I can't shake the feeling that I -should- find this book boring but I just couldn't stop reading. It's so unassuming and low-keyI. Love. Kate Atkinson
I can't shake the feeling that I -should- find this book boring but I just couldn't stop reading. It's so unassuming and low-key, but someone you get dragged in needing to know what happens. It's all about the details; the mundane casually mixed in with the devastating parts; the humour that's never in your face; and the god damn TWISTINESS...more
A very very different story compared to The Just City. I love how Jo Walton can take things in unexpected directions. Although it eventually won me ovA very very different story compared to The Just City. I love how Jo Walton can take things in unexpected directions. Although it eventually won me over, I wasn't as engrossed as I was in TJC, because the lovely human connections were so much weaker compared to the unfolding relationship between Simmea and Apollo in TJC. Arete didn't have much personality of her own; it was as if she just existed to carry the story along. What an insane ending though....more
Fascinating. Written with all the clarity of a Greek myth. I loved Simmea.. and Apollo, and I couldn't make myself stop reading; it was all so intriguFascinating. Written with all the clarity of a Greek myth. I loved Simmea.. and Apollo, and I couldn't make myself stop reading; it was all so intriguing....more
I made an early assumption while I was reading this book and I was completely delighted to slowly find out I was WRONG! I live for this
Sometimes a booI made an early assumption while I was reading this book and I was completely delighted to slowly find out I was WRONG! I live for this
Sometimes a book starts out mundane and simple but slowly lures you in until you've read it all in one sitting and tears are streaming down your face. There's plenty of books written for and about teenagers and new adults that have an air of inauthenticity to them; either the characters behave like adults, or how adults think they do. But Nina LaCour is the rare author who wholly, geuinely, gets it.
This story hit every note that I needed right now; it perfectly captures how it feels to be lonely, to struggle to make small steps, and the nostalgia of knowing that time is passing and the people you've grown up with won't always be the same. It deftly avoids tying everything up with a bow by inserting a fix-it relationship at the end. Its surprises are quietly given, and I couldn't help but feel happy about being caught off guard by how the crux of the story - Marin's relationship with Mabel - began, grew, transformed into something that didn't feel predictable. I loved how it didn't glorify people, how it showed ugliness and ambiguity that is hard to reconcile, even if you love them.
I also loved that it did what it wanted to do without overstaying its welcome. The plot is meandering, but every word feels full of care and purpose. Also, that cover and jacket design is so damn good, I want a copy of my own now....more
I want to jump around singing about this book, that succeeds so well at everything it sets out to do. Miller makes everything fall into place so well.I want to jump around singing about this book, that succeeds so well at everything it sets out to do. Miller makes everything fall into place so well. You really have to love how she gives so much care and attention to the motivations of women that are usually glanced aside in greek myth as "the wife of so-and-so" (Pasiphae, Penelope, Medea!); instead, they're given the spotlight in such a matter-of-fact manner, and it's glorious . And Circe herself is beautifully written, sympathetic, flawed, human. Her character arc is lovely. This is a very different story compared to The Song of Achilles, but it's every bit as good. I couldn't ask for more in a follow-up and I can't wait to see what Miller writes next....more
starts off a bit slow but once the rest of the cast fell into place I was in love. Thaniel is a bit of a dull character (I guess that's the point.. bustarts off a bit slow but once the rest of the cast fell into place I was in love. Thaniel is a bit of a dull character (I guess that's the point.. but I was never a fan of mundane male protagonists), but the others (and the relationship dynamics between them) are EXCELLENT. I finished it within a day. I think Mori was the standout character for me; this gentle yet terrifying enigma whose slow buildup of trust with Thaniel killed me. The playful tension between Grace and Matsumoto is what made me sit up and keep reading in the first place too. add a dose of magical-ish sci-fi elements involving time and possibilities (reminiscient of His Dark Materials) and you really have something special....more
This is the kind of book that I wish I had written. It's really clever, unique, funny and charming in a british way. And always unexpected. I love thaThis is the kind of book that I wish I had written. It's really clever, unique, funny and charming in a british way. And always unexpected. I love that! I love reading something that experiments with form so much that I never know how things will turn out - or when there's a moment that I can sense coming because of the patterns repeating themselves, but when it does happen it's still a joy to reach it all the same.
The one constant in all the variations of Ursula's life is her family, which of course just kind of hits me right in the heart.
Most of the writing is pretty emotionally... understated? so when you hit those passages that really let it all out, with so much power, emotion and beauty-- (there's one paragraph in particular, you'll know when you reach it)-- it really stands out. And then there are scenes that are so mysterious that I still wonder about them sometimes. There's lingering questions by the end, but they're intentional and really make you wonder. I'm completely satisfied. It was a brilliant ride....more
I just stayed up until 2am to finish this in one sitting and all I can really say is that wow, Walls is a great writer, and I can almost understand hoI just stayed up until 2am to finish this in one sitting and all I can really say is that wow, Walls is a great writer, and I can almost understand how she can possibly forgive her parents for everything they've done (or really, haven't done to provide the barest level of care for her or her siblings). They were horrifying, despicable, abusive in every sense, and they were family and they loved her, and even though I kept turning the page and saying JFC THIS FINALLY CROSSES THE LINE, I think, I could feel how she could still love them back.
