This was a psychological thriller that relied on little to no action as the whole book takes place in one single house with only a few || 4.0 stars ||
This was a psychological thriller that relied on little to no action as the whole book takes place in one single house with only a few small interactions. This is because the book is centered around a woman who is afraid to go outside of her own home due to some mysterious past, and she has no friends or family in her life. Ergo, she’s all alone with no one to visit and she never goes anywhere.
This situation also never changes throughout all of the book, so it sounds like this should be an insanely boring story with literally no plot, right? Well, no. Aside from the fact that there was a distinctly haunted atmosphere and a very intriguing mystery going on that really kept me guessing until the very end, the true strength of this book mostly lies in the drama that goes on inside the lonely woman’s own head. This is mostly because the writing style matches the main character’s fragile and scattered mind so perfectly, and you can never quite figure out whether the narrator is reliable or unreliable: Did she see what she did or is she crazy, what is real and what is not? Trying to uncover that truth was one of the major mysteries that kept me on my toes the most!
I don’t want to say too much about the main character, though, since the book is really best when you experience it blindly. Still, the depth of her characterisation really shines brightly. Her story slowly uncovers itself, and every new little piece of the puzzle fits perfectly into the tragic but very real narrative that is being shaped for this woman. I felt her pain, I understood her issues, I experienced her struggles: Through these pages, I really lived the life of this woman, the kind of life no one would ever want.
I also believe the end of the story ties in really nicely with the main character’s backstory and personal beliefs. I obviously do not want to give anything away, but I really think that the final reveal makes perfect sense for who the main character is as her own past explains why she would think what she did. After all, it would make sense for her to ignore certain signs and spin a different kind of story, all so she could feel like she could have redemption for where she (thinks she) failed in her traumatic past....more
It's official. Rina Kent should only ever be allowed to write MM and be forced to stay away from MF until the end of times.
Although the|| 4.0 stars ||
It's official. Rina Kent should only ever be allowed to write MM and be forced to stay away from MF until the end of times.
Although there is still a clear 'alpha' in this relationship, they're nevertheless completely equal (in a way the women in her books never are): Kayden never acts like he is superior in any way just because he is stronger and more dominant, and so he never treats Gareth like shit or like he owns him more than the other way around (which sounds like the bare minimum, I know, but please tell that to the dark romance genre nowadays, because this is more rare than you would like to think).
Instead, they both give as good as the other gets; they're both insanely jealous, possessive and obsessive, yet there's also that softer dynamic there in which Kayden wants to shelter and take care of Gareth.
They do have a very disturbing interaction at the very beginning of the book, but I'm going to shelve that situation under something called a 'misunderstanding', since I know Kayden never would have done what he did if he hadn't thought Gareth was planning to do that very same thing to someone else, as it was merely meant to be a ‘taste of your own medicine’ kind of thing. So, since it was all based on false assumptions and no actual drive to do harm, I was luckily able to ignore it and pretend it hadn’t happened (because yes, I did feel like I needed to ignore the existence of this situation in order to enjoy the book, since those entire circumstances were anything but romantic and should, in my opinion, never have even been included in a romance story).
Anyway, after they got over their initial animosity, they turned into a really cute couple that I genuinely felt was perfect for each other; Gareth went from being a little (or a lot) psycho to feeling more emotions than he ever though he would be capable of, turning him into a clingy, mushy, and (damn-near) adorable guy, who could switch between being a fiery spitfire (or perhaps lunatic would be a better word) to a docile little kitten at the drop of a hat. His never-ending mood swings and attitude problems were quite endearing to me, no matter how weird that might sound. Kayden, as well, turned into so much more than he ever thought he could be; he went from having a grumpy, icy cold exterior to feeling care and affection in a way he never had before. He wanted to own and love on Gareth until the end of time, and was never really shy to let him know that. Whereas Gareth fought their connection at the start, Kayden was ready to fight for them and persuade Gareth to let him in from the get-go.
They each brought out the best in each other, and when put together, they were honestly an electric combination that couldn't help but make me smile and swoon quite a lot!
The book follows Elliot and Knight, two people at opposite ends of an internet debate about a serial killer who lived and died over 200|| 2.5 stars ||
The book follows Elliot and Knight, two people at opposite ends of an internet debate about a serial killer who lived and died over 200 years ago. Elliot is obsessed with the killer and thinks he was severely misunderstood; he beliefs that the killer had good reasons for murdering his victims, and that he was simply lonely and abused by those he tried to love, and he admires him for taking control into his own hands, and fighting back against those who wronged him. Knight, on the other hand, is very passionate about putting the truth about this killer out there, because he is a descendant of the killer's last victim. Of course, Elliot is entirely misguided in his delusions about this serial killer, but his reasons for feeling this way are very sad and, in a way, almost understandable. He has so many issues and he has been abused all his life, so he wants to look up to someone who he beliefs fought for himself and against those who hurt him. I did get it, because I really did feel very sorry for this messed-up, lonely, sad, and abused young man. I know for a fact he never would have felt this way if only a single person would have shown him love in his life.
