Finished this on the beach today! I'm really sad this series is over because it was amazing. It is 100% one of my new favorite series! I know there's Finished this on the beach today! I'm really sad this series is over because it was amazing. It is 100% one of my new favorite series! I know there's an Amazon Original sequel book and I'm going to try and get my hand's on it... [image]
Despite having so many characters I never got confused or lost the plot. I'm also happy with where everyone ended up. I will admit I got a bit teary-eyed though. Something about knowing the Bobs are going to live forever and need to watch everyone they love died just got to me for some reason. Idk, maybe I was experiencing heat stroke. I also got super invested in Howard's relationships and am really happy with how it ended up.
I highly, highly recommend this series. It's premise is weird but it is executed perfectly and reaches its full potential. I can't wait to re-read the series!...more
I am very this series is over. I’m so happy I finally got around to reading this, but I don’t think I will ever pick up this series again.
Low key, thI am very this series is over. I’m so happy I finally got around to reading this, but I don’t think I will ever pick up this series again.
Low key, the only thing this book did for me is make me want to re-watch the movies. That probably makes me a fake reader...but it's the truth. Tolkien (along with his fanboys) is definitely turning in his grave rn, but I 100% like the LOTR films more than the books. I won't go so far as saying that I think they're better though, since I do think this is a great and influential book, but it's just not for me. Also, this isn't the fault of the book, but some of the scenes that were super dramatic in the film were kind of meh in the book. For example, Sam's I-can't-carry-the-ring-but-I-can-carry-you line didn't have nearly as much weight here as it did in the movie. Again, this isn't the books fault since the purpose of those scenes aren't necessarily meant to be the same, but since I've seen to films so many times those scenes did feel like a bit of a letdown.
Much like with the other books, I had such a hard time connecting to the characters! I'm fairly certain that most of the affection I feel for them is residual from the movies. (Except Eowyn. She's awesome.) But seriously, I don’t care about any of the characters. They all seem pretty flat to me. The character I connected most with was probably Frodo. He goes through so much and I really felt for him at the end.
The one thing I really loved about this book was how long the ending to was. So much happens in this series and I appreciate that Tolkien took the time to properly wrap everything up and give the characters the send off that they deserved. Other authors might have ended the book soon after the ring was thrown into the fires of Mount Doom, but even though that’s the climax of the book there were still so many things that needed to be resolved. The ending was bittersweet in the best way and the last few pages really touched me and made me kind of emotional – which is kind of impressive considering how meh I was about most of the characters! (“I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me.” cut me DEEP)
So ya. Overall, I’m glad I read this series but more so because it’s The Lord of the Rings and less because I actually enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, there were parts that I loved and there were some beautiful lines (one of my fav is “I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.”), but I don’t think high or epic fantasy is my genre. I’d still recommend this series though. If you enjoy the films or fantasy it’s well worth reading....more
This was an amazing play and I'd kill to see it live (especially with 2012 revival cast -- though I would love to have seen Peter Capaldi in the origiThis was an amazing play and I'd kill to see it live (especially with 2012 revival cast -- though I would love to have seen Peter Capaldi in the original version.) Much of the play is fictionalized since we don't exactly how exactly Oscar Wilde spent the day of his arrest nor at his last meeting with Boise (the two days depicted in this play), but I'm fine with that. David Hare wasn't trying to write a biography of Wilde, he meant to show how much Boise influenced him and, most importantly, how changed he was after prison.
Oscar Wilde had a very sad life, and this is a very sad play. I kept on wanting the characters to do different things even though I knew their paths were predetermined. I was frustrated for Ross, angry at Boise, and felt an immense amount of sympathy for Wilde. I definitely benefited from having read De Profundis prior to this play and I'd recommend reading that before picking this up as it's quite short but gives a lot of insight into Wilde's mindset and his relationships with the other characters. I don't think it's necessary to be an expert on Oscar Wilde to enjoy this play since the themes of love and betrayal are universal, but I do think it adds to the experience.
