I think I might be broken. The part of me that loves reading and actively enjoys the books I read has been tremendously damaged this past year. No booI think I might be broken. The part of me that loves reading and actively enjoys the books I read has been tremendously damaged this past year. No book I read is good enough. No book can quite pull me out of the slump I'm in. And just when I think that I'm making my way out of the hole a disappointing book like this comes along to kick me down again.
This book starts out pretty solid. The writing is pretty decent, the characters are likable enough, the story is building and the action starts right out the gate.
In the beginning, we actually have a plot or at least the building concept of one. We have an idea of the dangers of this world and of how it all works. We know what is going on and it all makes sense.
AND THEN... it all goes downhill, fast.
I thought I knew where this story was going. I was terribly wrong. Not because I didn't it coming, in fact, I called most of the big reveals. I was wrong because as it turns out, this story want going anywhere at all.
This book has a serious issue with pacing. The first part flows well. Then it stalls and goes nowhere. Then it's like an old car that you're hoping and praying gets you to your destination as it gives random little lurches followed by stillness and then accelerating at breakneck speed before coming to a sudden halt and then sort of crawling and awkwardly lurching the rest of the way.
The real climax of this novel came around page 250 of this 429-page book. Then we just sort of wander around for almost a hundred more pages before the book finally remembers it has a plot.
Then there were the characters.
I liked them. They were fun...at first. But, as the story went on I realized just how dumb Miyoung actually is. She made so many stupid/ questionable choices. She was also extremely indecisive, one day sticking to one plan before feeling some guilt and diving headfirst into some other convoluted idea.
This is all made worse by the fact that most of the problems in this book could have possibly been avoided if these characters communicated with each other. I died a little bit each time they decided to keep secrets from each other or lie or purposely hide the truth for whatever reason. If the characters had sat down and had a conversation so many issues could have been avoided and so many trees would have been spared because this book would have been so much shorter.
Then there were characters who weren't really characters at all, just two dimensional, vague ideas of what a character should be, despite their importance to the general plot (I'm looking at you, Nara).
All of that said, this book did have some good parts. I really liked Jihoon, he was pretty fun and likable. I like Miyoung's relationship with mother, Yena. It was complex and cruel and yet you could tell how they loved each other.
In the end, this book didn't completely suck, despite my low rating and negative review. Some people will like it. I ain't one of them and so I can’t in good conscience recommend this one. I don't think that I'll be reading the rest of this series. I just can't be bothered to care about that ending or anything else that happens to these characters.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**.
Have you ever felt like there were two versions of a book out there? There's the version everyone you know reads. The one with the raving reviews. TheHave you ever felt like there were two versions of a book out there? There's the version everyone you know reads. The one with the raving reviews. The one that everyone loved. Then there is the version you read. The one that is underwhelming and dry and was nothing at all like what you expected it to be. Have you ever felt that? Because I feel that sometimes.
This is one such time.
Seriously though, did I read the same book as everyone else?
I was hoping beyond all hope that this would be my first 5-star book of 2019. Yeah, that's right, it's officially April, the FOURTH MONTH OF THE YEAR, and I have yet to read a book that blows me away. And with all the hype around this one, I was really hoping this would be it.
It was not!
So, maybe I'm heartless. Maybe I'm just uncool and don't understand what the cool kids are into these days. Maybe this book has some deeper meaning that my immature mind just could not comprehend. Maybe I just suck. Maybe this book secretly sucks too.
Maybe it just wasn't for me.
It was probably that last one.
But also maybe not.
First of all, these characters. I disliked them all. And I know that they aren't supposed to be likable. They are actually all supposed to be total a**holes. I get that. But even horrible people need to be likable, or at least interesting for the book to work. I personally didn't care for any of them.
Daisy was a total brat. She was mean and spoiled and I just wanted someone to slap some sense into her. She was also the most special of all the snowflakes. It was always mentioned how she was just naturally better than everyone else, how everything came easy to her, and how she was just so absolutely amazing.
Billy was also a jerk, although he was written to be a bit sympathetic. He's a crappy husband and a terrible friend and just overall controlling and kind of annoying.
All the other characters feel only half-developed and kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Overall, I didn't like this. Obviously.
I thought I would love it. I didn't. Many of you would like it, I think. It's obvious by the hype that a lot of you do.
The book is told through interviews and is very character-oriented, meaning that there is basically no actual objective to the plot. That said, I didn't like the characters so this book was not a good match for me.
I hope you like it if you do read it though! Maybe you will have better luck with it!
TW: excessive drug use and addictions, alcoholism, abortion, divorce, toxic marriages ...more
**spoiler alert** me, awkwardly watching all the raving reviews for this book and being scared to give my pretty negative, highly unpopular yet ultima**spoiler alert** me, awkwardly watching all the raving reviews for this book and being scared to give my pretty negative, highly unpopular yet ultimately very honest opinion:
[image]
Ok, so please don't hate me, I'm fragile.
But also, in all seriousness, I didn't like this book. I know, I know, how dare I?
Well, let me explain to you in detail just how I dare. Beware of the long review!
A few months ago, everyone was getting ARCs for this book and absolutely everyone was loving it and giving it five stars. Obviously, I was pretty hyped up for this one, as you can imagine. I knew I had to read it, and I knew, just knew, that I was going to love the crap out of it! It was looking to be one of my favorites of 2019!
Except, that's not really how it all went down.