Obviously, the set-up for these two characters sounds like it couldn't possible work out. A delusional guy who is in love with a serial killer and a history fanatic who wants to purify his descendant's name? They are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and Knight truly hates Elliot when he only knows about him from the internet. However, when they meet, Knight soon finds out that the guy behind the mask is a vulnerable man who is in desperate need of love and care. He sees that his misguided ideas are not based on a sick or sadistic mind, but on loneliness and vulnerability, and that's why he quickly realises he wants better for him. He wants to make him feel cared for, and hopes he can heal him that way. However, Knight also has issues of his own, as he is incapable of commitment, so when they grow closer and closer, and Elliot wants more, Knight is not sure he can give that to him, therefore making Elliot feel like he isn't enough after all, leading Elliot back to his love for the killer, who, he finds out, just so happens to be living as a ghost in the basement of his old home.
Honestly, this book had a lot of potential, because it had a unique premise and a lot of hurt/comfort, but it was just too much sex and too much of the same being repeated over and over again. I did see growth in these guys as individuals, but I also wanted to see more progression in their relationship; why did they fall in love, really? Was it just because Knight wanted to take care of someone, and because Elliot was hard-wired to fall for anyone who would give him even the slightest bit of attention? I just wanted more depth, and not constant sex or drawn-out descriptions of things I didn't care about. The execution was simply lacking for me: It was too weird, smutty, dragged out, and repetitive.
'Kings of Hell MC' series: 1. Laurent and the Beast - 3.0 stars 2. My Dark Knight - 2.5 stars
I love Hunt, but no one can convince me that this wasn’t actually a true love story about the friendship between Bryce and Danika. Thos|| 4.5 stars ||
I love Hunt, but no one can convince me that this wasn’t actually a true love story about the friendship between Bryce and Danika. Those two loved each other so fiercely; their love could withstand anything and it was one in which each would sacrifice everything for the other. I can honestly say that a lot of the selfless, brave, and tragic things they did for each other genuinely brought tears to my eyes. They are the definition of ride or die, and thus, Danika’s own motto described them best:
Through love, all is possible.
For me, all of this book’s characters really came to life and I truly began to care for them. I could feel their grief, their longing, and their struggle but also their joy, bravery and perserverance (especially when it came to Bryce, of course). I became so invested in all of their feelings and in all of the complex relationships Bryce had with people; I could never, for a second, say that I got bored of it. I mean, take her relationship with her brother, Ruhn, for example; it really had me in a chokehold from beginning to end and each interaction had me completely in its grip! I just loved all the different kinds of love that Bryce was developing and grieving and slowly understanding; familial, platonic, or romantic; old or new.
In all truth, though, I do understand why some people struggled with this book because of its immense length. Its pacing isn’t always the best and it even drags at times. Nonetheless, I was completely sucked into this murder-mystery story with all its twist and turns, this brutal yet also fantastical world, and, most of all, these complex but loveable characters. Thus, I can’t deny I was fully engaged from beginning to end.
And wow, what a truly fantastic beginning and end it was!! Both had me completely shocked and at the edge of my seat! I mean, I did not see the course of the first part of this book coming at all, and so when we… lost certain people, I was completely heartbroken and shattered. I had already formed a really strong connection to a lot of those people and to then see them… suffer that fate… Damn. That really hit me unexpectedly and therefore all the more strongly. But then, of course, the last part of this book was also so strong in the way it truly felt like a culmination and climax of everything that had been building, and it didn’t fail to satisfy in a single regard.
In summary, this book is a big commitment and long journey, but one that’s worth it in my opinion.
This story is about a statue and a bird, who try to save the poor and hungry beggars in their city by providing them with money for foo|| 3.5 stars ||
This story is about a statue and a bird, who try to save the poor and hungry beggars in their city by providing them with money for food and to live out their dreams. Unfortunately, the statue and bird don’t receive that same kindness back from others, as they they both meet an unhappy end while being treated with nothing but disgust by the rich people around them.
This story somehow manages to be hopeful and depressing all at once by portraying genuine and kind souls in a world that is cruel and dark. It’s also a clear critique on the aristocracy by showing how ignorant they are of the suffering in the world, either willfully or just because they are sheltered. Either way, this story urges everyone to try to help where they can and not just live in blissful ignorance.
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’t want to go into the specifics of the plot since I feel like it would give too much away, but I can honestly say I was insanely engrossed with this entire book! The narration flowed so easily while the story itself was mind-blowing enough to keep me on my toes throughout! This book definitely had me in its grip from beginning to end.
Oh, these books are genuinely so fun and entertaining! I can’t get enough of them! It’s not even that anything extremely interesting or|| 3.5 stars ||
Oh, these books are genuinely so fun and entertaining! I can’t get enough of them! It’s not even that anything extremely interesting or cool is happening here, but the writing is just so addictive. The way the narrator talks about everything and everyone kind of makes me feel like I’m constantly listening to a gossip session about all the characters, and for some reason, I find it insanely fun! Besides, there’s also a pretty intriguing mystery aspect to these books that isn’t too obvious and does keep my guessing!
At the moment, Aria is sort of the only character I truly like and respect. None of the other girls seem to have any self-confidence and they let everyone walk all over them. It’s pretty pathetic. In any case, I do still like Spencer and Hanna’s chapters, because, despite their insecurities, I find them interesting and fun to read. There’s something very compelling about their messiness. With Emily there is no such luck, though, since she genuinely bores me to death.
