When I was offered to review Seven Deadlies, I thought, "...Cool!" There weren't many reviews on Goodreads, despite the fact that it was alread1 stars
When I was offered to review Seven Deadlies, I thought, "...Cool!" There weren't many reviews on Goodreads, despite the fact that it was already released, but at least from the summary it sounded like something I would like. With its unique premise of being written like a college admissions letter, combined with the seven deadly sins and some illustrations, this should have been a hit with me. It... wasn't. And I'm deeply sorry. But it just didn't work out.
Seven Deadlies is set up as seven short stories, each for one of the sins, an introduction and an epilogue. The introduction explains why Perry is writing to the university in spite of the fact that she's only 14. She has had strange experiences while working for various babysitting/tutoring jobs and aspires to be a journalist, so she wanted to practice writing about these stories.
So we get into them and.. what? Instantly it becomes clear that this is very much a middle grade novel, despite it claiming to be young adult, as we start with a Lust story that has nothing to do with sex or anything, but just people (including adults) drooling over a derivative of the Jonas brothers. I was confused. What was that supposed to be? In the next stories, we get into the other sins and... it was bizarre. With things like kids who started playing video games at 1 year old, whose parents are totally okay with that because they are too occupied with their own lives, to THAT GLUTTONY STORY OH MY GOD *shudders* It got creepier and creepier and further detached from reality.
Parts of the writing style didn't work for me. I disliked the way that in each story (bear in mind each one is like 20 pages), Perry repeats her mother's full name, paired with some praise like "the inestimable Yelena Maria Gonzales". She'll continually remind you her mother is a registered nurse. She also insists on using parentheses to explain certain things, most pointedly the pronounciation of the names of her clients. In one of the stories, she repeatedly puts the pronounciation in brackets and each time writes it differently - and none of them sound remotely correct. Apparently Willhelm = VIL-h-eye-m = VEEL-home = VUL-chum = VAL-ham... NO. Was that supposed to be funny? Because look at my face. I'm not laughing.
At first Perry sounded quirky and fun, but the further I got, the more exasperated I got with her writing style. It grated on my nerves. But I suppose there was a reason for that, because Perry was not a normal girl. Now, before the epilogue, I didn't now how to feel about this book. It was rather bland. Some of the attempts at humor succeeded, some didn't. I thought it was unrealistic, and I quickly got bored. Then the epilogue explains that (view spoiler)[Perry is, in fact, the crazy one. She invented all the stories, believes they are real, but in reality they never happened. She's extremely intelligent, with an impressively high IQ, and got an obsession with the seven deadly sins, which then drove her to make these things up. (hide spoiler)] It should have made me think differently about the whole story. But instead of that desired reaction, I just did another shrug and sigh of exasperation.
I think ultimately this book will be read in two ways: either you think from the beginning that it's a fun yet exaggerated and unrealistic read purely for the entertainment of middle grade readers, or as you read you feel more and more diconnected and bored until the ending happens. In case of the former, you reach the epilogue and you hate it and want to toss it out because it took all the fun out of it. In case of the latter, likely like me, you'll still feel unsatisfied because there weren't enough indications that the story would take that kind of turn - you were just still bored and skeptical all the way through, and though the ending should make you feel differently about all of it, it likely won't.
Summing Up:
The book just sadly didn't work for me. I liked that the story didn't get overly religious and that it featured a POC for the main character, but that's about all I can say that I liked. While the ending should have thrown me for a loop, the book had dwindled too long in the unrealistic and detached area of I-can't-bring-myself-to-care to have the desired effect. I'd say you're better off skipping this one. I do, however, wonder how it would fair in the hands of a middle grade reader. (But, honestly, this should not be marketed as being young adult.)
I think most people are familiar with the story of V for Vendetta. I, like many others, have watched the movie, and I really really liked it. S2 stars
I think most people are familiar with the story of V for Vendetta. I, like many others, have watched the movie, and I really really liked it. So when Gaby insisted on buying this for me as a late birthday gift, I was super excited. It's one of those books that I've been meaning to read for a while -- and I really wanted to start reading more graphic novels.
Sadly, it didn't go that well. The story is split up into three "books". I really liked Book 1. It established the society that I was familiar with through the movie, and the art was gritty and really enthralling. Book 2 was all right but... odd. It took a weird storytelling method, telling it as if it were a cabaret or something... I was a bit puzzled, but I still liked how society was beginning to crumble and seeing more of V's plotting and Evie's transition.
But Book 3 was an absolute struggle to get through. I am not a dialect person, and Ally's dialect almost made me throw the book across the room and give up. Because sentences like...
A wull, sleng the lettle goabshite en the waag'n wi' the rest. Can y'no see am on ma lunchbreak?
and...
A, et's a doddle, all a thus money fur damagin' some puir bastud an tachin ap thur messusez en the strep-serrch.
and...
Yuz coapers 'iz clever bastuds, keepen thess number tae yourseln.
and finally...
Nah, et's juss thess berrd. Lessen, a foond some mair o'they letters, y'better have 'em tae luke at.
They really get in the way of the overall experience of the book. Look, I get it, some people have dialects. But can't you simplify it so that we know they're speaking a dialect, but it doesn't take full minutes to understand one sentence? It was absolute painful torture.
For the rest... I don't know. The art was okay, but a bit too dark at points to know what was going on. The dialogue bubbles were sometimes very oddly placed that made it difficult to see who was talking. There were a lot of dense monologues on V's part that were tough to get through and understand, which made the overall message difficult to grasp. Book 3 in particular suddenly placed a bunch of characters in the foreground, but I hadn't been paying attention to them before so I had NO clue who they were or where they worked or anything - which apparently I should have. I dunno. It was all pretty anti-climactic, and toward the end I just wasn't that into it anymore.
Summing Up:
The overall reading experience just consisted of a lot of confusion. I was expecting more, to be honest. The story was confusing, the art was almost too dark, the dialogue had issues... But to be honest, I was reading this in the wrong mood. So I might reread it another time when I'm more open to this kind of style and story. I do think it's definitely worth a reread, and it's one of those books that if you read it every couple of years, you'll take away different things from it. For now, though, I'll stick with the movie.
I've loved the movie version of Howl's Moving Castle since I first saw it years ago, so I was really happy when Daph suggested this as a book c3 stars
I've loved the movie version of Howl's Moving Castle since I first saw it years ago, so I was really happy when Daph suggested this as a book club pick. It's one of those books that I was meaning to read sometime, but I needed to be reminded and given that extra push, since it is a pretty old release. So I am glad that I finally got to reading this, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't have a wow factor.
What I truly love about Howl's is the beautiful writing style. This is regarded as somewhat of a fantasy classic, and it's easy to see why. She's an absolute masterful storyteller. Not only is the prose charming and fluid, but her imagination is amazing. The kind of fantasy she writes is just so unique and vivid. It makes you wonder, how did she even come up with these things? A moving house, with one door leading to multiple places. A fire demon who entered into a contract with a wizard. A girl who is bewitched to become a 90 year old woman - and is rather okay with that for the most part. It was easy to get sucked into such a unique world.
I love how magic is woven into this world and the characters in the story. Calcifer, the fire demon, is absolutely adorable, even though he's mean to bacon. *cough* I adore Sophie. She's so awkward but kind. However, the third person narrations, which I usually prefer, did keep me from connecting to her a bit. Howl was a laughable drama queen. It was hilarious how upset he got about tiny little things. But that also got tiring after a while. On the other hand, the magic he did was definitely charming.