I think I'll try and read some of David Hare's other plays. I absolutely loved this and would highly, highly recommend this if you enjoy reading plays or about Oscar Wilde....more
I feel weird rating this since I'm not sure Oscar Wilde ever intended it to be published. It's a very personal letter so it's hard to say what its staI feel weird rating this since I'm not sure Oscar Wilde ever intended it to be published. It's a very personal letter so it's hard to say what its star-rating should be. I've settled for 4 because it was a very well-written letter and I loved parts of it, but parts of it were deathly boring. I loved reading about Wilde's relationship with Bosie (it sounded toxic at best) but had trouble getting through his religious ramblings. By the end I was skimming all the sections that mentioned "Jesus" or "Dante's Inferno". I have nothing against religious writings, but they don't really interest me and I don't think Wilde was saying anything particularly novel.
This book really just made me sad. Oscar Wilde sounded a tiny bit full of himself (there were many references to his"genius") but he in no way deserved the injustices that were done to him. His amazing writing stands out and his pain and anguish come off the page. Wilde's writing was extremely moving and I can understand why someone thought that this letter was worth publishing. This is a really short book so I'd recommend it to anyone that is interested in Oscar Wilde or historical LGBT writings....more
Re-Read: August 2022 Not sure if I was just particularly emotional while reading this book, but I wanted to cry throughout the whole thing. So many aspRe-Read: August 2022 Not sure if I was just particularly emotional while reading this book, but I wanted to cry throughout the whole thing. So many aspects of this book are just so sad. I'm lucky enough to not personally relate to anything in here, but everyone in this book is so beaten down by life and that depresses me. Even the happy moments seem a bit melancholic.
Despite all the sadness, I still really love this book. I think it tells a beautiful story about family and parenthood. It's this really weird family drama with toxic parents and (literal) fire children. And even though every single character needs a good dose of therapy, it is really nice and hopeful story.
Original Review This is definitely a new favorite book! I had a little bit of trouble getting into this, but once I got past the first chapter I completely fell in love with it. I love everything about this book. I thought the characters were well developed, the relationships between them were complex and interesting, and the plot was very unique. I mean, it's not every day that you read a book about combustible children.
This book made me feel all of the emotions. I never knew if I felt like smiling or crying nor could I figure out if they were happy or sad tears. The ending was the perfect mix of happiness and melancholy and probably the best ending I could have hoped for. This book is just so wholesome and touching and I loved it.
The only thing I would have changed is that I would have liked to see a bit more of Lillian and Madison's relationship. I thought they had an interesting dynamic that we didn't get to see a ton of. That being said, I do like how open-ended their relationship (along with everything else) is left. Honestly, everyone had really interesting character dynamics and the ways that the relationships changed throughout the story were very touching and realistic. The relationship between Lillian and the kids was so sweet and definitely made the book.
I haven't read anything else by Kevin Wilson but I 100% want to check out his other books....more
This was a really quiet, sad book. I feel odd reviewing it because it seems like such a personal book. I felt very detached from the narrator. This waThis was a really quiet, sad book. I feel odd reviewing it because it seems like such a personal book. I felt very detached from the narrator. This wasn't a bad thing per say, and in fact it helped point out how awful this experience was for Japanese Americans and Canadians, and how many of them just wanted to forget the whole experience.
I'd be interested to read this again after I have done some more research on internment camps. I'd say that I'm fairly knowledgeable on the subject, but I'd like to know more about the survivors of these camps and how the aftereffects followed them.
I'd highly recommend this book, but only if you have done some prior reading on internment camps. The author assumes that you know about why internment camps existed and what they were. This book isn't about internment camps, it's about the people that were sent there. It's heartbreaking and thought provoking, but it's not a history lesson. It's a beautiful yet detached story about how an innocent family's life was turned upside down, and how they dealt with it, for better or for worse....more
Re-read: November 2020 (view spoiler)[Though this definitely isn’t my favorite in the series, but I still really, really loved it. In part because thisRe-read: November 2020 (view spoiler)[Though this definitely isn’t my favorite in the series, but I still really, really loved it. In part because this was set at Camp Jupiter and because most of the characters were Roman, this book felt kind of different from all the previous books. (Even in SoN Percy – a Greek – was a protagonist.) I actually really liked having a book set (almost) completely at Camp Jupiter since we got to learn more about it. It was also nice to see Jason get a proper goodbye. That being said, I seriously don’t understand why anyone would want to live there though. Even if I was a Roman demigod I’d much prefer to live at Camp Halfblood.