Spencer has a lot of potential, if only she’d stand up to her parents, while also recognizing what a useless waste of space Wren has always been. If she recognizes that, maybe there is still hope for her and Andrew! When it comes to her and Melissa, though, I’m not sure which of them is actually most in the wrong. They can both be brutal and cruel to each other, and I have no idea which of them actually started it. With Hanna, I really want her to stop caring about her dad so desperately, since he doesn’t deserve her consideration; if you haven’t visited your daughter in four years, you’ve lost the right to call yourself a parent. I also want her to stop mooning over Sean, since he’s clearly not interested! They’re obviously not a good fit, and besides, she deserves someone who will adore her completely. When it comes to Emily, I don’t know what it is, but something about her just puts me to sleep. I can’t really find it in me to be interested in any of her plotlines. I did like Maya and Toby, but I just don’t care about Emily. I feel like both of them (and the storylines they brought) were wasted on a character as boring as her. Now, of course, that leaves Aria, who was my absolute favourite. I was excitedly waiting for all of her chapters, constantly wishing the next one would be hers. It’s clear that Aria was the least messed up out of the four, and that all of her problems stemmed from her dad’s affair (who deserves to die, by the way) rather than her own insecurities, such as was the case with the other three girls. Aria knows who she is, she knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to go out and get it. I actually thought her and Sean were pretty cute too, and they’d definitely be a better fit than him and Hanna. Even still, I think she can do better, since she’s so smart and beautiful and charming.
This was a story about the (often overlooked) sacrifices and heroics of women during the Vietnam War, and what major (and disastrous) i|| 3.5 stars ||
This was a story about the (often overlooked) sacrifices and heroics of women during the Vietnam War, and what major (and disastrous) impact their experiences, and lack of recognition for them, could have on the rest of their lives.
“Women can be heroes.”
At the beginning the story follows a fresh-faced nurse, Frankie, who naively signs up to the army in the hopes of becoming a war hero and making her dad proud, just like all the many generations of men in her family had done before her. Instead, she is immediately confronted with not pride, but shame from her family for going to war as a woman. Still, she remains enthusiastic and isn’t scared or afraid. She’s certain it won’t be that bad. She is sure she will end up at a fancy hospital, far away from the fighting, and everyone will welcome her back with open arms. After all, she would be completely safe in Vietnam, right? WRONG.
We were the last believers, my generation. We trusted what our parents taught us about right and wrong, good and evil, the American myth of equality and justice and honor. I wonder if any generation will ever believe again. People will say it was the war that shattered our lives and laid bare the beautiful lie we’d been taught. And they’d be right. And wrong. There was so much more. It’s hard to see clearly when the world is angry and divided and you’re being lied to.
At her first moment of arrival, she will understand how misled she was about the state of the war and about her own role in it. From the very beginning, she will live in dire circumstances, without a moment’s rest, and with constant death and decay around her. Her journey will continue to get worse and worse; more difficult, more extreme, more dangerous, more painful, more harrowing, and more heartbreaking. Still, through all the pain, she will be able to form immensely strong and unbreakable friendships that can only develop from living through a shared experience such as this, but, on the other side, she will also loose more loved ones than she ever thought possible.
From here, the war was almost beautiful. Maybe that was a fundamental truth: War looked one way for those who saw it from a safe distance. Close up, the view was different.
Simply put, she will go through all the horrors we expect from war. As a woman. And thus, upon return, without any of the recognition for her tragedy, trauma or courageousness. Instead, she is received with ridicule, disbelief and disgust. She will find nothing but hatred towards a woman who had the gall to go to war and fight to save other people’s lives. Even more, she will have to deal with the refusal of recognition for the skills she had gathered at war that no longer fit normal life; a life where a woman was meant to sit pretty and smile, but not actually do anything. Nobody wanted to acknowledge her experience, her past, her pain, her trauma, or even the simple fact that women could be veterans too, and Frankie quickly spiraled due to the shame and isolation that was put upon her due to her service.
The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn't quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.
Considering the main character of the book is a nurse, I suppose it should be unsurprising that there was a heavy focus on the medical aspect of the war as well; we don’t get to see combat, as everything that happens in Vietnam takes place at a hospital. We see Frankie go from being a (pretty much useless) newbie to being the most kick-ass combat nurse one could possibly be. She had no real experience or skills, but had to learn it all through the most dire circumstances, and learned to do more than any woman would have been allowed to in the real world. She learned everything in the most stressful situations imaginable, and it was extremely admirable. It’s why I understood Frankie’s extreme frustration when she was no longer allowed to use any of her skills after she got back; the outrage at being told it wouldn’t be appropriate for a woman…
“The world changes for men, Frances. For women, it stays pretty much the same.”
I do have a specific complaint, though, namely that I would have preferred the writing in this novel to be a little more emotionally charged. Sometimes it was a little too focused on general descriptions and failed to tell me the details of the wounded men or the specifics of Frankie’s thoughts and feelings about certain situations. I wanted to learn more about the men who needed to get treated, but perhaps the point of the book was that their individual stories didn’t matter; there were so many of them, they all just blurred together… And perhaps Frankie didn’t want to feel or think about certain things, so she wasn't able to give many details about that either… But still, we could have at least gotten more details about how her friendships and relationships formed and developed, because I feel like I was mostly told about that as well, rather than shown. In all honesty, I actually feel like this whole book was more telling than showing. Which is kind of the biggest critique I have of it.
