This is the second book in a trilogy, and while I didn't like it quite as much as the first one, it was still enjoyable and interesting. There are nowThis is the second book in a trilogy, and while I didn't like it quite as much as the first one, it was still enjoyable and interesting. There are now 77 days until an asteroid will hit the earth and kill of most life as we know it, and civilization has been on a steep decline. Hank Palace is no longer a detective, but he's been recruited by an old friend to find her missing husband. Missing people aren't unusual - plenty of people have disappeared with the end of the world coming - but he feels a pull to help her and that he hasn't just left like so many other people off to complete their bucket lists.
As with the first book, I loved the setting in here. It's such a fascinating question, asking what is truly important when the world will soon end. I enjoyed the characters and could easily see how everyone had their own thoughts of what needed to happen to prepare for (and, in some minds, possibly prevent) the impending asteroid impact. The mystery in here was good but not great; I was curious what had happened to the missing husband, but the best parts of the book had more to do with the setting - the hoarding of supplies, the deteriorating infrastructure, the lengths people would go to trying to prepare for the impact, etc.
As a mystery, this is a good book. As a novel about how the human population prepares for near-guaranteed extinction, this was excellent. It was well-written, fascinating, and I had a hard time putting it down because of how invested I was in the world. I'm looking forward to reading the third book!...more
Willowdean has always considered herself fat and lives in the shadow of her mom, a former beauty queen who now runs the local pageant she'd once won. Willowdean has always considered herself fat and lives in the shadow of her mom, a former beauty queen who now runs the local pageant she'd once won. After realizing that she's not as confident as she'd once believed herself to be, Willowdean decides to enter the pageant herself - a completely non-typical contestant. But she can't shake the thought that even though she's interested in a guy she works with, and he seems to like her back, that she isn't comfortable enough with herself to let him be seen with her, so she hopes this pageant will help.
This book has received a lot of praise and now that it was made into a movie, I figured I'd read it. It was good, but different from what I think I expected, based on the description. Willowdean's decision to join the pageant didn't even happen until almost halfway through the book, while the back cover made it sound like that was the main focus of this from the very beginning. Instead, this is mostly about the friendship between Willowdean and her best friend, Ellen, and the new friendships she makes along the way, plus the complicated relationship she has with her mom and whether she might allow herself to actually date someone.
The message in this book was really good, focusing on the importance of friendships and feeling comfortable in your own skin without the need to change. The characters in here felt real, as did some of the struggles that went on between them. I liked that, although there wasn't any specific character who I loved. And I thought this was a fairly realistic depiction of life and the way everyone has their own issues to deal with.
For all that I liked about this book, it also felt like not a lot happened. I wasn't bored, as I did like the characters and setting, but it seemed to be overly long and I got a little impatient at times with the slow pace. Also, I felt like the end kind of cut off just a little too soon, especially after it took so long to get there, so I finished the book feeling more ambivalent than I'd like about how much I'd enjoyed the book overall. Parts of this were really cute, but it meandered a little more than I'd like. Still, I can see the appeal of this story to others....more
What a unique and interesting story! I really enjoyed reading this and kept tearing through it, so curious to find out what would happen next. This isWhat a unique and interesting story! I really enjoyed reading this and kept tearing through it, so curious to find out what would happen next. This is set in the near future. An asteroid has been discovered heading toward earth and despite the incredible slim odds of a collision, there wouldn't be odds if there wasn't that one in a million (or less) chance that it could come true. Everyone knows the world is going to end when the asteroid hits, and life has been upended because of the ends of days. Many people have quit their jobs to finish their bucket lists with the few months that remain, but Detective Hank Palace is still working, which mostly involves responding to one suicide after another as people kill themselves before the asteroid does. The book opens with him responding to a suicide that looks every bit a suicide... but something feels off about it to him, so he begins investigating it as a murder while listening to everyone else ask why he even bothers. What's the point of policing at all when the world's days are numbered?
This had so many fascinating concepts in it, and I loved the way the author blended a regular mystery with apocalyptic fiction. The mystery itself wasn't necessarily gripping, but combined with the setting, it made for incredibly interesting reading. The questions brought up in here are ones that I think would be great to discuss with a group, such as when civilization stops being civilization, what people would do if they knew the world was about to come to an end, and how daily life can continue in anything resembling normalcy if everyone knows there is no future. The author didn't overly stress these concepts but simply let the questions play out in the story with no real answers provided.
