Kyle
Mary Addison is one of the most compelling characters I've read about in years. I rooted for her, I empathized with her, I was outraged for her. Mary's story, while technically fictional, is a story that needs to be told and read.
This is a slower paced, better written, and equally complex story as Grown (which is also a very good book). I was drawn in almost immediately and was happy with the twists being implemented throughout most of the book. With Grown, it felt like there were a lot of different twists coming up that made the ending feel a little less focused, while still incredibly thrilling.
The ending twist, VERY similar to Grown, really takes the book down a peg and feels strangely tacked on and unnecessary. I'm really disappointed because for 95%+ this book really was fantastic. I'm still interested in reading more books by Jackson, but I hope if she's going to have big twist endings, at least switch up the nature of them. I felt almost spoiled, because I had already read one of her books before, to what the twist was more or less going to be.
I wouldn't say that the twist entirely invalidates the message of the story, because there are messages here that should be true regardless of the twist, but I just don't think this was a book that really needed that shocking reveal at the end, because everything that already happened was thrilling enough.
This one started out a little slow for me, especially since I'm not really into books about music. But this is a fast-paced, harrowing story once it really gets started. The last 30% in particular is a genuinely gripping page turner. I think there were a few too many twists down the stretch, but I can't deny that it had me on the edge of my seat.
Tiffany D. Jackson is definitely an author I'll be reading more of in the near future.
A bloody, glorious finale. The book starts off in a big way and holds that momentum very well for a book that's 625 pages, even if there are certainly places it could be shorter. Regardless, it gave me everything I wanted from a finale - action, sacrifice, twists, and stakes so high a world hangs in the balance.
I also loved all of the additional character perspectives we're offered in this book, making all of the death and hard decisions even more impactful.
The only critique I generally have is pg. 425 when Kell has the opportunity to figure out who he is and just burns the paper. I feel like the lesson about Kell's family being Rhy regardless of blood was reiterated PLENTY of times, and I think teasing this information I was already at peace with not knowing made it seem like V. E. Schwab just didn't know what to write. In a book that's over 600 pages, teasing this and not following through just feels superfluous.
There is a lot of repetition in the writing and it could've been edited to be a little cleaner and succinct, but ultimately my own personal rating has very little meaning, so if this book gave me 5 star feelings, it's getting 5 stars.
As someone who prefers fantasy set in our own world, this series exceeded my expectations and I'm so glad I finally got around to it and can't wait to move on to Schwab's other works.
3.5 stars
This was definitely a predictable, but enjoyable, finale to the series. It was probably my favorite of the three, even though this isn't a series I'm going to be thinking about much now that I'm finished.
Also, Justine's dad is my favorite character of the entire trilogy just from that scene of them discussing some of the logistics for the big event.
While I still enjoyed this installment, I can't help but admit that I was a little let down - mostly due in part to the high expectations I had after loving the first book. I didn't dislike this book, but it simply wasn't quite as good as I was expecting it to be. Regardless, after that ending, I'm ready to dive right into the last book and I have a lot of faith that the next book has been set up to match my love of the first book.
I think my main issue here is that this definitely feels like a filler book. I'm hopeful that after I read the last book there will be new significance to some of the scenes and storylines that felt like filler in this one. It just felt like the book was building up to so much between our two main characters and the Triwizard Tournament equivalent of this universe, but none of it really starts until almost 350 pages in - and outside of a few scenes from the Essen Tasch, I wasn't blown away by them. The ones that were good were definitely epic, but others felt yada yada'd over, despite so much of the book building up to this tournament. Until I finish the trilogy, I can't say for sure how much of those first 350 pages will have payoff down the line, but I do believe currently that some of that could have been shaved down.
Overall though, I felt the beginning and last 30 or so pages were exceptionally strong, I feel pumped up and motivated for the last book, I still really love the characters and enjoyed the development of different relationships and characters, and I find this world so engaging to read about. I really do have high hopes for A Conjuring of Light and feel this was probably just a case of Middle Book Syndrome.
2.5 stars
I really don't know what to make of this one. Listened to the second half while flying home from school after not having time since I started it back in March, and the story definitely peaks about halfway. There's a ton of interesting plot threads individually but I don't think I cared for the way they interwove. There's still a distinct Stephanie Kuehn flavor to the characters and their backstories, but I don't think this is her strongest work.
This one isn't bad, but just didn't work for me.
This was my favorite book set in this world. I think that this one is a much more grounded, emotionally resonant piece that really reflects grief in a well-explored, nuance fashion.
I think that this one is constrained by the fact that it's primarily a romance novel, but I didn't care particularly for the ending and would've preferred it to go in a different direction.
Some issues I had from the original Dark Eyes duology carried over into this book, however, this was much closer to the Karina Halle that I've come to know and enjoy.
Even after reading 12 novels by her, she is still able to entertain me.
2.5 stars
I don't think this is a bad book, but it didn't work for me. I never really cared much for the characters, and a lot of the dialogue and internal monologues did feel like they came from a John Green novel (which isn't a good thing for me).
The writing had some passages that were beautifully worded, but they often came across hollow. The thing that bothered me the most was how choppy the narration and dialogue could be. As a reader, I don't always mind this on a technical level, but not to this degree.
The plot was kind of nonexistent at times, which is fine since this is a character driven story. Since I didn't care for the characters much, only some scenes really worked for me, more towards the end.