We laugh so we don't cry.
Now, a quick recap of my opinions with regards to the side characters: Barb was the best. A true female icon and the very best friend you could have. I honestly think she would have had a more interesting story to tell than Frankie. Ethel was a nice friend and admirable woman too, but she paled in comparison to Barb. Frankie’s mom was okay, even though she had her flaws, but I think she did the best she could for a woman of her generation. Her dad was the absolute worst, though; he represented the epitome of toxic masculinity and I desperately wanted someone to knock that loser down a peg or two.
Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.
Frankie’s love interests all varied in range greatly. Henry was an amazing guy, but he deserved better than Frankie. I loved him, and it annoyed me to see Frankie remain so blind to all his lovely traits. I honestly started to hate her a little bit for what she did to him. Jamie was definitely a sweet guy too and was, I believe, genuinely in love with Frankie despite his marriage. He was honest about his feelings, but never pushed her to become his mistress. Theirs was the only actual romance I could somewhat believe in, despite Frankie’s insistence that the love of her life was Rye. Speaking of, I honestly don’t even want to talk about Rye and Frankie’s insane obsession with him, but I must. I swear, though, it was obvious to me from the very beginning that that guy was bad news. He was a smooth liar, but I still judged Frankie for not seeing through it. Especially later in the book… She was weak and pathetic for what she let happen between them, and I think it was the final nail in the coffin for my respect for her. To let your life be so derailed by some lying man you think you had love at first sight with, but with whom you never actually had more than lust, is something I can’t quite have sympathy for. Especially since she lost her morals along the way as well.
That was the starting and ending point in life: love. The journey was everything in between.
In truth, I really wish the author had made Frankie’s love-life less… frustrating. I honestly would have preferred there to have been no romance at all, and instead, I would have wanted the book to merely focus on Frankie’s journey of healing her mental health, which I feel was now overshadowed by her love-troubles. Even more, it were her romantic choices that made me ultimately dislike Frankie quite a bit, despite my desperately trying to understand her, which took away from the rest of the story as well. Also, her love-life became way too integral to her grief and suffering in the second part of the book, whereas I think it would have been stronger to let her mental health issues stem solely from her time as a combat nurse in Vietnam; after all, wasn’t that the point this book was trying to make? That the women were important too and that they needed help as veterans, and not as jilted mistresses? I mean, why was it that every time Frankie went crazy, it was about some guy? Why couldn’t it have been about her own trauma?
Maybe happy now, happy for a moment, is all we really get. Happy forever seems a shitload to ask in a world on fire.
Anyway, this all led me to seriously prefer the first part of the book over the second part by a lot. The first part, which showed Frankie’s time in Vietnam and first few months back at home, felt gritty and real and important, whereas the second part, which talked about the years afterwards, was veering into soap-opera territory. The non-stop drama and self-loathing was not only repetitive, but it all became very predictable as well, and certain “plot twists” felt a little over-the-top and unnecessary. Even worse, I started to find some of Frankie’s choices to be… questionable, at best. I started to feel annoyed by her, which was the last feeling I wanted to have! I wanted to feel sympathy and respect, but at a certain point I couldn’t help but be exasperated....more
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would a|| 4.0 stars ||
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would already consider this to be a historically interesting and admirable piece of writing. However, it is not for that reason alone that I am glad to have read this, as it also turned out to be a surprisingly well-written, easy to follow, thoroughly compelling and emotionally engaging story! I truly felt my heart break and my anger rise during so many moments in this novel: it was so brutal and so tragic!
In the first part of the novel we get to see the beauty and honour as well as the hardships and barbaric customs of the African culture of which Oroonoko is a Prince. Then, after he is tricked into slavery, we get to see how disingenuous Europeans can be in how they betray their promises to Oroonoko time and time again. Yet, the Europeans also show him a tremendous amount of kindness and care that they do not show any of the other slaves. They claim this is because he is “different” and “better” than all the others, but it was clearly just because Oroonoko resembled their own features and customs more than the other slaves; his beauty and haughtiness somehow commanded their respect and admiration…
So as it was in vain to make any resistance, he only beheld the captain with a look all fierce and disdainful, upbraiding him with eyes that forced blushes on his guilty cheeks, he only cried in passing over the side of the ship, “Farewell, Sir, 'tis worth my sufferings to gain so true a knowledge both of you and of your gods by whom you swear.” And desiring those that held him to forbear their pains, and telling 'em he would make no resistance, he cried, “Come, my fellow-slaves, let us descend, and see if we can meet with more honor and honesty in the next world we shall touch upon.”
