Peter S

The writing for the shadow guy was way too edgy for me.

Not bad, but not mind blowing either. The stream of consciousness style of writing wasn't my favorite way to tell the story, but I'm not really sure how else they could have told it.

I'm not really sure it says an unreliable narrator thing going on, but her motivations didn't really make sense. I suppose that's the influence of American psycho on it. 

Very cute, very fun! Loveable characters, and great hijinks! 

This was a fun little sci-fi book that had some interesting characters. Although there were one or two twists that I didn't see coming it was otherwise pretty predictable (Not necessarily a bad thing). Stepping through the MC's life trauma and how he got there as he unpacks it was a really cool way to tell the story. I agree with other reviewers that the epistolary format felt kinda strange, because no one writes letters like that. Also, what kinda relationship does he have with his niece that he just wants to trauma dump all over her? 
Fun read, not groundbreaking. 

This was so weird and wild. Like Chuck Palahinuk meets Kurt Vonnegut, in that everyone is awful in the weirdest ways you've ever heard of. Hard not to laugh at how over the top fucking weird everyone is. 

Very little difference between this and the first king. Gotta admire his consistency with the 20 years between em. 

This story has a wonderfully unique setting, and it's wonderfully weird. I keep seeing it compared to a more dark Through the Looking Glass, where everything has it's own logic and you're mostly just along for the ride. It's incredibly imaginative, and whenever something happens it makes you wonder about the lore of the universe. 

Unfortunately, the story didn't really grip me that much, and I felt very little attachment to the characters. Making it feel like it was dragging at times. 

This was a lot of fun! The characters were memorable, the action was really fun to read. The world building was complex without being bogged down in details, and the ending was satisfying. 

So much happens in this book and the previous book. This will need a couple reads to get it all. 

This was a really interesting story that I never dreamed I would enjoy. There's so many themes immediately relatable to life that it's hard to put down all of them in a review. It's a bittersweet story for sure, and gives a lot of material to think on for how to navigate this life. 

The dialogue was cheesy, and the sex scenes were pretty hot, but I thought the overall structure of the story was really well done. The little hints to the twist at the end were really cool, and some of the little bits of symbolism were very good. 

Not as good as I remember. Very fun, easy read, but I feel like it's lacking on details. Things just kinda happen sometimes, and opposing armies are beyond number, losing dozens of tens of dozens of soldiers at a time making it hard to visualize just how this battle is playing out. Still, great characters, lots of references and fan service for later books which is great! 

Great end to a great series. The world building is so cool, and the characters are equally loveable. Finding out at the end that the author's wife was fighting cancer during his writing puts Mops' main conflict in a completely different light. 

What a wild and oddly heartwarming book! 

Very fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, but don't think too hard about it.

I'm sure there were a lot of references that went over my head, but this book was very funny as well. The absurdity was done really well. 

The story is really interesting, and the scifi is pretty cool, but the humor is kinda flat. Here's hoping the next one is better. 

Really loved the characters. Interactions were memorable and it really made you feel the impossible choice that Evelyn is faced with, and the parallels in Monique's life. It might have suffered because I took a break for a week or so, but I felt like the ending was a bit out of place. Made me kinda go: oh, ok, I guess that's possible. Still glad I read it. 

Sometimes a beach episode is nice! 

God, these books are so fun! 

I loved the interesting format of the book, and the great perspective on the Asian American experience in America. 

This was an excellent read. The characters and setting felt deeply relatable. (Oh god, what does that say about me?) 

I think the most interesting thing about it is how you get sucked into the depiction of these characters. Judd sees his mom as the quirky, strong mother and so you love her right alongside him. His dad is this social giant whose touch rivals Midas, and so when it happens, you find yourself experiencing the impotence of the characters alongside them. 

Is it a touch overwritten? Sure. There's more than a few sections that I skipped over because I did not need a thorough breakdown of every single animal on the farm, but it's fine. 

It's written so beautifully, and there are so many lovely moments that make you nostalgic for a time you may or may not have experienced, but then the depictions of trauma are just brutal, and unrelenting.

I'm not upset that I read it, but I would also have a hard time recommending it to anyone. I don't think I know anyone who would be willing to endure that book. It's an acquired taste, for sure.

This was such an excellent book. For being some 900 pages (on my ereader) it simply flew by! I instantly became enamored with the characters and setting. The story pulled parallels to modern day, and I loved how well researched the period was. 

This was a cute one. It was really fun to see the different vignettes of an average adults life as they age, as told through the characters. The lessons imparted are common to everyone as they grow older, and depending on where you are in life can strike true.