Rick Riordan did such a good job with Apollo’s character development. He has growth so much over the course of the series. In some ways he’s unrecognizable. He cares for others, takes responsibility for his actions, apologizes, and has priorities other than himself! Book 1 Apollo could never. Despite all this, he still seems like himself, just a little more mature. He also literally calls Zeus his abuser which is a big step for him and says a lot about his character.
Though this book definitely isn’t about about abuse and abuse victims, I’m glad that it spent a little bit of time discussing it. Meg’s abusive relationship with Nero has been woven into all the books, as has Apollo’s abusive relationship with Zeus. The discussion on abuse isn’t ground-breaking nor is it amazingly done, but I’m glad it’s in a middle grade/young-YA book since I don’t see it all that often.
In addition to Meg and Apollo, Reyna got a ton of character development. Reyna has always been one of those characters that I liked but didn’t love, and though I still don’t love her to the same degree as my favorite characters, this solidified how much I like her. I was not expecting her to bring the comedy, but she was in some of the funniest scenes in the book. Apollo struggling to ask her out is peak comedy in my opinion. (Sidenote: I definitely don’t ship Reyna and Apollo but I wouldn’t have been angry if they had gotten together.)
The first time I read this I was really shocked that Reyna joined the Hunters, but this time around it was less jarring. This isn’t just because I knew it was going to happen. There were a lot of hints that Reyna wasn’t happy being praetor and that it was time to move on. I read a review where someone was complaining that Rick sends all his single female characters to join the Hunters, and while that’s not exactly wrong, I think joining the Hunters makes a lot of sense for Reyna since she now has unlimited time to figure out who she is. (And, as seen with Jo and Emmie, she can leave the Hunters if she ever wants to.)
I gotta say that I didn’t 100% understand her conversation with Apollo and I’m kind of confused about her sexuality. I saw on Twitter that Rick said she was a romantic asexual but I didn’t actually see any indications of that. If Rick wanted to have asexual rep I really wish he’d been more explicit. I guess I can see that being difficult though since this is a Disney book and sex has pretty much never been talked about before. I’m not sure how he could have organically brought up Reyna’s (a)sexuality and since it didn’t really have much relevance to the plot it isn’t something that really bothers me. Just thought it was interesting enough to mention in my review.
Honestly, this book was a lot better than I remember it being. I remember really liking, but not loving it. I don’t know why I constantly misremember how much I enjoy things but it was kind of good because I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this. The beginning-middle wasn't my favorite since I’m not the biggest fan of Lavinia, but second half was amazing and completely makes up for it. The final battle felt intense and I really liked Commodus' death scene. I could picture everything so well and I think it would look so good in a movie/tv show. Frank’s non-death seemed a bit like cheating (especially after Jason) but I don’t like characters dying so I’m not going to complain.
I’m so excited for the next book but I’m also kind of nervous. There’s a lot of plot that still needs to be wrapped up in only one book. Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint! (hide spoiler)]
Original Review This was amazing and I need the next book....more
Re-Read: October 2020 (view spoiler)[ [image] I am so sad. This is a re-read and I knew what was coming, but it still hit hard. I honestly was delayingRe-Read: October 2020 (view spoiler)[ [image] I am so sad. This is a re-read and I knew what was coming, but it still hit hard. I honestly was delaying my re-read of this and read it slowly because I didn’t want to read about Jason dying. Though I was not his biggest fan the first time I read the Heroes of Olympus, he’s really grown on my during my subsequent re-reads. He’s not my absolute favorite character, but I still really love him. And it was really sad to read his pre-death scenes. He seems so down and resigned to dying. It just makes me really sad that he’s dead.