It's not my place to decide how Walls should feel about them. But it sickens me how much of a factor being family has to be when you're struggling to escape that downward spiral. On paper, it seems ridiculous, when you look at what they've done put in such a plain and matter-of-fact manner. Doesn't dangling your mother out the window cross a line? Stealing money from your own kids while they starve and get by digging through garbage? Practically whoring out your twelve-year old daughter so you can hussle more money? Any of this warrants cutting ties and never looking back, family or not. But Walls presents her past as it happened, the good and the bad, and it's mostly horrific - I mean, I'm glad that she managed to escape and build a life for herself but it makes me feel so sad for the kids that didn't. And it makes me think about how the bond between siblings is the only one where you can truly know how fucked up your parents may have raised you. I don't think I can get over the fact that she still looks at them fondly in the end. But I can understand....more
Ugh, this romance was teeth grindingly awful, and how I wish Kasia and Agnieszka's friendship had a bigger focus, but the writing and the world and thUgh, this romance was teeth grindingly awful, and how I wish Kasia and Agnieszka's friendship had a bigger focus, but the writing and the world and the characters (taken separately - their relationships were disappointing) were wonderful. Like. I can't remember the last time I've been in awe of how something is written like I was whenever magic was described here - it starts out slow but builds in intensity until I was just marveling at the beauty of it all. The action was the same way, dark and horrifying but so intense you can't look away.
The words were beautiful, but it was lacking the emotional punch from being attached to the characters. I liked the contrast between Sarkan's more scientific love of magic and Agnieszka's intuitive approach, but their bond wasn't convincing and way too abusive. Kasia was underutilized and we're just told that she's Agnieszka's best friend, without providing any foundation for it.
Even so, this is the kind of fairy tale that I felt like I could sink my teeth into; the mythology behind the terrifying Wood, the brilliance and beauty of the magic, the unexpectedly epic scale of the story- they were all somehow enough to overcome elements that I find pretty damn important.
I'll take an entire book about Alosha now, thanks....more
Lately whenever I'm reading a book I'm always wondering - what makes writing so different from other story telling mediums? and by that I mean, what cLately whenever I'm reading a book I'm always wondering - what makes writing so different from other story telling mediums? and by that I mean, what can we do with words that wouldn't be the same in any other form? so here comes this book, which is so quiet and unassuming in the way words are, with its quiet omniscient narrator at once distant and then painfully close to each member of this family.
The story of the Lee family unravels into something that hits those moments again and again. The moment where I have to stop and marvel about how this sentence, this scene, these hints, this buildup can only be told through writing. I haven't been reading as much as I ever used to and it always surprises me when just words can make me cry.
I'm exasperated by the same things in every other adult book I have ever read in this universe. It's not that I hated the parents exactly, but their history was the least interesting to me, and Jesus H Christ it's another affair plot line. Shocker.
I'm drawn to the same things I can find in any other adult book if it's there, and by that I mean the sibling relationships, the teenagers, the almost-adults and the forgotten kids that make my heart ache with understanding. The siblings in this book are particularly devastating and their moments are what gives this five stars from me and what got tears all over my keyboard just thinking about it ...more
This is probably one of the most dark and twisted books you'll find in paranormal YA, but I fell for the main characters so much. Rudy is such an angsThis is probably one of the most dark and twisted books you'll find in paranormal YA, but I fell for the main characters so much. Rudy is such an angsty teen but his relationship with his little brother (predictably) destroyed me, and his relationship with the strangely child-like and equally lonely Teeth wrecked my heart EVEN MORE. Moskowitz builds these characters so carefully that the rest of the cast never goes past being flat caricatures, but I'm okay with that because the slow build of their relationship from impossibly lonely, isolated strangers to "best friends" (hint hint) and the inevitable bittersweet ending was great. Even though it took many turns into messed up weird-ass stuff. And also heartbreaking stuff.
Given the amount of Really Strange moments in this book I'm kind of amazed it got published and the result is as raw and unfiltered as it is. It's definitely not for everyone but there are some quiet, beautiful moments here. I thought that the conflict that was set-up had a lot of potential, but ultimately the way things were resolved didn't do it much justice - the ending felt abrupt, but I feel inclined to forgive it because the last paragraph was gorgeous. I also really love this review, which puts things way better than I can....more
Having reread this 6 years later, my opinion has changed, and I can't scrounge up any sympathy for Leonard.