I mean, don't get me wrong! It didn't absolutely suck, nor was it the worst book I've ever read. It was nice. It had its cute moments. I actually laughed at some parts. I just wanted more. I wanted a cuteness overload. I wanted to fall head over heels into this story, I wanted to love these charcters, I wanted this to be a five-star read!
It wasn't. Obviously.
I've been reading a bucket load of contemporary romances lately and it's all in the hope that I'll find something to make this cold little heart of mine melt! I want something akin to The Hating Game, a book that killed me, revived me, and killed me again, twice over because that's how many times I read it in the span of 24 hours.
But, alas, my search for such a book has proven futile as no other contemporary romance will do. And I'm so, very sorry to say, but Red, White & Royal Blue didn't even come close.
Now to the review!
Maybe this book is heavily overhyped or maybe I'm just a miserable, heartless girl. Both are possible, but either way, I had a lot of problems with this book and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise.
No, there is no one thing that makes me think the book sucks. There is no one major flaw that I can point out and blame for my rating. If anything, my issues are a series of small things that will surely be overlooked, or even praised by the masses when the book is released.
For starters, this book felt to me like it was trying way too hard at times.
If this book were PG it would undoubtedly be turned into a Disney Channel movie, down to the unrealistically happy ending where we all pretend the world is made of rainbows, cotton candy, and unicorn farts.
And, honestly, I wouldn't necessarily mind that. I love happy endings. If the book had been only about romance, it would have been fine. But, the book insisted on shoving politics down my throat and the overidealized ending seemed forced, disingenuous, and so utterly predictable! It also felt like the author was trying to force a political view on us.
The world the book shows is what ours would look like through rose-colored glasses. It's a world where the female president of the United States is a white, Texan democrat. Where leaked personal emails have no impact on presidential elections. Where a royal prince believes empires are the literal devil, despite benefiting from the monarchy in every single way possible. Where First Son of the U.S. and the British Prince would go everywhere without anyone taking a picture and being surrounded by a million bodyguards. Also, their affair wouldn't have any global consequences that would impact international relationships not just between the U.S. and the U.K, but with every other country as well.
It's also a world where people who don't buy into this PC world are demonized for their beliefs. Where if you aren't on board with the particular brand of politics that the author is selling, then you might as well be the devil incarnate.
In the end, there are no consequences to anything. It made all the obstacles between the romance seem weak and insubstantial. The author put so much focus on the laughable politics that I couldn't help but roll my eyes. She tried to tackle racism, international relationships, homophobia, complicated family drama, equality, imperialism, and just about every other social issue currently being talked about, all while also trying to deliver a good romance.
And it didn't work!
The politics in this book seemed so forced! And so unnecessary. They made the book drag on for ages. Seriously though, there was no need for this book to end up being 432 pages long! That's just uncalled for.
So yes, maybe I am heartless. I'm willing to accept that now.
Those things I mentioned are ones that a lot of people are undoubtedly gonna find cute. People are gonna argue that 'the book doesn't have to be realistic!' and I agree. It's just so insanely unbelievable and so politically forced that I could help but be incredibly annoyed by it.
Sorry. But also, I'm not sorry.
This was supposed to be a cute, romance about two adorable gay boys falling in love! Not a book about idealized political views. If it had been only a romance novel, I would have liked it more, although honestly, not by much.
I liked some of the dialogue. I laughed sometimes. It was cute. But sometimes the characters felt off to me. Like they were trying so hard to be relatable and likable that they broke their established characteristics. Also, the very premise of the book is enemies to lovers and it’s not really even that
In the end, this book just wasn't for me, I think. Many of you will love it. I'm sure of it. I just couldn't love it how I wanted. There were too many subplots, too many social issues trying to become part of the main story. I think a book that did this better was The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. And not to be that person that compares all the gay books, but I think that one was better at weaving everything in there in ways relevant to the plot and showing realistic consequences of the character's choices.
I went into this book expecting one thing. I got something else instead, and in the end, I think that's the real problem. If I'm honest, all the issue I mentioned are things that in a book I enjoyed, I might have overlooked. Sadly, this wasn't that book. Hopefully, you all have better luck with it and please be respectful of my opinion. My issue with the book has nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ aspect, it has to do with the overall execution.
Also, just a warning, this book is NOT, Young Adult. It contains explicit sexual content!
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
Y'all know I can be pretty blunt sometimes so I'm just gonna say it. I wasn't feeling this book. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm to blame for my lack of entY'all know I can be pretty blunt sometimes so I'm just gonna say it. I wasn't feeling this book. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm to blame for my lack of enthusiasm while reading. I spoke last time of my reading slump. But honestly, I don't think that's all there was to it. There was something lacking in this book. Something that was lacking in the first one as well. I believe that thing to be an emotional connection to these charcters. When I read I want to care if the charcters die or not. If they succeed or if they are happy or if they are doing the right thing. In reading this, I honestly didn't care what happened to any of these people. Another issue I had with this novel was that it felt a bit disconnected from the first. This book begins just where book one left off. Jules is on the run, the Sorceress is searching for her, and Liam is in Everless trying to make sense of it all.
Plotwise the books are very much connected. It's in everything else, in all the subtle things that make a story that it felt different.
Where book one reads almost like a sci-fi novel, this book jumps into fantasy real fast and real deep. And yet, it didn't feel 'fantasy' enough. It speaks of a fantasy world without fully diving into it. It shows you just enough without allowing you to truly jump in. This book also cuts down on a lot of what made book one somewhat interesting.