The mystery stayed front and center throughout the book, and while I enjoyed it, I think it was the blend of mystery and setting that really sold me on the story. It was well-written, with interesting characters that had different takes on the world. Looming over the entire story was the question of, is solving this murder mystery truly worth it when there are mere months left? There weren't any clear-cut answers to any of the bigger questions in this story, which I appreciated (there was, however, as resolution to the mystery Palace was investigating), but there was definitely a lot to think about.
Apparently this is a trilogy, so I'm looking forward to reading the other two books and seeing where this goes. I can easily see this being picked up as a movie or mini-series, although I'd highly recommend others read this book too because of how well done it was. I had a hard time putting this down! Fascinating, different, and thought-provoking....more
I really struggled to finish this book and am not sure why I did, as it definitely wasn't worth it. This picks up decades after the events in Altered I really struggled to finish this book and am not sure why I did, as it definitely wasn't worth it. This picks up decades after the events in Altered Carbon and has Takeshi Kovacs in a new sleeve (body) and being hired to search for a Martian spacecraft that supposedly leads to riches.
As before, I liked the idea of so much technology in this world, particularly the use of new sleeves every time someone died - their "stack" could be removed from the original body and put in a new one that would obviously be physically different, while they are mentally the same. Fascinating stuff. I don't want to compare this book to its predecessor, as I do think every book should stand on its own merits, but the big difference between the two is that the first book had an interesting mystery that took Takeshi all over in his search to solve it, whereas this was basically a bunch of action with a thin plot of a treasure hunt. There was no real dimension to any of the characters and it was more about the action (and occasional sex scenes that seemed completely unnecessary), and I just didn't care about the plot itself or about any of the new characters introduced.
There didn't feel like much linking the two books together except for them being set in the same world and featuring the same main character. Other than that, they each completely stand alone, and I was definitely disappointed by this follow-up. It does seem to have a lot of great reviews, making me wonder what others saw in this book that I missed; to me, just reading another book with a main character I enjoyed before isn't enough - I need to learn more about the character, care about their new situation, and be invested in what happens. This just felt like a mess. Half the time, I couldn't remember who the characters were; other times, I didn't care because most of them lumped together in my mind. I didn't understand the point of this book, and while there were occasional spots that seemed to pique my interest, it felt like a mess overall. I finished without truly understanding what had happened. Worse, I'm okay with that!
Not sure if I'll finish reading this trilogy... I did like the first book, but this was so messy and disappointing that I don't know what to expect from the finale or if it's really worth my time. At the very least, it's not something I'll pick up in the near future. Hopefully season 2 of the Netflix show is better than this book was!...more
3.5 stars. Match Your DNA is like an online dating service, but with a twist - take a DNA test and the company promises to match you to "the one," the3.5 stars. Match Your DNA is like an online dating service, but with a twist - take a DNA test and the company promises to match you to "the one," the person you're destined to fall in love with based on your genes. Thanks to this company, dating around the world has been upended, with many people simply killing time until they know the identity of their perfect match. This novel follows the story of 5 people matched through the site: Jade, whose match lives across the world; Christopher, who's hiding a secret life; Mandy, whose match's family pulls her into a new world; Ellie, who doesn't believe that after so long she's finally met someone she's willing to share her secret with; and Nick, whose fiancee convinces him to take the test before they get married to make sure they're actually compatible.
Despite the large cast of characters, I had no problems keeping them straight, as their stories were vastly different and never really overlapped. I found all five storylines interesting and kept reading because I was curious how each would turn out and how the Match Your DNA results would impact the lives they expected. I found the concept of this book fascinating and I liked that it highlighted some of the dilemmas that came from this discovery. There wasn't a huge overarching story in here, but I did like the way everything came together at the end.
The characters in here were decent, but - possibly due to the large cast - I never really got much of a feel for them on level beyond superficial. Time seemed to fly by quickly, with the author giving a brief summary of everything that had happened in the meantime each time we returned to a character's story, and it ended up feeling like the ideas in this book were the main driving force, not the characters themselves. The characters were stock; not bad, but no one multi-dimensional or particularly riveting. I kept reading not because I cared about anyone in here but because I was curious how the stories would play out.
