mmm, we need us a tasty morcel of teen romance every now and again.
Loved the characters. They all had their own stuff going on, nothing seemed irrelevmmm, we need us a tasty morcel of teen romance every now and again.
Loved the characters. They all had their own stuff going on, nothing seemed irrelevant. I liked that Anna was a cinephile, however in the second half of the book she became a bit of an idiot and kept pointing it out to us, so eh.
Etienne. He was a really good character. Like- Gansey's little cousin. Loved that he was afraid of heights because that made him super vulnerable, but wish we had gotten a bit of a backstory as to why? He was really funny, and kind, and a good friend, but I hate at the end of romance novels when it's all 'i loved you from day one'? Isn't it so much more romantic if his love for her grew by getting to know her? The other thing: it says that he was the friend of everyone, and everyone liked him and all this, but he spent all his time with Anna, and their friend group and his girlfriend, so I refuse to believe that. People aren't going to have any opinion of him - let alone that positive of a one - if he never even goes out of his way to interact with them or to have any sort of 'high-visibility' role within the school. So---- that was unbelievable. And he was a crappy boyfriend, and we never got told why he was dating Ellie, how long it had been, what crap they went through together etc. So we knew that he wouldn't break up with her bc 'oh, i've dated her ages, don't like change' (which is stupid) but he didn't even seem to care for her at all so THAT was unbelievable. And he made out with Anna in a public park before breaking up with Ellie which just seems like an unnecessarily idiotic move ...more
Interesting. Because it’s probably the first non-fiction book I’ve read. Some things I disagreed with, some things I kind of already knew, but all intInteresting. Because it’s probably the first non-fiction book I’ve read. Some things I disagreed with, some things I kind of already knew, but all interesting to see an experienced person’s perspective on life.
Don’t understand how she has so many friends? She describes them all like an Emily Henry novel. Random snapshots of oh, my friend La La Frankenfurt (that’s made up, but you get the idea) had a red Lamborghini and makes ginger tea every morning and loves jellyfish.
Like? All her friends were just random, and… almost annoyingly accomplished. How do you meet that many interesting people?
Also, author seems like the kind of person who is like OMG. Drop everything. This person needs help. We need to help them. Let’s go protest and activate because oh my gosh how dare everyone?
Meanwhile the person is all ‘I was… fine. Actually.’
Anyway. Spend time in nature, keep your friends close, pay attention to people and learn from them, find a purpose and passion, love - skim over faults because most of the time they’re irrelevant/trivial and al the time they can be forgiven.
I learn that grace is not just a seamless, beautiful moving through life, but forgiveness, generosity and calm positivity....more
I wrote half of this review. Then it deleted. I wrote it again and it was perfect and full, I was finishing it off with a seussifjed poem about how I I wrote half of this review. Then it deleted. I wrote it again and it was perfect and full, I was finishing it off with a seussifjed poem about how I want a book less than 400 pages when it deleted again. so here we go. Third times the charm ...more
**spoiler alert** I’m so sad. It didn’t properly click for me that this is the last book in the series until that last chapter.
This book was so thorou**spoiler alert** I’m so sad. It didn’t properly click for me that this is the last book in the series until that last chapter.
This book was so thoroughly *enjoyable*. Clarke and Bellamy and their families, and Glass and Luke are so solid and BTS loving and healthy and happy, and then bam, their camp gets raided and a bunch of people including Glass and Wells (Bellamy’s half brother, Glass’ best friend and Clarke’s ex-bf) get kidnapped by this cult.
Glass eventually gets promoted to the leader, Soren’s, inner circle, and Wells is thought to show ‘great potential’ but to prove his worth (and make the leaders think he’s going along with it so they’ll trust him and then he can escape), he has to kill another member of the 100, Graham, who ends up killing himself with Wells’ gun to save his soul! OMG THE DRAMA!
Meanwhile, Clarke and Bellamy and Luke and this annoying guy Paul and some others left on a rescue mission, and there’s a lil rift between Clarke and Bellamy about whether to blow up the fortress (Bel) or negotiate (Clarke) - omg it’s crazy, it escalates like crazy and they’re so upset at each other - but then eventually Clarke sees a… corpse, to put it Nicely, of the guy they sent to negotiate and screams for Bellamy before realising and Bellamy was stealing ammo with Luke, griping about Clarke but as soon as he heard her scream, he RAN and it was so wholesome, and then they apologised and forgave each other and UWUUUU
Meanwhile, Glass realises that Soren is planning to bring all the prisoners into the fold with a Pairing Ceremony which BASICALLY is all the girls getting paired up with the guys to make babies while she WATCHES WHICH WAS SO OMG NO! So all the prisoners were like oooooooookay, think it’s time to leave.
So Wells does a whole rousing speech (super rousing, trust) to unite all the guy prisoners to get out of there, and they’re all *raise pitchforks* AAAAARGH BUT THEN-
Clarke and bel and all them decided to blow up and storm the fortress with the cult’s own weapons, and at this point Harry had just started eating Weetbix really loudly so I put my earphones in and searched up the most basic rebellion intense music and it was SO GOOD! The whole building was in flames, guns were bulleting, the fortress was crumbling down and Glass yells at all the girls to run while Soren has fallen into her gazebo of bones and is like ‘glass help me pwease, my child’ and glass does a full on ‘YOURE NOT A REAL MOM! Because real mothers protect their children, not offer them up in weird sex rituals! You’re a parasite!’ And then OMG, so the whole time the cult was really weird because every time someone would say ‘if it earth wills it’ (and they said it a lot), everyone else would repeat it? Anyway, so Soren was like ‘if you leave me here I’ll die!’ And Glass continues running away from the crumbling building muttering, ‘if earth wills it’ and it was just as the music dropped out before going crazy again and ohmalawd
Anyway, so the rescue mission people and the guys and the girls (except glass cos she’s bullying Soren) all run into each other in the hallways and escape and blah blah and then outside, Luke and Glass reunite and it’s so ...more
Wendy? Jemma? I'm sorry but I don't see us all enjoying the same book. Ever. Because I think you both havnot happening and i don't want it to happen.