The concept of time being turned to iron in the blood is pushed aside and this ends up becoming a rather generic YA fantasy novel.
In the end, do I recommend this? Not exactly. If you loved book one, then you might like this one. If you thought book one was just alright and nothing more, then you probably won't love this one either....more
I don’t leave ARCs unfinished. That’s just a personal rule of mine. If I request it, then I read it.
That was the only reason I kept reading this novelI don’t leave ARCs unfinished. That’s just a personal rule of mine. If I request it, then I read it.
That was the only reason I kept reading this novel.
When I first read the synopsis of this book I knew I simply had to read it. It’s a mix of every reader’s greatest dream and worst nightmare.
Imagine meeting your favorite author of all time. More than just meeting them, imagine becoming close, intimate friends with them. Imagine being able to go to their house and being invited to their parties and sharing your deepest darkest secrets.
Now imagine this author slowly starts to manipulate you. Imagine that they take advantage of your “friendship” for their personal gain. Imagine that they take your deepest darkest secrets and publish them in their brand new novel, barely bothering to change the names of the characters from those of you and your friends.
“She played with them as characters for her novel because she wasn't talented enough to think of her own story.”
That sounds like an interesting novel. That sounds like something I had to read.
And for the most part, this book was. It had all the pieces. They just weren’t put together in a way that compelled me to keep reading, or even to like or care about the characters I was reading about.
The book is told through a series of interviews, book passages, and journal entries. We get to see bits and pieces from everyone’s point of view and how they viewed the situation. Sadly, perhaps because of the format, I never got to connect with any of the characters. Then again, both the Illuminae trilogy and the Themis Files are written in similar fashions and I absolutely love them so, it’s probably not that.
Honestly, all the characters acted like a bunch of spoiled brats. And not even in an interesting way, where I recognize they are terrible people but they are still somewhat likable. No. They were just annoying. Also, they kept talking about being “friends” and we see how this friendship falls apart but honestly, they all sort of hate each other so that wasn’t believable either.break.jpg
I went into this book expecting a thriller. I wanted a mystery full of drama and morally questionable characters. I suppose, technically this book has all those things which only makes the fact that I didn’t care about any of it even worse.
There are probably some of you who might like it, to which I say, more power to you! I'm glad. Personally, though, I just wasn't feeling it. The one thing it's got going is that it's actually not that long. That said, despite knowing this, it felt like it went on forever and ever.
So, do I recommend? No. Not really. But hey, read it if you're still interested in it. I wish you luck and hope you like it more than I did!
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much, HarperTeen! All opinions are my own.**...more
Let me start by letting you all know that as a reviewer, it is my responsibility to give honest opinions. And I'm about to get real honest with y'all.Let me start by letting you all know that as a reviewer, it is my responsibility to give honest opinions. And I'm about to get real honest with y'all. Proceed at your own caution.
Now let's get to it.
As the title of my review implies, I (personally) believe that this is the single most overhyped book of this year. It seems that everyone and their mother somehow got an ARC of this book and was raving about it.
All that hype, of course, did nothing to settle my nerves and in fact, made me almost certain that I was going to find something horribly wrong with the novel and absolutely hate it. And you know what? [image]
I mean, I didn't hate it. So, I guess there's that. It could've been worse.
Did I love it though? No. Not really, as you could probably see by my rating.
So, how did I really feel about it?
Well, you're about to find out.
First, to settle the big question: is the hype real? [image]
I wanted to love this book. I hoped that this would have lived up to the tremendous hype that surrounded it. It didn't.
I think the main problem that I had with this book is that I simply didn't care for either the plot or the characters. Those characters could have all been hit by busses and I probably wouldn't have cared. If anything, it might have made things more interesting because I seriously wouldn't have seen that bus coming (and neither would the characters getting ran over lol). Talk about the ultimate plot twist, am I right?
First off, there are two alternating POVs from Eliana and Rielle. They are set a thousand years apart although I don't know why. They two POVs don't play into one another at all and read more like two separate books than one interconnected story.
Plotwise, I feel like the pacing was a little off. There was no build up. The story started with a bang and didn't stop. This might not sound like a problem, but what it means is that there was a lot of action and very little of anything else.
I didn't have time to care about either of the main characters because it just kept jumping back and forth from action to action in both perspectives. There was no time to get to know either of them and the little that I did learn about them was pretty unlikable.
Eliana, for example, was insufferable. The "Dread of Orline" was what they called her because she's just that much of a badass. She's an Aelin type character, but with none of the fun personality to back her up. Also, I don't understand worlds were 16-18-year-olds can be the best warriors or assassins or whatever it is. Like, what the heck is everyone over the age of 19 doing with their lives? But that's a discussion for another day so stay tuned for it y'all!
Then there was Rielle, who was the single most powerful person in the section story, and whom I equally disliked. Her personality, in my opinion, revolved around her growing lust for her own power, and her growing lust for Audric and Corien. She didn't really think about much else.
Basically what I'm saying is that this book made both of the main characters seem like overpowered, boring, special little snowflakes. They are both so incredibly powerful and "special" that there was never any tension when they were "in danger". They were total Mary Sues. They could do no wrong and everyone loved them, despite both being pretty unlikable people.
And a final thing! I can't talk about this book and not talk about sex, especially since that's all the main characters ever seemed to think about.