I do think this book raised a lot of interesting questions about the power of suggestion, the lengths to which people will go to find "the one," and how much DNA truly shapes personality and matches. This had an intriguing concept but was light on details and depth. Nevertheless, it was a fun, quick read that I powered through in an afternoon. ...more
This is the final (I think) book in this series/trilogy, and I was engrossed in it from beginning to end! Spoilers for the first two books will followThis is the final (I think) book in this series/trilogy, and I was engrossed in it from beginning to end! Spoilers for the first two books will follow, as there's no way to describe this book without referencing past events (and really, although all the books can stand alone, you shouldn't read this if you haven't started at the beginning). This starts in Lara Jean's senior year of high school. She's been dating Peter for a while and feels like they have a really solid relationship that makes her happy, but as college acceptance letters start to come out, Lara Jean is forced to think about her future. She's never liked change and now that she's being forced to choose a new future, she wonders what it will mean for her and Peter and what will happen next in life.
As with the previous books in this series, this was really well written and I loved the characters! This one had even more focus on Lara Jean's relationships with her family members than the previous books seemed to, and I liked the dynamics at play there. I also liked the fact that there wasn't any real stereotypical drama in here, just a story about Lara Jean going through fairly normal events in a way that made me really care about her personal journey and how everything would turn out. She was easy to relate to and I was so eager to see how everything in here would work out in the end. It's strange because there wasn't an especially big plot in here, per se, but I was still incredibly riveted because the interpersonal stories and characters were so compelling!
I feel like this was a really solid end to the series. I wasn't sure exactly how it would end, or even how I wanted it to end, especially because there is often a gap between a story ending in a realistic manner and ending the way you want. As the book went on, I felt like the author was dropping hints that it could go in any direction... but I was really happy with how it ended. It was filled with hope and nostalgia, and I think this really captured the feeling of ending high school and being equal parts excited and nervous about the next part of life. What a great series, and one I'd easily recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, thoughtful story with the right balance of romance, friendship, and family....more
This is the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before, which I read a few months ago and really enjoyed. I watched the movie between having read theThis is the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before, which I read a few months ago and really enjoyed. I watched the movie between having read the first book and having read this, and it was fun to see that some of the things I thought they'd made up or changed for the movie were actually events that happened in this book! This basically picked up where the last one left off, so there are spoilers for that book turned out. Lara Jean is now dating Peter, the guy she'd pretended to be in a relationship with in the first book, and they're struggling to make things work. She thinks he's still hung up on his ex and can't stop comparing herself to that girl, and then things get even more complicated when another guy, John, reappears in her life after having received a love letter from her that accidentally got sent.
As with the first book, I really loved all the characters in here. There was such a large cast, and yet everyone felt unique and realistic. I liked the relationships between Lara Jean and her family members, and the complicated friendships in here were also nicely done. It was interesting to see what happened after the events of the last book, as so many stories end with the main characters getting together - and there's no indication of what happened next or any challenges faced. Here, Lara Jean and Peter made an engaging pair, but I surprisingly liked the addition of John in here as well. I thought, based on the book's description, that it'd feel contrived or something, but I actually really liked his character and thought his inclusion was refreshing. It was easy to see why Lara Jean felt conflicted! At times, I was annoyed with Peter and wanted her to pick John instead.
I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the near future and seeing what happens next. This really has been a surprisingly thoughtful but cute series, and I can't wait to see what happens to the characters as time goes on....more
Will Dando is a normal guy who wakes up one day with 108 predictions about the future. He writes them all down, publishes a few on a website he's set Will Dando is a normal guy who wakes up one day with 108 predictions about the future. He writes them all down, publishes a few on a website he's set up with his friend Hamza, calling himself the Oracle, and quickly the entire world knows about the Site and the Oracle. No matter what Will does, the predictions keep coming true - and there are even a few he doesn't understand. As the predictions keep coming true, Will realizes that they're all linked together somehow... and there are also so many people out there who want to find out his real identity and get their hands on him and his predictions for their own purposes. He tries to keep a low profile, yet is still found, and ends up having to go on the run without knowing where it's all going or what is the ultimate goal of the Site and purpose of the Oracle.
