**spoiler alert** What do you mean there's still not a resolution?! Pacing is odd, some transitions are hard to understand, and I am a bit annoyed tha**spoiler alert** What do you mean there's still not a resolution?! Pacing is odd, some transitions are hard to understand, and I am a bit annoyed that it keeps getting dragged on and on. It feels like the author doesn't know how to end the story....I really like the characters and illustrations but I might not pick up the next one if it's just another extension with no clear path forward or ending....more
Some transitions are hard to follow but overall, loooved it. Cute. Beautifully illustrated. Love the characters. Just wish I didn't find out it was a Some transitions are hard to follow but overall, loooved it. Cute. Beautifully illustrated. Love the characters. Just wish I didn't find out it was a series until after I bought it ...more
I missed the hype cycle of this book, but I kept seeing it everywhere...then a friend was talking about it, the audiobook was available at the libraryI missed the hype cycle of this book, but I kept seeing it everywhere...then a friend was talking about it, the audiobook was available at the library, and that's how I found myself here...
Frankly, I am not sure what to make of it. I get that it is a satire, but I missed that memo when I first picked it up. I genuinely was like, WTF?! Is this how yt people really think?! But also, I have seen this happen so many times. It's so tired and played out. It happens in design, art, history, and like every facet. POC, especially womens' work, is frequently stolen...especially badass women who deserve way more than they get... and the thieves will do whatever to justify their actions and the system supports them.
June just got more and more annoying and unhinged. I felt like I was just reading a twitter thread of a cranky, racist, entitled, aggro, bitch. I get that was the point but I don't think I needed to read a book to have experienced that..it's already so everywhere on socials. People care more about being famous and liked, without having worked for it, than their work or character. It was pretty infuriating and simultaneously boring. There were some things I could relate to because, of course, it's the world we live in, but most of it was truly insane and I hope I never fall into that mindset of jealousy or obsession....more
I don't know why in the early aughts, we had a sort of obsession for emotional voyeurism. "A walk to remember" or "The Bridge to Ter rabithia" and so mI don't know why in the early aughts, we had a sort of obsession for emotional voyeurism. "A walk to remember" or "The Bridge to Ter rabithia" and so many more... it's like we wanted these raw, emotional books about death and wanted to cry, to like, really get into the feels of reality. It's funny cause I was totally there too. I remember these Nicholas Sparks style intentionally emotional wrecker books being a pivotol part of my teenage years....
And not to say that this falls neatly into this category....but rather, when I was first meant to read it, I think I would have been a bit more open to be influenced by it.
It's a true story, and while I understand the mindset of Mitch and appreciate the lessons from Coach, I think in our over-saturated world of "wisdom" that is spewed at us, what Moorie had to say is still true, but not mind-blowing. They are the simple truths that we all know but can't necessarily live by. They may have felt bigger and bolder then, and while they have not lost their relevance or importance, they are too simple for reality now.
I enjoyed this read, but I also don't know if it was as much of an emotional banger as it once was. I also listened to the audiobook, and I thought the actual interviews were more interesting than the book summarizing the story linearly....more
Damn, this was so disappointing. I wanted to like it, I was hooked in the first third...maybe half... but it really lost the plot and originality quicDamn, this was so disappointing. I wanted to like it, I was hooked in the first third...maybe half... but it really lost the plot and originality quick. It's just another boring story about how abusive and above the law powerful rich people are and how good they are at ruining peoples' lives all for money and image.