Now, I have no problem with sex scenes. I'm not too much a fan, but I don't have any issues with them being included in novels. So long, of course, as they are somehow important and meaningful to either the character's development or the plot. My problem is with unnecessary sex scenes that do nothing other than show sex. Especially overdramatic, literally earth-shattering sex (I kid you not), and especially in YA. Honestly, though, it felt more New Adult than Young Adult so keep that in mind if you're iffy on that subject.
I think the thing I hate most about this book is that it could have been good. These characters could have been amazing. This story could have been great. I could have loved it gosh darn it!
Had the author decided to write some quality worldbuilding (other than the comments made by Remy that were obvious exposition). Had the characters been a little less stiff and generically special. Had the POV's played into each other a little more and felt a little more like one congruent storyline. Had the original idea behind this tale been a little more developed. If only a lot of things and this could have been an amazing novel.
But none of that happened. And so the book wasn't.
Sorry. Not sorry.
But, let's get positive for a second. All books have good parts, don't they?
So, what good parts did the novel have?
Well, there was a lot of action. There was very little of anything else, but at least there was that so yay!
And...
Well...
I don't really know.
The start was interesting, I suppose. It gripped me from the very first page. Admittedly, it lost me like fifty pages afterward, but the beginning was cool.
Also, a lot of the side characters were much more interesting than the main ones, not by much but I wouldn't have minded reading their stories instead.
And that's it, I guess.
This book is over 500 pages long and I was struggling to keep going. I almost quit halfway through and only pushed forward because this was an ARC and I do not leave those unfinished.
So, do I recommend the book? [image]
Still, I also understand that I'm in the minority. A lot of people have really, really loved this book, a thing which I totally respect. If you are a fan, then more power to you! I'm genuinely glad. Heck, let me know in the comments what you loved about it if you want. I just don't think this book was right for me. You, on the other hand, might love it. But go into it at your own peril and if you don't like it, then remember I warned you!
Let me know down below if you've read Furyborn and what you thought of it! I'd love to hear your thoughts! And remember to be nice! We're all friends here!
Once upon a time, I came across a book with a pretty cover. That book was Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I knew nothing about it other than that it had Once upon a time, I came across a book with a pretty cover. That book was Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I knew nothing about it other than that it had to do with dragons and that it was 500+ pages. With a little hesitation and all the optimism I could muster, I read it. And you know what? I loved it.
So, as you could imagine, I was extremely excited to know that this book was being written taking place in the same world as Seraphina. I was even more excited when I found out I had gotten approved for an ARC. Sadly, this book in no way lived up to the expectations I had been building in my mind.
Taking place in the same world as Seraphina, I would recommend reading Seraphina first, but that isn't strictly necessary. Don't worry too much about not understanding, Hartman does a good job of establishing the world in this one.
Like in Seraphina, Hartman writes beautiful prose. She is a skilled writer and there is no doubting that. Unlike Seraphina, this book seemed to go nowhere. This book is over 500 pages for absolutely no reason. Like, what is the plot? Where was the action? What was even the point?
Then there was Tess. I almost liked Tess. Almost.
She was hardheaded, and strong, and not afraid to speak her mind. That's all fine and dandy, right? No. Not it's not. Not when on her way to fight the man! And stand up to the patriarchy! And whatnot, she ends up ruining things for other people. You don't need to be a rebel at every hour of every day. Because of this, I simply could not find a real connection with Tess, a thing that greatly diminished my already shaky enjoyment of the novel.
Overall, I wasn't a fan of this, which is a real shame because I truly wanted to be. I almost called it quits on the book at certain points and only pushed forward because I don't like leaving ARCs unfinished. While there were some really good parts, I felt they were outweighed by the bad ones. If you really want to read a book by Rachel Hartman, I recommend you go read Seraphina instead....more
Guys, I think I have a problem. I've been trying to figure out how it is that I feel about this book and I haven't quite managed it. I definitely didnGuys, I think I have a problem. I've been trying to figure out how it is that I feel about this book and I haven't quite managed it. I definitely didn't love it, that's for certain. But, did I hate it? I don't think I did. Maybe I liked it? Not too much, obviously, but maybe a little? How much is a little? I don't know! Hopefully, by the time I finish the review, I would have figured it out.
So, here we go I guess.
The main problem I had with this book is one that actually happens a lot to me while reading. It usually goes like this: The first 25% is golden. I love it. The middle 50% bores me and I crawl through it. The last 25% is actually pretty good but not enough to make me forget my past boredom.
And that's exactly how this book went.
In spite of that, the story is actually very fast pace and never was there a dull moment, believe it or not. I just didn't really care for about half of the book. Perhaps it was the lack of mystery in this novel. This being an Anastasia retelling it's pretty obvious who Ana is and who tried to kill her. I suppose I can't fault the book too much for this. In the last part of the book as new questions were being raised, and new villains were coming to light it did get better though.
Another thing that kept me from fully enjoying this book all throughout was the characters. Don't get me wrong, I actually liked the characters. There are four POVs and they switch about frequently with none of them feeling as if they are dragging on, and all of them sound unique to their character.
We have Ana, a thief, and pirate who would do anything for Di, her AI best friend, and love interest. Yeah, that's right, love interest! And no, it's not as crazy or cringy as it sounds! We have Jax, a pilot with a secret. Lastly, we have Robb, the second born son of one of the wealthiest families in the Iron Kingdom. Together this unlikely crew decides to defy the stars and go on an adventure, pissing a lot of people off in the process and getting into a lot of trouble. But hey, it wouldn't be fun if they didn't.