This was a fun read and quite cleverly put together. The author did a good job making the narration very engaging and showing a multitude of viewpoints and how the Oracle was impacting them, all of which came together after a point. I feel like a few of these brief looks into another person's viewpoint didn't really need to happen, as the main focus was really on Will himself (with lesser focuses on Leigh, a journalist trying to get an interview and further her career; the Coach, an assassin of sorts hired to track down the Oracle; and Reverend Branson, a televangelist trying to unmask the Oracle for his own gain). It was all quite entertaining the read, and I liked the touches of humor when describing some of the characters or their idiosyncrasies. Every time I put down the book, I looked forward to picking it back up again and seeing where the story would go. It was very entertaining!
While the book ended in a satisfying way, I do feel like there were things that were missing that could have made this an even better read. It felt like a lot of this book was only surface-level instead of digging any deeper. This meant that the action kept rolling and the plot moving along quickly, but it also kept anyone's background from being explored any deeper. Everyone was to be accepted at face value - which was fine, as the characters were entertaining, but I think getting a little more into their histories could have given the book more power behind it and made me care about each person's story a little more. Instead, this read like an action flick, moving from one scene to the next, always entertaining but occasionally more two-dimension than I'd have liked. I see that the author is a comic book writer, which I think is a good description of this book: it's as if a comic book, with all its action, was written out in prose. Lots of action, characters with exaggerated personalities, and a story that's constantly moving without stop.
I did enjoy this book overall and thought both the idea and the execution of it were a lot of fun. The author did a nice job bringing this story to life in an engaging, if fluffy, way, and reading it was a fun escape. If you're looking for a book that ruminates more about the purpose of predictions or how events in the world are inevitably linked together, this is probably not going to satisfy. But, if you're looking for a quirky, breezy read with a fun premise, this will probably satisfy! ...more
This was such a fun and entertaining read! Mila is not just sad when her best friend, Riley, dies; she's pissed that everyone seems to think it was paThis was such a fun and entertaining read! Mila is not just sad when her best friend, Riley, dies; she's pissed that everyone seems to think it was part of a suicide pact that Riley supposedly made with two popular girls they both disliked, June and Dayton. Sure that Riley was killed, Mila is determined to get answers casts a spell to bring back Riley from the dead - and to her surprise, it not only works, but it also brings June and Dayton back. Unfortunately, the spell will only last a week and none of them remember being killed and none seem particularly inclined to relive their deaths, so Mila is forced to try to piece things together with their faulty memories while keeping anyone else from finding out about that the three are temporarily back to life.
I loved Mila's voice in this! She was funny and self-deprecating without being annoying or whiny. She was far from popular and not necessarily happy about this, but she gave such funny commentary about others surrounding her that I got a great sense of all the people in here. I could understand Mila's motivations in here throughout. The characters were great, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Mila and Riley, easily able to understand why they'd been friends, and I liked the way they interacted with June and Dayton as well, realizing that there was more to each person than they'd originally thought based on superficial interactions.
The mystery in here was better than expected. I'm not sure exactly what I thought it'd be, but there were some nice twists in here! While much of the book did focus on the interactions between the girls (quite entertaining to read about), the mystery was never far away. I liked the fact that things in here weren't always predictable and the characters not stereotypical - it felt fresh and clever. I do wish the ending had been drawn out a little more, mostly because I wanted to know what would happen Mila next, but the story really was nicely done overall. Very entertaining!...more
Having enjoyed novels by this author, I was excited to see this short story of hers. Set in the late 70's, this is told entirely through letters betweHaving enjoyed novels by this author, I was excited to see this short story of hers. Set in the late 70's, this is told entirely through letters between David and Carrie, whose spouses are having an affair. After Carrie discovers evidence of this, she contacts David to see what he knows and then the two of them continue a correspondence, at first trying to make sense of what's going on and figure out what to do, then evolving into a real friendship.