As I said before, this was a very gripping novel, and I especially felt myself near tears when it came to Imionda’s, even more so than Oroonoko’s, fate… Whereas Oroonoko had a very powerful and self-assured aura around him, Imionda was shy and defenseless and so entirely innocent. Considering Oroonoko himself had sold slaves when he was still an African Prince, I found it more difficult to feel true sympathy for him. I had no such problems with Imionda, and could only deeply admire her for her bravery and loyalty, and thus, my heart genuinely shattered into a million pieces for her from the moment she received the Royal Veil to the moment of her death…
“And why,” said he, “my dear friends and fellow-sufferers, should we be slaves to an unknown people? Have they vanquished us nobly in fight? Have they won us in honorable battle? And are we by the chance of war become their slaves? This would not anger a noble heart; this would not animate a soldiers soul: no, but we are bought and sold like apes or monkeys, to be the sport of women, fools, and cowards; and the support of rogues and runagates, that have abandoned their own countries for rapine, murders, theft, and villainies. Do you not hear every day how they upbraid each other with infamy of life, below the wildest savages? And shall we render obedience to such a degenerate race, who have no one human virtue left, to distinguish them from the vilest creatures? Will you, I say, suffer the lash from such hands?” They all replied with one accord, “No, no, no.”
Personally, I thought this novel showed a very interesting duality in how there were both Africans and Europeans who could either be pure and nobel and worthy of great respect as well as those who could be filled with deceit, dishonour and cruelty. This might not sound like much to today’s standards of racial equality, but for a novel written in the 17th-Century, which was during the very height of the slave trade, I found this to be extremely surprising and perhaps even inspiring to read!...more
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my n|| 2.0 stars ||
I know it’s a fairy tale, and should thus not be taken too seriously, but the pure and utter stupidity of Snow White really got on my nerves so badly. She genuinely had to have had less than a single brain cell, and her passivity and unwillingness to learn were truly astounding. I’m certain that if she didn’t have her pretty privilege, nobody would have even cared to save her either. Sure, the Queen wouldn’t have had a reason to go after her in the first place, but let’s ignore that for argument’s sake.
Oddly enough, I was actually looking forward to reading this original fairy tale (even though I was never a fan of Snow White’s story), but it was exceedingly disappointing to me due to its complete lack of intelligence and rationale. It’s hard for me to root for a character if they don’t even attempt to save themselves and honestly seem to do everything in their power to make the dumbest possible decisions.
Oh, and the fact that she eventually marries the guy who tried to take her dead corpse to his castle because she was just too damn pretty to never look at again was… disturbing, at best.
P.S. The version I read didn’t have any illustrations, so maybe those could have made this more enjoyable or charming....more
There are absolutely no strong personalities or big events in this book, and nobody even feels like a truly living person, which, surpr|| 3.5 stars ||
There are absolutely no strong personalities or big events in this book, and nobody even feels like a truly living person, which, surprisingly, is exactly what makes the anti-war message this book wants to portray so strong.
There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters.
Instead of another story filled with brotherhood and heroism that one often finds when it comes to these kinds of stories, this shows a (more realistic?) side of war where all people have turned into empty, weak shells and are all just staring gloomily ahead, trying to live day to day without a single thought going on inside their brains. This book shows how war truly destroys people; not through fear, rage or tragedy (which are the stories we already know), but through utter and complete emptiness.
How nice — to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive.
When I started this book, I was expecting a story exactly as I have just mentioned we have seen plenty of times before; I expected a story of fear, rage and tragedy. Afterall, it’s about one of the biggest massacres of European history, namely the Bombing of Dresden during World War II. Obviously I would expect a grand and emotional and intense story with that, but instead… I got this. And somehow, that might be exactly the kind of war stories we actually need. Even if they aren’t as “entertaining” as the stories we are used to… After all, why would we like to see beauty or bravery or entertainment in war? Isn’t that, in a way, romanticizing the very thing we proclaim to hate and loathe?
”You’ll pretend you were men instead of babies, and you'll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men. And war will look just wonderful, so we'll have a lot more of them. And they'll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs.”
In any case, I think this book definitely brings forth an interesting thing to consider about how we write war stories....more
This is the definition of female rage (gone wrong).
I was in a constant inner-battle with myself between hating Medea for every disgust|| 4.0 stars ||
This is the definition of female rage (gone wrong).
I was in a constant inner-battle with myself between hating Medea for every disgusting thing she’s done and rooting for her to take revenge on Jason. I kept coming back to the question whether my revulsion towards Medea rivaled the one I felt for Jason. I couldn’t quite make up my mind about what I was feeling, which made this all the more interesting.
If only Medea hadn’t taken her ire out on innocents…...more
Jeez, this girl seriously had about twenty different love interests so it was pretty much impossible to keep track of them all. Moreove|| 3.0 stars ||
Jeez, this girl seriously had about twenty different love interests so it was pretty much impossible to keep track of them all. Moreover, it was also very hard to take any of those feelings seriously considering she had them for so many different people. I mean, she claims to be in love with Christian (and even hates Magnolia for being the girl he loves), but then she also goes on and on about how much she loves Romeo and how she always will?? Like, girl, PICK A SIDE! I honestly don’t understand why the author chose to include Romeo in this book at all; there was no need for it and it only made Daisy seem unfaithful, superficial and insanely hypocritical. It was a weird choice. And a bad one.
