I’m always mad when I finish a book that has potential, especially when it is ruined by a writer getting drunk on her authorial powers, and consequentI’m always mad when I finish a book that has potential, especially when it is ruined by a writer getting drunk on her authorial powers, and consequently puking out unnecessary plot lines.
Reminder: sometimes less is more; sometimes more ideas = multiple novels.
Not all of the plot lines should have been in this one book.
If the strength of the story can’t rely on one or two of these plot lines—at the most— then the writing and the plots aren’t strong enough.
This is unfortunately one of those books where I thought:”’I could do better than this.” I don’t enjoy feeling that way—I prefer to read books that blow me away, or at the very least, feel worth reading. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six wasn’t worth reading.
Let’s start with some niceties:
Positives: The atmosphere and setting are the perfect mix of isolation and creepy and really set the tone. The title says it all (yet I do think this is squandered a bit, do to so much time splitting to outside POV’s, but I’m focusing on the good here).
The plot has a nightmarish “A Midsummer Nights Dream” aspect to it that, if focused on more, could have really improved the plot.
The tension between the characters is palpable and I liked the family dynamics at first.
Unger has a lot of intriguing ideas. I’ll give her that.
Okay, now for the problems—and boy are they glaring.
Cons: The major issue with the story is that there are too many perspectives. The death blow for me is the swapping back between Henry’s time line and the cabins. Every time something interesting happens at the cabin, the tension is destroyed by diving into Henry, or Trina, and even Brackens POV.
WTF was the point of Bracken? We didn’t need a Trina POV either. And if Unger did want to include these two POV’s, then she should have used it as a mechanism to build tension and suspense, instead she just info dumps. I
I can’t even play devils advocate and hope that Unger intended for Trina and Bracken to be possible red herrings; Unger makes it obvious who the real villain is when writing their chapters. ...more
This is a REALLY long memoir. During some of it I listened to it on 1.3 speed on audible, otherwise, I don't know if I'd have gotten through it.
I'm goThis is a REALLY long memoir. During some of it I listened to it on 1.3 speed on audible, otherwise, I don't know if I'd have gotten through it.
I'm going to get this out of the way: I don't think Spare is as bad as some people are making it out to be. I also don't think it's as good as some others think it is. Spare is obviously ghost written. I have a problem with ghost writing. I wish the ghost writers name was on the cover with Prince Harry. It feels disingenuous to me.
Spare is a memoir of Prince Harry's life, from childhood to the very recent past, split into three parts (plus an epilogue). Each part felt different, and also too long. Thats my biggest grievance with the Spare –– It needs editing. The main point of this memoir seems to be his status as the spare – it's the leading conversation, the title, and an ending remark by meghan to harry. This mental battle of his really is the most interesting part of the book and I enjoyed exploring it, but at the same time (for me) his military service takes up a huge chunk of the story. I could have done with less of it. Harry also avoids any mention of his or his wifes on mistakes, he glazes over his own issues as youthful mistakes (i'm sorry, but everyone should know dressing up as a nazi for halloween is awful). No one is perfect.
All in all, I think if this had been split into two memoirs, or maybe just cleaned up and spared a hundred pages or so, it would have been a better read.
The star of the memoir is his love story with Meghan, and that doesn't even start until the very end. I would have loved a larger focus on his found family with Meghan, and less on his rivalry with his brother. The goal of this memoir seems to be to share his story and humanize the both of them, (and yes make money for their very expensive security....) and yet that humanizing is kind of put on the back burner in order to focus on the sibling rivalry.
There are four types of readers that will enjoy Spare for different reasons: 1) Those that love Princess Diana, and want to read about that aspect of Harrys life -– the loss of his mother, his denial, the aftermath, the eerie parallel that his wife Meghan seems to be experiencing with the media. 2) Those that are really interested in Prince Harry's military experience. 3) Those that are just here for the gossip. 4) Those that want to hate read this because they hate the royal family, or at least hate Harry and Meghan. These readers are the strangest to me. Why spend time reading something you hate? This book is soo long? How do hate readers do it? I always am amazed by one star reviews of long books like this.
