3.5 for sure. I really enjoyed this, and the audiobook was worth a listen for the cadence of speech that helped add color and authenticity to the Nati3.5 for sure. I really enjoyed this, and the audiobook was worth a listen for the cadence of speech that helped add color and authenticity to the Native American characters. I normally get bored with mysteries, but this one has me in it's grips despite being somewhat obvious as the plot continues. I think some combination of mystery with romance and a culture I'm not familiar with made this a success for me....more
This was fun and addictive and so similar to from blood and ash but written better. Prepare to see 5000 gifsets and fancasts for this one as people arThis was fun and addictive and so similar to from blood and ash but written better. Prepare to see 5000 gifsets and fancasts for this one as people are going nuts over it. I enjoyed it, and recommend a read for the dragons and swoony bits, but by God talk about I have read this book under a.different cover....more
Still just as immensely readable and I dig the world building but the flaws shine more brightly in this installment. Still, give me a strong heroine wStill just as immensely readable and I dig the world building but the flaws shine more brightly in this installment. Still, give me a strong heroine with super powers and a hot love interest who would destroy the world for her and I'm sold...more
I enjoyed this, really lush writing and a cool world. A little instalovey for my tastes despite the facility the author used to attempt this to NOT beI enjoyed this, really lush writing and a cool world. A little instalovey for my tastes despite the facility the author used to attempt this to NOT be, but still a great read. I cannot tell what was missing from this to make it a 4 star book, most likely depth of characterization that cannot happen in a standalone that's packed with so much plot....more
I absolutely adored this book and it gave me shipping vibes that i haven't felt in a long time, just absolutely rooting for characters to realize theyI absolutely adored this book and it gave me shipping vibes that i haven't felt in a long time, just absolutely rooting for characters to realize they're in love with each other in a pure way that just strikes at the root of all good romance, as this is definitely a YA novel and i wouldnt want anything past that. It's just...nice to feel that frisson of excitement rise up in the blood, formed by the characters being defined in such a way that you see how their pieces fit together, you see where one gives and the other takes and you see where the darkness meets the light. I am a goner each and every time for this. The story itself is an inventive AU with roots in Arthurian legend mixed with hedge witch mixed with ancestral magic mixed with deep roots (no pun intended if you read) in being black and female in a white-dominated society. That may sound heavy to you but it's not, it's the depth that adds another layer, that lets you forgive the occasionally awkward pacing and blinders-on approach when certain characters were inconvenient to the plot at the time. All in all, I'm left here, at the end, DYING that the next book isn't out until November....more
3.5, honestly a great YA read. There's a certain vibe to good YA that makes you feel both connected and absolutely alienated from the characters. As s3.5, honestly a great YA read. There's a certain vibe to good YA that makes you feel both connected and absolutely alienated from the characters. As someone in their 40s, this is appropriate - I should understand the characters, but only to a point. I should relate, but only to a point. This is not a case of YA as a label in name only, but one in writing as well, something that I think Oseman does well in this novel, along the lines of Mary K. Choi and ah man the guy with three names that wrote We are the ants. Adults who somehow can still tap into that weird amalgam of knowledgeable/cluelessness that exemplifies young adult life. The characters know it all, yet know nothing, and they know both of these things. It's just so wonderfully done here.
The plot itself is the kind of YA i love - a story about characters, really, with a loose plot to hold it together, one that's got such a wonderful edge (a nightvale-esque podcast? lots of tumblr references that sadly are dated, poor tumblr, but i ate them up), people making dumb decisions, people hiding their feelings, fantastic uh whats the opposite of heteronormative? rep, the stress of your future hinging on one thing because that's all you know, so much is wrapped up in this and depicted so wonderfully.
Honestly i should rate this higher? but there's something about perhaps my mood or my reluctance to read these days that relegates this to a 3.5. maybe it's winter, and the lowgrade depression that comes with it. i did enjoy these characters, but i didnt fall in love with them, and i think that's what is preventing me from rating them higher. is that my distance from their age? that gap in relation? or is it the characters themselves? im not sure....more
The first 100 or so pages made me question if Sanderson dumbed down his writing for a YA audience or if it's always been this clunky. Like...listing dThe first 100 or so pages made me question if Sanderson dumbed down his writing for a YA audience or if it's always been this clunky. Like...listing descriptive things to an extent that makes the flow screech to a halt, or having phrases that have nothing to do with each other directly follow each other. It was weird and offputting and either I got used to it or it disappeared as the story went on, but even Sanderson's vaunted worldbuilding couldnt make me stop making the D: face while reading the early parts of the book.
It was about 40% in when I truly became invested in the story, and mostly because Sanderson knows how to use tropes well. Theres nothing new or unbelievable here, and one of the central mysteries of the story is unfolded crazy late, as fodder for the second book more than a reveal that truly adds to the character of this one.
Still, it's pretty fun once you get into it and ignore the "did he dumb this down for kids bc wtf" It's a page turner and there are some cool elements and the inherent nature of 'group of kids struggling with their own adversities forced to fight too soon' is a trope that always makes you root for characters. You get a bit of their stories and the bonding scenes? filled me with joy. The battle scenes are fun and fast and filled with cool maneuvers and all the cheesy dialogue a star wars (original trilogy only) fan could ask for.
