even though we get to see how most of the superheroes became superheroes), and all the buildup was to a big battle. Very graphic novel-esque....more
This is the harrowing story of 33 men buried in the San Jose mine in Chile for 69 days. At first, they don't know if anyone will try to rescue them orThis is the harrowing story of 33 men buried in the San Jose mine in Chile for 69 days. At first, they don't know if anyone will try to rescue them or if they're given up as lost.
But the story isn't just about the time spent in the mine. We get to know many of the men personally--we hear their stories and the stories of their loved ones. We learn what was going through their heads, and we even follow them for a while after they get out of the mine: how did the mine impact their lives?
This was a very well-researched book, and I was impressed with the level of detail. I had a tough time keeping track of who was who, but that's not the author's fault. With 33 main characters, it was bound to get a little tricky remembering who did what....more
Between Shades of Gray is the story of Lina, a fifteen year old suddenly ripped from her life in Lithuania, the only life she's ever known, and taken Between Shades of Gray is the story of Lina, a fifteen year old suddenly ripped from her life in Lithuania, the only life she's ever known, and taken on a terrifying journey to a work camp with her mother and brother. She doesn't know why they're being taken or where her father is.
The story here is amazing and one that needs to be told. I know embarrassingly little about the penal labor camps in Siberia operated by imperial Russia. I don't remember learning about them at ALL in school, but history was never my best subject, so that could've been more my own fault than anything else.
I learned a TON from this book, and this book has inspired me to learn more and find new resources to learn about what happened here.
As far a novel, though, this fell flat for me. I had a tough time empathizing with our narrator Lina because she doesn't show much emotion--maybe she's in shock. The flashbacks were really annoying and probably not the best device to set the stage for the novel.
It reads VERY much like a young adult book....more
Some of the reviewers didn't like the detachment of our narrator, that things happened to him but he didn't seem to care. I liked that about this bookSome of the reviewers didn't like the detachment of our narrator, that things happened to him but he didn't seem to care. I liked that about this book, and the narrator even addresses this head on. When something so monumental is happening, the other stuff doesn't matter as much.
I was slightly more bothered by the lack of description and what seemed like a disregard for physics (or at least unexplained science that got around laws of physics), but the story itself more than made up for this. ...more
The story jumps around quite a bit: there are flashbacks and you hear the main characters' stories in chunks. WI loved every single page of this book.
The story jumps around quite a bit: there are flashbacks and you hear the main characters' stories in chunks. We start the night before the apocalypse (which comes, of course, in the form of a virulent disease) but we go years ahead and years back. This is much more about the characters than about an apocalypse or survival.
This is about artistic passion and relationships and family dynamics and belonging and cults and Shakespeare. It's only a LITTLE bit about an apocalypse and its aftermath....more
Jacqueline Woodson grew up in the 1960s and 70s and shares her experience of being a young black girl in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York in a time Jacqueline Woodson grew up in the 1960s and 70s and shares her experience of being a young black girl in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York in a time of lots of racial tension. And she does it through POEMS. This is beautiful and easy to relate to. And very timely....more
Honestly, I picked up this book because, based on its title, I thought it was an imagined account of Aristotle and Dante meeting at a young age and unHonestly, I picked up this book because, based on its title, I thought it was an imagined account of Aristotle and Dante meeting at a young age and uncovering, you know, the secrets of the universe. (The philosophy major in me couldn't resist.)
That is not what this book is AT ALL, haha. It's the story of an angry teenager Aristotle--Ari--who's a good kid but has an undercurrent of insecurity and frustration running through him. It's the story of an open, happy teenager named Dante who has an endless capacity for affection and love. They're very different but get each other.
At times, the dialogue felt forced, and Ari as our first person narrator can get a little tiresome with his constant self-doubt. But I'd definitely recommend this book...more
I love my science fiction to have a strong grounding in science, so I really hate to say this. Parts of this were almost...too science-y? Too technicaI love my science fiction to have a strong grounding in science, so I really hate to say this. Parts of this were almost...too science-y? Too technical? I was kind of shocked to find this, especially after reading Liu's The Wandering Earth which was particularly lacking in the science part of "science fiction."
But other than that, this book was a great take on first contact, and uniquely executed. My favorite parts were the game (those who've read it will know what I'm talking about)....more
Liked: the religious/evangelical aspects, watching the world fall apart from a distance, the Oasans
Disliked: the relationship building, the ENDING
I'd Liked: the religious/evangelical aspects, watching the world fall apart from a distance, the Oasans
Disliked: the relationship building, the ENDING
I'd like to put more of an effort into my review writing this year, but this ending made me so angry that I want to just be done with this book. I may revisit this review....more
Think about this less like "grown up Harry Potter" or "Narnia with a twist," and instead, think about it like a treatise on happiness.
The problem withThink about this less like "grown up Harry Potter" or "Narnia with a twist," and instead, think about it like a treatise on happiness.
The problem with thinking about it like Harry Potter or Narnia is that you will be disappointed. Even in the darkest moments, Harry Potter and Narnia have a bit of joy, a bit of humor. Even at its happiest moments, there's little joy in The Magicians. And why is that? It's because we're dealing with a character who is chronically depressed. But it's a hopeful depressed. It's a depressed that believes that something out there, something else, will cure the depression.
So if you think about this as a treatise on happiness--or an exploration into the nature of depression--that uses magic and a magical world as a device, then I think you'd be much better prepared to dive in....more
I was conflicted on this one. Immediately upon finishing, I rated it four stars. Then I realized that I didn't really want to read the sequel despite I was conflicted on this one. Immediately upon finishing, I rated it four stars. Then I realized that I didn't really want to read the sequel despite the cliffhanger (I can't stand cliffhangers in books), and how can I give a book four stars when I don't even care to find out how it ends?
If you read this one on an e-ink ereader be warned that the pictures and letters are difficult to see and read. I've heard that the pictures are a really lovely addition to the book (and they're real pictures found by real people!), but I couldn't enjoy them....more
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