One positive I should note is that anytime I sat down to read this one, I'd fly through it - helped by super short chapters, but still. I think this one really is a case of it's me, not you.
I've read a number of Karina Halle's books and I know what she's capable of. I don't think this was her strongest outing.
My biggest issues with this one are a lack of unique, compelling characters, a lack of a real plot until close to the end, some moments of infodumping, and too many sex scenes to the point where it just got repetitive. And I don't know how much I really bought into the main pairing to begin with.
I am going to read the next book to see if maybe having the world established will lead to better pacing/plot.
The best book in the series to date. Chess is a great, complex heroine who messes up, recognizes her flaws, but so desperately wants to do the right thing. This book also features the best case to date, even if at times I missed out on some details (probably waning attention at the wrong little moments during the audiobook) - the crux of it is definitely interesting, and builds upon previous entries with the stakes significantly raised. I really enjoyed this one and am curious where the story goes from here.
This one fell apart in the last 25% for me. I always love Tarryn Fisher's flawed characters, and this was no different, but the last quarter was far too melodramatic for me. Ending this one 50 pages sooner would've benefited the pacing.
Still, I essentially read this one in one sitting, which goes to show how invested Fisher gets me with all her books, petty drama and all.
Buzo is a skilled writer, who makes it difficult to stop reading. I read this one extremely quickly. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed with this one. While there were components of the story I could relate to, it felt . . . lacking. Like there was so much build-up to nothing really. We spent so much time getting to know Holly, her life, bits of her personality, for a conflict to emerge at the end of the book that is “resolved.”
I suppose it speaks to how anticlimactic real life can be, but it felt unsatisfying for the narrative. All along the way, seeds are planted speaking to the problems in Holly's present life, just to suddenly become this life crisis and be temporarily resolved. This book felt half-baked and I wish there was more. A lot of this felt true to real life, but not always in a way that made for a great novel.
Buzo's ability between her first book and Holier Than Thou to keep me unable to put down and keep me engaged throughout save this for me, but ultimately I can't rate this one higher because I felt a distinct lack of emotional connection and walked away unsatisfied with the narrative, specifically the rushed conclusion.
This is a concise, tense, and at times sad read. Valley is an interesting narrator with an intense, militaristic view of the world very different from other characters I've read before. I think a little more detail would've elevated it, but at the same time, some of the strength of this book is in its ambiguity and implications.
Really awesome fairytale vibe, very different from other books I've read by King. It maybe drags at parts in the middle but is a really interesting and surprisingly character driven story. King always has a knack for providing a good glimpse into even minor characters to where all of their motivations are known and make sense, even if they can be more one-dimensional depending on what is needed from them (and I think this fits the fairytale atmosphere well). Also just enough violence and horror imagery to remind you this is still a Stephen King fairytale, after all.
3.5 stars
I think this book had a cool concept and is overall well done, while somewhat flawed. I really related to Lake's complicated relationship with her disabled brother, who can be genuinely cruel. I also think that the final big reveal was a nice twist with foreshadowing, even if I was only 97% surprised. There were also several very compelling, emotional scenes that showcased Baker's potential as an author I'd want to read more from.
What didn't work as well for me was the romance and a big reveal about two other characters. I completely guessed the twist and end result very, very early on and hoped it wouldn't actually happen because it felt lame and a cop out for the romance. This could've just been an organic, introspective novel with light science fiction elements, rather than a semi love story.
Read: 1/4/22
After finally reading this so many years later, I was mildly disappointed. This is a great book, but it is not at the same level of the Chaos Walking trilogy. despite that, this is a wildly creative and entertaining book, although the first 175 pages are a little too slow for my liking.
Once this book gets going though, it rarely stops, with Ness' classic action scenes having me holding my breath. While I may look at this unfavorably to A Monster Calls and Chaos Walking, this is still a great book, one that only got better the further along I read, making me glad I stuck through a slow beginning.
Before reading, years ago:
OH MY GOD THE PUBLISHER SAID THEY COULD SEND ME AN ARC. OH MY GOD.
2.5 stars
I actually don't feel this is a bad book. I think if I was younger I may have even enjoyed it more than I did.
The bad/not so great: I honestly did not care for the romance storyline. It was very generic, unconvincing, and above all: predictable. I knew exactly where it was going once it got to chapter 3 or 4. And even though I felt strongly it was going that direction, it still seemed random at the end. I get what Siobhan Vivian was going for with the way it ended, but I think it fell flat. Outside of that, this book just wasn't super memorable and I'll probably forget I listened to the audiobook in a week or two. Also, I didn't care much for the characters in all honesty.
The good: This book picked up a lot in the second half when the focus shifted more to the flooding and the politics, which interested me a lot more. I think there were some genuinely good and believable twists towards the end, reframing the story in an interesting light. I also think that the development of a few of the characters was solid, even some of the ones I didn't care much for. I appreciated the focus on hometown/area-you-grew-up-in nostalgia. It was nice to see a YA book take a strong focus on friendship.
Overall, there are positives to this one, especially a much stronger second half compared to the first half, but I just don't think this will be a memorable one for me so I can't justify rating it higher.
Probably the best book of the series, but didn't really appreciate this line:
Page 212: “The Latino in Jenn was coming out.”
Very random, very unnecessary.
Otherwise, a little light on the actual scares/making-of-the-show but progressed the plot and characters a lot. A ton is left hanging in the balance and has me excited for On Demon Wings.