This was a short but sweet read. If this had been a full-length novel, there would have certainly been more time to develop the characters and draw out everything that happened, including the aftermath of where this story ends. However, as a short story, the letter format worked because it kept the story moving forward and did a nice job of summarizing the interim as each character filled the other in on what had happened. I liked David and Carrie and sympathized with their situations; I think the author did a good job making their emotions and actions believable. I especially liked the way their friendship developed out of this and how the two helped each other come to terms with what was happening and increase their self-confidence despite feeling like their lives were falling apart.
While this was certainly not perfect, it was definitely an interesting read and a nicely done short story. I wish this had been longer, if only to see it play out over more pages, but it was put together nicely and I can't complain about that. ...more
This was an entertaining, if imperfect, novel. Mr. and Mrs. Jha have recently become rich and decide to move to a fancy part of Delhi while their son,This was an entertaining, if imperfect, novel. Mr. and Mrs. Jha have recently become rich and decide to move to a fancy part of Delhi while their son, Rupak, is in business school in New York. As they move away from East Delhi, where they've spent their entire lives and into a small but pricey subdivision, they become more and more obsessed with showing off their newfound wealth and proving their richness to the others in the area, all of whom are also trying to prove their own wealth, in an effort to prove that they really do fit in.
The setting of this book was certainly different from anything I've read recently. The author did a nice job capturing the different layers on India and the various classes there, and as well as the strange pressures that come with the different circles. Some of the one-upping between Mr. Jha and his new neighbor was quite funny, each out to prove that they were even more rich and carefree than the other, and I could easily understand the growing tension between the family members as they all thought they knew what was best. Rupak's life in America was nicely described too and a fun contrast to the world in Delhi.
The narration jumped around a lot but not in a jarring way. I actually enjoyed getting little glimpses into everyone's mind, including minor characters who only popped up on one or two pages, just showing their own reaction to the Jhas or others. It made for a nice social satire and a funny yet rounded story. I didn't ever find this laugh-out-loud funny or true hysterical, but it was amusing. The book ended on a strange note, not really wrapping things up but, then again, not a lot truly happened in here that needed to be wrapped up - it really was just a look at a sliver of their lives. ...more
What a great book! Noah is stuck in a wheelchair, thanks to a car accident that killed his dad, and is angry that he can't play baseball anymore, angrWhat a great book! Noah is stuck in a wheelchair, thanks to a car accident that killed his dad, and is angry that he can't play baseball anymore, angry that he can't move his body like he used to, and angry that everyone is trying to make him be positive when he can't find anything to be optimistic about. When a new kid transfers to his school without knowing anything about Noah's past and his mom is making decisions that Noah disapproves of, Noah starts to realize that being angry isn't getting him anywhere and that he actually has to face his fears and face the problems he hasn't wanted to think about.
There was so much I loved about this book. Noah is a great main character. He's funny in his observations about others - sarcastic and snarky, but in a way that's understandable because he's dealing with a lot of problems and this is how he copes. He doesn't necessarily dwell on his problems, but they're always present in his life, and the author did such a nice job balancing this without turning the book into something either unrealistic or depressing. There were no easy answers to the problems Noah was dealing with - the difficult of going to PT, his father's absence, the inability to get around by himself - and the author touched upon all of these issues without making this an "issues" book. This was simply about Noah's life and how he copes with everything while growing up.
I loved all the characters in here. Noah was an engaging main character, and all the supporting characters were strong as well. I enjoyed the relationships he had with friends at school (especially the new friend), with other kids who weren't his friends (like the former friend who still somewhat bullies him... or the kid who's also struggling through PT but doing so with ridiculous optimism... or the kid he's annoyed with after their parents start seeing each other), and with his mom. Everyone was nicely drawn and believable. I enjoyed all the different personalities in here and how no one was perfect but no one was terrible either. It was simply a nice look at all the different personalities in life.
For all that Noah wished for his life to be "normal" again, this book did a lovely job showing how he also recognized that the "normal" he'd once known didn't exist anymore and that he had to somehow come to terms with the unfair situation he was now in. Instead of the book showing how everything eventually becomes perfect again, it depicted Noah getting accustomed to what was now his new normal and realizing that others were doing the best that they could too. I'd highly recommend this book to others!...more
This is the final book in this trilogy, so spoilers for the first two are likely to follow. The books in here only semi-stand alone; they really need This is the final book in this trilogy, so spoilers for the first two are likely to follow. The books in here only semi-stand alone; they really need to be read in order to get the full story, so if you haven't read the first two, don't read this one yet!