Wendy? Jemma? I'm sorry but I don't see us all enjoying the same book. Ever. Because I think you both have the most awful taste in books, and you probably think the same for me ...more
**spoiler alert** A very definite 3.5. no more, no less.
Can we just talk about that ending?
human dude: I love you. siren: I love the ocean. oh. but i lov**spoiler alert** A very definite 3.5. no more, no less.
Can we just talk about that ending?
human dude: I love you. siren: I love the ocean. oh. but i love you almost as much. o-okay. but i don't wanna mate with you. you have toes. lol, i don't want that either. i don't want to do that with humans either. okie. but can i kiss you? ooh yeah *mwah* on the fOREHEAD *swoon*
totally waiting for the headcanon where instead of human periods, sirens turn into humans to mate. And then Dejean will just hear screaming from the bathroom and run in and see this albino naked woman in his bath and slap his eyes and scream too. And then he'll be like "Perle?" and then (in this case, even tho it feels wrong) she'll be like "Yeah?!" and then they'll both realise that she's speaking human words and be like 'OH MY GOD?! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU/ME?"
yeh. because there were no kissies and this was an interspecies love story, the daydreams had to improvise to satisfying extents.
Anywho! So, this book was about a nonbinary siren who was low-key adopted/saved by (asexual?) Dejean, his first mate Simone and her fiancee Murielle. Perle (why wasn't it just Pearl?) was also low-key disabled because their tail had all it's nerve endings ruined by the evil Captain Kian.
And even as I write this review, I'm still thinking Dejean is called Kian. Maybe just because Kian is really close to Kieran and Kieran and Dejean's characters are quite similar in similar stories. Except not similar stories because this one was a lot more siren orientated and steampunk inspired and bloody action.
It was written first person Perle's perspective and really well in that regard! Lots of the time, even in my own writing, we write in first person, using I and My, but we're not seeing through that chracter's personal lense, you know? This was written well through Perle's lense which was really well done because Perle is a siren and had to amke up words and decriptions of human things and would have cool asides about the sea life and such.
Main criticism (pretty much only criticism) was that there was a good 80 pages of non-stop action preceding the 13 page peaceful resolution, and I ended up skimming a lot because it was tiring and not punctuated much with dialogue and it was a bit muddy and could probs have been condensed. However! I have just been on a 4 day intense restrcuturing of my OWN novel, so it was good to see the advantages of structure, specially in the third act, because Bryn did real well structuring teh first two. Mwah. perfection. neat and tight and concise and effective.
(the pains of reading as a writer *presses temples*)
BUT ENOUGH OF THE WRITER TALK! How did the reader feel?!
The reader thought that I LOVE THE CHARACTERS! Or, well not really. I just thought they had personlity and character traits! Which is my winning combo! Murielle was my fave.
M: pull the lever down D: *pulls lever down* M: NO THE OTHER DOWN D: you mean up? M well, i mean, if you wanna be technical... now hand me the thing D: *hands tool* M: NO! THE THING! D: *hands another tool* M: thank you, geez
And the romance was like, best ever. 10 out of 10. all the hearts. there was like... wah... learning each other's language and communicating in their own made up one! And there was trusting each other! And there was just *being* next to each other! And there was reaching for the other when afraid or excited or whatever! And Perle singing to Dejean when he was having nightmares so he would calm down! And then him dreaming about them! And then kissing their hand and saying 'it was part of the dream'! And then Perle getting all warm and gooey inside! THE COOING IN SIREN LANGUAGE! The arm around the waist and the tracing mindless patterns on the shoulder and WAAAAHHHH!
All without needing kisses to show that they were in love.
oh it was powerful to see a romantic love without lust/attraction! Really muddies up my distinction between platonic love and romantic love darn it.
Description and setting was PERFECT! Imagine a small, shallower indoor pool made out of welded bronze in the bathroom, set by the window with wispy curtains looking out over the cliff and towards teh ocean. A sunset on teh horizon slants orange sunshine into the cottage, lighting the bronze metal gold and the soft breeze caresses the curtains, brine and sea-salt dancing under the nose of Perle as they rest their chin on their arms on the windowsill, gazing longingly towards the slowly crashing crests in the ocean.
Except! like! better! I just can't be bothered looking for the quotes, but I tried to replicate. And then there was the vibe of the ocean being eerily still under the waves as dark storm clouds gathered above and Perle was holding onto the side of Dejean's little catamaran and oh, it was just fantastic. I thoroughly ENJOYED! I also loved the way perle's love and belonging with the ocean and their pod-mates and their song was written. Just so inconceivable yet imaginable. It was strong and poetic and, oh, I learnt so much with this book.
Um. Was that it? i think so.
love is loved, characters were great. plot was perfect except for those last 80-90 pages (which is admittedly a fair amount) which was too much action for me. 3.5 stars...more
I think... that it doesn't matter how much I think I may like a book. if I've been reading it for over a 10 days, I'm not enjoying it and I will d.n.fI think... that it doesn't matter how much I think I may like a book. if I've been reading it for over a 10 days, I'm not enjoying it and I will d.n.f it.