I’m not fully convinced that his death was necessary since I’m never one who advocates for main characters dying, but if someone had to die, Jason was the right choice. Out of all the characters (minus Meg) he connected the most with Apollo. I don’t think anyone else’s death (except Meg’s) would have impacted him the same way Jason’s did. Jason was a really, genuinely good guy. He cares so much about other people and was so selfless and heroic during his death scene. Someone so good and so pure needed to die in order for Apollo to truly understand that his actions have consequences.
If we’re gonna be real, I wish Piper had died. I mean, I wouldn’t be happy if she died, but I certainly wouldn’t mourn her the same way I mourn Jason. I can’t put my finger on why I dislike her so much, but as soon as she comes on page, I get mildly annoyed. [image]
It’s not like she’s a useless or badly written character. She’s a lot more powerful than when she was first introduced, and she has a well-done arc. I just…hate her. Also, she had the audacity to be kind of cold and snippy with Jason when she broke up with him! Jason’s a great guy and he didn’t deserve that. She was also so rude to Apollo after Jason’s death! Yes, I understand that her ex/friend had just died, but she was really annoying. If Meg, a literal 12-year-old, could keep it together, so can she. Ugh, I just can’t with her.
Fortunately, Piper didn’t ruin the book for me. I completely loved it. It’s definitely not as funny or light as Rick’s other books, but it’s still really fun to read. It’s not ~dark~ per say, but the tone is kind of depressing and grim. It feels the most like the Tartarus portions of House of Hades. Still, the plot is a lot of fun and the characters are great even if they’re upset and stressed most of the time.
I don’t want to finish this series since it might be the last one Rick writes in this universe, but I’m so excited for the finale. I really loved this and my thoughts are too jumbled to write a proper, coherent review, so I hope future me enjoys reading my rambly thoughts. [image] (hide spoiler)]
Original Review I am heartbroken. I cannot believe what happened in this book. I can't even focus on all of the amazing things in this book because all I can think of is that scene. If you've read the book you'll know what I'm talking about.
(view spoiler)[I'm talking about Jason's death if you didn't guess. I can't believe Rick actually killed off major character. I must say, I am not happy! I feel like Jason is going to stay dead, but I would be SO HAPPY if he came back. Wouldn't it be awesome if some demigods had a quest to the underworld and saved him? (hide spoiler)]
The rest of the book was awesome. I was never bored and I thought it was really funny and had some great character development. Hopefully I'll be able to articulate my thoughts more coherently the next time I read it....more
This book has a misleading title. It promised life and death, which it delivered, but it also promised hope. I did not see the slightest bit of hope iThis book has a misleading title. It promised life and death, which it delivered, but it also promised hope. I did not see the slightest bit of hope in this book. I left this book feeling demoralized and hopeless. I couldn't see how things could get better for the people of Annawadi or how we (the West) could help them. Or in what way we should.
I definitely would not have read this had it not been assigned reading. I tend to enjoy happy, fiction books, and this one is neither. But I'm happy that I read it. It's far too depressing to re-read, but I don't think I would have read a book like this otherwise, and I think I gained some perspective. I know that some people have some qualms about this book because the author is a white, affluent American, but I think that Katherine Boo did an amazing job at presenting the lives of Annawadi in a nonjudgmental way. She spent years conducting interviews and visiting the slum. Very few researchers or journalists put that kind of effort into their work. I was originally going to give this book 4 stars, but upped my rating to 5 once I read the author's note. The writing flowed so nicely and read like fiction, so I wasn't too sure that Katherine Boo was accurately portraying everyone's motivations. But after I discovered just how much effort she put into truly getting to know the population of Annawadi, I believe the book's accuracy.