Where I think Howl lost a few points is in the lack of shippy feels until the end. I mean, Howl and Sophie, there was a lot of potential there (as evidenced by the movie), but it didn't actually happen until the very end. It was still adorable, but there could have been more of a build up. Also, it was much more middle grade than I expected. I found this in the Children's section in Waterstones, which should have been a giveaway, but many people still classify it as young adult. Although the main character is 16, at least at the start, the story is much more a detached adventure story than a character-driven young adult novel. Surely, if I had read this when I was 9 or 10, I would have been all over it, but now it just felt a bit below my level. However, it still was truly charming.
Summing Up:
I ultimately wasn't that impressed with Howl's Moving Castle, because I just didn't connect with the characters that much. I do love the magic and the world, and I am definitely impressed by Diana Wynne Jones's writing, but I wasn't wowed. I will say that the movie's better than the book - I even gave it a rewatch after finishing reading it. But all in all I will probably check out the others in the series and more of Diana Wynne Jones's writing, because for unique and creative fantasy, I know I can count on her.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of middle grade classic fantasies and creative world building....more
Hyperbole and a Half is probably my favorite non-bookish blog out there. Allie Brosh is just a genius in her posts, and many of the feeling4 stars
Hyperbole and a Half is probably my favorite non-bookish blog out there. Allie Brosh is just a genius in her posts, and many of the feelings she expresses in her stories are very relatable. So when I heard a while back that she was getting a book published, I was all kinds of excited. When I saw it was on NetGalley, my excitement increased tenfold. Then I got approved... oh man, you should have seen the look on my face.
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened has a beautifully creative long title that immediately hints to the kind of whimsical humor you find in this book. Particularly the stories about the simple dog and the helper dog had me giggling madly on the train. That may have generated a few odd looks in my direction, but I was honestly enjoying the book far too much to care, or even notice. Stories of Allie's childhood (i.e. The God of Cake and The Hot Sauce Debacle) are also brilliant installments and just so enjoyable to read.
But while I love the whimsical, lighter tales that have me giggling, what I love most about Allie's stories is how honest and real they are. Adventures in Depression Part 1 and Depression Part 2 are two stories that I definitely connect with and think that many others who have ever felt depressed can connect with too. I love those because of the way that Allie can express feelings I've had which I thought were indescribable, plain and simple. Honestly, if I ever need to describe those feelings to people again, I'm just going to shove this book in their face and be like, "READ THIS. IT IS A THING. IT DESCRIBES MY LIFE." Similar praise goes to Identity Part 1 and Identity Part 2. Just brilliant.
If you don't know, this book is a collection of some of her most popular posts and some new stories. I'm not exactly sure which ones had been on the blog before, as I haven't read everything, but I was super excited to see my favorite of her posts, This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult, in the book. The only thing that's kind of sad is that the stories are not connected in any way, and there's no kind of timeline either to really be able to place them. But I mean, if you follow the blog, you know that's how she writes. I still enjoyed it immensely.
Summing Up:
With the awesome full color pages and illustrations we know and love, anyone that has been a fan of the blog must go and buy the book. It was just an absolute joy to read, and with the illustrations it was definitely a quick read as well. But this is just a great book to have on the shelves that you can pull out when you need a few giggles or when you just need to know you're not alone. And it's much more fun in book form, I think, than scrolling endlessly through the blog. I dearly hope that there will be more books, to make this a series, because I will definitely go out and buy all of them.
When I went to London, I was extremely excited to explore the bookstores there. I *may* have created a list beforehand of books I wished most t5 stars
When I went to London, I was extremely excited to explore the bookstores there. I *may* have created a list beforehand of books I wished most to pick up there. See, I wanted my London book haul to be special, so I wanted to pick up books that were either (a) a UK edition I preferred over the US edition, (b) written by a British author, or (c) set in London/England. When I stood in the bookstores with my list in hand, I quickly realized there was one book I wanted above all others: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. And it was nowhere to be found. *sobs*
Why did I want it so badly? Well, it was a contemporary set in London, and it had that *gorgeous* cover. I didn't know *much* else about it except the fact that it seemed to be pretty well liked by friends of mine. I don't read reviews of books I'm planning on reading, so yeah. So once I arrived home without a shiny, lovely copy of Meant to Be, I immediately ordered it.
Then it arrived. I started reading it and within 15 pages I knew I was in love and this would be an absolute favorite of mine. When I finished, my assumption was proven correct. I loved this book. Loved. It came to me at just the right time, because I desperately needed some fluff. And this is fluff at its finest. Don't expect a really deep, life-changing kind of contemporary - just tons of fun with some great characters. Honestly, I don't have a single complaint. I loved every minute of this book.
So our main character in Meant to Be is Julia, the type A, obsessive compulsive control freak, semi-sheltered, intelligent high school student. Immediately I fell in love. I saw so much of myself in Julia. We instantly connected because I understood her thought process perfectly. I just giggled along with all of her narrations. It was brilliant. She's a flawed character but so lovable. Just great! (And she's a bookworm and a swimmer like me, I mean, seriously.)
So Julia goes on a school trip to London and is stuck with students whose main priorities are shopping and drinking. None of her friends could make the trip, so she's pretty much on her own. Then she gets stuck with the popular and obnoxious boy, Jason, as her trip buddy - with the instruction that they're basically not allowed to leave each other's side. Can you feel it coming? Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen. It's hate-to-love romance at its absolute finest.
Jason made me giggle constantly. And though he exhibits the hot-cold attitude that might annoy me in other books, I could just tell the sincerity of his words and actions when he was actually being nice to Julia. Julia is on a mission to find her MTB, "Meant To Be", and Jason decides to "help" her along the way, despite him ardently insisting that there is no such thing. So they get up to shenanigans and there are some amazingly heartfelt and touching scenes. From tackling each other in a museum to awesome banter to dancing in a bookstore to that first kiss... their romance was absolutely amazing and I was addicted.
This book was just a wonderful, happy adventure. We saw some of the highlights of London, which I now know quite well. Lauren Morrill takes some of my absolute favorite tropes and made me fall in love with them all over again. And then there was the ending. It was just perfect. The. Freaking. Perfect. Ending. I honestly was sitting there squealing, and I had tears in my eyes because I was so happy. It gave me all the feels. All of them. It was just a great depiction of the perception of love in high school and the necessary disillusionment. While Julia's character growth in this novel wasn't monumental, and, like I said, it's not a life-changing story, it was extremely heartfelt and realistic, and above all, super super cute.
Summing Up:
I can't praise this book enough. Honestly, it was precisely what I needed right now, and, yeah, absolutely no complaints. Lauren Morrill's ability to stay true to life, lift my spirits, and simultaneously make me fall so deeply in love with characters, means I will definitely be checking out Being Sloane Jacobs when it comes out in January 2014. I have great expectations! And definitely check out Meant to Be whenever you're in need of some more fluff in your life. Fluff doesn't get better than this.
GIF it to me straight!
[image] In the best possible way.
Recommended To:
People in the mood for squealing, flailing, and feels....more
I have put off writing this review for almost a week. Frankly it's because it was just average, and it bored me. And I really didn't want to 1.5 stars
I have put off writing this review for almost a week. Frankly it's because it was just average, and it bored me. And I really didn't want to have to put that in words. While I really enjoyed French Kiss, it came with a sort of caveat that the series would show a lot of character growth and development. Kiss and Make Up was a hot damn mess and I rather disliked it, though I saw the realism in it and the potential for the series ender to impress me again. It... didn't happen. It just didn't.