This picks up months after the last book ended, still in a future version of New York where almost everyone lives in this 1000-floor tower, with the upper class on the upper levels. Told through alternating viewpoints of a handful of eighteen-year-olds, this follows what happens next in each of their lives. Watt is struggling to get into MIT and still hiding the fact that he built an illegal quantum computer; Avery is returning to New York after months away, still trying to avoid the person who caused her to leave the city in the first place; Leda is struggling with addiction and guilt; Rylin is caught in somewhat of a love triangle while trying to fit in as a scholarship student at an upper level school; and Calliope feels trapped pretending to be someone she's not but doesn't know how to change that without revealing the con she and her mom have been running.
This book was totally addicted as soap operas go, which is precisely what it was! The setting of the story was interesting as before, although the technology and other future inventions really played a background role here, with the focus mostly being on the interpersonal dramas. I liked the way a bit of the technology played into the story - Watt's quantum computer, for example, or the way messages were sent between characters - but most of this could easily have taken place in the current day.
I think this was a pretty solid end to the trilogy. Lots of secrets came to light, everyone had to confront something, and things wrapped up nicely without making it too tidy. Mostly, it just felt gossipy and fun, which made it a nice getaway from heavier stories. While there wasn't anything groundbreaking or especially deep in here, it was an entertaining fluffy read - exactly what the first two books provided, plus resolution to wrap up various plots. ...more
2.5 stars. Kris used to be the guitarist in Durt Wurk, a heavy metal band on the brink of breaking out, but then the singer, Terry, went solo and rock2.5 stars. Kris used to be the guitarist in Durt Wurk, a heavy metal band on the brink of breaking out, but then the singer, Terry, went solo and rocketed to stardom while the other members were left behind. She now works at a motel, dreaming of the days she used to play music, and unable to shake the feeling that something happened that she can't remember. When Terry announces that his band, Koffin, is going to play one final string of shows, something snaps inside of Kris and she's determined to get the rest of the band back together so they can confront Terry. It's harder than expected, though, since apparently Terry has eyes and ears everywhere and their souls are on the line.
I liked the idea behind this book and was excited to start reading it, unaware until I picked it up that this was technically classified as "horror." I can see why that's how this book would be categorized, due to the topics included in here, but it really wasn't particularly scary or gruesome (which I liked). Instead, this was mostly a homage to heavy metal and depicted a road trip by former band members trying to figure out what had happened to their band and to their last album.
There was a bit of humor in here too, which was a lot of fun, as I enjoyed the author's wit and the sentences here and there that poked fun at how ridiculous people and society can be. It made for good entertainment. As a whole, however, the book didn't truly resonate with me the way it apparently did with a lot of others (judging by the reviews here on Goodreads). I liked the premise, and the characters were entertaining enough, but the plot itself got to be confusing and there were parts where I simply did not understand what was going on or how things had come to be. For example, the whole subplot of what had happened to their final album and why it threatened Terry so much - the explanation just left me with more questions.
Based on all the rave reviews this book seems to be getting, it seems like I'm in the minoring not connecting with it overall. It was entertaining and had a lot of promise, but as the book went on, I think I just got lost and felt less and less of a connection to the characters and the world. I did finish it, curious how everything would wrap up, but despite there being parts that I enjoyed, a lot of it simply fell flat. ...more
Not a "great" book by any means, but the first book in this trilogy was entertaining (probably because of how trashy it was) so I dove right into thisNot a "great" book by any means, but the first book in this trilogy was entertaining (probably because of how trashy it was) so I dove right into this second book. Picking up shortly after the first ended, this follows the lives of a handful of people who live in the Tower, an immense high rise in future NYC with the higher classes on the higher floors. All the main characters are on edge, now protecting a secret they share and are being blackmailed into keeping. I know this synopsis is vague, but there's no way to describe this in any detail without massive spoilers from the first book!
