Kate Googins
Contains spoilers
I loved the first half of this book! The pacing was even better than the second half of Book 1. However, the quality fell off quite starkly in the second half. The voices of Louie and Mazen seemed to change between book 1 and book 2 while only Aisha’s character development felt appropriately motivated. The rest of the characters felt oddly hollow. I think the core of the issue lies in the protagonist’s distrust of both jinn leaders that offer her a bargain. When a character doesn’t know who to believe, the author faces a catch 22: writing the character as authentically confused, misled, etc AND leading the reader emotionally to the right conclusion before the character catches up. I don’t feel like that happens here. Instead, the results of Nabila’s plans to destroy the bindings don’t seem to have consequences that mirror how vital the decision was for Loulie to do Nabila’s bidding. There also seemed to be a general lack of surprise on behalf of the Queen and her court when Dhabab finally rises to the surface unharmed when the bindings are destroyed. Didn’t they believe that destroying the bindings would also destroy their world?
Overall, an enjoyable read, but I had hoped for a more cohesive reading experience.
What a fantastic book. Imaginative and captivating with a thoroughly political and thought provoking plot. The fantasy game was an entrancing concept. The depiction of the military and the world was realistic and poignant. Disturbing at times, but a great read. DEFINITELY worth your time. Could be a great introduction to science fiction for about 8 year olds or above. But also a great book for adults.
This was not nearly as compelling as I wanted it to be. It felt like a second draft. She writes compellingly and emotionally at times. Her characters and the relationships between them glue the book together, but barely. I wanted to keep reading the whole time, but the plot felt wholly predictable and overall lackluster. The author doesn't dig deep enough into the mechanics she created in order to satisfy the reader. The possibilities are just sitting there. It's like she wrote each situation without exploring alternatives before deciding on the final story arc.
Alchemy is an overpowered mechanic in the story, and it's limitations are not discussed as much as the possibilities, which makes the story boring. Similar to how a TV show is written with very few characters to keep the budget small, there are like 5 main characters in the whole book. The casts of characters on the sides of Lumines vs Grand Central are parallel in a redundant way rather than exploring the use of foils.
Largely, the problem with the novel boils down to the fact that the author's prose isn't efficient. She could cover much more ground if she learned to cut deeply with one sentence rather than bludgeoning the reader over the head with three.
2.5 stars. It seemed like the author really liked the 4th Harry Potter book specifically and modeled her book off of that. [spoilers ahead] It's Dark Magical Academia, one of the teachers is not as they seem, and there's a competition between students every X number of years that includes a maze that moves around all by itself. See what I mean?
Though there were many elements that were very different from Harry Potter, I really would have enjoyed it more if the author would have sacrificed the similarities for the sake of elaborating on the differences. The hard magic system was cool—corporeal magic is essentially attack magic, illusion magic is self explanatory, psyche magic manipulates minds, shadow magic is the forbidden super-powerful magic that eats your soul gradually as your use it. Then, there are two kinds I can't remember— one that you use to put up magical wards, and one to dismantle them.
I want more what-ifs. What's compelling about fantasy and sci-fi is that the author comes up with a premise—characters, a world, a magic system, etc, and then KEEPS asking what ifs. Let me give an example or two—
So these adolescents have been chosen to be students forever. What happens if you don't go to class? What happens if you get bad grades? What happens if you get great grades but are an absolute troublemaker. Do people ever get expelled? Where do people of other ages go besides the ether? Do they not find it suspicious that they're the only age group and exception to the whole “corrupted souls” bit the headmaster feeds them??
This book could have been something. And I do give the author grace because this is her debut!!
Overall, I think I.V. Marie needs to focus on:
- writing more efficient prose
- understanding the pieces of the game she's creating before using manipulating them extensively or creating more
- being less heavy handed with tropes. Tropes are useful but in order to be gratifying, they have to be subverted or unexpected in some way.
Looking forward to the next one.
I was stunned by how delicately and densely interwoven the characters' narratives and themes were. I usually hate multiple third person perspective but Murray absolutely nailed it this time.
I picked this book up after having read Skippy Dies at the beginning of last year, and though his style is a bit different in this book, the way that everything material is also immaterial, everything real is also dreamlike, everything true is also only potential energy instead of kinetic is very very similar.
There is a sparkling quality to a story that heals and shreds your heartstrings at the same time. He's nailed it again.
If you're in the middle of this book: power through the slow bits around the 3-400 page mark!! It's so worth it. The pacing does pick back up.
SUCH a satisfying read. If you're in the process of reading this book and feel frustrated, just know that the payoff is so worth it.
In contrast to Foundation #1, Foundation and Empire had a more continuous narrative, felt much more punchy and suspenseful, and had more relatable, likable characters.
Lorr's prose is compelling but not dense, poetic but not cloying, and absolutely essential. He compiles from all angles every view of how grocery works — from the trucker's view, the owner's view, the speciality food vendor's view, the supplier's view, the retail worker's view, etc and then reconciles all of these flawlessly.
He manages to speak about very disparate topics while all keeping it under the umbrella of the narrative. The same book written by someone else might be unbearably dry, but when written by Lorr is incredibly engaging. I couldn't put it down.
While I'm happy to see this existence of a narrative that portrays love within academia (a very isolating place to be), the book was a total trope fest. While the main characters recognizes the tropes in what I think is supposed to be a funny way, the author doesn't do anything with this reflexivity, which makes it feel pointless and stale.