By the third book you'll have gotten used to the obvious chemistry between Edie and Dylan. And it's just more of the same, to be honest. And more of the same in the sense that it became a little boring... It just didn't stand out in this book. What bothered me the most though about their relationship is that Dylan still went back to his hot-cold attitude. They go on a road trip through America together and at a certain point he just shuts her out again and they break up again and yada yada yada.
Character development was also sorely lacking, as Edie still reverts to catty fighting with her "BFF" Poppy. Arguably it was all Poppy's fault, but Edie frustrated me with her refusal to just sit down and talk it out with Poppy. That's what friendships are made of. It all gets fixed in the end, but seriously what an annoyance. However, I did like her friendship with Grace and how that developed. Sadly it wasn't that large a part of the story.
But I dunno, the plot rather bored me, though this isn't really the kind of book where you should actively be searching for a plot. What more we got to know about Dylan didn't really impress me. The road trip was confusing to me - especially the route they take. Since I am very aware of the geography of the US, I was wondering if the author even consulted a map during the writing of this book, because it went zigzagging, crisscrossing all over the place. It made no sense. It's not that big of a deal, no, but yeah, I was that bored with the story that I started nitpicking that far.
What ultimately bothers me the most is that the lack of clear character development could mean that, though this book ends on a rather rosy note, Dylan could have another hot-cold streak the next week, they could be breaking up in the next month, and it could all just keep going on and on in circles forever. While I get that that's real life, and this is a slice of life story... I had hoped for more.
Summing Up:
...I wasn't reading this to get the 5th season of Gossip Girl that clearly should have ended after season 2. That's how reading this book felt. The series just lost its charm. I don't know how it could have been better, but I'm thinking that this just shouldn't have been a series. It should have ended after the first book, because what did they do after that? It was a lot of running around, breaking up and making up, and all this kind of bullshit which, in the wrong mood (which I clearly am now at the time of writing this, though I wasn't really while reading it), really doesn't add anything. *sigh* Hopefully, as this series was Sarra Manning's first published works, it'll just get better from here. I do still have faith in her, in spite of this series ultimately letting me down.
Aww man. I genuinely liked French Kiss, though I had a few issues with it, primarily stemming from the lack of character and relationship d2 stars
Aww man. I genuinely liked French Kiss, though I had a few issues with it, primarily stemming from the lack of character and relationship development and the heavy reliance on the undeniably electrifying chemistry. And while I still enjoyed reading Kiss and Make Up, we have definitely hit guilty pleasure territory now, because this was a hot damn mess.
As the title and blurb indicate, while things ended rather rosily for Edie and Dylan at the end of book 1, all is not well in this book. Soon after they get together, they hit a major speed bump. But that undeniable chemistry is still there. So their relationship is a huge mess and needs a shit ton of work, and thus we are left with a considerable dose of romantic mellodrama in this installment.
The thing is Edie started grating on my nerves a lot in this book. We certainly got to see more of her personality here, but it was mostly just naivete and indecisiveness. Those are two extremely frustrating character traits. She pines after Dylan here, especially when he appears to have moved on. She practically throws herself at him while he has a new girlfriend, trying to break them up. She just makes all the wrong choices. Then he has his hot-and-cold attitude going on again which frustrates me to no end, and she's extremely bad about just telling him no. Then Carter, who is obviously bad news, shows up and puts the moves on her and she just tries to convince herself that that's a good idea, in spite of all the advice of her friends.
I spent a lot of my reading time just shaking my head at this book and at Edie, sighing, because she seems so lost and, to a certain extent, pathetic. It still did read as realistic and sort of relatable though, because I think many of us have gone through that kind of desperate all-consuming crushing romance thing in high school. First loves are devastating like that. So I did still somewhat understand where Edie's behavior was coming from, but I just wished that she would get a clue (sooner than I did in my own experience). That did keep me turning the pages, ultimately, because I wanted to see that growth in her and see that it would get better. And the ending definitely delivered on that note.
I was also upset at the loss of Shona and Trent, who both made the first book so much more enjoyable. I did enjoy getting to know some of the new characters, like Poppy, and seeing Edie's experiences of being in a band. I mean, that's pretty cool. I was frustrated though at the lack of family presence in this book (her parents seriously go on vacation leaving her on her own for two months). I do, however, want to give massive praise to how the virginity issue is dealt with in this book. Sarra Manning really knows how to bring up teenage sex in books, and I ultimately loved how that was done.
Summing Up:
It's a bit of a mixed bag. This book was a hot mess, because Edie was a hot mess. But at the end you could definitely tell that both Edie and Dylan had grown, and their relationship would probably be stronger for it. I just am not really a fan of that romantic mellodrama part of most relationships, so it wasn't totally enjoyable to me. However, I did blaze through it - it was a quick, light read, and I have plenty of hope that I'll enjoy the series finale more.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of realistic, relatable romance and hot chemistry....more
Dear Jessica Darling...... what are you? This book has left me feeling extremely conflicted.
Jessica and I did not get along at first. In fact3.5 stars
Dear Jessica Darling...... what are you? This book has left me feeling extremely conflicted.
Jessica and I did not get along at first. In fact, when I was about a third of the way through, I was totally ready to throw the book across the room and just call it a day. This girl complains about everything. Her voice, and I should mention this book is written like a diary, is extremely whiny. Were they realistic complaints? Sure. Could I relate to them, looking back on my own experiences in high school? To a certain extent. But damn, this girl just carried on complaining about everything. After her best friend moved away, she seriously just hates everything, and that gets extremely exhausting to read about.
I mean, Jessica's the kind of girl who slut shames to a certain extent, who hangs out with "friends" and then calls them "The Clueless Crew" behind their backs because she actually hates them and thinks they're completely ridiculous. Oy vey. So yeah, I considered tossing it.
But I didn't. I picked it back up on my commute on the way home and suddenly... I was into it! I was really kind of enjoying it. Nothing had changed though. I think I really just needed to get used to Jessica's voice. Other people have said this was a "laugh out loud" book because of the realism and relatability... well, I wouldn't go so far. I honestly didn't really laugh at any of her annoying complaints. But after I got used to her voice, I did see where she was coming from, and the understanding I gained of her character made the story more enjoyable.
However, I should mention that this book is not what I expected. Honestly, I expected a fluffy romantic book, and this is not that at all. There's some romance, admittedly, but it comes into play really late and just serves as a lead in for the next book, which has me doing a *headdesk* because it means that I actually really want to read the next book, because Jess and Marcus are adorableeeeeeeee and I want more of that.
What Sloppy Firsts actually is is a, more or less, literal reality show. You watch Jessica go through her daily life. And to some extent, it is boring as fuck. But then I just kept reading anyway. I don't know. There's no logic to this, seriously. I was reading at a rapid pace because it's an easy and quick read, and at the same time I was questioning myself, "Where is the plot? What is going on? Whyyyyyy?"
Summing Up:
Sloppy Firsts is a book you should only pick up if you want to reminisce about high school life - even if you hated it, or particularly if you hated it. Whatever. It's basically just a picture of average high school life. I can't say much more than that. The characters were okay. I loved Marcus, but his presence was limited, so alas. The writing was okay. The ending and the family dynamics that came into play there I actually really really loved. And I did see Jessica grow as a character at the end, so that made me look back on the book overall in a favorable way. But is it a book I would name a favorite and highly recommend to read? Not really.
But damn if I don't want to order Second Helpings soon. *sigh* I hate myself.
GIF it to me straight!
[image] One of the many thoughts going through my head during this book.
