Pre-read (6/16/2022): I am really excited to finally continue my journey with the novels of Taylor Jenkins Reid via a buddy read with the wonderfu Pre-read (6/16/2022): I am really excited to finally continue my journey with the novels of Taylor Jenkins Reid via a buddy read with the wonderful moodreader. I have been on hold for this book through my library for months but finally have it in hand. I am trying to be quite reactive as I go so feel free to check out our buddy read thread. Hopefully, I'll actually compose a review for this one but no guarantees because when I love something I don't tend to leave a formal review....more
Pre-read (3/5/22): This is is going to be the shortest buddy read I've ever done but I am super excited. I am reading this with DeDe or more accurat Pre-read (3/5/22): This is is going to be the shortest buddy read I've ever done but I am super excited. I am reading this with DeDe or more accurately discussing this (it's so short we are reading it in 1 day). I love mythology but I am skeptical that this will have enough pages for Madeline Miller to weave her narrative magic.
Pre-read (5/6/22): Originally I read this with Dede, right before I plunged into a months long reading slump. As I honestly skimmed and didn't retain much of the story, I am rereading this but only counting it as the first time I read it. Like many people, I absolutely adored The Song of Achilles and Circe when I read them and I hope I like this more than the first time.
Final Review (5/13/22): I loved this novella but I want more , I’m being a tad selfish. I adore Madeline Miller’s writing whether short, like this or the longform, you just fall into and often feel punched in the emotional guts. Galatea ’s story in both the myth and this modern reimaging is a harrowing tale of the lack of personal autonomy and the objectication of women. The setting of an asylum really, really made me sad and destroyed because she was institutionalized by her husband Pygmalion .
As there are such well written reviews and summaries to be seen here on Goodreads, I’m not going to do that but look at what this reminded me of. What this story really did was make me refocus and evaluate the life story of my great-great grandmother. Who after many years of marriage and numerous children was institutionalized for “hysteria” in the late 1920s. My family has attempted to reconstruct what possibly was wrong, what we have run into is the theory that she had postpartum depression. Pygmalion’s treatment of Galatea seems to highlight motifs found in everyday life and our own personal histories. The “hysteria” of my great-great grandmother influenced how my great-grandmother lived her life and in turn my grandmother, mother and I are still being affected. All social connections shape who we are and the severing of Galatea’s connection to Paphos , her child, is to me the most cruel of Pygmalion’s actions. The ending where (view spoiler)[ Galatea sacrifices herself to end Pygmalion is a tragic, beautiful means for her to reclaim her autonomy and the ability to prioritize Paphos by freeing them of Pygmalion. (hide spoiler)]...more
Pre-read (2/15/22): I'm excited to be buddy reading this with two lovely new friends - Quinty and Devin. from the Netherlands. Being 6 hours behind, Pre-read (2/15/22): I'm excited to be buddy reading this with two lovely new friends - Quinty and Devin. from the Netherlands. Being 6 hours behind, means I've get to wake up to conversations which I am looking forward to. I've heard this is an emotional rollercoaster and I am prepared to cry my eyes out.