This one, I got, like 170 ish pages through and had seen no mermaids. Yes, it was really immersive writing in that when you are reading it's got beautiful detailing. But not immersive in the 'suck you in, don't let you out.' thing.
It was late 1700's England. It was a whore-house. there was a high-key political orgy goin and I think that was the moment where I was like O_KAYYYYYYYYY AUTHORESS HAS SOME PROBLEREEMIES!
I read a little further, but it was just a bunch of socialites acting like drunk teenagers. Like- i'm pretty sure mc is the og author of Last Friday Night's lyrics.
It was just a billion pages of vibe. And vibe si always appreciated, but not when there's nothing of what I came here looking for.
You'd think the title 'THE MERMAID and mrs hancock,' means that a big part of the story would be a MERMAID! That's why i read the book, I'm sure that's why many people read the book. Hence, mucheth disappointment amongts many people. Here be no mermaids. Here be no mrs hancock either, but no one read the book for a mrs hancock, so there be no disappointment there.
i would've loved this writing and setting and characters and such if there was actually some plot goin on - no mermaid needed, so long as the title was changed - but tehre was no plot goin on. so
**spoiler alert** 4.5 star book because it’s not a favourite, but it is a very very good book.
The writing style, oh love. This was in three parts, and**spoiler alert** 4.5 star book because it’s not a favourite, but it is a very very good book.
The writing style, oh love. This was in three parts, and the first part is exactly what I wanted my writing style to be - not so much anymore, but I still very much enjoy it. Thing is though, you can’t keep up that writing style for long because then it loses it’s characteristic vague temporariness. But there was still lots of gorgeous writing. At the start though, it was doing a Helena. Making a bunch of short sentences. And starting with and. And but. And so. Etc.
(Good god, y’all have no idea how annoying the final draft is going because wow! I’ve had to join a whole lot of sentences!)
Okay, so this book was about a mermaid. She got caught in a fisherman’s net and he let her go. She loved that about him and saw he was lonely which made her realise her own loneliness. So she became human and went to his shack and they loved each otehr and the ocean. They got married, but were unable to have children. Jack taught her how to speak, and accepted her as the wild unownable creature she was. But eventually he died and as she is a mermaid, Amelia never aged a day. Eventually, P.T Barnum (The greatest showman. Ring any bells?) hired her to be an attraction at his museum. She would earn enough money to travel the world as she’d wanted before she married Jack.
Barnum cared only about money, and owning, and fame. He kept trying to take Amelia’s rights away from her, but Charity - his wife - was just as trapped with her lying, mocking husband as she feared Amelia would be. So, Charity and Levi Lyman (Barnum’s kind co-conspirator) would be on her side.
There was heaps of plot about business and innovations and overcoming stuff, but in the end, she married Levi, got pregnant with his child and had to swim away from the angry, violent mobs so their daughter wouldn’t die. He promised to find her on this island, and years later, he did.
Anyway, one thing that caught me for a moment was Amelia being all bad-ass ‘strong woman’ character. ‘I don’t need you, I belong to myself.’ And then, as the story progressed ‘men are bad and violent and women are not respected. The world is horrible.’
But see, it wasn’t eye-rolley at all for me, because all these things were so important for this story, there was so much conversation about ‘owning’ people in this setting, where Barnum bought animals and people enslaved others and- is a mermaid animal enough to be able to be bought and owned and stripped of rights like the other circus animals?
A mermaid *is* a wild creature. It’s part of their allure. They are alone and sad. that too, is what makes them so entrancing. It’s not just seduction, it’s because misery loves company. There’s something so *mermaid* about needing the ocean more than the mortal, because as soon as the mermaid chooses the mortal first… they become a human themselves.
Amelia’s idea that ‘men are bad’ didn’t immediately make her hate all men. It was a generalisation and she knew that. MOST men - tayt she had encountered - were cruel. But she loved Levi and the natives where she eventually lived. And her view was well founded because she was living in a time where women had VERY little power and respect - which was shown in a handful of anecdotes both about Amelia, and about Charity. She was living in a time when today’s generalisations were made because, generally they were true. She experienced it for herself over and over again. And while it would’ve been nice if she’d found all the joy of human society to counterbalance the horribleness… it was explained that she loved her nature, her solitude, and hated the crush of people and restrictions of societal rules.
So yeah. This is such a me book. Because then it led into the glorious dismissal of shame when it came to her naked body. ‘I had not been told there was anything wrong with it.’ I just think that this concept is so interesting because of the whole societal rules, expectations, conformity, shame, lust, original sin, humility, nature, purity etc. of it. Like- today I had a dance concert - hence me reading and writing all day - and I found there was something so… insufficient about all these naked girls in one room, hurrying and changing, huddled over as they hopped into their next costume. White and cold and thin, compared to their rouged faces and sleek buns. Idk. If they’re going to be exposed to people, then it should be special, you know? So I feel like… modesty is important too. Because… you should only show people your true true self when you trust them to appreciate and notice and understand the sacredness of your body and to respect and adore it as much as the God who crafted it so carefully does. I mean- to each their own, your body your choice… but i feel like people should cover themselves… but not be shamed and cowering when they aren’t. Anyway, my mindset on this will probably change, but that’s why I think this concept is so interesting.