Recommended To:
People who like to reminisce about the crappy experiences and two-faced society of high school. (Yeah, I dunno.)...more
Oh, French Kiss. You adorable little book, you. *pets* I'll say upfront that I didn't like French Kiss nearly as much as my all-time favorite, 3 stars
Oh, French Kiss. You adorable little book, you. *pets* I'll say upfront that I didn't like French Kiss nearly as much as my all-time favorite, Adorkable. But still there is so much enjoyment in this book, and I am sure by now that Sarra Manning is one of those authors of whom I want to read all their work.
I got off to a rocky start with this book. Edie, the main character, is a weird one. At first I totally couldn't place her personality (or rather, figure out if she had one or not). That, I think, was primarily kind of a disappointment to me because of how upfront and in-your-face Jeane's personality in Adorkable was. I couldn't place her - was she the quiet, studious girl? Was she the inwardly sarcastic, loner girl? I didn't know. Likewise, Dylan, the love interest, also didn't have as greatly outspoken a personality as Michael did. So then, these two less likable, less memorable characters had an insta-attraction / instalove thing going on.
I was all ready to just cry my eyes out and *headdesk* because I was expecting more.
But it got better.
French Kiss, the first installment of the Diary of a Crush series, is the British counterpart to the Jessica Darling series, which is rather funny as I just read Sloppy Firstsrecently. This is not an official comparison, but this is what I feel it is. French Kiss is the same kind of slice of life story. It's not outspoken in its plot. It's told in a diary form, like Sloppy Firsts. It's real and perhaps not always pretty, but rather true to life.
But I think I like French Kiss a little better (though they got the same rating) because it fills in the romance part that I was expecting in Sloppy Firsts but didn't get. Sarra Manning knows how to write chemistry. Like, "oh my god, give me more, I'm just going to sit in the metro past my stop because I can't stop reading" chemistry. And that I really loved. The scenes between Edie and Dylan past the halfway point of this super short novel were just electrifying. So good. I mean, if you want good kissing scenes, you need to read Sarra Manning, because that woman has some serious skills.
So the book was rather light and fluffy, centered around this romance. There were some nice scenes in Paris (including making out at the Louvre, because oh yes). There was a brilliant friendship, though it had its rough start as well, between Edie and Shona. And the friendship between Edie and her two gay friends was also wonderful to read.
I wish we could have kept the mean girl antics to a minimum, but I guess that was kind of an inevitability in this kind of slice of life story. However, my biggest problem is still that the romance was ultimately rather instalovey, and I wish that there was just more dialogue between the characters to prove it wasn't all a physical attraction thing and so that we could get to know the characters and their personalities, which I'm sure they have. But I'm rather positive about the fact that this will get better further on in the series, as this book also got better as it went along. And luckily I have the whole series on hand to just binge read.<
Summing Up:
This story was so cute and such a fun, quick read. And I mean quick, the story itself is just over 200 pages. So if you're going to embark on this series, I recommend having all of them on hand so you can just continue. Because you will likely want to continue. I mean, that romance is just electrifying and addictive. I can't wait to see where it goes next.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of chemistry, hot kissing scenes, and/or the Jessica Darling series....more
When you first hear of Pawn, I totally wouldn't blame you if your reaction is, "Oh boy, here we go, yet *another* dystopia..." It may have pop3 stars
When you first hear of Pawn, I totally wouldn't blame you if your reaction is, "Oh boy, here we go, yet *another* dystopia..." It may have popped up in my head as well. But I love dystopias a whole whole lot, so I wasn't ready to give up on the genre just yet. And it turned out quite well - because while it's not a flawless book, it did have certain qualities that reaffirm my love for the genre.
First off, I really like the world Aimee Carter created here. As far as dystopias go, it was well thought out (though maybe not the most original). People in this society live in castes, I'm pretty sure you're used to that. But the caste system is based on a dramatized version of the American Dream: work hard and you'll be rewarded. You are in control of your own worth. When people turn 17 in this society, they take a test, and depending on how high they score, they get a rank from I - VII, VII being the highest (and consequently assigned solely to the Prime Minister and his family because nepotism ftw). Your rank determines your job, products you're allowed to buy, where you live, etc. Obviously there are flaws in that system - but that's why it's a dystopia. But I really felt like in essence, this is when dystopias work for me: you take a concept present in today's society and extrapolate it to a highly dramatized version. It worked for me. I was instantly drawn into the world.
So Kitty, a second child which is already outlawed and means she's been abandoned since birth, who also happens to have a learning disability and is unable to read, takes her test when she turns 17 and is classified as a III, meaning she would need to move to Denver (leaving her boyfriend) to work in the sewers. I know. Charming. Obviously, she isn't very happy with that. But then she is offered the chance to become a VII and winds up having to take the place of the Prime Minister's niece.
Anyway, as she learns to adapt to her new life, she is shown how awful the government that she mostly still believed in actually is. She sees dark sides - downright creepy sides, guys. I was shocked at some of the things... seriously. She strives to protect her (ex-)boyfriend, Benjy, and meanwhile has to pretend to be engaged to and in love with Knox. It kind of looks like a love triangle for a while, but it's not really, though it may turn into that later in the series. Which I would be totally okay with, because I have a shit ton of Knox feels. Like a lot. A lot a lot. I love him very much. *nod nod* So I won't comment too much on the actual romance in this book because, to me, it was quite boring. But I could deal with that because I was really enjoying the story.
I had big problems with the ending, which greatly contributs to this lower rating. (view spoiler)[So, Augusta, the Prime Minister's mother who in effect controls the whole society, is dead and it appears that Daxton, the Prime Minister, has lost his memories about Kitty being a replacement and having tried to kill him. Even so, Daxton is a HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING. Let's not forget that he hunts people for sport, grinning like a maniac while he does. The fact that he forgot about Kitty doesn't change that - he was just as awful before. Kitty has him at her mercy and... doesn't. freaking. kill. him. Honestly. Why? That would have put an end to it. Seriously. The whole corrupt head of the government would have been overthrown right there. (hide spoiler)] "BUT NO, DEBBY, WE CAN'T END HERE, WE NEED TO MAKE THIS A TRILOGY AND YOU'RE GOING TO BUY INTO IT, MUWAHAHAHAHA."
*headdesk*
And you know what? ...It's true, too. I'll probably keep reading. ...But that doesn't mean I approve of this ending. At all. No no. Whyyyyy?
Summing Up:
I won't be calling this the most original dystopia on the block, but it's far from the worst. I definitely enjoyed it and feel like it ultimately brought something new to the table. I liked the world building, and I loved the secondary characters and their relationships - particularly Knox. That ending though feels like such a cop out and makes me really mad. *sigh* We just can't have it all, I guess. So while this is not the best dystopia, if you're a fan of the genre, I'd still suggest you check this out, because, if anything, it is a very entertaining thrill ride.
More Than This was introduced to me as being a dystopia. As I started reading, I was puzzled. It wasn't a dystopia until past halfway into the 4 stars
More Than This was introduced to me as being a dystopia. As I started reading, I was puzzled. It wasn't a dystopia until past halfway into the book. All along the way I was asking myself, "Well then, how would you describe it?" I couldn't answer my own question. Because More Than This is precisely that unique. There's no other book like it. And that alone makes it a book worth reading.
From the first page, More Than This draws you in. Seth drowns and then... wakes up. All alone in an abandoned world. The beginning is a bit slow, because through flashbacks, you gradually find out what happened to Seth before his death and who he is. Meanwhile, he... eats and sleeps. Yeah, the first part of the book wasn't exactly the best. While I did feel some strange pull to keep reading, to find out exactly what happened and desperate for clues as to where he was, I did think it was rather annoying that there were so many flashbacks. It really toed the acceptable line for me, because at a certain point I just want to move FORWARD and not keep looking back. However, what those flashbacks revealed was truly heartbreaking, so I didn't mind as much as I otherwise would. I just had so much sympathy for Seth.