Despite all of the structural issues, the problem of ghost writing, the question of validity regarding some of the anecdotes, ––my issue is that all these events are just from Harry's POV, so it's hard to know really what someone else was feeling, or intended. it's all he said...he said–– I did think there were some valuable conversations around grief, loss, privacy!!!, fame, and journalistic integrity. Paparazzi are literally legal stalkers. It's disgusting. On a lighter note, I know this is controversial, but the section about his frost bitten "todger" was hilarious.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, I did take some value from it, I do think it humanizes members of the royal family, and honestly, I don't think it's quite as vicious as some people feel it is. The royal family is essentially a family, and family don't always get along. Spare is a unique glimpse into an otherwise closed world....more
Maame is a compelling debut about a young woman named Maddie's struggle with guilt and grief in the wake of a massive loss. Maame is about the weight Maame is a compelling debut about a young woman named Maddie's struggle with guilt and grief in the wake of a massive loss. Maame is about the weight that women, especially young women, are given from an age when they are too young to shoulder it. I feel like this is occurs across cultures, but it seems to be even more prevalent in the Ghanaian culture that Maddie grows up in. This struggle - between being perceived as the responsible, grown up one, and yet still immature and unexperienced due to her sheltered, isolated upbringing, is a divide that Maddie walks alone. It was an interesting contrast, but it also rang false at times, because surely, a 25 year old would know some of the things Maddie clearly doesn't.
The novel itself is about Maddie's journey to self discovery. It's essentially a coming of age novel, and it feels very reminiscent of the struggles of being an early twenty something, figuring it out. But at the same time, it feels a shade too immature, due to Maddie's sheltered life. The story reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and a little of The Candid Life of Meena Dave. Maddie is socially stunted like Eleanor, dealing with depression, but the story also has an uplifting vein of self discovery, like Meena Dave.
The novel is also largely about social dynamics and relationships: family, friends, dating, coworkers, casual acquaintances, flatmates. This novel see's Maddie navigating all of these avenues of human connection. This was the problem ––George does too much. I really enjoyed the conversations around Maddies friendships, her flatmates (Jo is the worst, reminded me a lot of Hailey in The Hate You Give)
Maddies family is... complicated. Her brother is essentially inabsentia, her mother only seems to call when she wants money, and her father relies on her to be practically his sole caretaker. Maddie is devoted to her father. This relationship was poignant and what really drew me into the story.
A lot of the novel unfortunately centered around Maddies dating life. While I do think that her dating life needed to be included, I do think too much of the story was focused on it. And the really problem for me is that the "end game" guy is relegated such a short section of the novel, and most of the actual relationship is just told to us in the epilogue, like a "happily ever after" Yet we got so many pages of her early "yawn" relationship? I also did not like how the happy ending, where everything falls into place for Maddie, has to include a man. This character needed much more time to heal and learn about herself. She was a hot mess express and then BAM! The perfect man falls head over heels for her.
Maddie's cultural identity as Ghanaian but also as a Londoner, is also an interesting conversation. Her mother & other relatives make a big deal out of her not knowing Twi, a Ghanaian dialect, but also, did any of them ever make a point to teach this to her when she was young, or where they too busy foisting the responsibilities of an adult onto a child? Even Maddie seems to question her identity as both Ghanaian and a Londoner. She feels English, and yet she has all these traditions from a place she doesn't really feel a kinship with.
This is a unique portrait of a fragile life. George does a wonderful job with characterization, in particular Maddie, her mother, and her friends voices really shine. I had a difficult time with the beginning of the novel as it is incredibly depressing and lacks hope. It picks up after that quickly, and I enjoyed following along Maddie's journey. There were many moments where I wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into her though, and in those nonsensical moments all I could think is "George! no one would act this way or ignore this." In a word, i HATE when character actions are just to move a plot point forward, or just to create drama.
In short, a pretty good coming of age novel, a complete page turner, filled with powerful emotions, but lacking in editing & construction, and ultimately 3 stars for me....more
I hate to write negative reviews, but Age of Vice is a book I wish I had never read. Age of Vice is deceptive –– the cover is eye catching, the openingI hate to write negative reviews, but Age of Vice is a book I wish I had never read. Age of Vice is deceptive –– the cover is eye catching, the opening is stimulating, mysterious, filled with all those Dickensian hard times we can appreciate!