Honestly, I just feel bad for Christian at this point. He keeps falling in love with girls who have this toxic, insane love connection with boys from their childhood. This guy can’t ever catch a break and I want him to find someone who truly loves him, and only him. Of course it could be said that he wasn’t faithful to Daisy at the start either, and sure that’s true, but at least he didn’t claim to be in love with her at that point. First he was in love with Magnolia, then he started to slowly and unconsciously develop feelings for Daisy, until he eventually fell in love with Daisy completely and moved on from Magnolia. That’s a normal and valid trajectory. Daisy, on the other hand, claims to fully and completely love Christian from the start but also feels the same about Romeo, and also has very intense feelings and attractions to a million other men. That’s not normal and not valid. She’s giving exactly the type of behavior Christian hates Magnolia for, but Daisy is actually much worse since she isn’t honest about her feelings to anyone and also doesn’t have a single valid reason for stringing all these people along. She uses people and doesn’t even acknowledge how evil some of her actions are. I think the thing that annoyed me the most about her was her hypocrisy; she was so hurt and so angry about Christian’s unresolved feelings for Magnolia, but she’d been having so many more worse feelings for Romeo the whole time. This girl was exasperating! And Christian really deserved better. He really did. (And Romeo too, actually).
As might be quite clear by now, I genuinely couldn’t stand Daisy. But my dislike for her turned into full-on hatred towards the end when she broke up with Christian for the dumbest reason and just completely fell of the wagon. She became a giant mess who didn’t care who she hurt in the process of her own little mini-drama. She was selfish, mean, cruel, embarrassing, self-absorbed and insanely slutty; she turned into the absolute worst, and I was completely done with her by then. She didn’t have a single redeeming quality left to her. And it killed me to see Christian still pining away for her, willing to give her a million more chances, and even acting like he was the one who had to make things right. SHE was in the wrong. SHE should be begging. Ugh.
Honestly, I think there is only one couple I’m actually interested in right now: Henry and Taura. They’re both such decent people, and I love how they seem to have a little more of a slow-burn with actual development. I’d love to get a book about them. Probably won’t get it though.
Lastly, I want to talk a bit about Julian: I’m not sure why we got his POV considering he never really gets his own story and he only really exists to narrate about Daisy’s life and feelings, yet I still found him to be the most intriguing and meaningful character (perhaps that should tell you something about the lack of overall depth in this book, but I digress). I definitely think there could have been a lot more to this character if only the author cared enough to give him his own voice, relationships and feelings outside of Daisy. That said, his unconditional and deep-rooted love for Daisy was kind of exactly why I was intrigued by his character so much. A cold mobster who hates everyone but his baby sister? Yea, love that. And when these two had their falling-out it was the only time I actually felt sad while reading this book. Their relationship was so gentle and truly loving; it broke my heart a bit to see that shatter. And I’m very curious to find out how Julian will react to it after he’s had a minute to calm down. I imagine he’ll be absolutely devastated…
All in all though, this book gave me yet another awful romance where I do not want the couple to get together in the end because one of them deserves better (Christian in this case, Magnolia in the other), yet I still really enjoyed this book due to all the addictive drama and high-paced angst. I just have such a weird relationships with these books where I kind of hate and love them at the same time.
'Magnolia Parks Universe': 1. Magnolia Parks - 3.5 stars 2. Daisy Haites - 3.0 stars...more
This is such a tragic story, but so beautifully written. It’s a story that many queer people used to live through in the past, which ma|| 3.5 stars ||
This is such a tragic story, but so beautifully written. It’s a story that many queer people used to live through in the past, which makes it all the more heartbreaking to read… There’s not much focus here on the build-up of their love connection, but instead it tells the story of how sad and lonely and angry and impossible their lives were because of that love....more
This story is about a woman who receives the news of her husband’s death in a rather… unexpected manner. Instead of grief, she feels in|| 3.0 stars ||
This story is about a woman who receives the news of her husband’s death in a rather… unexpected manner. Instead of grief, she feels intense joy, gratitude and relief for the freedom his death will now grant her. Not because she hated him or because she didn’t love him, but purely because, without a marriage, she felt she would finally be able to genuinely live life without being held back and without restrictions. She would be able to live life for herself.
This story clearly displayed the very sad reality of the stifling and oppressive nature that marriage used to have not so long ago, and also how very little autonomy and liberty a woman had when she was legally tied to a man.
Oh, but that ending? Such a twist! I definitely didn’t see it coming!...more
This was not as emotional as I would have liked, but it certainly never failed at being depressing.
I think, in a way, I never managed t|| 3.5 stars ||
This was not as emotional as I would have liked, but it certainly never failed at being depressing.
I think, in a way, I never managed to get overly attached to any of the characters, since we know from the get-go that they will all die. Every single one of them. After all, we know that Haymitch not only won his Hunger Games with no other survivors in sight, but we also know that he has no family and no lover in the future. Ergo, we know they will all die; the tributes, his family, his lover, everyone. Is that still depressing as all hell? Yes, obviously. Did it hit me really hard on an emotional level, though? Unfortunately, no… I guess I just really do think there needs to be a certain element of surprise in someone’s death for me to be able to connect to them beforehand; when I know someone is about to die, I take that into account from the very beginning, and so, although I will still see their story as tragic and (there I go with that word again) depressing, it’s not very emotionally charged for me since I never formed a bond with them that was based on an assumption of survival.