The main character was definitely relatable but the amount of miscommunication, lying due to lack of foresight (which a scientist wouldn't struggle with), and even time spent with her best friend, Anh, made this book hard to read.
The last 1/3 or so was much better paced and easier to read but the exposition in the beginning could have used some heavy editing.
I heard that this book was a nice, low-stakes break from your typical “save the world” narrative and (I'm gonna be honest), I was worried that I would be bored.
Rest assured, it is not a boring book.
Legends and Lattes was SO CUTE AND COZY! It's an interesting take on fantasy realms with a little bit of romance (but the romance isn't the point) about an Orc who decides to put down roots after years of risky adventures. The pace of the story was beautiful, and the narrative has just the right amount of conflict.
Themes: found family, high fantasy vibes, starting a new life, magic/ alchemy
This is a book I wish I could recommend to everyone I know who wants to “return to nature.” Don't get me wrong, I do too! But what does that look like in reality and what do you have to give up in order to make that life your own??
Eustace Conway is a fascinating person who has experienced more adventure in his lifetime than probably 85% of Americans, and he is absolutely right about most of his observations of the problems of modern American living.
We live apart from the land instead of with it. We are disconnected from nature, from each other, and ourselves. We live our lives complacently and often without meaning—lives in which our day to day jobs and routines don't actually reflect our values.
So, what does it look like to live differently, and more importantly, what does it look like for Eugene Conway to live differently? Every hero is a lighthouse, and every lighthouse casts a shadow. This is a book throughly worth the read.
In this book, poignancy is the juxtaposition of the absurd, even farcical nature of day to day life and the sometimes very harsh nature of reality at large. Murray manages to make light of the macabre and connect even the most disparate of topics to tell a story that feels so very human. Even though the story told is a tragedy, at the end of the book, it just feels like life.
There are pacing issues intermittently throughout the book. Each section starts with a bit of a lull and picks up towards the end, and this can get frustrating. TWs for this book include sexual abuse, drug abuse, self-harm, and religious trauma.
An excellent book overall– some of Green's best work next to LOOKING FOR ALASKA. It deals with some of the same themes: giving life meaning in one's one way, finding a purpose, how death affects the search for meaning, truth, and, in a sense, self-actualization. Once again, he features excellent quotes, though some are from a made up book, which, frankly, was an incredible Idea. (I really want to read the nonexistent aforementioned book, AN IMPERIAL ACQUISITION). Though the book is Teen Fic, it can be enjoyed by adults, I think. Though, you'll find some of the romance parts to be a little silly or unnecessary. Warning for younger children, there are sexual themes, a bit of violence (in the video game), and a moderate amount of language, though not excessive in any of these areas. The plot was pretty good, though predictable in parts. The imagery was oddly picturesque, yet poignant. It coincided with the books themes well.
The real quality of John Green's writing lies not in his characters, ingenious fictional book mentioning, giraffes who love giraffes loving, or plot, but rather these ingenious little sparks of AWESOME (which is typical for John). There are sentences that I bookmarked, and underlined,and dogeared, and read out loud, and put in my quotes document on my iPhone. These moments usually come in the form of very few words, but have this amazing impact. These little sparks of truth are like a worldview interspersed through bits of enlightenment, like enlightenment is a box of throwdown firecrackers that burst when they hit the ground. Each one is small and innocent, but upon examination, is truly a work of art.
The way to tell a good book from a bad book (if it's fiction) is this: if you look like an idiot reading a book in front of strangers (you find yourself laughing maniacally, making strange faces, crying hysterically, smirking and snickering...), then it's good. If a book doesn't glean any emotion from your soul at all, then put it down, and go pick up THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.
THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC. It was a page turner and entertaining without sacrificing narrative possibilities in the reader's mind. It was predictable at some parts, but surprising at others. The twists and turns were never unbelievable or at the wrong time. The romance was just right, too. It had emotion, wasn't gross, and wasn't stingy. The plot thickened well and grew with good timing. It was an absorbing, fun read with a message pertinent to our time AND it appeals to an audience usually not interested in hypothetical political wish wash. Pick it up.
This is a beautiful book. The description is astounding and provoking with out being too tangential; the plot is woven like an intricate afghan; and the ideas, the world, and the characters are not cliche, over-unique, or cut and paste. They aren't characters at all. They and the world of Commonwealth are made so real that you'll be paying for the sequel in iron drabs.
Veronica Roth's ALLEGIANT was an incredibly beautiful book: epic, emotional, vulnerable, liberating, heavy, and honest. The characters were well rounded and well developed, and the journey felt real. This is not your typical dystopian novel. This is better than the Hunger Games. It's not the premise that counts, it's how Roth uses the premise of a broken society and a broken people to reach the brokenness and struggle within ourselves. Tris reached inside of me and pulled out the Dauntless within. My thoughts are still incomplete because i JUST finished the book and i'm still emotionally compromised.
I just want to punch Lois Lowry in the face and bow at her feet and and have a long conversation over a cup of tea all at the same time. An EXCELLENT work displaying her control of the English language, THE GIVER needs to be read by everyone. More than having fantastic plot, character development, and tone, Lowry made me feel. Devote a couple of hours to this book and you won't be sorry.