Like- Amelia had wanted a child for decades but was barren for just as long, so there was just such a happiness when she became pregnant with Levi’s and her daughter. UGH! I am such a sucker for this stuff. I know it doesn’t suit everyone’s way of life - it doesn’t suit all of me for sure - but girls in pink dresses and boys endlessly fascinated with the idea of ‘woman’ and the way the two bodies fit so perfectly together when they are at their most pure, sole selves, to create a new life born of love and - ugh! So when she who had been craving for a child for so long and never been gifted one was gifted one… oh, my heart sang.
So, in the end she had to run from the angry mob who wanted to kill her and swim to an island to birth her daughter, leaving Levi behind, but taking his promise that he would find them. And he did. ...more
**spoiler alert** they died. *blink blink* she had sex with him as he melted, and then he turned into a puddle, and then she drank him, and then was a**spoiler alert** they died. *blink blink* she had sex with him as he melted, and then he turned into a puddle, and then she drank him, and then was accused of murder. And then when she got out of jail, she drowned herself in the ocean as her mother watched.
At once, the exact vibes I was going for and yet completely different. I was looking for old fishing shacks and sea shanties etc etc. i got the town in Cloudy and a Chance of Meatballs when it was all depressing and sardines.
Except darker! This was so dark and sad sad sad, and so brutally honest there was like, no distance between narrator and author. It seemed as though they were one and the same.
Like, there was cruel bullying, and homicides just because everyone in this sad town was an alcoholic. Rape everywhere, but it was really sad because there was a desperateness to the girls who *wanted* to be used and, like, there was a scene where mc was cleaning up the motel room and she tasted the wall (she does things like this) and it tasted of salt, because the girls would have been crying. And she also worked in a factory of chopping tuna (sardine?) fish heads off and there’s just something about factory work and alcohol in a grey cliff town where the only way to get money really is to fish.
And the horror stories in the war… sad. Sick. Raping a girl who had already been dead for two days and ‘his mouth was sick with her bloo-‘*ggaaagggg* pulling up water from a well, anticipating a cool drink and instead get a soupy rotting blood and flesh thing because there’s an entire family in the well who probs jumped down there thinking they were so smart to be hidden from the gun people, and now they”re dead cos they couldn’t get out.
This guy, Jude, is liek 33, and she’s just 19 and she’s so utterly infatuated- AGH! You know what the sad dreariness reminds me of! Series of Unfortunate Events. The whole show. That kind of vibe. Oh, and also Never Let Me Go. But make it more adult, simply because it’s more honest. Maybe I’ll find the writing and formatting etc. try-hard and unnecessary and weird with time, but atm, even if I don’t understand it all the time, I’m appreciating it.
Never let me go was similar in that this was told sort of anecdotal. Where she’s be telling us the story of what was going on, and tehn she’d tell us about how, this one time, she found a glove on the beach and then realised there was a human hand in the glove with a wedding ring. Etc.
I feel like thsi could also have been a class book, because if we’re dabbling on the in between of insanity and calling it magical realism, and we want the prose and verse, we want the unreliable narrator… then this is beautiful. But also because it’s so honest, maybe not entirely appropriate for school.
There are lots of bits I ddin’t understand so it would be nice if we discussed it as a class and I could appreciate the bits and pieces more. For I am but a measly mortal.
Still tho, scratched that itch of the grey fishing town and sad mermaid lore.
**spoiler alert** trying to figure out order in which to put thoughts...
ok. lemme say. At this very moment, after I just finished, I am so bitter. I f**spoiler alert** trying to figure out order in which to put thoughts...
ok. lemme say. At this very moment, after I just finished, I am so bitter. I feel so cheated. and unfulfilled. unsatisfied. those last five chapters I was clinging onto hope. Even in the last epilogue/segway into next book chapter, I was holding hope. Then I reached teh acknowledgements and you know what? *sneers* *points finger* I KNOW it's all going to be in the next book. SO I HAVE TO READ IT UGGHHHHH! I almost, want to juts not read it out of spite.
BUt at the same time... this was a fanTASTIC book! like... it was a pretty 5 star book, except that it was missing a certain errrrr je ne sais quoi. From a writer's perspective I can appreciate it's (almost ...more
OK. Those acknowledgments? *sniff* They are... read this book for the acknowledgement**spoiler alert** I WANNA CRY.
oh, wait. I am crying. BUT STILLLLL
OK. Those acknowledgments? *sniff* They are... read this book for the acknowledgements. 4 pages of acknowledgements, but my god were they gorgeous.
'Kieryn. You are my person. (...) A paragraph isn't enough. My acknowledgement to you is everything I've written over the past six years. Everything I'm writing, everything I will write, that's your acknowledgement.'
AND THEN SHE REALLY WHIPPED OUT THE-
'Thank you to the old readers. I've been posting my writing online for over a decade, and I was always, always met with kindness. Some of that writing was incredibly cringey - the work of an angsty thirteen year old. It would have been easy to tear it apart. Nobody did. I cannot tell you how much your kindness and support meant to that angsty thirteen year old. And that angsty dixteen year old. and that angsty twenty-year old. And- you get the idea. You made me keep writing. Really, above all else, it was you. Your comments, your kudos, your friendship, across multiple platforms, across dozens of stories. From the silent lurkers, to the faithful commenters to the online friends I've known for years, it was you. I was sad and lonely and I needed someone to tell me, "You are not wasting your time, you are good at this, keep going," and you did. Over and over again, you did. Tens of thousands of you.'