I enjoyed this just as much as the first book. The characters were ridiculous, the plot was full of soap opera style suds, and while the writing in here was average, the sheer entertainment value was awfully high. I felt like a lot of the future technology was better developed in this book than had been in the first, and I also liked getting inside the characters heads a little more this time around, being able to see some changes in personalities as the story went on - there was definitely character growth. Now I just need to finish the trilogy to see how everything ends!...more
This is set in the future NYC, where the Tower (a 1000-floor building) is where almost everyone lives. The higher up you are, the wealthier you are anThis is set in the future NYC, where the Tower (a 1000-floor building) is where almost everyone lives. The higher up you are, the wealthier you are and the fancier gadgets you own. Told in multiple viewpoints, this focuses on different teens whose lives are all at some sort of crossroads: Avery, the girl created to be perfect but can't have the one thing she really wants; Leda, who's secretly spent the summer at rehab and is trying to get her life back together; Rylin, whose new job on an upper floor changes her life; Watt, a hacker who's newest job leads him to spying on the upper floors and a world of secrets; and Eris, whose life is changed when a family secret is revealed.
I wasn't sure about this book when I started it. The writing is average, the content is somewhat trashy, and there are so many narrators that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep track of it all. But, the actual story was pretty engrossing (perhaps because it was so soap opera-y) and it was easy to keep everyone straight once the story got underway. I kept reading, curious where everything would go and what new secrets would be revealed as the book went on.
The world-building in here was interesting, and I enjoyed some of the technology as described, but I also felt like parts weren't quite as vivid as they could have been. For example, I loved the differences between the lower floors and the upper ones; these definitely showed a contrast between the haves and the have-nots and also gave insight as to the social ladder! But some of the technology briefly described as being used by those on the higher floors were not quite as easy for me to picture, and some of the rules in place also weren't fully explained. It didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book; it just made this not quite as visual at all times.
I felt like this book was reminiscent of the Luxe books by Anna Godbersen, only set in the future instead of the past, because of the trashy drama and pointed characters. Definitely not the greatest book I've ever read but entertaining for sure and ended with a lead-in to the sequel, so I'll have to read that soon. ...more
I don't think I'd ever read anything by Philip K. Dick, although I'd certainly heard of his work and had seen multiple screen adaptations of his storiI don't think I'd ever read anything by Philip K. Dick, although I'd certainly heard of his work and had seen multiple screen adaptations of his stories, so I decided to pick this up. I remember the two movies based on this and figured this would be an interesting read. It was, although it definitely did not have the same plot as either movie! Part of this is due to the length (this is a short story; the movie versions had to expand the substance to fill time) and part of it is simply due to a different focus - the premise of the movie is the same as the story, but what happens next is very different.
In here, a man has been dreaming about visiting Mars and decides to visit Rekal to get fake memories of a visit to Mars implanted in his mind, but of course the procedure doesn't go as expected and the scientists discover that there's a problem implanting such memories in him. This is not an action-focused story at all but a more interesting, quietly thoughtful story about memories in general and whether ones can be falsely planted or truly erased. I thought this was quite clever and enjoyable and just the right length for the story it told. ...more
What a cute book! I'd heard of this book but it never really caught my eye. Then my cousin raved about the movie made from the book, so I figured I shWhat a cute book! I'd heard of this book but it never really caught my eye. Then my cousin raved about the movie made from the book, so I figured I should read this and then watch the movie. I'm so glad I picked this up because it was thoroughly enjoyable! Lara Jean has a hatbox filled with five letters that she's written to each boy she's loved, letters she never planned to send. Then, they get mailed out and Lara Jean, who's never once approached any of these boys about her feelings, suddenly finds her personal life in complete upheaval... but she also finds that something good may come out of those letters being sent.
The plot in here really does sound simple - because it is. But there is a lot of heart in it, and I loved the characters, which is what really made the book so enjoyable. Lara Jean was an imperfect main character, and her friends and family members all seemed to have fully rounded personalities that made them seem like actual people instead of just characters in a book. I loved Lara Jean's relationships with her sisters just as much as I loved the dynamic between Lara Jean and the various boys who received her letters. No one was perfect, but that's what made them so endearing to write about; their imperfections made them wholly believable and thus charming in their own ways.
