the rating here is a bittttt harsh, maybe 3.5 is more accurate.
overall, a weird novel with a truly hate-able main character that never learns the errthe rating here is a bittttt harsh, maybe 3.5 is more accurate.
overall, a weird novel with a truly hate-able main character that never learns the err of her ways & just keeps on being, well, terrible.
for the majority of the time while reading, i really thought this one would be a 4+ star read for me, but as it continued, it strayed from the plot i felt would’ve ‘worked’ best. vlad & the mc’s relationship (can you even call it that?) was unsatisfying & became a mere blip on the narrative radar when the entire premise started out entirely based on that plot point. it felt as if the first half & second half of the novel were written at completely different times with different endgames in mind.
also side rant; the random drugging??? she got him drunk, drugged him, and then chained him to a chair all bc she wanted to look at him…… truly tf was that?
although i wasn’t completely sold on this book the further it went along, i do think this is a truly stunning debut. the main character’s voice was incredibly singular & came across in a way evoking an opinion— good or bad from the reader (something so, so many writers cannot do). very excited to see what else she writes! ...more
besides the constant movie title name dropping— yes, from the umbrellas of cherbourg to the muppet movie— this ‘modern romancea film bro’s wet dream.
besides the constant movie title name dropping— yes, from the umbrellas of cherbourg to the muppet movie— this ‘modern romance’ was weak in every single way.
the entire premise hinges on a one night stand, as the two meet again 5 years later, but the connection from the first night is completely one-dimensional & unbelievable. there’s no way the author expects us to really believe they remembered each other yearssss later after their first encounter. the entire thing— from start to finish, was like 5 mins. for an entire plot & relationship to be built from one night, you better make that shit believable & truly life CHANGING.
besides the romance falling flat, the characters were just as bad. no depth. we’re just supposed to take the author’s word for it that they’re in love and pining after each other for all these years. yawn. show don’t tell, please for the love of god.
also the big production/movie that both main characters work on being the great gatsby was the most heavy handed try at a metaphor i’ve seen in a long time. no subtlety. hateeeeeed that. stop thinking and writing like your reader is unintelligent & needs to be force fed everything!!!
thanks to the publisher & netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review, but this maaayyy be one you want to skip. ...more
finished this as an audiobook format, but don’t be fooled… it was a VERY long & drawn out story.
i enjoyed hearing about her family history, but i canfinished this as an audiobook format, but don’t be fooled… it was a VERY long & drawn out story.
i enjoyed hearing about her family history, but i can’t say any of it moved me to care more than being like “ah, i see”. parts came across whiny & selfish which was hard for me to get over. by the end i felt like saying “girl we get it!!!!!!” the structure was also counterintuitive & jumped all over the place.
ah well. a lot of words were said but none of them made me care. not every memoir can be a hit....more
an absolute abomination that i sat through 8+ hours of this audiobook.
the premise of this book being a fictional mix between hater review incoming…..
an absolute abomination that i sat through 8+ hours of this audiobook.
the premise of this book being a fictional mix between ‘daisy jones & the six’ and ‘i’m glad my mom died’ had me soooo excited & for what. literally for what? a whiny main character making bad decision after bad decision & proceeding to whine more about it.
amber & her problems, my god!!! if i have to hear her whiny internal monologue for one more second! look i get it, being a pop star at such a young age would fuck anyone up royally, but i can’t say she did much in her power to fight back against it. just an observation, not trying to victim blame. i thought she was an entirely unintentionally unlikable main character. will give points to the author for the name amber, though. totally sounds like a 2000s pop star name.
i just could not stand any of the characters & it felt so disjointed story line-wise. it focused more on amber & her (failed) relationships than her music career, passion of singing, friendship etc.— the actual good things of the story!
also huge cringe moment for me while listening was when the audiobook narrator would say-sing the lyric interludes over a super techno beat & pretend it was the actual song. that jarring pseudo-music every couple chapters brought the whole thing down to its low ranking of one measly star.
picked this audiobook up on a whim & actually stuck with it!
thought it was fairly interesting for a YA romance & the book’s execution lived up to thepicked this audiobook up on a whim & actually stuck with it!
thought it was fairly interesting for a YA romance & the book’s execution lived up to the premise. howeverrrr, the enemies-to-lovers trope could have been more enemy-y, but i tend to always have a problem with characters not hating each other enough. i need more hatred! they should want each other dead. they have to actually be enemies!!!!!!!!!
also a major flaw (for me at least) was how all the supporting/side characters were basically perfect? they never messed up, caused issues for the main characters, or even said the wrong thing. in what world is that reality?? everyone besides irene & scottie felt perfect & flawless, which made their relationships feel so unbelievable.
loved how this narrative treated coming out & doing it on your own terms & on your own— not being forced or outed by others. thought that was a great sentiment to get across to younger readers.