*sobs* no literally, tho. I know, it's not hard to make me cry because you don't have to strike hard, for me to feel it hit hard. But still. And also. I'm quite certain I should quit writing, because she just wrote my dream acknowledgements. Y'all don't even understand how much that is my own experience. *ahem* apart from the encouraging parents *ahem*. This author- i just- queen- ofc you're awesome. Have you read your book?! OFC I LOVE YOU.
ok. now onto the actual story...
All along i was hoping... please let this not suck at the end. Please. I'm holding the five stars as I do at the start of many books... please don't make me drop my (croissant) stars.
AND I HELD THE STARS.
Now, this book had all the goodies.
AND BY THE WAY. FIRST LGBTQ+ BOOK THAT DIDN'T MAKE ME WANT TO DIE! (am i allowed to say that?) I just think- this is the perfect way to do it. It wasn't overstated. It wasn't a HEY WE'RE GAY, COME AND BUY THIS BOOK #rep #trendy. it was the way things SHOULD be irl.
A lot of teh time, they didn't have to even state the colour of skin, or sexuality or identity or whatever. It was just... normal. Everyone was who they were and characters didn't even blink an eye... because why should they? Like- yeah, they were completely speciesist (is that a word?) but that had to do with literally, physically weaker humans compared to mechanical MEyarins. Which- you know, unfair. But that's kind of teh point.
And also! I don't know if I sent this, gr was being a bit spesh. But the bit just before the kiss scene (WHICH- WOW. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT LATER) and Ayla (human) was trying to rage herself up so that she'd hate crier (automaton) thinking that 'her kind did this to my kind' and stuff. And i was like 'wait a frick fracking minute. doesn't this sound familiar?'
BUT THEN. THE FLAW BECAME THE STRENGTH. this is like What's Not to Love? Every time I try to point out sm that I was iffy about, I would write about why I thought it was iffy and THEN as I write through it, I'd realise it just makes the book even better. Because, then when Ayla is battlling with herself, trying to kill Crier, she thinks 'She wasn't the one who killed my family,' and she can't make herself kill Crier.
Which- you know. parallels that I think need to come into this world.
And also, the bits where female characters were put down by male characters weren't just labeled as sexism. It was... smart characters being put down by bad characters. Because why should behaviour, good or bad, immediately be attached to what a person has between their legs-
WHICH_ NEW QUESTion! curiosity killed the cat but... if these things are basically real live robots... and they create their children with blueprints instead of love... (why do they even need er reproductive organs.) and also. if you BUILD your child. do they grow? Or do you just build an adult? How do they grow? What about old people? is everyone just the same age? only confusion.
BUT! Back to the goodies.
Characters
Ayla
Doesn't want to love anyone because it's a weakness *AHEM KIERAN* Which could've been cliche? But wasn't! Strong and fiesty- BUT! Not in teh stuoid Shatter me juliette way, where she decides not to eat just to rebel. No. Strong and fiesty and fueled by rage on the inside, BUT she keeps it on the inside because letting it out would not help her in any way. And also? Those scenes where love interest pushes mc up against wall and mc's all 'oooh. sexy. flustered. breathing fast. heartbeat. omg.' Except here, Ayla was 'Let me go.' Like- just cos she likes li, doesn't mean she wants to be hurt and will welcome all physical ineteraction. which- ...more
Short review. (what i said before I wrote the review)
I liked:
ending's ending
. I loved how they had these two random dudes int**spoiler alert** 3 stars
Short review. (what i said before I wrote the review)
I liked:
ending's ending
. I loved how they had these two random dudes introducing us to star (get it get it? the sun?) Linnet Ridgeway. and then we zoomed out to all these other non-boat characters learning about the news in the papers and eventually zooming back in on the two random dudes and then ending with 'For, as Mr Ferguson was saying at that minute in Luxor, it is not the past that matters but the future.' That just sat really well with me.
Jacqueline
. why why wHY DID SHE ADMIT TO MURDER IN FRONT OF THE DETECTIVE? She showed him her gun and like told him her exact method of killing Linnet? Also. Why was everyone telling Poirot their life issues in this book? These people don't need a holiday, they need a therapist. But Jackie was just so... maybe this is because I've seen the movie, but i could see the unhinged look in her eyes. She was just so possessed with love and I feel like Jackie would do get caught up in drugs nowadays. Like I can picture her just smiling all the time and whispering all these horrible hideous fantasies and then giggling and fixing her big doe eyes on everyone as she just floats by. She was a character. A murdering, stalking, plotting girl possessed by love who wears really pretty dresses and just GUSHES and sighs and gasps and when tehy get found out, she treats it all as a game? she even said it was easy to kill. and she *knew* what she was doing was horrible. Thta's the scary thing. She knew killing was a horrible horrible thing to do, against her ethics and morals and Linnet really was an awful good friend, I was awful fond of her you do know etc etc. *And yet she still did it to protect Simon.* She defended and protected him against everything. Anyway. I thought she was an aweosme character.
1930's use of punctuation
. why do we never- well- use *these* kind of things any more. Why I- I just don't understand! It gives so much... mmm... emotion and- and personality I suppose I should say.
murderer's plan
. huge Murder on orient express vibes (great movie btw. huge recommend) what with the self inflicted harm to give an alibi. But also? what? I know Jackie loved him and excused all his failings, but she really just gave him permission, to kiss, sleep with and marry her *best friend*? And he agreed? Simon really got asked Fuck Marry Kill and said, 'Linnet *boyish gleam*' (what's up with his constant description of boyish gleams btw? was Jackie a swiftie? Was Agatha just making sure he got that boyish look that she likes in a man?)