Initial thoughts (2/24/22): 2 days later isn't quite initial but I need some time to think over this book to form a clear opinion. That being said I think this review will take me some time to write so it might be a week or two before I'm done. I adored the character that was Evelyn . She was so utterly flawed but in an understandably human way. She held so much fear that she'd lose what she achieved and that made her take actions that I barely comprehended of but were calculated and correct for Evelyn's desired outcome. This may be the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but this is her story not theirs which contrasts greatly with how women in her similar position are understood then and now. Do we not remember Marilyn Monroe as the actress that supposedly slept with JFK? I need to stop now or I will write that review and my stats grade would not thank me....more
Initial thoughts (2/5/22): It's nearly midnight but I can't sleep until I write down some thoughts on this book. This has got to be added to my ment Initial thoughts (2/5/22): It's nearly midnight but I can't sleep until I write down some thoughts on this book. This has got to be added to my mental favorite romances ever list. I literally loved every single character, that may be a little overly broad. But the romance between Jane and August made my bisexual heart sing and sob at the same time. My updates tell the story of my concern for these people. There is a ton of LGBTQIA+ rep and there is Asian and Latinx representation as well. I'll get more into that when I gush about the characters in my review. My mind is in euphoria over this book so I will prioritize writing this review. This book shall not languish on my need to review list for an entire month like alot of my 2022 reads so far....more
Initial thoughts (1/24/22): It's 1 AM and I am tired and barely awake but I couldn't stop reading. I am crying so much. Honestly, this book just rem Initial thoughts (1/24/22): It's 1 AM and I am tired and barely awake but I couldn't stop reading. I am crying so much. Honestly, this book just reminds me of my dad (he's alive btw), when I was younger we would listen to all the albums from when he was a kid/teen in the 70s & 80s. This book reminded me of documentaries I have watched about legendary rock groups like Black Sabbath & KISS. I loved the interview format (which normally doesn't work for me) and the author reveal was adorable. I WILL definitely post a full review of this book. One more thing, I love how every single character in this book is flawed in someway except for Billy & Carmila's kids. READ THIS BOOK, FOLKS!!!!!!!!! ...more
Preread (1/6/2022): Back in November, I read Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and asked the folks on the Polls for Our Souls group for r Preread (1/6/2022): Back in November, I read Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and asked the folks on the Polls for Our Souls group for recommendations for retellings of that "tail". This was the winner of the poll and I am finally reading it as a buddy read with the lovely Christine ☾.
Discussion : You can see where my plans to read on time fell apart and some comments I made here. For how slumpy I am feeling I ended up enjoying this more than I would have thought. Now to go read some comfort reads... Rick Riordan here I come. After I finish Vicious though... it's due in 3 days and I can't not read it :)
Final Review (2/5/22): For more in the moment feelings you guys can see the discussion linked above. I’ve decided for January/February I am going to try and write a review for all the books I read within a month of finishing them, which is going to be a challenge. This book isn’t the freshest on my mind especially since I read a bunch of 5 star books right after this but this is what I remember.
Characters:
Lira: the siren heir apparent to rule the Ocean. She’s the Ariel character. I found the culture around taking hearts to measure your life for sirens to be really interesting. She only takes princes on her birthday until she breaks that rule. Her mom (aka the Ursula character) gives her a chance at “redemption”. As I abhor writing summaries, I’m going to stop while I am ahead. Her actual characterization was really fun which is encapsulated by the phenomenal quote from chapter 3, “Technically, I’m a murderer, but I like to think that is one of my better qualities.”
Elian: the hero ie Eric. I wasn’t a huge fan of which makes sense because I do not like Eric. Even though a pirate prince siren hunter brings new life into the character of Eric, Elian is still him at heart. There is a scene where Elian vows to murder Lira, next time he sees her. I love me some enemies to lovers but I am 99% never okay with threats of murder by people towards the other party in a possible relationship. He had a strong mind and a drive to save the world from monsters. Tragically this one focus leads to why I can’t adore his character though I respect his arc.
The side characters: There is a reason why I cannot remember their names now. They lacked any personality or depth even though Elian talks about them being his family. Every person in the family has different emotions, actions and opinions. They had so much wasted potential. Especially, my fave Amara who is the only one I remember. She was wasted by being left off the crew, her banter with her brother, Elian was very cute and I enjoyed the value he placed on her opinion. (view spoiler)[ I am so glad Amara got to be the Queen because she is gonna do great or I assume so because she will in my imagination. (hide spoiler)]
All the side characters were just underwritten and so much focus was placed on the slow burning romance that I honestly never cared for. I love the world building in this book. It gave enough of a taste of the siren cultures without resorting to info dumping. The book had a nice pacing except for the middle that ran the narrative aground. We weren’t moving. For a debut this was phenomenal. Overall 3.75 stars rounds to 4....more
Final Review (2/2/22): All the parts I loved about this book, yes June and Day, could have been handled in a rather epic epilogue to Champion. I was Final Review (2/2/22): All the parts I loved about this book, yes June and Day, could have been handled in a rather epic epilogue to Champion. I was swooning that I was getting to see their reunion with one another. They were one of my favorite ships in middle school when I first read it. It took me literal years to pick up Champion after Prodigy because I couldn’t handle the confirmation of them not being together. My sophomore year of highschool I bit the bullet and read Champion.