So, why did I have a problem with this fun group of characters? Because they consistently made bad choices!
So many things could have been avoided (admittedly, the book would have also been shorter) if only the four main characters would've sat down and had a five-minute conversation with each other!
There were also a lot of conflicts that they ran into that could've been easily solved, but for the sake of plot and drama were forced to go on.
Communication is the solution to so many problems in YA novels and this is no exception.
Overall, this is by no means a book that I would consider as being bad. It is simply a book that I didn't enjoy, and recognize that it wasn't for me. If the plot seems like one that you would like, by all means, give the book a chance. For reference, I also tried reading the author's other book Geekerella, and only got through the first 100 pages because I couldn't get into it. Maybe her writing isn't for me. Maybe you all would have better luck with it.
Let me know below if you've read it, or are excited to read it! Or if you've read Geekerella? Are you a fan of the author's writing? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much, Balzer + Bray! All opinions are my own.**...more
Before I review this, here's some advice to future writers. If you are going to make your main character's parentage a mystery in your novel, maybe doBefore I review this, here's some advice to future writers. If you are going to make your main character's parentage a mystery in your novel, maybe don't make the first page of said novel, a convenient family tree explicitly depicting your main character's parentage.
So, if you are going to read this book, don't look at the family tree in the beginning or a few plot twists in this novel will be pretty pointless.
That said, on to the rest of the review.
I wanted to love this book. Lord knows that I did. I tried so hard to get into it and I just couldn't. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with it because I think it had so much potential and yet, it failed to fully deliver in the way I hoped it would.
It seems that all the books I've been reading lately have been going at a snail pace and I legitimately worry that this might lead to a book slump because it gets easy to put these books down and I am half tempted to skim through them all. This was one of those slow books. Slow to the point of boring which was perhaps why I set it down for two days before continuing.
To make matters worse, there was very little action and basically no tension or suspense. All the problems get resolved rather conveniently as a way of simply moving along the plot, and all the twists and turns are visible from miles away.
Another problem I had with this book is that I felt the characters were pretty bland. I did love the friendship between Brienna and her arden sisters at the beginning but we didn't really get to know them all that well. A book can be lacking in a lot of things and so long as it has good characters I would easily give it 3-4 stars. Sadly, didn't feel connected to these characters. I wished there were all a bit more fleshed out.
Also, the romance here was first, extremely predictable. Second, completely unnecessary and quite tedious. Third, kind of inappropriate considering that he was a grown man who had watched her grow up for the past 10 years and she was just 17. But maybe that's just me.
All of this said, there were some things that this book did well. The writing was actually fairly decent and the world presented was interesting enough. My favorite part of this was learning about the family histories and seeing how the politics of each nation worked. Had there been a little more of that and I might have liked it more. Maybe.
Overall, I didn't hate this book and despite what I've just said, it wasn't a terrible novel. I know a lot of people who have read ARCs of this book and have loved it. Personally, I just didn't feel anything while reading this book. There was simply nothing to distinguish it from the hundreds of other YA fantasy novels I've already read, nothing to make me really remember this by the time the sequel comes out next year.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much HerperTeen! All opinions are my own.**...more
Before reading a book, I usually go to it’s Goodreads’ page and check it out, even if I have read the synopsis before, I like to prepare myself for whBefore reading a book, I usually go to it’s Goodreads’ page and check it out, even if I have read the synopsis before, I like to prepare myself for what I am about to read.
So, when I went to the Goodreads page for this novel, I was a little bit afraid. When I requested this book on NetGalley, it had a 4.0 rating. When I went to check it again before reading, the rating had dropped to a 3.38. Technically that’s more than 50%, but it’s also technically a failing grade. I usually like the books I read to be rated at least at 4.0. Occasionally, I will read a 3.8 or above, but life is way too short to be reading bad books.
But, alas, I was given this book for review so that was exactly what I was going to do. So, I read it. And to be honest, despite the rating I gave it, it wasn’t as bad as I was lead to believe it would be. I mean, I obviously didn’t love it, but it also wasn’t the worst book I ever read. Trust me, I have read some seriously high rated books that have seriously sucked. (I’m looking at you Tiger's Curse and your 4.08 rating!)
First of all, the synopsis lies. Let’s just put that out there. It says one thing and then in the book, another thing happens, but I will let you figure that out if you read it. It just made it seem like a different type of book I suppose. Like these characters were terrible victims of a horrible thing. That’s not exactly how it goes.
Anyway, this book is about two people: Elijah and Kristin, their love of music, and an online scandal. For half a moment I thought that this would be deep and meaningful. I thought that it would take the real issues of online bullying the dangers of social media and make something out of them. It’s not what happened.
There was little emphasis on the issues of online bullying and sexism that Kristin faced. Sure, it was mentioned, but I don’t think that it was handled well enough. There was nothing for me as a reader to take away from it. It was more about music than it was about the social issue that it was actually trying to present. This is the third music/band romance YA novel that I have read this year, and you know what I have found out? I don’t like them very much. I wanted more of the actual advertised plot and less band practice.
Also, it seemed like Eli didn’t really care about what was happening to Kristin at all, despite it being in part his fault. It wasn’t until the issue started affecting him and his family that he saw the problem and decided to actually care. That’s just not cool. He came off as a little misogynistic to me.
I did like Eli’s love for his autistic sister. I liked his loyalty to his family. The other side characters though just weren’t doing it for me.