The more I read, the more I found myself being drawn into the story and having a harder and harder time putting the book down. I figured I knew (in general) where the plot was going, since it does have some predictable romantic elements, but the path taken to get there was incredibly fun to read and I really liked that this didn't feature a "perfect" romance. The love interests were flawed in their own ways, just like in real life. Cute and charming are good words to describe this. I wish the ending had been slightly different, but it did seem fitting and apparently this is the start of a trilogy, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book - and hoping it'll be just as good as this one! And of course I can now watch the movie and hope that's as good as the book too....more
A friend gave me this book, saying he thought I might enjoy it, and wow was he ever right!! I laughed my head off throughout!! This is written by a joA friend gave me this book, saying he thought I might enjoy it, and wow was he ever right!! I laughed my head off throughout!! This is written by a journalist who worked as a foreign correspondent, basically a collection of essays about his travels through some of the world's worst places. He's quite brash in his descriptions of places and most decidedly un-PC, so I know this is not a book for everyone, but if you're okay with occasional generalizations for the sake of humor, this is one to pick up. As the author described in the preface, if he was a tourist on another planet, he'd want to see its principal features; he's stuck on earth and the principal features here are chaos and war... so off he goes to see it all!
Each chapter in here was about a different place and the author's experience there. There were a few chapters I found ho-hum, but the majority of them were absolutely hysterical in their depictions of the ridiculousness of life. I also found it funny that in this collection of stories about being in the world's worst places, he included going to a Harvard commemorative ceremony and also a trip to Epcot Center. I howled with laughter at parts and kept wanting to share snippets from each chapter with others.
I'm not saying this book is perfect by any means - there were a few chapters that didn't especially resonate with me, and the author himself doesn't necessarily come across as particularly likable in his writing (nor does he seem to care); as previously stated, it's FAR from politically correct. However, what it is is funny. So funny that I kept pausing to share entire paragraphs with friends so they could be entertained as well. I want to type out some of my favorite ones in this review, but that'd just be spoiling some of it for those who haven't read this. And this absolutely deserves to be read. I've already loaned my copy along to a friend, imploring them to read it ASAP so we can laugh over some of the sections together. ...more
This was a great read! Mari has a perfect life - if you follow her online, anyway, which thousands do. She's focused on putting up the most flatteringThis was a great read! Mari has a perfect life - if you follow her online, anyway, which thousands do. She's focused on putting up the most flattering photos, getting the most likes and comments, and making sure every aspect of her life looks amazing. Her real life is fairly empty. She used to be close with her cousin, Bri, and they'd originally planned to hike the John Muir trail together, but that was before they grew apart due to Mari's focus on her online brand and before Bri died. In a panic one night, Mari posts a video online, confessing that her perfect life was a lie, and it immediately goes viral. To get away, Mari decides to hike the John Muir trail by herself, using Bri's notes and plans as her guide, learning more about herself and maybe somehow making it up to Bri along the way.
This was so well put together. From the very start, when Mari spends time editing photos, focused on finding the exact shot and how to capture the exact image she wants to convey, I immediately could see parallels to so many similar photos online, where everything looks perfect... yet you know it never is! I loved the way this was depicted, and I could understand how Mari got addicted to the attention from online and how the likes and comments made her feel better. Then, when the hike got underway, I enjoyed the descriptions of the trail and how unprepared, yet determined, she was to push through.
I enjoyed reading about the trail. Naturally, Mari meets others along the way and strikes up friendships, which were nicely depicted. There were a few moments that I think were supposed to be increasing tension or making something exciting happen (a sketchy river crossing, for example) that I felt took me slightly away from the story, as it was really more about internal growth and I didn't need "action" to make the journey any more worthwhile - after all, Mari's feet are covered with blisters and I could readily understand how she hadn't known what she was getting herself into! But, I did enjoy the journey throughout and especially liked a scene where Mari runs into other hikers who are clearly not prepared for it and she's become so accustomed to daily life on the trail that even she wants to laugh at them.
The only complaint I really have about this book is that I wish it had gone on a little longer to wrap up a few loose ends or give better resolution to certain relationships. I realize that this was about her internal journey, and I did like that a lot, but I felt like where it ended meant it didn't truly come full circle because I needed to know what happened next. Still, this was quite a lovely book and I did enjoy it, especially considering how thought-provoking it was with regard to what truly matters in life and how to find peace....more