Channi
Rating 3.5/5
There are some glaring problems I had with ACOTAR but I had so much fun reading this that I didn't care.
First the things that I think were well done: The plot is fantastic. This twisted revamp of beauty and the beast follows Feyre, a human girl who kills a faerie and finds herself paying the price. After being imprisoned by a handsome and mysterious faerie named Tamlin, Feyre's thoughts about faeries are challenged and she starts falling in love. But, uh-oh! There's something sinister lurking in Prythian, the magical region where faeries live. The twists and turns revealed as the plot unfolds are page-turning. It was a struggle to put A Court Of Thorns and Roses down sometimes because I was dying to know what would happen next!
Secondly, this book knows how to make some villians. The two primary antagonists are deliciously devilish and their presence drastically improves ACOTAR. Aside from the antagonists, Lucien is probably the best character in the book. He is the Cogsworth of the story and any chapter that is Lucien-heavy is likely to be a favorite chapter for me.
Finally, I really enjoyed exploring some of the relationships in the book. Feyre's complex family dynamics are entrancing, even if the characters themselves fall a little short. The love interest comes with unique struggles and the development was very well paced.
Now, as far as things I didn't like: Feyre. First of all, I do not like that MC's name is so close to the word faerie. I know that seems like a nitpick, but this legitimately bothered me. Maybe it would be forgivable if Feyre was a likable protagonist but she simply isn't. Feyre whines a lot and repeatedly makes mind-boggling decisions. If you get bothered when horror movie characters make obviously stupid decisions in order to move the plot along, then you too might not like Feyre. At least her character is consistent though.
My other problem is how easily most things come to Feyre. This is a consistent problem I had throughout the book. About 30% of the way in, I started to notice the pattern: someone tells Feyre not to do stupid thing, Feyre does stupid thing, hot person saves Feyre. Rinse and repeat.
However, no amount of Feyre annoying me is going to stop me from reading the next book. So make of that what you will.
I read this book for a course about Ukrainian literature and this was by far my favorite book of the semester. There is a lot to love about “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” The plots you follow are engaging, the writing style is beautiful, and the ending provides a satisfying payoff. Each of the main characters are fleshed out and complex- the protagonists aren't always likable but they're always compelling.
Of course, “The Museum of Abandonment Secrets” is not perfect. The storyline follows multiple perspectives and can be a little confusing because the author tends to get into tangents. I'd recommend going in with a little context about Ukrainian History. But overall, this is one book you won't regret reading!
The Orphanage was compelling, but the narrator was very unlikable. I think that was part of the point, but it made the first half of this book super boring to get through.
The saving grace in this book comes after the main character has reached the Orphanage. The second half of the book is great, has some very strong characters, and is very exciting!
Read with my daughter, this is the first chapter book we've completed together. She was enamored with Ramona!