In the end, I wanted more. I wanted the book I was promised. Sadly, I didn’t get it....more
Some stories are subtle in the way they present themselves. They weave their messages in to their tales with fine thread, artfully decorating themselvSome stories are subtle in the way they present themselves. They weave their messages in to their tales with fine thread, artfully decorating themselves with deep thoughts and revolutionary beliefs. These are the stories that slowly engross the reader into understanding their point of view, dulling all their other senses.
Other stories are blunt. They coil their message into a tightly packed, book shaped brick and proceed to repeatedly hit you over the head with it until you get it.
This was a blunt book. And honestly, there is nothing technically wrong that. Some stories need to be blunt. There is no point in hiding their purpose, no gain in subtlety. Some books need to just plainly tell you the message that they are trying to convey.
My problem is that, to me, this book was just that. A message. A glimpse into a dark, yet possible future. A future torn by war and terrorism. A future where the rights of women have been stolen from them. Where they are nothing more than wives, servants (the Marthas), sex toys (the Jezebels), prison guards to other women (the Aunts), widows, Unwomen (who are disposable to the society, being sent to clean up radioactive waste), and walking , breathing wombs no better than reproductive slaves (the Handmaids).
Imagine a future where choice is taken. Where the word ‘freedom’, the very foundation of the country in which we live, is outlawed. Where women are property, expendable, and mistreated. Where they are deprived the rights to their bodies, to their voices, to their minds. They cannot be educated, own money, work, or read. They are nothing. Less than nothing.
This is the future that the story presents. Nothing less or more. No real plot, no real story. A message. A deep, and necessary one to be sure, but a message none the less.
This book is a classic, a loved novel that has withstood the test of time. And frankly, I was extremely bored while reading it. Only near the end did I truly get into the story, and not enough that I was fully engrossed.
I wanted to love this novel. I wanted it to consume my senses, to be enthralled. I wanted this to be my next 1984, a book I love with all my heart. Sadly, it wasn’t. It didn’t even come close.
The world building is exceptional. The writing, extremely beautiful and fluid. The issues that were brought up were thought out and brilliant. The characters could have all been ran over and I would not have cared. How can the narrator, Offred, be so personal, and yet have no personality? She is the vessel through which Atwood decided to tell her story, barely a real person at all. She has no true wants or desire. She says she does, but I don’t buy it. The plot doesn’t consist of her rebelling, or planning, or anything. It’s just her being. She is a passive character in all she does, being pushed and pulled in which ever direction other’s decide to make her go. This makes the plot entirely uneventful. The most interesting character was Moira, Offred’s best friend, who only appears at small parts through the novel. Honestly, every character is more interesting that Offred.
Another problem that I had with the story was the feasibility of it. Are the events shown in this novel possible? Yes. Are they probably? Quite likely. Would they happen in 8 or so years? No.
An entire society doesn’t go from point A, to point W, in 8 years. And yes, point W, because this was far to extreme for point B. In one day women lose all their rights, and in 8 years time there is no government, all religions expect a very twisted version of the Christian faith remain, and we are all complacent slaves? No. That wouldn’t happen. Not in this country, and not without a fight. At least not now in 2017. I don’t know how things were back in the 80’s.
This is a well loved book, and if you loved it, then I am glad. I truly hope you did. I did not. I acknowledge it’s value and it’s message, but it took far too much effort to get through it....more
Once upon a time there was a little blackbird, pushed from the nest, unwanted. Discarded. Then a Hawk found her and swooped her up and carried
Once upon a time there was a little blackbird, pushed from the nest, unwanted. Discarded. Then a Hawk found her and swooped her up and carried her away, giving her a home in his nest, teaching her to fly. But one day the Hawk didn’t come home, and the little bird was alone again, unwanted. She wanted to fly away. But as she rose to the edge of the nest and looked out across the sky, she noticed how small her wings were, how weak. She was trapped. She could fly away, but where would she go?
Going into this book I thought I had a pretty clear idea of how this was going to go. It’s a sad thing when most books follow the same plot scheme. Thankfully, and sadly, I was terribly wrong.
This was not what I was expecting. It was far from anything that I had at first believed it would be.
It was beautiful and tragic and full of hope, heartbreak, and hate. And it was good. Just that: good. I didn’t love it as I expected. It wasn’t amazing, as I thought it would be. It was just good.
Amy Harmon’s writing style was beautiful. I loved the way she used her words, the stories she would weave into the story and the way the tales flowed throughout. I loved it so much so that I read the entire book in one go, staying up till the wee hours of the morning to finish it.
So, what went wrong? I truly do not know.
I felt like the story dragged in places. It was a long book that could have probably been shorter if certain parts were removed. It also could have kept its length if more things actually happened in it.
Another problem I had with the novel was its lack of subtlety. Like it was sometimes hitting you over the head with the points it was trying to make, with the emotions, it was pushing you to feel. I did not appreciate that.
Then there were the characters. It’s sad to say, I know, but I felt very little for them. If I don’t relate to a character then the plot really doesn’t matter to me. I have loved books with awesome characters and little plot. I have hated books with awesome, action-packed plots and poor characters. And I didn’t care for any of these people.
Blue Echohawk, our main character with an awesome name, was abandoned as a child. Her mother left her under the care of a stranger whom she went on to call her father. Once her ‘father’ died, she was taken to live with her estranged ‘aunt’. She feels unloved, unwanted, and discarded. Those are her actual words by the way. So, what is a girl to do if not wear clothes so tight that they cut off her circulation, and so much makeup that she actually looks like a different person. Then, of course, go sleep with every guy that looks her way, just for the feel of being touched?