I did not like:
POIROTS STUPID ARROGANCE
he was all 'uwu i know who did it!' and then Race was all 'who?' and then Poirot was all
*pause for dramatic effect* (no literally, that and therapist mum is his entire personality) I will invite in suspect NUMBER ONE
several. chapters. later.
And that! My little lamborghinis! is why suspect number one is not the murderer!
And then Race is all. 'mmmmmmmk. so who was it?'
and then Poirot just goes on and on syaing why said persons are NOT the murderer. And Race is our rep(resentation because if I say rep I know SOME PEOPLE are going to think reputation) going 'dude! you're annoying me! why don't you just tell us?' and then Poirot is like 'metaphor, saying, proverb, metaphor. catch up, my friend.' and then I'm sitting here like...
yes. archeo peeps need to dust stuff off to see the fossil. BUt why dust it off, when you could just take us straight there and save us the trouble? ALSO FOSSILS CAN'T KILL PEOPLE! Already, two extra people had died that wouldn't have died if mr oui oui baguette had just hURRIED UP ALREADY!
And then. when he finally told us who it was he decided to give a full 'previously on...' explaining WHO he had thought it was when he was stupid past mr oui oui baguette and WHY and WHY it WASN'T and *yadda* *yadda* *yadda*
I suppose I wouldn;t have minded as much if we got to figure things out with him, considering we were mostly following Poirot. We had all the interviews and questioning, but we didn't get any of teh benefit of knowing what it meant. This was especially anoying because mr oui oui baguette was always stroking his twirly moustache going 'hmmmm interestering.' or frustratedly shaking his head and banging up poor innocent table going 'but maybe- NO! C'est impossible! Mais... it must be...'
and then race was treated like that little sister who wanted to join Poirot's sleepover. He and I were constantly like 'huh? what? can i play?' and then Poirot was all narrowed eyes and suddenly standing up because he's had an epiphany we didn't get insight towards and we just followed him around like 'huh? what? can I play?'
To the person who squashed a mayfly on page 54 - 55… I feel you, bro.
i tried.
i remember reading about how he had to drive her home because it 1 star.
To the person who squashed a mayfly on page 54 - 55… I feel you, bro.
i tried.
i remember reading about how he had to drive her home because it was raining and there were no ubers and i was like 'Shut the f-' and then I remembered that I was trying to enjoy this: '-ffffffffront door, please! ...more
I got a little over a quarter way through this before d.n.f’ing, but I just HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMSThe True Love Experiment
Can I rate a book a 0.5 star?
I got a little over a quarter way through this before d.n.f’ing, but I just HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS!
Number one! WHY OH *WHY* are the love interests always called Connor??? Imagine if I read a book about mc Jemma who was blonde and flaunted her breasts and was in lust with some horrible, disrespectful, disgusting guy. It’s just WEIRD and WRONG and EW. (No offence Jemma, not that I think you’d take any). I read Connor (from the book), so in my mind I see Connor (from real life), and Connor frl would just never ever ever ever be anything like this Connor. Except for the super creepy parallels between both Connors’ British history and crappy dads and stuff that made me freak out because why is my friend a cliche??? Maybe I’m subconsciously hating books where the li is called Connor, because between thsi and Happy Place… and both the mc’s were absolutely intolerable and I hated them and I would’ve hated them irl and ARGH. Note to self: never read a book with characters with names of your friends.
Number two. Everyone in this stupid book is hot and sexy and drop dead gorgeous. And it’s not even a lense of beauty, it’s such a conventional beauty I want to puke. Boobs and legs and lips, muscles and floppy hair and penetrating eyes. Tall men and tiny women and minimal make up because they have perfect skin. Rock hard abs (I’M SO SICK OF TEH ABS! Take me back to A Far Wilder Magic where neither of teh charcaters were described to be conventionally beautiful, but they found each other beautiful. Because that’s what happens irl.) amd bulging biceps, chiseled jawlines. Oh my GOD. Wanna die wanna die wanna diiiieeee.
Number three. The telling instead of showing. ‘These people are so in love, omg, they are the most compatible ever, wow they literally have sex all the time.’ But then all we see is a kiss every time they talk to each other, like? If you can’t write it, DON’T PUT IT IN YOUR BOOK! All the time it’s ‘I’m falling in love with her,’ and ‘I want him so much,’ and I hate when tiny little things happen and the authors want the readers to know that it happened so the mc goes, ‘OMG. OMGOMGOMG. HE JUST FLIPPED HIS HAIR. DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT?!.! MY HHHEEEAAAAARRRRTTTTT!!!’ If you tell. Readers. What to think. Or feel.
*they* *will* *hate* *you* *AND* *your* *book*. Do I need to spell it OUT OH MY GAWD!
Number 4. Fizzy. What a stupid name, for a stupid person. This is the kind of girl who thinks everyone loves how she speaks her mind because they smile. But they’re only smiling because they’re uncomfortable and actually everyone hates her because she’s rude and disrespectful and vulgar.
This character is the most hated character in my reservoir of characters. She made m blood boil, she made me seethe. I dearly hope the authors aren’t like this and don’t support this irl. I’m genuinely concerned about the high rating of this book. This is what I think is called ‘toxic femininity.’ Feminism gone absolutely wrong. I don’t think it’s just feminism (tho her take on that is disgustingly biased), just the fact that she thinks everyone who doesn’t think like her needs to empower themselves and think like her. Ever think that the reason you haven’t found love in your 37 years on earth is because you never learnt to respect other people’s feelings, opinions, thoughts or just in general?
