chanda

I'd rate this a 1.5, rounding up to 2. The writing felt far too flowery (pardon the pun), tiresomely so at many points, and it had that melodramatic air that it feels like only the YA-est of YA can only achieve (ok or maybe “New Adult”) with all its angst and emotional manipulation. I did like the very end though.

I really didn't like this, but it was cute enough at points for me to finish. I hate instalove and miscommunication so much.

Very cool ending - I did not see the taynix being the key to solving the delver dilemma - but I had a hard time enjoying this one. Spensa annoyed me more than she normally does (or has it just been a while since I've read the main books?) and I can't help but feel like the childish slapstick tone of the book is incongruous to stuff like murderizing human and alien lives here and there. I will still probably check out skyward legacy but I don't think I'll go for anymore signed or special editions.

My favorite secret project

not as good as the first book, where it felt TOO absurd a lot of the time, but still mostly enjoyable

3.5

Shev and Javra are among my new faves

The start was too slow, but once things finally got moving I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kinda wish it had kept up that pace from the beginning. Really interested in the world now. Good thing we've got the prequel to consume!

3.5 rounded up to 4! I liked the setup better than the wind down and how it wrapped up. Enjoyed how spooky it was initially but wow were the main characters hard to uhh be around lol. Highly recommended for enjoyers of horror, especially if puppets are a favorite trope

I really should just go with my instinct to dnf

4.5. Wholesome for a book about political intrigue. I really liked Maia, but I had a heck of a time trying to remember who was who, even with the cast list in the beginning. Csevet and the nohecharei were best boys (and gal).

Being transported to the past was fascinating, and the implications of her having to make sure her ancestor survived, time passing by slower in the past than in the future, Kevin being stuck in the past for 5 years without Dana - all so thought provoking. Very difficult to read at points due to subject matter where I just had to take a break from reading. The writing style made it easy to actually read though. This is my second book from Butler and certainly not my last

4.5. Struggled with the politics at first but I'm glad I stuck with it. Super enjoyed the ending.

I wanted to like it more but the formal, distanced writing style made that kind of difficult. I also found it frustrating in part 2 trying to keep track of who is who, and giving up haha. It feels like some of the deception in part 3 at the end would have been more meaningful if I had done a better job of keeping track of all the names, but nooope. The Esen/Ouyang ending was a big oooof and I felt pretty bad for Wang (Esen's bro), given how everyone expected him to betray them, and he did not (directly anyway).

For Zhu's story, I liked how she spoke as a monk later on, but it was pretty hard to imagine that being the same character as the girl from the start, which I suppose is the point. There was just a lot of suspension of disbelief over army commanders giving her a battalion of her own just because she showed up, or even allowing a monk to get married??

I'm just glad Xu Da didn't die

What a beautiful edition for such a wonderful book

This was a quick fun read. I quite like Scalzi's writing style and would be curious to pick up more from him. I do wish there was more to describe the kaiju and also to distinguish the characters from each other in the story as they all sounded like the same person spouting witty one liners, but still a fun ride. 3.5⭐️!

3.5

4.5, if only Goodreads would let us give half stars

The last few chapters definitely had me feeling sappy

2.5 stars. didn't see the twist coming. still felt pretty young adult to me - i get it, the protag's name is charlie hall. how egoistical do you have to be to be constantly referring to yourself by your own first and last name? lol.

I really wish GR let you do half ratings -_- anyway 3.5 from me! I liked the spoopiness but couldn't stand the protagonist most of the time, and her abilities weren't explained, meanwhile the rest of the ship going batshit crazy was because of...vibrations. Wasn't crazy about that lol, was hoping for something COOLER

But...but what WERE they? And what WAS that ending? And what happens AFTER? And where did those missing crewmen go? And what were those weird comatose-like symptoms from? :(

Absolutely loved this book! I was always left wanting to know what was going to happen next, how things shook out with the next husband, why Evelyn had reached out to Monique in the first place.

I didn't expect to learn that Evelyn was bisexual, and as someone who is also bisexual, it felt almost like I was seen as Evelyn described the nuance of being attracted to both men and women. To empathize with how hurtful it was that Max, Celia, and even Monique seemed to want to fit her into a box of either being straight or gay.

I do wish we had more time to see Monique wrestle with learning about her father, as things felt like they ended quite abruptly after that. But maybe that was the point, since the story was all about Evelyn Hugo: meeting her, writing about her, and finally, accepting when she has chosen to say goodbye.

I enjoyed this audiobook! Suzy Jackson's narration is so good. I found I had a harder time enjoying this perspective than the previous one with FM, due to uhh, alien thought processes which I thought felt kinda silly haha. But I get that the point was to show how differently she thinks from our main cast.

4.75 - just when you couldn't think it could get any worse for Fitz, Hobb finds a way. there was a scene towards the end that literally made me cry, because of course. but how could anyone be blamed?