But the story deteriorates shortly after it begins.
Age of Vice is a convoluted story centered around three characters: Ajay, Sunny Wadia, and Neda. The way this story is told is part of the problem, and I have to fault Kapoor's editors for not making her fix this.
The novel is split between these three perspectives, but the chunks of each narrative are HUGE. We spend the first part of the novel with Ajay. And as soon as I am truly invested in his story, his voice, his PAIN, we are pulled away and thrusted into the head of someone else. It was completely jarring. Add to this the fact this new character is not Ajay, Sunny, or Neda, but is someone heretofore unknown, and it is disorienting. From here we spend a lot of nothing time with Neda, focusing on how she falls in love with Sunny, which is neither convincing nor interesting. It reads disingenuous and toxic. Once we get to Sunny's chapters, things fall apart. There is no semblance of pacing from here on. It is completely disjointed. Add to this the fact Sonny is completely unlikeable and it becomes unbearable. There is a very incoherent hours long chapter voiced by yet ANOTHER heretofore unknown character that is both agonizingly brutal and boring! Then we have the ending, that focuses back on the only character I liked, Ajay, but the resolution is not exciting and did not validate my experience of spending nearly TWENTY hours listening to the audiobook.
This book is 500 pages long. This is a trilogy! I cannot listen or read two more books of comparable length about these characters in the style Kapoor writes in.
I believe Kapoor needed to completely rework this story. It has promise, but the construction is flawed, to the point that the entire narrative collapses and is for me, not salvageable.
Another big problem is that most of the novel is TELLING, and not SHOWING. most of it focuses on the same event from different perspectives. This gets tedious fast.
Be aware if you do try to read this: The violence is horrific. There are rape scenes.
Odious characters, odious writing, what I can only assume is performative violence for shock value, and I just can't rate this higher than two stars.
I will not be continuing with the series.
Stephen King said that aspiring novelists should read this... That sounds promising, right? Prepare for disappointment. If anything, this has shown me many things not to do....more
What I thought I was getting: A cozy mystery, a neurodivergent main character, a hotel setting What I got: anxiety from constant scenes of bullying, seWhat I thought I was getting: A cozy mystery, a neurodivergent main character, a hotel setting What I got: anxiety from constant scenes of bullying, second hand embarrassment, and sadness!
I'm glad I finished The Maid because I did grow to like the story but overall it was average. The main character Molly was portrayed as both pitiful and powerful, it kept going back and forth, many of her actions were inconsistent with her character. The beginning was slow and sad, the middle continued to be sad but picked up the pace, and the ending was slap you over the head happy resolution.
The ending was the hardest for me to stomach because it was too cutesy. It felt like an ending a romantic comedy would have.
This was average. Not bad, not great. I would read more from this author. For a debut it met my expectations. I would recommend it, but I wouldn't shove it into unsuspecting passerby's hands or gift it to friends....more
Dispossession, as Tayari Jones tells us during the course of the story, is the technical term for eviction. But at the same time, this short story is Dispossession, as Tayari Jones tells us during the course of the story, is the technical term for eviction. But at the same time, this short story is a powerful tale of dispossession of family, of racial and cultural identity, and of belonging. Dispossession is the leave-going from home that results in never feeling at home again where one once had roots. This short story explores the difficult choice one woman makes in sending her only son to an out of state school, and the repercussions that stem from that decision, both within her home and society. At once melancholic and deep, this story is raw and vulnerable, and essential listening....more
Woo! I finally finished A promised land! I found it to be a relatively good read. It lagged a bit at times but for the most part I found Obama’s abiliWoo! I finally finished A promised land! I found it to be a relatively good read. It lagged a bit at times but for the most part I found Obama’s ability to tell his story engaging. ...more
The Invisible Man is a book of many faces, for a story centered on a seemingly faceless man. When I started reading this I thought it was simply sci-fThe Invisible Man is a book of many faces, for a story centered on a seemingly faceless man. When I started reading this I thought it was simply sci-fi, but it was not long before I came upon my error –– It’s best to not judge a book based on what you’ve heard about it. Based on the cover alone I expected The Invisible Man to be dry, clinical even. This is a novel by HG Wells, considered to be one of the forefathers of Science Fiction, but this is also a horror novel, a social satire and even forays into slapstick comedy.