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a book that more accurately portrays the many people that live in a slum. Obviously Annawadi is not representative of all the slums in India, but this book gives us a tiny view into them. This book doesn't suggest any solutions or tell us how we could solve the injustices of the slums, but I think it's important to read this if you want to find a solution. Regardless of where you live, I think this book is an important book to read and I'd highly recommend it....more
I'm actually obsessed with this book but was not prepared for it to rip my heart out. I just wanted a happy ending. Is that too much to ask for?I'm actually obsessed with this book but was not prepared for it to rip my heart out. I just wanted a happy ending. Is that too much to ask for?...more
Oh my god. I haven't read a book that annoyed me so much in a very long time. I am actually so disapointed. This has never been my favorite series, buOh my god. I haven't read a book that annoyed me so much in a very long time. I am actually so disapointed. This has never been my favorite series, but the past two books were entertaining and engaging. From page one, this was not. This book has 3 perspectives. Helene (my queen), Laia (ew), and Elias (eh). Virtually every character was more interesting than Laia and Elias. I didn't love them in the previous 2 books, but I never hated them as much as I did here. If Helene hadn't had a POV, I think I would have DNFed this. I drudged through Laia and Elias's sections just so that I could read about her -- but more on that later.
First, let's talk about Laia. What a dull girl. I don't understand why she's protagonist. She is so boring. Her only character trait is whining about one thing or another. Characters are allowed to be upset sometimes, but they don't need to spend the entire novel moping or complaining. And she never listens to anyone. (view spoiler)[The Jaduna was clearly going to give her very important information after the library burned down, so why didn't Laia stop whining for 30 seconds and just listen?!?!? (hide spoiler)] Also, why the hell did Laia yell at her brother and tell him that he's the reason their family died. Does she not forget that she literally gave the Nightbringer part of the star thing that he needs???? Would she be happy if that was thrown in her face?? Honestly, he's her BROTHER. How can she be so awful to him, especially considering that she's no saint either. The saving grace of Laia's chapters was Musa. He was a really interesting character and I hope we see more of him in the next book.
Now, on to Elias. Somehow, he was more enraging than Laia. He seriously just needed to get over his old life. He's dead, things have changed. He needed to do his job and learn more about the Waiting Place. When he said (view spoiler)["All the world can burn but I will not simply leaver [Laia] to suffer" I nearly stopped reading. Like boy, no. The world will be (and kind of is) ruined if you don't forget about her and do your freaking job. (hide spoiler)] I get that he likes Laia and no one deserves what the jinns put her though, but there are bigger priorities. (Also, their romance isn't very compelling anyway.)
Now I can finally talk about Helene. I was shocked by how much I loved her. She is so bad-ass and complex. Every single scene with her was amazing. She is so strong and has so much depth and I can't wait to read about her again. (view spoiler)[I'm not sure if this was the right book to shoehorn a romantic subplot in, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't smile every time Helene and Harper interacted. They just have so much chemistry. I especially surprised that I ship the two of them since I don't remember anything about the second book in the series and had to Google who Harper was. (hide spoiler)]
I will admit that the last quarter of the book was really good. Like, 5-star worthy good. When Sabaa Tahir writes well, she writes really well. It was action packed and carried some emotional depth. (view spoiler)[I even teared up a little during Cook's last scene. (hide spoiler)] I wish the rest of the book had been like that. Tahir clearly has a ton of talent, so I have no idea why the earlier parts of this book sucked so much.
I'm going to read the next book, but just know that it is solely because of my queen Helene Aquilla. I want to see her get her revenge and finally find happiness. I am beyond done with Elias and Laia and genuinely don't care about their plots anymore. The last section of the book was amazing, so hopefully the entirety of the next book is that good....more
Re-Read: June 2021 Although this definitely wasn't as good as the last volume, it's a really nice volume to end with. The ending gave us enough detail Re-Read: June 2021 Although this definitely wasn't as good as the last volume, it's a really nice volume to end with. The ending gave us enough detail to imagine what Class E is up to now, but I like that things are still fairly open so that fans can imagine whatever they want. I also loved the bonus story with Koro-Sensei. It was ridiculous and silly, but also really fun and wholesome. It brought back the best parts of the series imo.
Much like my other favorite manga series, this series did such a good job at creating the characters. Maybe because manga series' are so long, but I find that my favorite manga characters seem more real to me than a lot of my favorite book characters. I feel like I've spent so much time with class E and almost like they're friends. I truly love all of these characters and I'm so glad I decided to revisit this series. I sincerely doubt that this will be the last time I read this series.