Basically...its probably too long for what it is but at the same.time... if the second book was out already I'd probably jump to it. That being said, if you want something in this vein but a bit more elevated, read the original kids fighting in space book...Enders Game....more
3.75? Third on the list of YA books that are beautiful and heart breaking and telling important tales. Just like The female of the species and a heart3.75? Third on the list of YA books that are beautiful and heart breaking and telling important tales. Just like The female of the species and a heart in a body in a world, this book is taking something fucking difficult and making it real, making all the thoughts and feelings and utter conflict and brokenness spin out across the page. Books are magic in their telling of things that sometimes don't seem to get heard in the way you wished them to in real life.
The thing that struck me is how realistic this felt. The urge to pick a side, the parent's heartfelt belief, the brother lying to himself, even. The broken coming together of friendship because of circumstance. How we push each other away when we're hurt. And Mara IS brave, but she's not, she's just her. I;ve always found that odd, how people praise things, praise behavior as the recipients shake it off because the real truth is that they were just being themselves, unconditionally. There is no thought of courage in the moment, there is just how you react. Or as Ashley Herring Blake puts it here "It has nothing to do with bravery or strength. It has to do with nothing left to lose."
I'm docking this because the beginning felt slow, in the creeping doom of it. There was exposition in thought and feeling without me being able to see and feel it enough, caught as it was in the horror of the event this book centers around. But in time those things fleshed out, and the power of feelings and friendships and how deeply family can hurt you or simply not get it when your friends can is here, out on the page, tightening your throat, stinging your eyes. ...more
Holy shit i've been on a roll with really hard-hitting, striking YA contemporaries. Look, this has trigger warnings galore (rape, sexual assault, animHoly shit i've been on a roll with really hard-hitting, striking YA contemporaries. Look, this has trigger warnings galore (rape, sexual assault, animal death), and there is darkness that seeps into the cracks of every page even as you're reading about typical high school parties and breakups and the preacher's daughter and kittens and falling in love, but, just...it has something new to say, and such a new way to say it? It's a super short read though its length feels right, and this book made me root for an unexpected heroine and even moreso an unexpected love and I LOVE that this explored it in a way that felt REAL....more
This is less than four star but way more than three.
It is hard to talk about this story without giving spoilers. The biggest strength of the book is This is less than four star but way more than three.
It is hard to talk about this story without giving spoilers. The biggest strength of the book is that Caletti writes dialogue adn characters so fiercely fucking human that the most inane of conversations made me tear up. But that's me, and how i work. It is the slightest of moments that hit me the hardest, not the grandiose speech at the end of the book that left me feeling a bit cold if im honest. No, it is someone raising their brow knowingly and the other person realizing a beat after them. It is simple words and frustrated attempts at caring and curses muttered in a foreign language. It is how, in grief, everything is a trigger, a reminder.
This YA reads like YA usually does, fast and page turning, simple language, some occasional forays into language experimentation through use of 2nd person and some metaphors that work and some that fall flat as hell, but in the end, it is the well-told insights and the simple day-to-day actions that felt real and true that make this close to a four star read. Take a day or two and go on the journey with the character. I think it's worth it.
TWs: To be as spoiler-free as I can with trigger warnings while still providing enough to help you judge , this is about grief and loss and violence, there is PTSD, guilt and shame. There is no sexual assault.
(view spoiler)[While this is not about a school shooting, this took me back to that day when I was sitting at home and watching the news about Columbine unfold in a jumbled, confused, horrifying mess. Watching video of the shooters in trenchcoats, thinking back to my own tortured high school days, how i probably knew a few people just like those guys. Poking at the terror and the monstrousness like it was a sore place in my mouth. And now, now, now that it is so common place that the columbine tragedy has dropped off the list of top 10 mass shootings. Here we are. I just don't know what to say. (hide spoiler)]...more
A quick read that was a little bit jumbly. I really liked her exploration of how it's uncomfortable for her white friend to deal with issues of race, A quick read that was a little bit jumbly. I really liked her exploration of how it's uncomfortable for her white friend to deal with issues of race, it reallllly resonated with me. I know that in the past i have downplayed a black friend's issues and thought she was overreacting, and that's...not and never my place to say, for how can i? I am embarrassed thinking about how i used to react. Anyways, this is a story of growing up, of how opportunity can feel like a burden, a pat on the back, an expectation. It's a story of not giving up on people so easily, something i struggle with in the worst way. So, while it's not as impactful as many books i've read, there's still a resonance, and I'm glad i picked it up from the library....more
Loved this! I think this is billed as YA but it read like regular fantasy. Great writing and characterization and worldbuilding and you will fall in lLoved this! I think this is billed as YA but it read like regular fantasy. Great writing and characterization and worldbuilding and you will fall in love with characters as should happen when you read all good books. There's compelling ideas and dreams and magic and travel and ancient cities and far off travels and a down on his luck protagonist who finally has a chance to realize his dreams and look man tropes exist for a reason! Fairy-tale like in parts and fast paced in others, this is well worth a read for fantasy lovers....more