Seth's previous life was truly interesting, and I want to give props in particular to the romance. Okay, I debated whether or not to write this, because it's not like a massive spoiler, but it surprised me and that made me quite happy. But others have not been regarding at a spoiler, so whatever. Seth is actually gay. And he had a boyfriend, and... it was all so normal. Like, it wasn't a big thing. It was just a part of his life. And it wasn't a major plot point. It didn't define his character. This, authors, this is how I want to see LGBT representation in books. It made me so freaking happy. I was practically jumping for joy.
Anyway, at a certain point, the flashbacks mostly end and the action kicks in. Damn the mindfuckery and high paced action of this book. It became a pageturner. I was desperate for answers, and it was all just so awesome. I read the last 100 pages or so in the 1.5 hour commute on the way home. I'm a pretty slow reader, so that is massive for me. Anyway, Seth gets some sidekicks in Tomasz and Regine and even though these secondary characters arrive late in the game, they are awesome and well-developed. I particularly fell for Tomasz. That little boy... so adorable.
More Than This is a book that you'll definitely not want to read alone. Because when you're done, it's the kind of book you want to discuss. It doesn't spell everything out for you, and certain elements are entirely up to your own interpretation. Plus, the uniqueness begs for discussion. In that case, I was very happy that this sort of by accident became the first read of my book club. Of course, when we met up, all of like 10 minutes was spent actually discussing the book, but it was nice to get some other ideas from other people, particularly regarding the ending. That ending, man. I felt it coming, to be honest. While reading, I picked up hints of similarities to The Matrix and Inception, and I just knew what we would end up with. I was right. And that would probably be my other disappointment with the book. I mean, it fit the story, but I like an ending with... a bit more substance. But I did like that it would initiate such discussions. Um. Yeah, I'm torn. Can you tell?
Summing Up:
While I wouldn't label this book as an absolute favorite, it was an absolutely great reading experience. I had no idea where the story was going, there were a ton of twists, and I was desperate to get to the ending. It was a wild ride. For representing LGBT so well, Patrick Ness gets massive props from me. And after knowing how engrossing his writing style can be, how his characters can touch my heart, and how unpredictable and unique his stories can be, I went out and bought The Knife of Never Letting Go. Finally giving into that. Yes, Daph. You're proud of me. I know. But yeah, this book has convinced me of his greatness for sure.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Anyone in the mood for something different, intense, and loaded with mindfuckery....more
When I saw this listed on the Book Depository, I just knew I had to buy it. It had to happen. I love the Percy Jackson series so much, so I hon3 stars
When I saw this listed on the Book Depository, I just knew I had to buy it. It had to happen. I love the Percy Jackson series so much, so I honestly didn't care that it would be the exact same story. The illustrations would make it a whole new and wonderful experience. In a way, I was correct, but still this could have been better.
In terms of the adaptation, this graphic novel is extremely close to the original, so no worries there. If anything, it begs the question why the movie couldn't be a closer adaptation, but I think we've all established what a disappointment the movie was.
For the most part I liked the artwork, though I found it extremely odd that they still claimed that Percy was 12 years old, in 6th grade, and he honestly looks at least 18 if not older. So that's a bit of a clash there: they tried to give it a more mature comic book look, but if the characters are so young, that doesn't really work. Making them look intentionally younger, however, would maybe give it a more manga, chibi-esque look that would also exclude a lot of the potential audience. So... I understand the difficulty of the decision, but I do wonder if there wasn't some happy compromise to be found in the middle.
While I was impressed with the world building details that they still managed to include in the graphic novel, I was disappointed overall by the length and pacing of the story. I mean, this graphic novel is 128 pages. That's so freaking short. A lot of the scenes, especially battles, were shortened to one to two pages. The Lotus Hotel & Casino scene? Two or three pages. That's just sad. It was all very rushed, and I wonder why it couldn't have been expanded. Also so much of the sarcastic humor that I love about Percy was cut out. More sadness.
Summing Up:
This was a fun quick way to experience the first of the Percy Jackson series in a new format. I enjoyed it, for sure, though the artwork could maybe have been a bit better and overall it was just far too short. However, as a die hard Percy fan, I don't regret this purchase, and I'll probably pick up the next graphic novels as well. Just to have more Percy in my life. But I wouldn't recommend this as a substitute for the actual Percy Jackson books.
I'm pretty sure we all know the quote, "We read to know we are not alone," by C.S. Lewis. That sums up w*Reread in November 2013 - still great.
5 stars
I'm pretty sure we all know the quote, "We read to know we are not alone," by C.S. Lewis. That sums up what this book means to me. This book is the closest that has ever come to being a reflection of me and my life up to now. It is so relatable, and when I find books like that, I start crying. Needless to say, this book is an all-time favorite for me - one of the most special books I have ever read. However, not everyone will have that reaction to this book. So I'm going to try to point out the merits aside from how this is such a great reflection of me, and then I'll get to the validation-of-my-life-story parts after that.
Adorkable is adorable. HA. I thought I might as well get that out of the way first of all. If you're a blogger, you will have an instant connection to Jeane, because I feel like all of us are to a certain extent outsiders in our real life worlds. But at the same time, through blogging and through Twitter and such, we've found like minded people who are spread far and wide but who definitely mean something. If you've felt that discrepancy between online life and real life, between your online personality and your real life personality, between how people see you in real life and how they see you online - you need to read Adorkable, because it hits the nail on the head.
Both main characters I absolutely loved. Jeane, I already mentioned, the blogger, is eccentric and at times horribly stuck up and conceited. But at the same time, you can feel that there's much more to her than that. When she's defensive and closed off, you know there's something else to the story. I related to that part a lot, and I'll get to that later. But Jeane does send a great message about owning who you are and not apologizing for that, about finding your own voice and making it loud and clear, and about standing for something and being independent. Michael, the popular boy who "hates" her, is just a winner. He comes off as quite abrasive at first, in his ignorance, but he really quickly grows from that. He's just a truly caring, golden boy. His devotion and attentiveness to others really made me swoon. To be honest though, I swooned from his first mention.
[image]
Adorkable is told from the alternating perspectives of Jeane and Michael. Usually I don't like alternating perspectives at all, but this is probably my favorite book that's done that so far. The two personalities are extremely distinctive, and due to their circumstances (the love-hate thing) you need that look into their inner thoughts. It's hilarious when they're oblivious to each other's feelings and intentions. They also contradict themselves in their narrations every once in a while, which becomes clear when it switches perspectives again. It's a very unique writing style that is absolutely absorbing. You really get to know two fleshed out characters very well and see development on both sides, as they learn from each other. Authors, if you want to do alternating perspectives, read this book. This is how you make it convincing.
So I know you're wondering about that romance. This may be my favorite written romance ever. I'm thinking now if I have a bookish (canon) couple that tops it, and I'm not sure I do. You'll probably know I'm a huge fan of love-hate relationships, and this one hit all the right notes. The chemistry was astounding. There will be involuntary flailing and squealing - you have been warned. Sarra uses all the right tropes, like the kiss-you-to-shut-you-up thing, and seriously, that's one device that will definitely make me like your book. Then the transitions in and development of the relationship, the ups and downs, it was all very real, absorbing, and addictive. AND HOT. VERY HOT. I just loved every minute of it, and I don't know how to make that more clear. A GIF? Sure. As a matter of fact, I have the perfect one.