The thing is though, that I didn’t mind that. I understand why she felt compelled to do so. I really do. I just didn’t care for her.
Then there was Mr. Darcy Wilson. Mr. Perfect. Mr. Holier Than Thou. He’s a British history teacher come to live in the U.S. His family is rich and he once had the chance to be a doctor. Of course, he turned it down and joined the Peace Corps to teach English in Africa (where in Africa? Who knows because people treat Africa like a country and not a large continent with many countries within it). Anyway, he went to ‘Africa’. He learned some life lessons, which he is happy to throw about at any moment’s notice, and came to the U.S. to teach history in some high school because that’s his passion, I guess. Oh, and he’s handsome. And only 22 years old.
I didn’t care for him either. I didn’t care for pages upon pages of his history lessons. I didn’t care for his wisdom. For his random quotes of Dante and Dickens and all those other dead authors.
I didn’t care for the chemistry between the two. They have a student-teacher relationship. Then a sort of brother-sister. Then they are friends. Every once in a while, it’s almost a paternal relationship. Then some awkward ‘I love you but I don’t deserve you’ sort of thing. And then they are in love. No, I just didn’t buy it.
Also, Manny & Graciela. I had almost forgotten about them, probably because they disappear 1/4 into the novel and we never hear from them again. Seriously, what was their purpose? Were they there for Blue to learn a lesson or something? They deserved better. Or they just shouldn’t have been included.
So, do I recommend? Sure. I say this all the time, but just because it wasn’t for me, it doesn’t mean it won’t be a good book for others. I enjoyed it. It entertained me. It was well written. And it is possible that what bothered me, will be what others love. So, yes, I recommend. Just make sure you know what you are getting into.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
{A Different Blue by Amy Hermon was originally published on March 29, 2013. A new edition will be published by Spencer Hill Press on May 30, 2017}...more
Despite my rating, I must admit that there was nothing technically wrong with this novel. It is a book I would have liked, might have even loved, if IDespite my rating, I must admit that there was nothing technically wrong with this novel. It is a book I would have liked, might have even loved, if I had read it in 2013. Sadly, I read it in 2017: four years too late. So, why only two stars? Because it was extremely generic. That is why.
The writing is fairly decent. The characters aren’t half bad. The plot is pretty straightforward. But none of it is original. I have read this same story so many times before that nothing here seemed surprising. The author didn’t even add some new twist to the tired tropes to at least pretend it was a novel idea.
The YA book community seems to go through phases. Back when Twilight was a thing, it was the boom of paranormal romance. Everywhere you turned there were witches and vampires and werewolves. Then The Mortal Instruments took the stage and it was all about that urban fantasy, which was basically a paranormal romance with a lot more gore and inner cities. Then came the age of the dystopia, brought forth by the Hunger Games. Every YA was about some oppressed society or the next, and of course a badass 16-year-old ready to topple it down. Now, a new age has been ushered in: the YA fantasy. I don’t know which book sparked this, but it has been going nonstop for a while now.
At first, YA fantasy was shiny and new. Everyone was sick and tired of dystopia and all that jazz. It had become too predictable. So, of course, we all ran to the novelty that was YA fantasy (I am aware that YA fantasy has been around for a long while, but this is when it has reached its peak). Now, I am very sad to say, fantasy has run its course. All of them are the same. All have the same government, the opposing factions, the magic system, the fiery heroine. It seems originality has run dry in this genre and soon a new one will rise to take its place.
This is the problem with this book. The fact that it is exactly like all the other YA fantasy novels that have been written since 2013.
We have a special snowflake with a special ability who is destined to do some special thing. We have the dark and brooding teacher with a dark past and a predictable shocking secret.We have the wise, old, super powerful mentor, the parent that dies 3% into the story, the elemental based magic system, the generically evil ruler, the greater evil in the world (just in case you thought the king was the true baddie), and let us not forget grand ol’ plot twist (that I may or may not have seen coming). All living within the generically divided world that is fighting a generic war.
Now, I feel the need to repeat, this book is not a bad book. If you are new to the YA fantasy scene, I might recommend it (although I would probably recommend Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo first). If you have been here for a while there is a decent chance you might still like it, just go into it knowing that this is not a new story.
I really wish I would have liked this. I so desperately wanted to like this book. It;s been a bit since I was fully engrossed in a novel. This just kinda fell flat. It did have its moments, though. The beginning was good. The middle dragged. The end was aight. And hey, no love triangle! Although, the synopsis for book two just screams love trigonometry. I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t even think I am going to be reading the sequel. But, who knows. it might surprise me.
If anyone has read this already, let me know what you thought of it....more
I am not going to lie, I went into this with fairly low expectations. Then again, I have been going into all the book I read lately with pretty low exI am not going to lie, I went into this with fairly low expectations. Then again, I have been going into all the book I read lately with pretty low expectations. This book, though, surprised me and was better than I thought. It just wasn't good enough.
The plot follows Heaven, a girl blessed, or possibly cursed, with immortality. Although she ages just as a normal person would, she cannot be killed. So after the brutal murder of her family, she is the only one left to sit upon the throne. All this while an evil sorcerer queen is invading all the surrounding kingdoms. Now, the royals must band together to get rid of this threat.