I breezed through this book in two days, it's YA so it's not a challenging read, though the issues can be. I'm sure everyone and their mother knows thI breezed through this book in two days, it's YA so it's not a challenging read, though the issues can be. I'm sure everyone and their mother knows the basic plot at this point, and seeing inside Starr's head to understand her confusion at everything: her friend's murder, her reaction to it, processing her relationship with her boyfriend (who is a veritable SAINT for a 16 year old and i believe it only because i want to and i NEEDED it), but you know what? this story isn't dark. the themes are dark and the issues darker, but this is ultimately a story about family and community and those bonds that run deep and i really enjoyed it. ...more
Super fun, an easy read (which is not always the case in historical fiction), attempts to tackle some gender, race, and sexuality issues in a way thatSuper fun, an easy read (which is not always the case in historical fiction), attempts to tackle some gender, race, and sexuality issues in a way that's couched in the plot. Some great turns of phrase here, a bit heavy on the metaphors but many of them hit their mark so I was more inclined to forgive the klutzy ones (no tahereh mafi writing here). The emotions were detailed well, and the book starts out with enough humor that it buoys the fact that the main character is a bit of a tool early on. Worth a read, like i said, a quick read, super fun....more
3.5ish - a really fast read that's almost too fast. I think it could have used another 40 pages or so to add tension, though at times the almost anti-3.5ish - a really fast read that's almost too fast. I think it could have used another 40 pages or so to add tension, though at times the almost anti-climactic nature of the back half was a weird sort of relief so that I didn't have to deal with angsty tropes, I still kinda...wanted to deal with angsty tropes, if that makes sense.
Still, this story is wonderful for one huge reason: Katsa. She is...not Nesta, but cut from similar cloth. THe difference is you see her POV here and she's softer for it. Still, she is so unapologetic about who she is and her absolute lack of interest in marriage or, really, any sort of abject feeling at first is an often hilarious breath of fresh air. She is in control and she will not relinquish it for what others consider life goals.
I docked a few points for the absolute lack of imagination in the naming of the countries and the arrangement of them (Middlun is in the center, SUnder in the south, etc etc LAME) but I love the concept of graces(basically special, almost magical talents, like fighting, or an ability to always know which direction you're heading, or the ability to swim like a fish, or the ability to speak truth into existence (yes the powers differ in size and scope), and how those Graced are marked with heterochromia, and how this affects others' treatment of those Graced, depending on the culture. Cashore did a good job of presenting the stigma associated with Grace, and also how politically savvy kings would use them to their advantage.
THe supporting characters are wonderful, from Po to Bitterblue to Raffin, and though the villain is painted with a tropey brush, a chill still spun up my spine during his scenes because of the nature of his rule and power.
I'm tired and don't feel like writing more, but basically - a really, really solid YA fantasy with (ofc) a romance that I ate up like candy and a protagonist you don't see often that I deeply appreciated. Totally worth a read, you'll finish it in a couple of days despite the pages.
Oh i'll leave you with a quote: from Katsa, in DIRECT response to "He must love you very much":
'"I was very angry," she said, "when he first told me. But I have...recovered from my anger." Just like katsa to be pissed someone's in love with her. ...more
Idk man, i read this before strange the dreamer, but it didnt register the date. If I had read this after, I'd probably have DNFed with the differenceIdk man, i read this before strange the dreamer, but it didnt register the date. If I had read this after, I'd probably have DNFed with the difference in quality and how much i struggled to read this in certain parts. This starts out insanely slow, as the characterization takes a while to catch up to the author's wishes of you caring about the characters. I honestly only kept reading it because it has roots in arabian/islamic mythology and religion and i loved how different that was. There's a romance early on that comes out of nowhere and you're expected to believe in it, but that learns to grow into itself all the while other elements finally weave themselves together enough that you give a shit, just in time for a gigantic climactic event, plot twist, political intrigue revealed, and the world crafted over the previous pages upended. So i'm intrigued and confused and wondering wtf is going to happen next, though some of it feels almost too mysterious. One likes to have at least a guess as to wtf is happening... This is clearly a debut novel and i will read the next in the series, hoping some of the clunkiness improves because, by the end, i did come to like some of the characters and the mythos, confusing as it may be with multiple names for the same...race? sect of people? ...more
These were totally fun. Reminded me of good fanfiction - research done, language possessing moments of grace, etc, great UST and lots of teamwork to uThese were totally fun. Reminded me of good fanfiction - research done, language possessing moments of grace, etc, great UST and lots of teamwork to up the dramatic tension. I probably liked the resolution of the plot better for this one, though the plot is really just about a loose contrivance around writing a strong female character and cresswell's shenanigans, let's be real. I also liked that wadsworth has female friendships in the series, her cousin alone redeems the leaning this could potentially have to "im not like other girls" and that's much appreciated. Look, i enjoyed these enough to blitz read them in a few days that's all i can say....more