Original Review :( for some reason my review has disappeared. I don't want to re-write a review since I usually review the entire series in the last volume of a manga. At least I now have a reason to re-read the entire series!...more
Re-Read: June 2021 SO GOOD! While I'm not as emotional as the first time I read this, this series still manages to hit me in the feels. All the charactRe-Read: June 2021 SO GOOD! While I'm not as emotional as the first time I read this, this series still manages to hit me in the feels. All the characters, large or small, feel so real and well-developed. I really felt everyone's hurt and pain at the end of the volume.
I can't think of a better end for the series. Anything else would have felt like a cop-out. What the author went for felt perfect. And the art that went along with it was beautiful! One thing that always amazes me about the series is how each character looks unique. Not just in their character design or styling, but also in their facial expressions. It's easy to make characters different sizes or give them different clothing, but all the kids in Class E have completely different facial expressions and reactions to the events of the story -- just like people in real life. Obviously everyone felt sad, but they all showed it differently.
All in all, this was an amazing ending to the series. I know that there is still one more volume, but this is really where the story ends -- the rest is just tying up loose ends.
Original Review I was not expecting to cry at the end of this. It probably doesn't help that it was past midnight and was stressed about school though.
I don't really know what to say about this volume. I usually write reviews right after finishing a book, but it was late last night and my thoughts were a mess, so I decided to go to bed. Clearly, that was a bad idea, as I no longer have much to say. I kind of just want to talk about how much I love this series, but I'm going to save that for the next book.
Can I say again how emotional this book was? For all the characters! Including the 2nd generation monster, which I was surprised about. (view spoiler)[The ending scene when they were about the kill Koro Sensei killed me inside. Like, I was dying on the inside and crying on the outside. Who would've thought that a roll call could have been so emotionally charged. Honestly, who would have thought that I was going to grow so attached to all of these characters. But I'll talk about that more after I've read volume 21. Because Karma is my favorite character, I thought I would want him to be the one to kill Koro Sensei. But by the time I got to the ending, I knew that Nagisa was the right choice. Koro Sensei has strong relationships with every single student, but his relationship with Nagisa has always been special. (hide spoiler)]
I was worried that this series was going to have an unsatisfying conclusion, but I loved the end of this volume. Fortunately, I loved the ending. Aside from the actual story being great, the art was beautiful and really added to the scene. I hope none of my praises are premature, and that the next volume doesn't suck. Sadly, I'm going to have the wait a few months until I can read the final volume :(...more
I haven't had this much fun with a book in a while. For some reason I was sure that I was going to hate this book. It just didn't seem like my thing. I haven't had this much fun with a book in a while. For some reason I was sure that I was going to hate this book. It just didn't seem like my thing. Boy was I wrong! I read this do quickly! It was funny, had loads of adventure, some great representation, and awesome characters. Overall, it's just a great book.
Although I now like Monty, for the first half of the book I really disliked him. He was rude, arrogant, and unbelievably selfish. I felt bad for him, but I still thought he was a jerk. However, he really starts to grow on you, and I loved him by the end. His sister, Felicity, also annoyed me near the beginning, but I quickly warmed up to her. Honestly, the only character I liked from the get-go was Percy.
I thought that this book was going to be pure fluff, and while it is for the most part, there are some really interesting and important things brought up. The author spent a lot of time talking about sexuality, race, and (view spoiler)[abuse (hide spoiler)]. The conversation between Monty and his sister was perfect and I'm so glad the author included it. It was an important thing to have in YA literature, and it marked a turnung point for Monty.
I can't think of any flaws this book contains. Now, you might be wondering why I didn't give this book 5 stars. Basically, I can't see myself ever re-reading this, and I try to only give 5 star ratings to books that I'm either going to re-read, or that I feel somehow changed me. This was a great book, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel like a changed person. This isn't going to be a modern classic that they're going to teach in a classroom 50 years from now, but it was so much fun and I am so happy I read it. ...more
That was so depressing. This is a Holocaust book, so of course it was depressing, but this was some how more depressing than most. The [image] [image]
That was so depressing. This is a Holocaust book, so of course it was depressing, but this was some how more depressing than most. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in narrated by nine-year old Bruno. Bruno is one of the most innocent characters you will ever meet. He doesn't understand the war that is going on, and has no idea what Auschwitz (or Out-With as he calls it) is. It's a bit unbelievable how innocent he is, but I understand why the author made him that way. You wouldn't be able to write this story without him being incredibly innocent.
