Tyler

OK, I know I'm late to the party with this one but in my defense, it was sold out for a while (except for on Amazon but I'm trying to buy from there less) and I just recently (2 months ago ) got my hands on a copy. I finished this last week and can't wait to give my thoughts!

To be completely honest I liked this book a lot and I feel like none of my takes are going to be particularly hot, but if you're considering trying this book out, read on!

Things I liked: The writing (gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!), the different POVs, theme of identity and its intersection with race, class, and gender. Bennett is truly an incredible storyteller; every scene felt so intentional and the way in which these characters' stories intertwine is nothing short of masterful! I thought each story arc was unique and well-told, especially Stella, Desiree, and Jude (so I guess maybe all the main characters?). I feel like Bennett refreshed the often-used theme of “identity” in the Vanishing Half— She expertly reveals just how flimsy our definition of race is; so flimsy, in fact, that people who are white-passing can switch their race on a whim! I love how she brought gender and sexuality into the story as well, and the struggles that many people face with these identities. She highlights the idea of “passing” (in both gender and race) in a way that I felt was super enlightening!

Things I didn't like: the first bit of the story was admittedly slow (something I've heard from many people) and I feel like it took a bit for us to get into the meat of the story. The side characters also felt a BIT one dimensional to me. Like, Desiree and Stella clearly had very well thought out emotions and motivations, but some of the other side characters felt... meh

Overall: read this book!!!! Trust me that the beginning may seem slow, but it gets juicy!!!!!!

Maybe controversial, but this one was a mixed bag for me. I, along with most people, found this book to be heart wrenching and gorgeous and would definitely recommend to anyone looking to read an emotional and heart breaking teen romance. I laughed and cried (my first cry occurred in the first 50 pages). That being said, however, I felt like the writing and character development was a bit lackluster.

The story's protagonist is the shy and risk-averse Mateo. After learning that he will die in the next 24 hours, he meets Rufus, another teen, through an app that connects “Last Friends” (people who are going to die on the same day). They decide to go on an adventure together to make the most of their last day. The world of They Both Die at the End is incredibly original, and Silvera really uses the setting (New York City) to his advantage when writing this. As a New Yorker, I loved watching the small, seemingly inconsequential coincidences / chance meetings take place. These little vignettes really connected the characters and plot in a way I found really incredible.

The characters themselves, however, I felt could have used some more development. I didn't really resonate with any of the characters, and while I felt like I could see shades of myself in Mateo (and I'm sure anyone who has ever been closeted can also relate), I felt like his character arc wasn't as compelling as it could've been. To me, Rufus was a more interesting character, but I felt like he existed in the story only to challenge and propel Mateo forward. The romance and some of the motifs were a little heavy-handed for me, and I wished Silvera had written with a little more complexity.

That being said, I absolutely tore through this one and finished it in a weekend — so props to Silvera there!

On to the review!

Klara and the Sun was admittedly controversial in book club discussion this month. @cherreadssharereads and I loved it, while some others didn't like it quite all that much. During the discussion, I realized that many of the things that people disliked about the book, were also some of my favorite aspects about the book lol

I would say probably the main disagreement(s) the group came to were Klara's “youthful” perspective and many questions about the human world. Klara is an “AF” or Artificial Friend, and her first time ever seeing the world beyond the storefront was when she was purchased by Josie and her family. Understandably, Klara has many MANY questions about the world and its inner-workings. Ishiguro introduces the reader to this crazy post-apocalyptic(?) world through Klara's perspective. And, like Klara, the reader is likely to have many MANY questions about the world (many of which remain unanswered until the very end).

Personally, I found this type of world-building / introduction to the world to be very refreshing; I find that all too often sci-fi/fantasy books “tell” the reader as opposed to showing them the world itself. In this case, Klara's discovery of the world is also OUR discovery of the world, so the many questions feel organic. Other group members, however, understandably found the countless unknowns to be exhausting and uninspiring (why do I have to read about an “oblong” AGAIN when I don't even know what it is?!?). So really, I think it comes down to reader preference!

I think we all agreed that Ishiguro's writing is fantastic, but also that it was difficult to connect with any of the characters (which is likely the point).

4.5

This book. wow. Talk about crazy childhood!!! I would place Born a Crime in that category of memoir/autobiography that is nonfiction but SERIOUSLY reads like fiction. Like, some of the scenes Noah talks about truly felt like a TV show. At times it was so hard for me to wrap my mind around (which also reveals so much of my privilege and ability to have a “normal” childhood for the most part). Told in a series of essays/short stories, Born a Crime still had a thematic arch that highlighted Noah's growth from apartheid South Africa to The Daily Show. I would recommend this to anyone/everyone! The one teensy tiny negative I felt was that Noah's tone, while obviously sarcastic and humorous, at times felt a LITTLE braggy/patronizing (kind of like, “oh yeah I knew I was destined to be famous from the first time I spoke”), although friends have been quick to point out, that this adds to the humor! But honestly after reading this book, I truly believe that Noah WAS destined for success and that the pride and ego are absolutely warranted.

So this one is going to be kind of a 2-for-1 review and I'll try to keep it short! I absolutely ADORED Poppy War; the character development, the world-building (some of the best I've seen!), and the magic system all worked to create a GORGEOUS and unique world. The plot in the Dragon Republic expands on this world-building even more, introducing more complex political groups and some crazy twists! The books are full of action and it feels like every chapter there's another fight scene. The only negative that I saw, which became significantly more apparent in Dragon Republic, was the interpersonal character development. Sure, each character had such a nuanced and beautiful storyline, but I felt that the actual dynamics BETWEEN characters really suffered. The friendship between Rin and Kitty seemed forced, which made it difficult for me to empathize when they would fight (which happens often). It felt like Kuang relied heavily on her amazing action-writing skills and didn't do as much relationship-building as she could have done. Along the same vein, I felt that Rin's romantic interests were INCREDIBLY hard to believe. Rin seems to be infatuated with her leader, Atlan, for almost no reason? Then again, that honestly might have been purposeful on Kuang's part and the reader is SUPPOSED to question Rin's infatuation for Atlan.