It also didn’t help that I found Haymitch slightly stand-offish and that I never really felt his despair or tragedy over any of the other tritbutes. He cared, sure, but not enough. Someone died, and then he’d be over it in a minute. Nobody’s death held weight for him, and therefore, not for me either. And, as a consequence, all the ‘relationships’ he built during the book rang a little hollow as well. I really thought some people’s deaths would destroy him, or at least really do something to him emotionally, but that never happened with anyone in the arena; people I thought had become really important to him were apparently not so important after all. Maysilee, especially, deserved better, in my opinion. I’d argue she was by far the most interesting, admirable, and well-developed character in this book, but still, her death did not really do anything to Haymitch (and therefore, in extension, not to me either). Even though he claimed she had become his sister in the arena, he still seemed to forget about her after only a couple of seconds…
Honestly, Haymitch was mostly just preoccupied with his little rebel plot, which, since I also knew already that that would fail based on future events, didn’t interest me very much. I would even go as far as to say I found it slightly annoying, since most of Haymitch’s actions just seemed foolish to me. I’d say his dumbassery already started from the very first moment when he got reaped; him, but especially Lenore Dove, really pulled the dumbest, most useless move ever and I honestly struggled to even comprehend why on earth they did what they did, and how they saw this ending up in any other way than tragedy. Like, genuinely, why did they do that? And you’d think Haymitch would have learned from that, right? You’d think he realised that rebelling in such an open, yet unprepared, manner will lead to death, but noo. Even when Beetee explains to him that the Capitol are currently killing his son to punish him for his rebellion, Haymitch still doesn’t stop to think: “oh hey, maybe it’s not smart for me to openly rebel against the Capitol since that will likely get everyone I love killed, especially since my little unprepared moments of rebellion are likely to serve no purpose whatsoever anyway”. Right. Okay. I’m sorry, but I thought Haymitch was smarter than that. Like, rebellion is great, truly, but not in this way. This was doomed to fail from the start without any real goal in sight: I mean, really, even if he had succeeded, what would his plan have even accomplished? Of course, I understand he’s still a kid and all, I know, but I still expected better from him, I guess. It just all seemed foolish, reckless, and useless to me, which took the power out of the story quite a bit.
Still, you’ll never hear me deny the strength and punch these Hunger Games stories have at its core, and I still managed to be completely sucked in. Do I sometimes wish these stories were written with more emotional depth? Sure. But the backbones of the plot and the suffocating world that is created here will never fail to inspire horror in me, which means every single version I read of it always manages to make me feel enough based on the contents alone. Still, the way the characters, their relationships, and their deaths are written does not always bring it home for me on a deeply emotional level.
Oh, this was such a pleasant surprise! It wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, but that actually turned out to be good thing.
This w|| 3.5 stars ||
Oh, this was such a pleasant surprise! It wasn’t what I expected it to be at all, but that actually turned out to be good thing.
This was about a romance between a motorcycle club member and a tattoo-artist, but their relationship was super gentle and sweet. Of course, their interactions could also get rough when they fought, but their relationship was extremely soft and delicate under normal circumstances. It was oddly endearing.
“I want to be everything to you.”
I also really liked both of the main characters. They were both strong and independent, but also surprisingly vulnerable. Both of them managed to stood their ground when it came to their boundaries, yet they were willing to change for the other as much as possible.
I do want to give a quick warning that this book was pretty smutty, which, if you know my tastes at all, is not something I enjoy reading, but it was actually not so bothersome to me in this case. I think it’s because all of their intimate scenes held a lot of emotion and depth; it wasn’t just sex, it was them opening up to each other in the most vulnerable way. These scenes were always very gentle and meaningful, which took the crassness out of it for me.
P.S. I wish everyone in that motorcycle club had died a fiery and painful death, and it actually makes me sick to my stomach that they got away with everything they did.
'SEX & MAYHEM' UNIVERSE:
Hounds of Valhalla MC: 1. Road of No Return - 3.5 stars
This was very unlike what I expected it to be, or at least, parts of it were. The book is divided into two parts, and the first part di|| 3.5 stars ||
This was very unlike what I expected it to be, or at least, parts of it were. The book is divided into two parts, and the first part did fit exactly what I thought the whole book would be like. We see Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes meet, we see Watson being in awe and wonder at Holmes’ peculiar and genius personality, we see Holmes get involved in a mysterious and strange murder-case, and finally we see him easily solve the case with his own brand of deduction skills. Opposingly, the second part completely abandons these two characters and dives into the past to give a detailed, intricate and tense backstory of the murderer and why he has decided to commit his crimes. It is only at the very end that everything is tied back together again and we find out the full story at the same time as Dr. Watson.
Personally, I thought the first part was a little simplistic and nowhere near as smart or distinctive as I thought it would be. I wished we could have seen more of Sherlock’s actual deduction work, but considering the story is narrated by Watson, and he only gets short and simplified summaries of Sherlock’s deductions after the fact it has already taken place, this wasn’t the case at all. It was still fun and easy to read, but not as special as I was hoping it to be.