She was constantly talking about how horny she was, and how she isn’t in love she just wants to (insert a billion metaphors for have sex with him that are so disgustingly crass I’m not even going to write them). She hasn’t sex in ages, fine. She’s excited because she finally feels something, fine. But a romance novel with lust and no love is called erotica. And erotica that is focused on plot and character etc. is just bad erotica. She would constantly talk about how many guys she’s had sex with, ow it’s so like her to just have sex with someone because they’re there. And sex positivity is all fine and well, but for people like me who surround sex with a sacredness… it:s grating and disrespectful and unnecessary and disgustingly vulgar.
She would constantly make jokes that are just weird. with her best friend, fine. But how could you let someone speak like that around your 10-year-old daughter? She would also constantly call her colleague (this is before they even really knew each other - second meeting. PROFESSIONAL WORK MEETING) DILF which is just disgusting. How could you ever say that to someone’s face on purpose? Or hottie, or idk. Other weird stuff which is just completely inappropriate, and does she not care about other people’s comfort? There’s a difference between respect and propriety. Taking away one can add personality, taking away the other just makes you a jerk.
She was so cringey, too. And I hate in real life when someone will say something slightly offbeat and then someone else will go ‘ew, cringe,’ because it’s just so unnecessary to alienate when you could just laugh the awkwardness off, but THIS CHARACTER was audibly saying ‘I want to eat the sky. Nom nom nom.’? And ‘ahhhwoooooggaaa.’ And ‘he smells like yummy man.’ And ‘I want his thighs to crush my head like it’s a grape.’ I could not stand it.
She was obnoxious, too. and can I ALSO say- there’s a difference between opinionated and passionate. Build your own opinions on all the hard facts and evidence you’ve witnessed, but be respectful of others opinions. I feel like all these things I correct in charcaters is so 101 that it’s funny that I’m explaining it. Because- do we not know what constitutes as a generally nice person? Why does adding personality mean having to sacrifice the general ‘good person’ thing. I wouldn’t mind so much if it was meant to be that the character had moral complications etc. but this is a romance. We’re meant to be rooting for her, but I wanted to scream to any potential love interests ‘GET AWAY! Go to hell (Gertrude) if you need to, I can tell you rn it’ll be better than having to suffer through a moment of her company.’
She was just all about what she wanted (because she wanted to have a ‘power struggle with men’). She did what she wanted, she said what she wanted, she thought what she wanted and she did not apologise for any of it.
When she first met Connor, she took one look at him and decided he fit into ‘Hot Millionaire Executive’ archetype, and listed things about him (he will talk lost about the sports he played in college, he is, at best, a performative feminist, he doesn’t like to go down on women) (see how every thought in her head is related to sex? As if it’s relatable and funny? It’s not.) and stuffs him in a generalised box based on the fact that he’s a man, and he’s in a suit. Can you be more judgemental? (Can Helena hate you more?)
Every thing he said and did from then on was overanalysed in her head to twist it around, and make him seem like he’s making fun of her genre, or the fact that she’s a woman. And how men don’t understand women and how they’re useless and yadda yadda ya.
She continuously referred to him as ‘Hot/Sexy Brit,’ and called him random names because ‘frankly his name doesn’t much matter.’ We need another word for someone who advocated for gender equality because feminism gave this gal and - judging from the disgusting 4.8 average star rating - a LOT of other people, the wrong idea.
I hate- I hate- I hate- I hate- I hate- I hate- I hate her! People that don’t respect others score very very very very low on my ‘I like you’ list. And this one has the added bonus of disguising her judgement as ‘feminism.’
WANNA DIE WANNA DIE WANNA DIIIIEEEE
Number 5. Connor (still so weird. So bloody weird) ‘loved’ her because he accepted all the traits I listed above, twisting them as passionate and confident and sexy. I kinda think it’s because as a man, he can’t have his own opinion of what feminism is - but he still wants to be one (which is good) so he won’t fight if a woman or media tells him that feminism is that ‘the woman is always right.’ (I actually think this counts for a small but significant portion of many current issues. Notice how it was mostly inner-city areas that voted Yes whereas all the cultural ones voted No? Also, most of the stuff I read (mainly online) with this toxic femininity crap is written by men. So that’s just what I’ve witnessed)
But I don’t like how the women in his life made him feel bad for having his own opinions on women-related topics. I don’t like that his love for Fizzy would only have exacerbated her bad qualities.
Number 6. I hate books defending the genre. Maybe authors think the readers will find it relatable/empowering/YES! EXACTLY! because people in their life have mocked them for reading romance. But it’s just annoying having someone explain to you why it’s okay for you to read your genre. And also, based on this book (and basically every Emily Henry book) I do think romance novels are horrible.
I don’t understand why people like them so much, I like the romance part, I just hate all the boring predictability. I know it’s meant to be comforting, but if you want comfort REREAD OLD FAVOURITES! Not clones of them! I’m just so bored! And everything I value has just taken a few blows. So…. Not feeling good.
Also, the ‘romance show’ hasn’t even started yet and the characters have already admitted they liked each other. Why do the romance show at all? Just sounds like a time-waster - something to go on while mc and li go through the motions of feelings. Which is also why I’m d.n.f’ing.
Number seven. Why is Fizzy so successful? No romance author is taht successful. Fangirls were calling her Dad ‘Papa Chen’ and were asking about her boyfriends as if they cared, and getting all their books signed for the first time, and Fizzy was doing the Grad speech at the special university and- you’re not that special okay? Most people don’t know you exist let alone your name.
Number eight. The cover. I hate it all. The more I think about it, the more I hate it.
