Nicole
I loved this book. I read it when I was in 4th grade and love it, and then last year we had to read it for an English assignment, and I started remembering how much I love the book. I also saw the movie, but it was, obviously, missing stuff from the book, so I didn't like it as much. My favourite character is Via because she is kind of sassy and an introvert who I can relate to a lot.
I was scared in the last chapters of the book. I guessed about Mouse and Dana since they got introduced, but I didn't expect Alex to be alive. The first half of the book felt very long, and I got bored easily, but after when they killed Erin's ex, I got hooked. The plot was interesting, and I wondered not only about what happened to the children, but what would happen to Erin now.
This book feels like a fever dream. I picked it up to entertain me when I had an injury and it definitely served its purpose. It was cheesy and a couple of mistakes bothered me from time to time, but I had a great time reading this. And I AM attached to Tiger. Also, I forgot to save the dates for this so it was around May.
I thought I wouldn't enjoy this book because of the reviews, but I liked Jacaranda a lot, and I was rooting for her at the end.
Here are some quotes from the book that stood out to me while reading.
“The more someone liked her writing, the fewer clothes she felt she had on”
“Sometimes when you have had a little too much to drink, people who don't know how wonderful you are might get the wrong impression” — “You're fun when you're drunk. The life of the party”
“Jacaranda's face mirrored, over and over in the shop windows, how vulnerable and foreign she was.”
“Those skies had been done as well as they ever could be. All the art she'd ever done was but a thimbleful of color compared to one inch of this Matisse...Picasso had been through the sky, come out the other end, dug to China with a child's shovel, and sen opposite skies...while Matisse just sat at home. And somehow his skies were bluer.”
This book was awesome. t first I was a bit sceptical, especially on the first chapters, but I later got attached to the book. The only part I didn't like was how many times this book made me cry. Especially in Steffi's call and death. Overall, I think it was a stunning and super emotional book, that I very much enjoyed.
I feel like there aren't words I could use to describe my feelings towards this book, so I will list my favorite quotes, the ones that hooked me, that broke me, that build me back up, and the ones I hope will stay with me.
“Red likes to feel, it's a fetish. Now, she feels fear”
“You invigored your Shift's war effort and, in so doing, invigorated me”
“Tell me something true, or tell me nothing at all”
“I wanted to be seen. The need dug into the heart of me”
“Ask the pilgrims how the labyrinth came to be, and they offer answers varied as their sins”
“And this letter is a knife at my neck, if cutting's what you want”
“You are yourself, and so remain, as I remain”
“I could have swallowed this valley whole and still not have sated my hunger for the thought”
“But I am a songbird running out of air, and I must breathe”
“Maybe I've over-read the simple word with which you close your letter (but I can never over-read you, and the word you chose is not simple)”
“Wha will I do sky? Bluebird, iris, ultramarine, how can there be more when this is done”
i liked the book, but i wish the ending was more concrete. i wish we woul've gotten a reese perspective too.
i got the ending spoiled, but that ending was still incredible. god this makes me remember why i love murder-mysteries so much
I read this book for a book club I got in (Laufey's BookClub), and overall I really enjoyed this book. I think I should reread the last couple of chapters since I read them on a ride back home late at night, and I was very tired. My favorite chapters were The Cat and The Tent. It didn't have an overarching plot and loads of description, so I struggled a little bit, but the characters warmed up to me. I see a lot of myself when I was young in Sophia, especially her curiosity. The grandmother had a lot of similar traits to my grandmother, and I can imagine us both having similar conversations like the one's grandmother and Sophia had. I'll definitely share this book with her.
This book was such a wild ride I'm still not sure what to think of it. The ending confused me so I looked the references up, and after that I loved it. I've decided I will not only read a Douglas Adams book, because they are such hard reads that don't hook me fast enough. I ended up in a book slump (not reading cause i did in fact keep reading for months, just no the book)