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Equal parts strange, suspenseful, poignHaving reread this 6 years later, my opinion has changed, and I can't scrounge up any sympathy for Leonard.
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Equal parts strange, suspenseful, poignant and sad. Well, okay, mostly strange, but the poignant moments are spectacular. Quick has a way of making every line of dialogue matter, and all of his characters have so much personality right off the bat; each one is memorable enough to make me wonder about what makes them tick, and it feels like I can imagine them living their lives even though the story's over. Not bad for a book that is so fundamentally wrapped up in the protagonist's worldview.
I needed something a pick-up-and-stay-up-until-2am read (I've been giving up on so many books lately) and this definitely delivered....more
Completely brilliant from start to finish, but it's not like I expected any less
The plot is a real mindbender (/understatement), and it's really imporCompletely brilliant from start to finish, but it's not like I expected any less
The plot is a real mindbender (/understatement), and it's really important that you go in without knowing anything. I didn't find Seth as compelling of a character in comparison to the absolutely wonderful (view spoiler)[Regine and Tomasz, you don't how much I loved those two, YOU DON'T KNOW (hide spoiler)]. It could also do a little less with those instances where you think (view spoiler)[the threat is dead and he pops up again at just the right moment (Aaron the preacher all over again) (hide spoiler)], but you know what? 400+ pages just flew by, and it made me think and even laugh quite a bit. The characters/plot/writing are so, so good. ...more
The first thing that struck me as strange about this book is the structure - it's written in a way so that there's no suspense, along with another weiThe first thing that struck me as strange about this book is the structure - it's written in a way so that there's no suspense, along with another weird change in tense 3/4 of the way through the book. The transitions felt jarring. I guess the overall feeling I got was that Rose Under Fire lacks polish; it takes too long for the plot to pick up, and when it does it's intense and the characters are unforgettable, but all the set-up and resolution before and after feels disorganized. I'm not sure what to think of the big coincidence that saves the characters, and I wish Maddie wasn't in it at all. Her friendship with Rose comes with no development or background, and whenever she's mentioned it felt out of place. I liked the poetry, and seeing so much strength (and transformation, with Rose) in such a terrible place, although the overuse of italics started to get tiring and maybe even a little ridiculous after a while. Code Name Verity is much better plot-wise, but the characters in RUF more than make up for it....more
You'd think that after so many years of devouring books that I wouldn't be reduced to the speechless mess that I am right now, mWhere do I even start?
You'd think that after so many years of devouring books that I wouldn't be reduced to the speechless mess that I am right now, marveling at how Fly by Night manages to keep getting better with every page, how it keeps surprising me with a new wonderful way of wording something as it paints so many vivid pictures of its characters with a few deft strokes.
From the first few pages I was in love, and it's hard not to because here is a book that loves words just as much as you do, and brings out the power they have in a way that's nothing short of amazing. As it went on I only fell harder as the world really came to life with all its intricate details and god, that plot. There are so many different threads going on at once, but they're layered in a way that seems effortless. Small hints and details come back and the stakes keep rising as conspiracies, motives, schemes, and factions collide. It's wonderfully unpredictable, and a major reason for that is because the characters are always surprising me.
The characters aren't merely likable, they're tricky and clever, angry and frightened but resilient and entertaining as hell. And that's just a few words for Mosca, our lead, who has 'the keen instincts of the unloved', and the first time she feels like someone wants her around, it was a feeling 'too strange and new to be thrown away lightly.' The fact that that someone is a con man of questionable character keeps things from getting sappy.
I don't think I can describe the characters better than Hardinge can, so here's a few snippets.
"When he smiled, his eyebrows rose into two neat chestnut crescents, as if they knew the world was destined to surprise them again and again, and were determined to believe in pleasant surprises."
"Sometimes fear made you angry. Perhaps after years anger cooled, like a sword taken from the forge. Perhaps in the end you were left with something very cold and very sharp."
"But in the name of the most holy, Mosca, of all the people you could have taken up with, why Eponymous Clent?" Because I’d been hoarding words for years, buying them from pedlars and carving them secretly on to bits of bark so I wouldn’t forget them, and then he turned up using words like ‘epiphany’ and ‘amaranth’. Because I heard him talking in the marketplace, laying out sentences like a merchant rolling out rich silks. Because he made words and ideas dance like flames and something that was damp and dying came alive in my mind, the way it hadn’t since they burned my father’s books. Because he walked into Chough with stories from exciting places tangled around him like maypole streamers . . . Mosca shrugged. "He’s got a way with words."
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a book so dedicated to the love of reading and words captivated me because I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. But this book doesn't try to play off those feelings, it takes them and makes the most of all the potential and power that words can have. It's brimming with ideas, rich world-building, lovely moments, and whenever I think about it I can't help smiling. I think I forgot to mention that it's hilarious too. Just.... read this book, stat. ...more