[image]
But let's wrap this up so it's not entirely a novel of a review. If you read my extremely long and personal post of last week and related to it or had massive feels because of it, read this book. Because we're now to the part about how this book relates to me. It's my life story. All of the feelings I poured into that post last week were also in this book, along with more things. How Jeane is as a person is extremely close to how I am - except that I'm a little less abrasive (I hope) and I don't dress quite as crazily. I won't rehash last week's post, because I'm trying to keep this short, but I've felt like an outsider all of my life, I've been shunned and looked down on by my mother, of course I am also a blogger, and I'm extremely defensive. I don't really let people close to me too easily for fear of getting hurt. I keep myself busy so that I don't have to think about complicated feelings. I avoid confrontation like it's the end of the world. So I understood a lot of Jeane's behavior that other readers might not.
Honestly though, the kicker was this scene towards the end of the book, [spoiler]where Jeane ends up alone on Christmas day and comes to the realization that she has absolutely nowhere to go, and when shit hits the fan, there's no one for her to call either.[/spoiler] If I wasn't in the car, reading this, with a colleague next to me, I would have been bawling. If I had been at home reading this, I would have just laid down on the floor and curled up into a ball. (Yeah, I do that sometimes, no judging.) Why? I've had that exact experience. I know exactly how that feels. And that all just came rushing back. I'm honestly almost in tears as I'm typing this. Experiences like that suck and hopefully most people don't know how that feels. You may not relate to it as well as I did, but know that that scene and the underlying emotions were right on the mark.
Summing Up:
I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it up. I had never heard of it, but it was at Boekenfestijn, a Dutch book fair, for, I think, 2 euros. I quickly read the back and instantly knew this was for me. As such it was the first of the 9 books I bought at Boekenfestijn that I read. I expected it to be enjoyable and that I would have a few laughs, but I never expected it to be a book that would be so dear to my heart. It's by far the best spent 2 euros of my life.
I loved everything about this book. I have an everything-I-wanted shelf on Goodreads, and this definitely has a spot on there. From the two awesome main characters, their depth, growth, witty banter, and awesome romance, to the great British humor and pop culture references, to the themes of finding your own voice and celebrating your uniqueness, to the relatable scenes that had me crying, to the perfect ending... I honestly don't have a single complaint. I mean, look at this massive review, and I still feel like I'm not doing this book justice. (I barely even talked about the plot, EEP.) asdfjkl; If it were up to me, everyone in the world would be required to read this.
Anyone who wants to have an understanding of who I am as a person needs to read this book. It covers all the pain and insecurities I had in high school and college, and it aptly had me tearing up at those parts. However, it's also an inspiration to me. An inspiration in that I need to just be me and feel confident and reassured in that. It's also a reaffirmation of the love in this blogging community, and it has motivated me to keep blogging and expanding my life here. I'm going to own the fact that I'm a blogger, and I'm never going to be ashamed of that or hide that from others. To top it all off, it's given me a lot more ideas and goals that I want to accomplish as a blogger - so look forward to that!
This is not just a Debby Book. This is the Debby Book.
*sigh* The hype machine strikes again. I don't know what it was this time, but... nope. Judging by all the four and five star ratings from my f3 stars
*sigh* The hype machine strikes again. I don't know what it was this time, but... nope. Judging by all the four and five star ratings from my friends on Goodreads, I was kind of expecting my mind to be blown. I was told I would need tissues. Instead, I reached the last page and just had a blank stare, questioning, "Was that it? Really?"
To be fair, I'll never regret having purchased this book in hardcover because damn if the book itself isn't a work of art. The illustrations, done by Jim Kay, are absolutely amazing. So if you were thinking of buying this on an e-reader or Kindle, put that thought out of your head, and just pay the extra couple of dollars, because whoa. The haunting brushwork in the full page illustrations and the detail work on the sides of pages were just absolutely stunning and definitely my favorite part of the book.
[image]
The story, on the other hand, left more to be desired. In all honesty, when I finished, I questioned whether I was just too stupid for this book, because I think I must have missed something if that accounted for all those raving reviews. If I didn't miss something, then clearly I must be an insensitive bitch, because... it didn't really do much for me.
So Conor's mother has cancer, and Conor is coping with that in his own way. He has a persistent nightmare that haunts him almost every night. And then this monster suddenly comes to visit him and wants to tell him three stories, with the bargain that afterwards, Conor tells him his story. Conor is in denial about the fact that he even has a story to tell, but okay. Meanwhile, Conor goes to school, where he is pitied, ignored, and excluded by many because of his mother's condition. He even draws the attention of a bully. And to top it all off, his father remarried and is busy with his new family across the ocean.
Basically, A Monster Calls is a story about Conor's grief, coming to terms with death, and facing his fears. And while I know that that's a meaningful and deep story, it just didn't really touch me the way it did others. I don't get along well with books centered on death. Thinking back on If I Stay/Where She Went and The Lovely Bones, and now this? It's a definite thing. I know that they should make me feel something, but I just don't. I'm just reading with a blank expression and then I reach the end and am like, "Okay. So that's it." That's not to say that it's a bad book - it's not bad at all. The writing is definitely imaginative and good, the illustrations definitely immersed me in the story, but... I'm still lacking that feeling. And I wonder why? I mean, I have lost people close to me, but not at all recently, and it was while I was quite young. So I guess maybe that's it - it's just not personally relevant enough, and I didn't get so close to Conor to really feel what he felt.
Summing Up:
This book has left me feeling conflicted. I'm really disappointed that it didn't have the profound emotional effect on me that it has had on others, and it also kind of makes me feel a bit ashamed. But it is what it is. I think in a few years time, if I reread this, there is a high chance that I will feel differently about it. I think whether you really connect with this book is reliant on your own experiences. So it didn't resonate with me now, but it might well do that later.
Others I think will have better luck with this book than I did. And certainly, it is a work of art in itself, and I will go back to look at those beautiful illustrations more often. My final thought is that this book really should be read in one sitting (which isn't too hard, considering its length). I think that way you are really the most immersed in the story and the ending will have the best effect.
Note to self: At least check the synopsis once before you think that all four/five star ratings from friends means that you will automatically love it too. You know stories about grief don't work for you now. Just. Just. Okay.
GIF it to me straight!
[image] Yeah. That's right. I feel like that sadistic little fucker. Just... don't mind me.
Recommended To:
For the artwork, everyone; for the story, people who relate to and are affected by stories of loss and grief.
When I first heard of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, a title that is far too long to keep writing full o3.5 stars
When I first heard of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, a title that is far too long to keep writing full out and which I thus fondly dub "the first Fairyland book", I instantly thought I had to have it. The title was too quirky to pass up, it had illustrations, and good reviews from friends. And certainly it was a most enjoyable read.
What you'll immediately be struck with in reading this book is the beautiful writing and imaginative storytelling. Particularly for middle grade, this is a rather rare find. But right off the bat I could imagine that in 50 years or so, this series would be regarded as a modern classic. It certainly has a fairy tale-like quality. If you're after beautiful prose, definitely consider this short but sweet book. However, the writing can be quite dense as well. I was expecting this to be a quick and easy read - the kind where you can almost just turn your brain off and put on the cruise control. But it wasn't really like that. The beautiful writing did take some effort and brain power to digest. That doesn't take away from its beauty though.
Fans of Alice in Wonderland would absolutely feel right at home in this story. The type of world is rather similar, with every creature you can imagine and a few you would never think off. As our protagonist, September, explores this world, she encounters lots of quirky characters and has wonderful adventures. The level of detail and originality was quite surprising but of course in the best possible way. Again, not necessarily something I expected from a middle grade novel.