The invisible man begins in a whirl of fresh snow falling down from the sky, and an odd man yelling for a fire and a comfortable place to rest. In this way we are introduced to a British countryside cemented deeply in a world of winter. This quintessential introduction gives the reader a stark look into the world, and mind, of our main character. With this line we are introduced to a world fraught with snow and hardships and our characters search for warmth and comfort. With this line we wonder where our lone traveler has come from – and where he is going.
Throughout our time with The Invisible Man, we begin to ask ourselves questions about the world around us –– Are all men inherently evil? What would man do if he were all-powerful – immune to judgment?
We also discuss the danger of scientific advancement & the pursuit of knowledge as the forbidden fruit – are we as men meant to have the knowledge to commit despicable acts?
I’m a sucker for stories with large themes that encompass more than the bindings of their books. The Invisible man accomplished this in a burst of snowfall, leaving icy footfalls in its wake. This story left an impression on me, and for that I will remember it in the cold months ahead. ...more
Overview The Last Mrs. Parrish presents itself as a seductive summer thriller, best read while soaking up the sands and scents of some beachside cabanaOverview The Last Mrs. Parrish presents itself as a seductive summer thriller, best read while soaking up the sands and scents of some beachside cabana, while sipping on a cocktail and peering at the pages through the lens of oversized sunglasses. It appears on the surface to be the quintessential summer read.
But under the surface of this seduction there is a darkness, with roots deep in the lives of the socialites we are focused on. Daphne appears to have it all, and Amber wants to take everything from her, and leave her destitute. Daphne has the perfect home in idyllic Bishops Harbor, the perfect life, and –most importantly – the perfect husband. Daphne just does not appreciate her life the way that Amber would! Not everything is as it seems. This is a clever psychological thriller, and the latter half of the novel chilled me to my bones –Not even the summer sun could warm me.
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer....
With that being sad, none of the characters are LIKEABLE, and the first half of the book is more difficult to get through than the latter half.
The novel is split into two parts: Amber's perspective and Daphne's.
The problem here is that Amber is unlikeable. She is devoid of any redeemable characteristics. She is envy personified. Seeing the narrative through her eyes almost causes the reader to feel complicit in her actions. We begin to judge Daphne through Ambers eyes, and almost wonder, does this rich naive bitch deserve the lavish life she's been seemingly handed on a silver platter? But as Amber's narrative progresses, we begin to side less with Amber, and more with Daphne. I enjoy reading from a villainous perspective in novels, works such as Wuthering Heights and Survivor do this well. Moreover, I love flawed characters, but Amber is more than flawed, she is poison . Starting with her narrative allows the reader to begin to empathize with Daphne, but also fosters a disquieting sense of brutality and hatred for Amber.(view spoiler)[ The scenes of Amber sleeping with Daphne's husband, wearing her clothes, spewing vile about her kindness were stomach churning and made me ache for Daphne. (hide spoiler)]
Reading this was uncomfortable. Little did I know, it would get far worse.
Daphne's narrative offers redemption for her character and sheds light on numerous questions of naivety and privilege that bubbled under the surface of Amber's arc. However, as we learn the truth we are thrown into a whirlwind of abuse, both physical and emotional, that made me physically ill.
The ending is supposed to be redeeming – but I only felt pity. This is really a story of revenge and jealousy, and reading my through it left me feeling tainted with it.