When I got around to the second part of this book I was honestly quite mystified and confused. At first, I didn’t have a clue as to what was happening or what I was even reading. However, once I started to realise that I was reading the backstory to the crime of the first part, I became more interested and eventually found myself very intrigued. It was actually a really good story that tug on my heartstrings more than once. I especially found myself feeling the highest respect for John Ferrier and his perseverance in wanting to protect his adoptive daughter against the horrors of Mormon culture and against having to become one of the many brides in a polygamous harem. He would rather die than have his little girl be tied to these monsters, and it was admirable to say the least. Jefferson Hope, of course, also acquired my respect for all that he did and I honestly couldn’t help but feel that the men who were murdered didn’t quite get enough compared to all that they were guilty of. I’d have wished to see them die more gruesomely if it were up to me. All in all, it was actually quite a tragic story with no happy ending for any of the good people involved.
All this said, I do think it is important to note that I believe this is one of those very rare cases where the tv adaptation is far better than the original text. I mean, the BBC’s Sherlock is seriously one of my favourite tv series of all time, while this was certainly not one of the best books I’ve ever read. Sure, it was still really good, and all the credits for the premise of the story and the idea of the characters should go completely to this, so I am glad I have read it, but still, the BBC’s adaptation just does it so much better. Therefore, if you’re only interested in exploring one version of Sherlock’s adventures, I’d recommend watching that instead. For die-hard fans (like me), however, this felt like an extra little bonus to read!...more
Well okay, that was not at all what I was expecting. I thought this would be more of an actual mystery or thriller, yet instead, it end|| 3.0 stars ||
Well okay, that was not at all what I was expecting. I thought this would be more of an actual mystery or thriller, yet instead, it ended up being a whole lot of rambling about Greek philosophy and classical literature. Of course, I still found it to be quite an entertaining read due to the fact that I find those topics to be moderately interesting in itself, but still… my expectations were rather high and I was really looking forward to a shocking mindfuck, which this was not at all (I even found the ending to be supremely anti-climactic), and thus, I was left feeling far more underwhelmed than I would have liked.
I think my most glaring issue with this book was the fact that it didn’t really have a plot. You’d think it would have one, considering it’s seemingly about a murder and all, but it just doesn’t. It’s a lot of introspective and pretentious babbling, which, in all fairness, was well-written and, at times, quite captivating, but it lacked much of an actual story. Of course, this was made even worse due to the book’s unnecessary length, which made the lack of a plot even more bothersome. Simply put, the book ended up dragging quite often.
Nonetheless, I suppose you could say this was all simply due to the fact that this book was more character-driven and therefore didn’t require much of a plot, which I normally wouldn’t mind, but it just didn’t quite work for me here since the narrator was rather unreliable and didn’t seem to understand any of the characters himself, which left me feeling rather unable to form any true opinions about anyone. I don’t mind feeling in the dark during a book, but I would have liked to at least reached a point of illumination at the end. Instead, I still don’t feel like I actually understand anyone properly or like I have any clue about what actually went down. I’m left with a million questions, which I suppose is the whole point, but still… The book forces us to never attain anything more than mere speculation, which I find both intriguing as well as slightly frustrating all at the same time.
As it stands now, my summary of these characters would be: Henry is a high-functioning sociopath, Charles is an alcoholic mess, Francis is an anxious queer (although, secretly, I think they were all queer in some way), Camilla is a battered woman, Richard is a spineless follower with psychopathic tendencies, and Bunny is an offensive idiot who just didn’t know when to shut the hell up. But, most importantly, they all brought out the worst in each other, and I think they would have probably lived somewhat normal lives if they had never met. Well, that is, apart from Henry, of course; I think he would have probably turned into a serial killer on his own. Oh, and, of course, the incest that was going on; I’d hardly call that normal either… You know what, never mind. I actually think the only one who could have been truly normal without the rest was Francis....more
This was a brutal and grim story about conflicting moral ambiguity, the power of gods, the overpowering need for revenge, the conflict || 3.5 stars ||
This was a brutal and grim story about conflicting moral ambiguity, the power of gods, the overpowering need for revenge, the conflict of the poor versus the elite, the all-consuming effect of rage, and the horrific atrocities commited during wars and ethnic cleansings. It’s not a story where there’s truly one good guy and one bad guy; it’s realistic in that sense, where everyone is led by their own viewpoint, which means everyone is someone’s enemy, someone’s idea of evil; it just depends who you ask.
Despite inviting interesting moral questioning within the readers, I do think this book lacked a little bit of an emotional punch. There was so much pain and suffering in this book, yet I can’t say I ever truly felt sad. Somehow the writing didn’t quite manage to convey enough emotional depth for me and neither did it enable me to feel a true connection to the characters or narrative. Not even the main character, who should be beautifully complex in theory, made me feel entirely connected to her or allowed me to fully understand her actions or thought-processes; I did in a way, just not fully. I simply wish I would have felt more for her, because if I had, I know this book could have wrecked me.
Lastly, I was surprised to realise that I actually prefered the first part over the second and third. Rin’s journey to and training at Sinegard was more intriguing and engaging to me than the actual war itself, which is odd since the story became more shocking at that point with much higher stakes… I just feel like the first part was more character-driven with more emotional detail, whereas the writing became more distanced and sterile when the plot took a turn....more