Natalie
I'm giving it a 3.5 stars. It started good, then Lewis' part was a bit hard to follow and confusing. I did like the ending for that part of the story but I felt like it dragged a bit. I really enjoyed Gabe and Cassidy's section of the story. The last act felt a little dragged out too me, but overall I enjoyed the story with the blending of cultural relevance and horror.
The beginning of this book was amazing, and that's about it. I haven't read many dystopian books, and liked the few that I have, but this is a very stock urban fantasy novel disguising as a dystopian. The sudden shift from ‘plague' killing billions, how it effects people and how it starts to witches, fairies and elves is so jarring. Maybe, if I knew before hand it was going to be more like a fantasy novel my expectations would have been different. Instead it was disorientating discovering that 90% of it was very different from the set-up. Seriously, my copy's description had nothing about the fantasy element it was leaning more towards Sci-fi. Honestly, though I don't think I'd would have liked it much if I did before hand, would have just given it a 3. I found the writing style distracting and difficult to know who's talking at times. The main characters Jonah, Lana, Max and Arlys were very boring, bland characters. There were many other characters (good or evil) were just as bland and I already forgot about them all. I really liked the beginning and I'm disappointed it turned into a boring story with unrememberable characters.
Unpopular opinion but I didn't really care for this book. Maybe I had too high expectations, but this just wasn't for me. It felt very boring and like Madeline had to go through the moments and characters that were on her check list and have Circe want to bang them. She feels boring and the characters that meet her also somehow feels boring. I expected more from a character whose a witch that can do what the other Gods can't, personality wise.
I'm glad other people like it so much, it's just not for me.
3.5 stars. I'm pretty divided about this book. Some parts I really loved others I hated.
I disliked how some parts felt dragged out (ex. The king and duke) and the last couple chapters with Tom were painful to get through (the little sh*t). I just had to stop reading it a couple times because of it. While there are other negatives there's also a lot of positives.
I enjoyed the classic adventures and not knowing what will happen to Huck and Jim whenever they'd meet people on land. And as interesting the adventures are, this book gives Huck the choice of what being “civilized” means. His dad: being a drunk, violent and rascist or the widows way: wear uncomfortable clothes, educated and also rascist. The book is trying to convey to the reader that for all their claims to being civilized, they are the ones lacking in morals and education. And Huck thinking he'd be damned for making the choice choses his own path and saying one of my favourite lines ever.
...It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I'll go to Hell'–and tore it up.
This book had some shining moments, but, that end though.
For now it's 3.5 stars but I might change it in the future, I don't know. This book will be on my mind for a while.
2.5
This had great potential when I read the synopsis but ending up feeling flat and boring just like the one dimensional characters. Character deaths just happened and were easy despite the book trying to make them seem strong and terrifying (Caterpillar, Walrus, White Rabbit). They would gain their memories at very convenient times and I honestly wonder what the point was (just like the romance). And the most pointless and non-threatening main villain (besides the White Rabbit) was the Jabberwocky. I forgot about him and so did the author with the most easy and anti-climactic ending of a Evil Power Magician I've read in a long time. There was some positives like the settings, how the main key characters owned territories, the Cheshire cat (wasn't amazing just biased really). It's an easy, quick story to finish that's not horrible but had so much potential to be amazing.
All in all this was a satisfying conclusion. There was some plot holes and kind of out there but you could argue that with any of the books really. It gave me an ending where I felt I didn't need to know more and felt content when putting it down. I give this book a 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it but it won't be a story that I'll still think about every now and then.
I really enjoyed the story. The book was about friendship, a very toxic friendship. Even when I didn't like what the characters said or did at times, I understood why they did it. But it also made them relatable and realistic characters. One of my favourite lines that hit home for me was “it's not that I feel I have nothing to say, it's that what I have to say rarely feels valuable”.
I feel pretty neutral about the book, I knew who the murderer was going to be and all the characters are pretty messed, it almost seemed like a contest on who could be the most fucked up person in this book.
What I really did love about the book was the atmosphere, it made me uncomfortable and I was just waiting for Camille to finally click in who done it. The book was an easy read where you can finish it in one sitting.
It just about reaches a 3 star (2.5). This book might not have blown my mind but I did like the writing style and I'm looking forward to her other works like “Gone Girl” and “Dark Places”.
Remember reading it for high school and really liking it. Wanted to see if it held up and it did.