the ending made me cry real tears in my workplace office. cannot stress to you enough how beautiful this book was; as a memoir, a tribute to a brotherthe ending made me cry real tears in my workplace office. cannot stress to you enough how beautiful this book was; as a memoir, a tribute to a brother, and a summation of a life.
going into it, i knew nothing about van halen besides the song 'jump'. which is an absolute jam & anthem in its own right. van halen is one of my dad's favorite bands and he played them constantly growing up. i remember jumping and dancing around in my basement as a kid to the songs my dad put on, not knowing the music, but just feeling it and knowing it was good. to be honest, i originally picked up this book so i would finally be able to connect with my dad on a music level, but instead i was the one who found connection.
so how did this book convince me-- someone who doesn't already have a interest in music of the 70/80s, celebrities', or the rock 'n roll scene, to care as much as i did about these two brothers? truth is, i have no idea. but i've always been pulled in by the authentic. and i think i'll ride along with any author, throughout any story, about anyone as long as you're genuine. and that's exactly what alex and ed van halen are.
the writing flows beautifully, which is a feat in itself for memoirs. he keeps the story moving at a conversational level, so it truly feels like you're sitting down in alex's living room for an evening and he's reminiscing on his career, life, and brotherhood.
the book covers all of van halen; creation, each album, each gig. you experience and feel everything with them, as you're guided by a wise sage, alex van halen, looking back in retrospect.
the love these brothers had for each other was so evident and it came across on every page. i was completely entranced with alex's writing and LOVED the multiple letters he included throughout the narrative that were structed as letters to ed. god, these got me.
it all feels warm, bittersweet. a cup of coffee shared with a friend (or brother).
okay maybe now i'm getting sappy, but i really love this book and wish i could give alex a hug. as someone born in a completely different generation (late, late 90s), you have made me care deeply about you. and that transcendence is the most beautiful thing.
“maybe that’s the thing we need to understand. that some things are a gift, even if you don’t get to keep them. maybe just to know that someone this b“maybe that’s the thing we need to understand. that some things are a gift, even if you don’t get to keep them. maybe just to know that someone this beautiful exists is all we can really ask for.”
for being the biggest hater of historical fiction, i really loved this one. wouldn’t have anything do with it being about librarians….no way. ;)
can’t believe i didn’t know this piece of history or the wpa kentucky packhorse librarians existed before i read this, but so happy i do now.
characters were great, and even tho i did think the story was far-fetched & awfully cheesy at times, i thought it did what it set out to do.
listened to the audiobook for 85% of it & would recommend that medium. not sure it would have been as engaging just reading it on its own. ...more
okay, what? thanks for giving zero context on the conclusion of a mystery we're supposed to care about. overall, this wasn't a bad mystery? horror? thokay, what? thanks for giving zero context on the conclusion of a mystery we're supposed to care about. overall, this wasn't a bad mystery? horror? thriller? novella, but it was severely lacking.
to start off, we have a cast of 5 main characters. quite a lot of development, background, and characterization need to fit nicely into a little over 100 pages. we're already not off to a great start. ambitious sure, but not great. we get a cursory look at how the group of 5 know each other and interact, and also separate relationships within the main group, but it is SO brieffff. too brief for the wide expanse of a story that the author was aiming to write.
now let's discuss this plot. um, what? it's disjointed and contains the most unsatisfying ending (if we can call it that) that i've read in a long time. why build up a spooky story and then simply-- not make it spooky?
predictable characters, writing, and plot. in all honesty, i didn't actually hate this book. it achieved some of what it set out to do, but it was underwhelming in every, single imaginable way and made me feel nothing. which is the worst thing a book can do. ...more
a beautiful work within the japanese healing fiction genre!
we arrive at the chibineko kitchen, a restaurant that specializes in remembrance meals. ita beautiful work within the japanese healing fiction genre!
we arrive at the chibineko kitchen, a restaurant that specializes in remembrance meals. it just so happens that these meals enable you to see a loved one that has passed on, and enjoy a final meal and conversation together. oh, and the restaurant has a cat. that's important.
the book started out strong in its description of characters, but it began to feel disjointed as more characters were introduced, but we were simultaneously circling back to older characters, too. there wasn't a strong enough connection between new and previous characters to make a meaningful, inclusive narrative with everyone. i think the story would have been more effective only focusing on kai and kotoko. their friendship/(possible) relationship would have been interesting to explore and aid in creating a more cohesive storyline.
this genre never fails to make me feel safe and warm and this work definitely did that, it just also made me sad. there was a lot of dying, which makes sense due to the premise, but unfortunately that made it a less favorable work in my eyes. death and dying is a topic that often sends me down an existential rabbit hole, so i tend to stay away from it in my stories, especially in this comforting genre.
great translation, though. it's nice to feel zero disconnect when reading a translated work.