I don't want to say much more. I think this book is much better if you go into it blind. The language is very simple, so you could easily finish this in a day. I'd strongly recommend it....more
Goodreads deleted my original review :( I'm not in a writing mood at all, but I'll write some notes down anyway.
I thought now would be a good time toGoodreads deleted my original review :( I'm not in a writing mood at all, but I'll write some notes down anyway.
I thought now would be a good time to re-read this book. I recently turned 18, I graduated high school, and I'll soon be starting university. Like many who enjoy Peter Pan, I hate change and I actively avoid it. Part of me thinks it would be awesome to live in Neverland, and part of me thinks it would be horrifying. Peter Pan (the book) is very different from Peter Pan (the Disney movie). Peter is a jerk, people are killed left and right, and the ending is much sadder! I was crying by the end of the book! I'm too tired to write anything else...maybe I'll write a better review on my next re-read....more
Re-read: November 2020 This book reverted me back to being 17. I’d like to think that I’ve matured as a reader since then, but clearly I haven’t. This Re-read: November 2020 This book reverted me back to being 17. I’d like to think that I’ve matured as a reader since then, but clearly I haven’t. This book clearly reverted me back to being 17 because I was grinning like an idiot whenever Jest, a somewhat generic ~mysterious~ love-interest, said anything remotely charming. I don’t even like him that much (he’s fine, but not the most fleshed-out character) but inner me was swooning whenever he called Cath pretty in flowery terms. I truly am charmed too easily and I need to raise my standards.
In addition to the somewhat generic (though charming) love-interest, this book is so classic YA in terms of character motivations. The characters were constantly doing stupid things because of ♥love♥ but it’s so entertaining that I didn’t care. Also, even though people made stupid decisions, all the decisions were consistent with their characters. So they didn’t just make dumb decisions because the plot called for it. A lot of them were in difficult situations and even though I personally might have made different decisions than them, I understood why they made the choices that they did.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well-crafted this story was. At the beginning it seems like it’s just going to be a basic story about a girl that doesn’t want to be queen and has a forbidden romance, but there were actually quite a few twists! (view spoiler)[Since this was a re-read, I knew that there was a fight scene at the end and that Cath eventually lost her heart. I also didn’t trust Sir Peter, though I didn’t remember the details. Somehow, I had completely forgotten about Jest and Hatta’s secret mission, the prophecies, and the Jabberwock! I don’t know how I forgot all this considering that it was the entire second half of the book, but it was kind of nice to be continually surprised during a re-read. (hide spoiler)] Though the romance is a huge part of the book, I liked how there was a lot more plot as well.
Even though he’s only a supporting character, Hatta was definitely my favorite (though Ches was a runner up!). He was more than a bit rude to Cath, but I think that was understandable. From an outsiders perspective, Cath did seem like she was just playing with Jest’s heart. (view spoiler)[Obviously, he was also rude to Cath because he was in love with Cath, but I think he would have been nicer about it if Jest had fallen in love with anyone other than Cath. And in the end he obviously just wanted Jest to be happy. He tried to warn Cath not to go through the door and he followed Jest even though he knew he was going to go mad. Also, his crush on Jest was so obvious I can’t believe I missed it the first time I read this. (hide spoiler)]
I wouldn’t say that this was as good as the Lunar Chronicles, but honestly, I think this is probably as good as Cinder. There are definitely some flaws and somewhat cliché tropes that the story lies on, but this was so much fun to read that I can’t not rate it 5 stars. I definitely think I’ll be re-reading this sometime in the future.
Original Review This book was, too put it simply, amazing. I absolutely loved it. I think I like it too much to write an actual review, so I'm just going to write down some bullet points on what I loved.