It's too long with too many characters. It's poorly tracked, filled with female characters that are portrayed as dumb and frivolous. (The main story about the missing girl isn't even the main story. It's like maybe the last 10 pages!) There were so many tangential stories and unnecessary story lines, and none of them actually had anything to do with the main mystery. Franky, there was no mystery, no complexity, no sophistication, no shock, no aw, no reveal. What a bummer......more
This book gave me answers to questions I have had all my life. It made me feel powerful, smart, and proud of who I am and how I think/function. AbsoluThis book gave me answers to questions I have had all my life. It made me feel powerful, smart, and proud of who I am and how I think/function. Absolutely loved it....more
Great read - liked that it got more philosophical and deeper about existential questions. (Liked it more than the first one - was more aligned with whGreat read - liked that it got more philosophical and deeper about existential questions. (Liked it more than the first one - was more aligned with what I expected.) Little oddly paced and maybe could have just been combined with the first book, but didn't hate that it wasn't. Curious to know if there will be more in the series......more
Omg, I loved this book! It is so tender and funny, dark and real, smart and soft, nostalgic and familia"There is only just now...and now....and now."
Omg, I loved this book! It is so tender and funny, dark and real, smart and soft, nostalgic and familiar while also unique and new; it was fantastic. It reminded me of Jerry Spinelli novels (one of my favorite authors) and "Love Among the Walnuts," another childhood favorite. I loved that it had childhood wonder mixed with the reality of the world we live in. The lightness of being in 7th grade with the weight of tragedy shaping how we see and act and think. Truely one of my favorite reads this year.
The only thing I wonder is, if it would have been better not to have read the book jacket/synopsis before I read the book? I wonder if not knowing Simon's back story would have made it more "unveiling" but I understand that for TW reasons and also, to decrease the shock and awe and prepare the brain, his story is part of the premise you already know. I am not sure, especially with the way it was revealed throughout the story, I can't tell if I would have wanted to "figure it out" or if it helped knowing what happened already. I don't think it ruined the moment, but I am curious if it would have enhanced it?
I listened to it, and the audiobook is just so charming....more
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting....for some reason I thought it would be more like a conversat"Because I know, no matter what, I am wonderful"
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting....for some reason I thought it would be more like a conversation between Uncle Iroh and Toph? And in some ways, it was, but in many ways, it wasn't. Maybe because I always think "monk" and "tea" and associate it with some Eastern philosophy and ideologies rather than a westernized and modernized view.
I still enjoyed it, but there was something missing...something about how I want the future society that values sustainability, simplicity, nature, and kindness to also have a degree of the learned past and monks to be highly sensitive to that. I expect monks to be at peace and somehow enlightened and unwavering in their beliefs. But Dex felt like a millennial slingshot into a future where being a monk is also just a job they do. I miss something about the groundedness that felt like it was replaced by a "therapized" mindset. But maybe that was also the point because the monk was more a robot, and the robot was more a monk, yet both were wildly human....more
I expected an in-depth, complex, intricate perspective of ai - what it is, how it works, where it succeeds, and wThis book was so frustrating to read.
I expected an in-depth, complex, intricate perspective of ai - what it is, how it works, where it succeeds, and where it falls short, and most importantly what we can do moving forward. Instead, all I got was one self-proclaimed expert's opinions, wardrobe choices, and self promotion through the same tired criticism of ai with no real suggestions for solutions. Her constant hypocrisy, assumptions, arrogance, and entitlement really pissed me off.
I feel like I could really go deep into every detail that bothered me, I won't, instead I'll say, if you are trying to learn about ai, you don't have to read this book. Maybe her actual research would be more interesting but I think in general there are far more timely, accurate, systematic books to read about this topic that are far less singular and author focused....more
meh...had the all the right ingredients but didn't totally work for me. could easily identify some of the inspiration from other popular books in the meh...had the all the right ingredients but didn't totally work for me. could easily identify some of the inspiration from other popular books in the genre but the world building overall didn't line up. the pacing was odd, it was a bit predictable but it wasn't bad, wasn't great..totally decent...probably not gonna follow the series but might be a good read for actual middle grade readers than a middle grader at heart. ...more
I reallllllly enjoyed the first one, but this one took longer to get through... a tad slow and boring? Odd ending, but I still love this series, so I'I reallllllly enjoyed the first one, but this one took longer to get through... a tad slow and boring? Odd ending, but I still love this series, so I'll happily keep reading it....more