So, to the review. The main idea of this book is actually very interesting. This book could have been truly amazing. Sadly, it just fell flat. This was in the most part due to the very flat characters. It's like none of them were really there when everything was happening.
We get Haven, a character who despite seeming deep came across as a bit shallow. It's like there was nothing to her, no fire inside. Then we have all of her servants/bodyguards whose only job is to obsess over Haven's safety, despite the fact that everyone knows she can't be killed. They are always running around worried that something might happen to poor Haven, even though they know that someone could shoot an arrow in her heart and she will just bounce back a few seconds later. In fact, that exact thing happens in the first few pages and the guards were freaking out.
Then there were things that just didn't add up. Kingdoms aren't run so nonchalantly. One does not simply give one's army away. One also does not arrange a secret meeting for kings and expect everyone to arrive within hours. These are kingdoms, vast and grand, not next door towns. Also. how did Haven's overprotective guard not notice that she was gone? There were also a lot of things that did not make sense, or that simply wouldn't happen in real life.
Aside from the stalling plot and little character development, the thing that bothered me most, and the thing that made it go down from three to two stars, was the number of grammar mistakes. As and English major, whenever I see an obvious grammar mistake part of me dies a little. This happens a lot when I tutor 9th graders in writing. But, when I am dealing with high school freshmen it's a little more understandable that grammar and spelling mistakes will happen than when I am reading a published novel. Maybe the problem is that a new editor is needed. Or just an editor to begin with.
It's a real shame about this book. I really wanted to like it and I always feel bad giving two-star reviews. Sadly, this book was simply not one I liked very much. It had serious potential, it just failed in its execution.
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS."...more
“I am a human being. I am sixteen years old. That should be enough.”
Books like this bother me. It's not the contents of the book itself th
“I am a human being. I am sixteen years old. That should be enough.”
Books like this bother me. It's not the contents of the book itself that bother me, it's my feelings after the book that annoy me. I never know how to rate these books. I never know how to review them. That said, let me try to get my thoughts in order and make sense of this. If I fail, I am sorry.
Let's do this.
First, this book is teenage angst at its finest. Let me just put that out there.
Sarah, the main character, is a sixteen-year-old artist who has wants nothing more than to drop out of school, follow homeless people around the city, and go on a search for an ‘original idea’. Except, of course, she goes on to remind us at every other paragraph that nothing is original, and the search for it is futile.
She is a whiny little girl who is sad because the world isn’t going her way. She complains about originality and how no one has it, and yet she is the cliché of angst filled teens dealing with first world problems.
Or so it would seem.
The truth is that Sarah's existential crisis is not a crisis at all. Mostly, I think, she is battling with PTSD from an event that happened in Mexico, six years ago. The events that changed her life. The event that drove her 19 year old brother to walk away and never return to his family. An event that she has blocked from her memory.
The first half of the story was all about Sarah. It was about her being dramatic and philosophising about what it means to be ‘original’. It is about her going through an emotional breakdown. Here she starts journey of self-discovery as she encounters three different versions of herself. Her at 10, 23, and 40 years old. And frankly, despite the concept, it was very boring.
Sarah, besides being unoriginal, is actually kind of bland. While the writing was beautiful, the execution of the character was in no way engaging. The real fun in the story comes when the focus shifts from Sarah, and onto those around her. When we finally start going into what really happened in Mexico.
You see, this book lies to you. It is, in fact, not about Sarah. It is about life, and choices, and sacrifices. It is about her mother and the life she has been forced to live. It is about her brother and the suffering that he has been made to endure. It is about her father and the the consequences of his actions. This, is where the story comes alive. This is where the story becomes real.
Sarah is still a whiny, boring little girl. And I am not saying that what she went through does not validate her actions, I am saying that she simply came across the page as an extremely annoying person. All the other Sarah’s are boring also.
It’s her brother and mother who take the cake, her mother's chapters being the most interesting and engaging. It’s her father that defines the story. It is the relationships between them and the complexity of them that make this novel worth the read. They were the things that pushed me through it and made me sort of like it in the end. Sadly, the moment after reading this book, it started getting erased from my mind, not holding like some more memorable reads have.
This review was originally posted On My Blog. Feel Free to check it out...more
Thank the Lord that is over. Why on earth is this book 743 pages long?
Let me be the first to say that I do love Diana Gabaldon's writing. I love the Thank the Lord that is over. Why on earth is this book 743 pages long?
Let me be the first to say that I do love Diana Gabaldon's writing. I love the way in which her words flow in order to weave a compelling story. No one can ever possibly say that Gabaldon is anything less than masterful with her skills of narrative. The problem comes from why the heck she must use so many darn words to begin with!
For so long of this book there was virtually no plot! This book could have been 300 pages shorter and gotten the work done, without missing anything of importance. I am a person who hates the idea of a word or page count. So many times have I been asked to write essays and countless papers with a designated number of words or pages. I never understood the reason for that. I like to being succinct. Short and to the point. Why say in twenty words what you can say in two? Diana Gabaldon clearly does not agree with me in that ideal. If I am going to read a fairly large book such as this I expect there to be a reason to its size. This book had none and I fear that it is that daunting, unnecessary page count that deters some people from reading it.
All of that said, I can now go watch Outlander season two, in peace. Or perhaps not so much peace and I am now left worried for the plot, as the book was 50% filler with pretty words. Oh well, at least I get to see some good looking Scottish men in kilts. It's a win-win for all. ...more
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