I feel real sorry for all the actually good authors and books that I haven’t read because everyone is obsessing over these horrible writers. And in the true spirit of Fizzy, I’m not going to apologise for saying so....more
rating this one was hard, because, do I rate based on the quality of the book? My expectations versus my experience? My pleasure in reading? My pleasurating this one was hard, because, do I rate based on the quality of the book? My expectations versus my experience? My pleasure in reading? My pleasure in writing/thinking about it? I didn't hate it enough to give at a one star. Like- I can see how others would enjoy this, hell, maybe if I'd read this last year or sm, I would have adored it, but...
OK. 1. Maybe I'm biased cos I read Crier's War acknowledgements, but wow. Those acknowledgements left much to be desired. JUST SAYING
2. Unfortunately, I cried in thsi book. (Helena? Cried? In a book? Nooooooo. Golly gee, what a shock). I tried not to! There were bits where I teared up in the bad places, but the bit that got me was-
ok. so this book has a couple of concepts that are just hella interesting to think about. It explored one of my tearjerking faves of growing apart from friends and letting go and learning what the difference is. (go listen to haunted ts) And that things change and that it is TERRIFYING! And painful! taylor calls it heartbreaking and tragic and it is. Like- go read my what's not to love? review where I kind of told part of my life story (hehe sorry not sorry) about my own experience with this (btw, cannot explain how much that one quote completely changed my view and made me realise and a whole bunch of stuff that made things so much less TERRIFYING! And painful! Although I certainly did try to.)
Um. But see, this took a slightly different viewpoint. What's not to love was from the perspective of a girl who was just going to let go of her friendship simply because things change and people grow apart and there was a whole theme about bringing the past into the future. ANYWAY! Happy PLace explored it through, yes, Harriet's view, but what I was crying about was Sabrina's view! Which was more about feeling everyone drifting apart, scrambling to bring everyone back together, and spiraling when you feel like no one seems to care like you do, no one seems to need you the way you need them. Because- and I feel like one thing among many that makes Emily Henry books (and Taylor Swift songs) so popular is that most people can deeply relate to SOMETHING! Small details, and offhand thoughts that could be so completely RAW if it's read by the right person at the right time. And if I related to something, I related to this. Like- it's FUNNY how accurate this is.
'I did what I had to,' Sabrina says. 'Just like I always do, because no one makes even the tiniest bit of effort anymore. If I waited on all of you, this friendship would already be over, and you know it. I send the first text. I make the phone calls. I leave the voicemails. I schedule the trips, and when you cancel on them, I pitch other dates, and when you can't give me an immediate yes or no, guess what? *I'm* the one to check back in a couple days later.'
(or, you know weeks, because unlike Sabrina, I feel clingy and insecure ...more
**spoiler alert** This was everything I wanted, everything I secretly wanted and everything I didn’t know I wanted.
First we’ll start with these author**spoiler alert** This was everything I wanted, everything I secretly wanted and everything I didn’t know I wanted.
First we’ll start with these authors. They do not exist. Stories like theirs exist purely in fiction. They did not fall in love in high school. They did not have an enemies to lovers relationship. They did not both get valedictorian. They do not both love reading and writing romance. They are not married with four books. It’s just not true that they write published books with the person they’re in love with.
Second. I can tell. The Anne with an e was so there and I loved it. Unlike when Emily Henry just stole parts of the show and put her own characters in, this was a... iykyk ...more
I mean... what can I even say? It was fun and cute and crazy and yet, as much as it felt like fanfiction... the plot was actually smart. It had t4 stars
I mean... what can I even say? It was fun and cute and crazy and yet, as much as it felt like fanfiction... the plot was actually smart. It had the politics, the plot twists, the betrayals and allies and magical gifts and family lines and biology and mythology and lost loves and all that jazz. The weird thing is, as much as I thought this book would be about Galen and Emma and a heap of make out scenes and basically what it says on the tin... a lot of time was spent with Emma and Galen separate.
This book is so weird because it doesn't feel like a book, it feels like a really well written wattpad story. The one where I always vaguely vaguely remember what happened in the last few chapters. Which is why it's such a pleasant surprise when there's plot and cliffhangers on most chapters and whattynotty.
Um, I realise who Galen is. Kaiden. He is.. they are... samesies. I feel like Galen and Emma are Aldi off-brand mermaid au Kaiden and Alex. He's protective and hunkey funky and he does the tilting her head up with a crooked finger under her chin thing. Only... Galen doesn't completely invade Emma's privacy by reading her mind so.
Is it weird that Grom and Nalia are mating and Grom's little brother and NAlia's daughter are mating?
...YES?!?
But going by the thing where every third generation of teh two families have to mate with each other, I don't think incest is a thing in mermaid world.
Everything that isn't relevant is so surface level that you can kind of do what you want so long as it doesn't dicturb the deep plot. Hence the mum pulling a gun on future dad and trying to mug him. Hence him then 'accidentally mating with his fish experiment.' Hence Emma seeing ex-mafia fake-mum of her boyf car-chasing her and her mum, so the mum pulls out a gun. To prevent anyone getting hurt, the daughter *crashes the car into a tree*.
Oh, and if Rachel (ex-mafia fake-mum of Galen) just happens to have endless wads of cash, buys waterskis, mansions, cars, gives Galen a fake driver's license, tracks down Emma and her mum on the run, hacks into flight schedules... the how is 'she's Rachel. She's ex-mafia. We don't ask how, we just appreciate.'
Which I love. The whole book is pretty much the RAA jingle.