- Hatta is one of my new favorite characters ever!!! I loved him to bits. (view spoiler)[The ending killed me. When he went crazy and admitted he was in love with Jest I just... [image] (hide spoiler)]
- The world building in Heartless was phenomenal. I read Alice in Wonderland in preparation of this, and I think that Marissa Meyer did a great job in portraying Wonderland in the same way that Lewis Carroll did. Everything was so weird and illogical, and yet it seemed so normal. There are talking animals and food that can make you shrink, but it seems commonplace and completely normal.
- The ending was definitely the best part of the book. That's not to say that the rest of the book wasn't enjoyable, but for the first half of the book, it's more like a 4-star book than a 5-star book. Still really good, but it's not as compelling as the ending.
- I really loved Chess. He was so much fun to read about, and I wish he had more lines, because I adored every scene with him.
- Cath's decent into madness/evil was really well done! When you first meet Cath she's super sweet! Well, she's not always the nicest, but she mostly is. She went crazy pretty quickly, but as I was reading the book, there were little hints that she already had a semi-violent nature. (For example, she imagines a party guest choking to death.)
- I liked Jest, but I didn't love him. I think I was so focused on the world building while reading this (I love Wonderland!) that I didn't focus as much on him, so maybe I'll find him more swoon-worthy then. He was really nice though, so that was great. I'm not a huge fan of "bad boys".
Basically, I loved this book and thought it was near-perfect. I definitely recommend it!...more
The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favorite movies. I love it not only because of how well directed it is (the movie is gorgeous!) but I also adoreThe Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favorite movies. I love it not only because of how well directed it is (the movie is gorgeous!) but I also adore the writing. I find that when I watch movies I don't always catch every line, so I really like reading screenplays to know exactly what the characters said. Wes Anderson's writing is so amazing, and I laughed and cried exactly as I did while watching the movie. I think I'd almost die of joy if he ever wrote a novel.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen the film, or to anyone who hates screenplays/scripts, but I really loved it.
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Original Review To sum this script up in one word: Perfection.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is one of my favorite movies, and it was just wonderful in script format....more
Re-read: September 2020 This was just as good - if not better - than I remember it. Since the last time I read this my tastes have changed a lot, so I Re-read: September 2020 This was just as good - if not better - than I remember it. Since the last time I read this my tastes have changed a lot, so I actually really enjoyed part 1 despite hating it the first time I read this. A lot of this book is about the mundane, but I never felt bored. A lot of the writing is to-the-point, but there were also so pretty/lyrical passages, especially when Pi got philosophical. It was also really interesting to read this book knowing the ending, (view spoiler)[especially the beginning of part 2 when Pi was with the animals/the other survivors, and whenever Richard Parker did something that Pi considered to be inhumane. (hide spoiler)]
This is probably one of my favorite books (though admittedly, I have a lot of those...) It's also reminded me that I've never read anything else by Yann Martel. I'll definitely re-read this again at some point and hopefully by then I'll have read at least one other book by the author.
Original Review I'm really surprised I gave this book 5 stars. For the longest time I thought I was going to give it 1 or 2 stars. I found the beginning extremely boring, and if I hadn't been reading this for my Book Club I probably would have DNFed it. After having read the entire book, I can appreciate the beginning, and I see why it was necessary. If we weren't forced to read the long, drawn out introduction, we wouldn't have really seen just how much Pi changed during his trip.
The ending is what really made me give Life of Pi 5 stars. I was so shocked at the ending! It changes how I view the entire book! I'm not sure I know which ending I prefer, but I love how the ending is so ambiguous.
My favorite part of this book was definitely the section on the island. I couldn't put the book down, and even though I don't know if such an island is possible, I felt like it could almost be real.
Life of Pi is such an emotional book. I was tearing up so often! The beginning of part 2 killed me, and I was an emotional wreck by the end. After I finished, I couldn't stop thinking about it. This is one of those books that you finish and then immediately want to re-read. I probably won't get around to re-reading this anytime soon, but I really hope I get around to it eventually. I think I'll get so much more out of the story now that I know how it ends.
Also, if anyone hasn't seen the movie adaptation yet, watch it. It's one of the most beautiful films I have ever had the pleasure of seeing....more
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