The illustrations were also a wonderful addition to this cute little story. Each chapter has an illustration at the beginning, the style of which I just love, and the chapter titles are also adorable. They tend to spoil the events of the chapter, but also increase your interest and excitement to read what happens next.
But. Of course, there is a but. Though I admit that the writing was beautiful and the world was original and exciting, I wasn't as charmed with this book as I expected to be. This is partly due to how slowly it read, as I was hoping for a quick read at the time. But also, I didn't feel a strong connection to September. I missed her personality. While I loved the Wyverary, her dragon-like companion, and many of the other characters, including the Green Wind, September was extremely bland. In a movie, I'd picture her like Bella Swan, sadly, with one facial expression. I felt no warmth from her. And I would have expected a 12 year old to be way more impressed and fascinated by the amazing world she fell into. But she was just like, "Okay, sure," to everything and hopped from one adventure to the next. I wish her character had more depth, because that's really what ultimately kept me from connecting to this book.
Summing Up:
I definitely enjoyed this read and think that it will be massively successful for a long time to come. Catherynne M. Vealente's writing is definitely beautiful and deserves a ton of praise, and the world that she created is absolutely enthralling. However, I did have trouble connecting to the book, and it wasn't as "quick and easy" a read as I expected. But for fun adventures and beautiful prose, I will definitely be continuing with the series.
A Long, Long Sleep, I don't know how to feel about you. I feel like we maybe got off on the wrong foot, because I was expecting to be blown a3.5 stars
A Long, Long Sleep, I don't know how to feel about you. I feel like we maybe got off on the wrong foot, because I was expecting to be blown away by your awesomeness. With the promise of a sci-fi fairytale retelling, my mind screamed, "CINDER! MORE OF THAT OMG YES PLEASE!" But you're not like that at all. You're much more subtle and laid back.
Rose, our Sleeping Beauty, wasn't the easiest character to connect to. We didn't get off to a good start. She was rather bland and sheltered, and I just wished that she would get up and be awesome and kick ass. Well... that's not who she is. I set my standards a bit high for female characters nowadays, so that was a bit disappointing. Rose has massively low self-esteem, puts herself down constantly, and frequently runs away when things get too hard or complicated. At this point, I thought, "Why in the world did everyone like this so much? Ugh." But then, later on in the book, there was a rather big reveal and plot twist about her back story and... oh god guys. Though I didn't feel anything for her before that, I couldn't help but sympathize. But though I sympathized with her, I still didn't feel a big connection to her. While I understood why she was the way she was, I still wished for a bit... more. Maybe I needed to see more character growth from her.
While I definitely liked the sci-fi elements and how the world had developed while Rose was in stasis, I felt like the world building barely scratched the surface. It just wasn't fleshed out well enough for me to truly love it. There was so much potential there, and I really wanted to know more about devices, technologies, the government, everything... and it was briefly touched on, but not enough for me.
Also, with the label of fairytale retelling, I kind of expected more from the romance. With the flashbacks and dreams, I did love the story that formed around Rose and Xavier. However, that relationship already ended so... yeah. Bren was weird to me, but I kind of like the growth that Rose goes through in confronting her feelings for him. Otto was absolutely adorable. I need more Otto in my life. But I just expected a way different romance - in that I actually expected there to be a romance. But there wasn't... not really. This book has thrown me for a loop, and I just don't know what to feel about it.
Summing Up:
While I definitely liked this book and it was a great reading adventure, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed, if only because my expectations were sky high. It's not bad, I mean, 3.5 oranges - that's a good rating, come on, but it didn't wow me. That being said, I do feel like if I hadn't expected it to blow my mind and be like the Lunar Chronicles series, I would have liked it better. I entered this book with so many misconceptions and incorrect expectations, and my reading experience definitely suffered from it. So I may reread it sometime. I definitely think it's worth another shot. And for what it's worth, Anna Sheehan's writing is definitely great.
First read: August 2013 Second read: September 2016
5 stars
Ho - ly - crap. Are you reading this series yet? If not, get on that stat. Whereas I loved ThFirst read: August 2013 Second read: September 2016
5 stars
Ho - ly - crap. Are you reading this series yet? If not, get on that stat. Whereas I loved Throne of Glass and only had one minor issue with the whole book that ultimately didn't take away from my enjoyment at all... Crown of Midnight does it so much better. This book is amazing. I loved every second of it, and putting it down was physically painful. And writing this review is even more painful, because... how am I supposed to achieve a good review without spoiling anything? Ugh.
Crown of Midnight is split into two parts. The first focuses on Celaena adjusting to her role as the King's Champion, taking out the targets and.... the romance. Chaol and Celaena. I can't with them. So perfect. Seriously. This romance is amazing, and I don't say that often. Think perfect build up, perfect tension, perfect banter, perfect feels, and I still don't come close to doing the two of them justice. You need to read this love story. It's just... extraordinary. Thanks to them, my standard for romance is soaring through the roof. It's called OTP. I can't get enough of these two. Let's go on a mini-GIF adventure!
[image]
[image]
[image]
[image]
Me =
[image]
At the end of part one and into part two, the action kicks it up a notch. My hesitance with Throne of Glass was that it never really shocked me. Crown of Midnight fixed this. Think plot twists, thrilling action-packed battles, intrigue, mystery, and a story that for a while you really don't know where it's going - in a good way. I can't go into it for fear of spoilers so... magic, demons, secrets, DEATH, vengeance. That's how I can sum up the plot. At parts, it totally ripped my heart up. I had tears in my eyes. I was gasping, screaming, furiously turning the pages. The ending kind of broke my heart and at the same time made me absolutely desperate for the next book. WHY MUST IT BE A YEAR? *cries*
[image]
And the very, very end (as in, very last page)? I totally called that halfway through, but mostly because I considered it while reading and thought it would be so awesome if it happened. And it did. So it wasn't too surprising, but I was cheering with my fist in the air. All in all, the plot was awesome and addictive, and I loved every bit of it.
Across the board, Chaol, Celaena, and Dorian get more and more depth as characters. I love reading about each of them, because it's really this gradual progression of getting to know them. It's wonderfully crafted. And it's not just our heroes, but also the side characters and villains. I love how Sarah J. Maas crafts her characters. I couldn't call a single one of them one-dimensional. That's major talent right there.
The writing is still super fluid and compelling, and the world building keeps improving!! Of course I can't really get into that either, for fear of spoilers. Umm... magic, lineage, politics, and more. asdjfkl; I'm sorry this review is such a fail. But just, just... read this book. Start the series. Get to this book. It's worth it.
Summing Up:
Well. I somehow managed to keep that spoiler free. But sadly this very badly represents the book. TL;DR: THIS BOOK IS AWESOME READ IT *KEYBOARD SMASH*. Then repeat that 203845 times. That's this review. Summed up. Celaena is one of my favorite main characters of all time. Celaena and Chaol are one of my favorite couples of all time. This series is one of my favorites of all time. That's reason enough to give it a shot, right?
[image] Please? Pretty please?
GIF it to me straight!
[image] It's just been a while since I've been so fiercely in love with a book.
I finally read my first Neil Gaiman book - ever! And oh boy it was just as, if not more, beautiful as I expected. Stardust is brilliant. It rea4 stars
I finally read my first Neil Gaiman book - ever! And oh boy it was just as, if not more, beautiful as I expected. Stardust is brilliant. It reads just like a fairytale, and Neil Gaiman shows what a brilliant storyteller he is.