special thanks to netgalley and penguin books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest thoughts! you truly cannot go wrong in this genre, so read your heart out! you won't regret it!...more
i felt it was a bittttt too long and much of it could have been shortened without the incessant dialogue that went i, uh.
this one was so…….annoying.
i felt it was a bittttt too long and much of it could have been shortened without the incessant dialogue that went in circles & accomplished nothing.
also, the pacing of thebook caused so much unneeded anxiety. why the back & forth, okay and then not okay, it was annoying to me, an already anxious reader.
and don’t even get me started on the whiny characters of jenny & nick. they deserve each other.
just didn’t enjoy this book much at all. sorry!
many thanks to netgalley & the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion....more
picked this up purely for the nostalgia & it did not disappoint.
i loved revisiting the old puzzles & even solving the new one. ispy is actually a lotpicked this up purely for the nostalgia & it did not disappoint.
i loved revisiting the old puzzles & even solving the new one. ispy is actually a lot harder than I remember & the only reason i gave it 4 stars is bc it (embarrassingly) took me so long to find some things…....more
the collection starts out very strong & since i had never read billy’s work before, i was genuinely imdidn’t hate this, but it really didn’t move me.
the collection starts out very strong & since i had never read billy’s work before, i was genuinely impressed. however, as it went on, it reallly lost my interest.
i genuinely enjoyed ‘ode to joy’ & ‘a change of heart’, but that’s really all i can say stood out to me.
i don’t see the overall theme of these poems or why they were all chosen to be in a collection together. that & the inward nature of their content, when i already don’t know much about the poet, made the disconnect while reading even stronger.
i think i could enjoy another collection of his & may try reading one to round out my experience. he’s by no means a bad poet, this just didn’t elicit much (or any) feeling from me.
many thanks to netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! ...more
this book is a masterpiece and it doesn't need my thoughts to prove that. a beautiful showcase of life, family, the passage of time, and the houses wethis book is a masterpiece and it doesn't need my thoughts to prove that. a beautiful showcase of life, family, the passage of time, and the houses we pass that time in.
life is full of good things. good, sad things. ...more
this was my first japanese murder mystery & what a fun one it was!!!!!!!!
i enjoyed it much more than i like non-translated mysteries, so maybe i shoulthis was my first japanese murder mystery & what a fun one it was!!!!!!!!
i enjoyed it much more than i like non-translated mysteries, so maybe i should look more into books like this one.
what i liked about this book was also what i disliked about this book. let me explain.
since it is a translated work originally written in japanese, it has a much more straightforward style narratively. there’s no fluff, no character build-up, just straight up detective work. which i like here & think it’s done incredibly well. the clean prose of japanese fiction, and here japanese mystery fiction, is something i’ll always love. however me being the reader i am, i LOVE character backstories & fully developed relationships & not just straight ‘this happened, then this happened, then this’. and i got all of the latter and none of the former. so that’s mostly why it’s a lower rating even tho i very much enjoyed it.
a story i really liked & most definitely don’t regret reading. i also think it’s a great gateway into the genre!! ...more
i was so excited for this one because of its extremely cute premise and illustrations, but it really didn't feel complete to me.
the reader is thrust i was so excited for this one because of its extremely cute premise and illustrations, but it really didn't feel complete to me.
the reader is thrust into the story from the beginning, with basically no information about our main character besides the fact that she works at a department store for animals. stylistically that's fine, but if that was intentional, the plot needed to make up for it-- and it just didn't.
the 5 stories were cute, but didn't intrigue me much and weren't even that interesting. i also am giving the book some grace, considering i think the lackluster story/characters has something to do with that fact its a translated work and may have just been a bad, or somewhat mediocre translation.
cozy vibes and definitely fits in the genre of healing fiction, but i think there are better books out there to get your fix. ...more
get these annoying people out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the ugly ass cover!
what's the male main character's first name? mike martin? i'm still not sget these annoying people out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the ugly ass cover!
what's the male main character's first name? mike martin? i'm still not sure after listening to 10 hours of this book and having the female main character call him by his full name CONSTANTLY. god, that was annoying.
typical romance book with all the normal romance mumbo jumbo. blegh.
not much else to say about this one, it was as bad as its cover. only finished it at all because it was an audiobook and i had time and certain parts were narrated by joshua jackson (team pacey 4ever). ...more
in true murakami fashion, i finished the book & thought “what did i just read?”. which is to say— i loved it!!!!!
i am definitely not the biggest shorin true murakami fashion, i finished the book & thought “what did i just read?”. which is to say— i loved it!!!!!
i am definitely not the biggest short story fan, but i will always be a short story fan for murakami. his stories are so weird & confusing, but that’s the magic of them.
i’ve found my favorite short story of his ever from this collection too— ‘sleep’. incredible & disorienting & would be an absolutely amazing movie. someone plesseeeeee make that happen!
i will one day read through murakami’s entire backlog, watch me! for now i will continue micro dosing it so i don’t trigger psychosis :) ...more