That tangent shows you why I was so pumped for this but also timid about picking it up until now. So many authors are now coming out with sequels to old series but from what I have heard a lot of them are not necessary. This was 95% not necessary, honestly I wish Marie Lu had tried her hand at a short story or novella to reunify June and Day.
Eden is Day’s little brother and I remember feeling so epically concerned for him in the prior books. Here he is grown in age but I didn’t ever really like him. He lives a privileged life and he kinda reminds me of the kids of self made millionaires. They have it handed to them but they retain the knowledge of how close to poverty they are. Also, I was bored with the university setting.
The bond between Eden and Day was a mess. Lu failed to convey realistic sibling distance and emotional neglect. Girl you healing that over the course of a few sorries. Maybe I just hold a mean grudge but come on.
Day is now a badass Homeland security type dude for Antartica. I found it somewhat shocking that someone so wronged by their own birth government would engage and work for any government. But people sometimes do things we don’t expect. I still love him and would happily reread his+June chapters but after Champion’s epilogue I thought they were gonna be fine but this kinda crashes that. I like there to be a little bit of mystery to leave a series. He was most definitely not prepared to be a parent, which he had to be for Eden or even a super attentive brother like John.
Pressa was there because Lu didn’t want to make Eden an asshole who was no longer affiliated with the poor. Also she was a vessel by which to make the villain more morally gray then just evil . She brought some plausibility to Eden’s infiltration. I don’t know if she was the center of the plot. I don't care because Eden was kinda boring to me.
June I still love her so much . Not much else to say that I didn’t express in Day’s paragraph.
Final verdict, this book is grievously unnecessary and I still love June & Day.
Final Review (2/1/22): I think I messed up by reading this one because I knew it wasn’t for me, preference wise but read it anyway. The story of me Final Review (2/1/22): I think I messed up by reading this one because I knew it wasn’t for me, preference wise but read it anyway. The story of me trying to read this book is one that lasts 4 months and 2 different years. I started this book on October 1, 2021 and I finished on January 1, 2022. I kept having to restart because I forgot who everyone was and what had happened. I read the first third in that first week and on December 28 I restarted to make a run at finishing it which I eventually did.
Let’s get into why this isn’t for me but might be for you:
1.Slasher horror film references everywhere.
2. A good mystery. Half the time when I read or watch a serial killer/murder myster show I guess the killer within 15 minutes which gets pretty boring. I can solidly say I did not have the killer pegged until maybe 70% is about when I would want to find out. Not sure if the killer’s motive was really strong enough. (view spoiler)[ really, your mom is a therapist and doesn’t spend enough time with you? Go see a therapist (not her) and use your words to express your desire for some bonding time (hide spoiler)]
3. It is easy to fall into this universe if you let yourself. I didn't, which is why my enjoyment was lower. But if you can, you would feel like part of their group and be convinced you were next.
4. Do Not Read this Book at 3 AM in an Old House, alone. I did and that is why I did not return to this book until November. I am kinda a scaredy cat.
Premise was cool, the execution was iffy and I should have known my reading preferences. 2 stars . Not bad, not good....more
I have complicated feelings about this. So... the mythology is all wrong like vagrantly wrong. Demeter and Zeus are adults but somehow Hades is a teenI have complicated feelings about this. So... the mythology is all wrong like vagrantly wrong. Demeter and Zeus are adults but somehow Hades is a teen despite him being the eldest Olympian and this has more problems. But besides that this series alongside Kate McMullan 's Myth-O-Mania series and eventually the eternal nostalgia king Rick Riordan 's book series. So it bugged me with the inaccuracies but if you are of the age to read these series go for it. I was planning to reread some of the other ones but I think I won't so I can preserve my good memories. ...more
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