I think Neil Gaiman's talent is obvious by how easily he creates a story that appeals to all ages. Stardust honestly has something for everyone: romance, adventure, magical creatures, even some graphic battles. Also, it is a rather simple and straightforward story, but it's so meticulously worked out with beautiful details and intricacies. The story is just solid. It works, and it'll work for almost every reader. I read it with full enjoyment the whole time. It's the kind of book that can easily pull you out of a reading slump.
So I loved every bit of the adventure - not much to say there - and of course, the romance between Tristran and Yvaine worked absolutely perfectly for me. I'm such a huge fan of hate-to-love romance progressions, and this was yet another great one. Even at the end, there's some quote about more or less how being called an idiot was the best thing. That gets me every time :') Maybe the transition could have been expanded a little more to make it more gradual and memorable, but I honestly loved it anyway.
If I have to nitpick, I'll say that the beginning was quite slow, with the story starting focused on Tristran's father and mother, before his birth. Though it was more or less a prologue, it took quite some time and I hadn't seen the movie recent enough to remember where the story was going at that point. The story really picked up for me when Tristran finally set out on his adventure. Then I became addicted to turning the pages. And a second minor point would be that I wish the story was a bit longer. A lot of the adventure part and the development of the romance were just so quick... It left me wanting more! (But is that really that negative? My gut says no.)
Summing Up:
This story was beautiful, the writing was so fluid and amazing, and it was just like a fairytale; Stardust definitely lives up to its reputation. I can easily see why so many people love it and pick it as their favorite Gaiman book. As for me, I'm so excited now to read more of his books little by little (and hey, I already read Coraline, and that review will be up next). He really is a natural storyteller and I can't wait to go on more of his adventures. And Stardust is a book I'll happily recommend to any reader.
GIF it to me straight!
[image] [image]
Recommended To:
Fans of fairytale-like stories and beautiful fluid writing....more
Coraline, perhaps Neil Gaiman's most famous work (due to the movie adaptation), is one of those books that probably everybody has to read som3.5 stars
Coraline, perhaps Neil Gaiman's most famous work (due to the movie adaptation), is one of those books that probably everybody has to read sometime. I'll be the first to admit that the only reason this book shot up on my to-buy and to-read list was because of the appearance of the signed limited edition slip case edition on the Book Depository (which is still available btw). It finally appeared in the mail, and what a thing of beauty!
[image]
Coraline is a quick read, with its large print and beautiful and haunting illustrations. I finished it within two and a half hours, easily, and I'm not a particularly fast reader. It tells the story of Coraline, a brave and adventurous little child who moves into a new house and goes exploring. She discovers a different world, where an evil creature steals her parents and wants to steal her soul. Especially when paired with the illustrations (which are different in my 10th anniversary copy, compared to the original version), this is a book that could easily have given me nightmares as a child.
But I would probably have liked it if my parents made me read it anyway. Above all, Coraline sends a strong message about bravery and a more subtle one about familial love. Coraline is a wonderful character, and I loved reading about her. I especially liked, in this 10th anniversary edition, reading about Neil Gaiman's writing process and the development of the story in his new foreword - and his sweet updated acknowledgements at the end. I'm becoming a bigger and bigger Neil Gaiman fan! Must read more of his books soon! (And I only own one more that I haven't read! Time to order more??)
Summing Up:
Neil Gaiman is a born storyteller, and this story is fantastic in its strange and haunting world, paired with the beautiful illustrations of Chris Riddell. It's a story that I hope all children would read - perhaps not as much the ones that are easily scared, but the others certainly. I wish I had discovered this as a child, but I'm happy knowing that my own children, if I ever get that far, will not suffer the same deprivation as me.
After I met Samantha Shannon back in September, I was stoked to read this book. I mean, she is so sweet. So sweet. And she's (just barely) younger than me, got a seven book deal, and is being called the new J.K. Rowling (which is completely unfair and incorrect, but I've covered that already). So then we decided to read this for book club, and man am I glad I did. The end result, for me?
I will go ahead and agree with most reviews that the first quarter is slow. The world building is quite elaborate -- and I absolutely love it; I mean, the world is amazing -- but that means there are quite dense, near-info-dumping passages at the beginning that can, for some readers, be tedious to get through. There's a lot of terminology, and just the many different types of clairvoyants can be confusing. Then there's the structure of the new society, Scion London, the criminal underground, and the new laws. It's a lot to take in. I didn't have any issues with it, because I truly felt the potential. Something really cool was going to happen in this intriguing world. It was the kind of elaborate world building that I really, really like.
What also helped was that I absolutely loved Paige from the start. She's not in-your-face kick ass and awesome, but she's really human. She's flawed and she knows it, but that makes her even more endearing. She's really spunky too, quite fearless, and admirable. She makes mistakes, but she learns from them. I loved observing her thought process. I just started liking her more and more as the book went along, and then she did start kicking ass and I was just cheering for her. She's awesome. One of my favorite main characters in a long time.
And then... then we meet Warden. I'll take one of him to go, please.
Warden is dark, mysterious, and, at first, a little frightening. But to be honest, I knew right away what was going to happen. Seriously, it's like the romance was written just for me. They start off hating each other. *runs around dancing* And then very, very, almost painfully slowly start growing to like each other. The build up is absolutely perfect, and when *it* finally happens... oh my god. *fans self* I just can't even. That scene was loaded with so much chemistry, I practically had to wipe the drool off the floor. But aside from the romance, because that's not at all what this book is really about (it was just a very nice, extremely nice bonus), I loved his character. He has this air of mystery, and though you may not get a clear picture of all his motives in this book, you can't help but want to know more and more about him.
The plot itself is dark and intricate. It builds slowly but it really is addictive, because it's kind of like a puzzle. You keep discovering new pieces and then those pieces start falling into place - though, of course, at the end of the book, the puzzle is not yet completed. But the intricacy of the world building combined with the various mysteries really sucked me in. The story is original and it takes chances. While the flashbacks in Paige's dreams were a bit confusing at first, I loved what they revealed, and I loved the twist as to why precisely we were seeing them.
I also want to give a special shout out and love to the secondary characters in this lovely book. Julian, Liss, Jaxon, Michael, and the handling of a certain LGBT character -- they all made me extremely happy. Each had a clear personality, voice, and purpose. It was just such a beautiful and complete picture.
The ending was seriously intense and action packed, as the rebellion finally happens. I was absorbed and couldn't put it down. But those last pages... Samantha, y u so cruel??? ;_______; I mean, it kind of made sense and all, but... I'm not happy. Especially not when the release date of the sequel is so unknown. I need it in my life. I need it. It's like I just got attached to this world, as if it were a new puppy, and then a short time later you just ripped it out of my arms. I'm not okay.
This book was just a great read. The length may be a bit frightening, and admittedly the beginning is a bit slow. But power through - it's so worth it. I just love the story, I loved the characters, and the romance that blossomed was perfect for me. At the end, when I finally felt like I truly understood the world, I quickly felt attached to it and loathed that it had to end.
Loading...
![[image]](https://sivegame.netlify.app/host-http-i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q799/snugglyoranges/gifs/tumblr_inline_mj2c54ceNg1qz4rgp.gif){kind=link}
![[image]](https://sivegame.netlify.app/host-http-www.snugglyoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ben2.gif){kind=link}
![[image]](https://sivegame.netlify.app/host-http-www.snugglyoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tumblr_m0spk670Jp1r5e9m0.gif){kind=link}
![[image]](https://sivegame.netlify.app/host-http-www.snugglyoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tumblr_m2cmewSPtU1r2iosf.gif){kind=link}
![[image]](https://sivegame.netlify.app/host-http-www.snugglyoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/sherlock-smile.gif){kind=link}