This is a good summer read, but not memorable. Disturbing, filled with trigger warnings, and abound with detestful characters. A novel in the same vein as Gone Girl, but less satisfying and more uncomfortable....more
Look, some books just aren’t meant for certain people. And this book just isn’t meant for me. Maybe it’s meant for you and that’s great. Good for you,Look, some books just aren’t meant for certain people. And this book just isn’t meant for me. Maybe it’s meant for you and that’s great. Good for you, not for me. I wish I could get the time I spent listening to this back....more
I enjoyed the setting and I think the plot was the most straight forward, whodunnit of Ruth wares I’ve ever read. Unfortunately One by One takes too lI enjoyed the setting and I think the plot was the most straight forward, whodunnit of Ruth wares I’ve ever read. Unfortunately One by One takes too long to get to the big reveal, and by the point the killer is unmasked, I had known for 100+ pages. Suffers for excess length. ...more
I really enjoyed this novel BUT felt it could have benefited from a cleaner execution. I understand that Harry’s life wasn’t linear, but I kind of wisI really enjoyed this novel BUT felt it could have benefited from a cleaner execution. I understand that Harry’s life wasn’t linear, but I kind of wish his story had been....more
I really expected to love this novel. It has all the things I tend to enjoy in thrillers –– A spooky atmospheric setting, a lavish party, sketchy charI really expected to love this novel. It has all the things I tend to enjoy in thrillers –– A spooky atmospheric setting, a lavish party, sketchy characters abound, rain, rain and more rain, a locked island mystery! I should be raving about this one, like other reviewers. With these thoughts in mind, I turned on my kindle and began devouring The Guest List, glass of wine in hand, snug under a knit blanket with the sound of rain blasting against my windowpane – mother nature sure knows how to set a mood. I sighed into the night and began to read.
But... then... wait a second...
It wasn't long before I realized I had made a mistake.
I didn't like this. None of the characters were believable or likeable, and hell I expect at least one or the other.
The Guest List is heavy with melodrama and minimal substance.
I began to think "This would probably work better as a TV show or an audiobook." The writing is stilted and the perspectives didn't work for me. With hope still in my heart that this novel could still be the moody atmospheric novel of my dreams, I downloaded the audible audiobook and closed my eyes, letting the narration take me away...
But.. wait.. Oh goodness.
The audiobook is worse! It was an amalgamation of various narrators, different voices for each character, smashed together. Now I usually like a cast of narrators, but this just didn't work.
I forced myself to finish the story, hoping the ending would be worth it, but it wasn't for me.
Ruth Ware does this kind of mystery better – In a Dark, Dark Wood is superior to The Guest List, and does a similar story line.
Overall, I was disappointed. I had high hopes, but The Guest List was not what I hoped it would be....more
Heartless is the story you think you know, but with a twist. It follows the Queen of Hearts before she becomes the Queen of Hearts. From the moment thHeartless is the story you think you know, but with a twist. It follows the Queen of Hearts before she becomes the Queen of Hearts. From the moment the story begins, Cath's heart is already lost. This is a story of unrealistic societal expectations and the effect it has on women.
Cath is a somewhat high society gal, and she is not allowed – or even expected – to want anything more for herself than to become the Queen of Hearts. Her parents could care less that the King is a coward; a man more concerned with maintaining the status quo than making any improvements upon the realm. Unfortunately for Cath, her heart is set on the Court Joker, and a forbidden romance ensues. She pines for him, and he for her, and her parents are outraged.
Heartless is the type of story readers don't often enjoy – because the ending isn't pretty. There is no happy ending in a story such as this, and it's good to realize this from the start. From the moment the story begins, Cath's fate is sealed.
I enjoyed the characters and the unique spin Meyer took on the Alice lore, the world felt fresh and alive. Nearly every character is inspired by some piece of Alice lore, from Cath's maid (a nod towards the white rabbits maid in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), to the jabberwocky and the mock turtle.
TLDR; This is a story of love and revenge, marred by the unrealistic expectations placed on women because of outdated gender roles Score: 3.5...more
Such a Fun Age is highly engaging, emotionally charged and an interesting look at racism and racial fetishism.
This was an effective satire but did notSuch a Fun Age is highly engaging, emotionally charged and an interesting look at racism and racial fetishism.
This was an effective satire but did not end up panning out the way I had hoped it would. In the end there is not positive growth for any of these characters, no one learns from their experiences. Alix & Kelley continue to fetishize black people, Emira continues to sell herself short. I suppose this makes the novel more realistic; people often are stuck in their ways and seldom change.
I did not like any of these characters, with the exception of Briar. Briar & Emira's relationship was a saving grace for this novel, and the ending was sad and unexpected. However, this makes the novel effective.
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