nour
One of my favorites retellings. This Romeo & Juliet retelling was quite creative and added depth to the side characters such as Benvolio, Mercutio and Rosaline. The writing is gorgeous and the author managed to immerse me in verona in a similar way the original novel did. The romance was slow-paced but mature and hard not to root for. Highly recommend for those who enjoyed the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet and found themselves needing more from the Capulets and Monatgues dynamics.
This book broke my heart to pieces and mend it back by the end. The distinctive personalities of the sisters and everything they went through was very realistic, and even though i found myself not rooting for some of the choices they made throughout their lives, I was still fascinated by their ability to bounce back from obstacles in life and the deep bond between each other. If you are like me who loves to read about semi-dysfunctional families with non-exaggerating drama, then look no further than this book.
Be still my heart. I didn't know I would be devastated over the downfall of a fictional band but Daisy and the band broke my heart to pieces.
I Understand that the interview dialogue writing might not be everyone's cup of tea. There were times were I felt detached to the characters but the overall of the story and the final events were quite emotional and i was too invested.
A brilliant debut! Usually i don't find myself enjoying adventure-quest storytelling but this book was exciting and very engaging. Loved the magic system, the middle eastern vibes, the character interactions and absolutely loved the heroine, flaws and all.
It got me out of my reading slump. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year, and I'm glad that this is a trilogy because i can't seem to get enough.
I rarely find sequels incredible, but Marie Lu took this book to another level. So much excitement from the beginning to the end. Adelina's corruption arc was satsfying, i know she made a lot of questionable choices but i can't help but to root for her. I also enjoyed all the new characters and their dynamics. I can't predict where the story is going and i'm super excited to see how everything concludes.
Underwhelming finale. The book would've benefited from trimming. 800 pages could've been easily 400 if it weren't for the unnecessary drama and repetitiveness. The only things i liked were Grace's “redemption” arc and Matthew's storyline.
James and Cordelia are the least interesting main characters in the shadowhunters books. Cordelia didn't feel as the protagonist of the story and she was constantly overshadowed by others. The love triangle was a mess and didn't make sense, especially when we already know who Cordelia will choose. It created rifts between the characters and many pages were wasted, pages that could've been used to show us how some plotlines were resolved instead of summarizing them in the epilogue.
Lucie and Cordelia didn't feel as close friends as we were supposed to believe and while i liked some of the conflicts they faced in this book, i still think we are told they are close instead of showing us. Lucie and Grace had more depth in their dynamic than Lucie and Cordelia ever had. I'm just quite disappointed in Cordelia as the main heroine, i liked her in book 1 but somehow she lost her charm here.
Lucie's powers were a wasted potential. She had more intriguing abilities and yet James gets to have the spotlight even though Lucie's ability moved the plot more. I'm not a big fan of her romance with Jesse but i admire her character in general so she was one of the few point of views i didn't mind reading without fighting the urge to skim.
Alastair provided the comic relief and for that i like him enough except that i wished we got more of him instead of his relationships. I felt the characters are written as couples instead of individuals.
I won't talk about the death of that character. It was lazy and unnecessary. And worst of all, no one seemed to care after things ended. They were all wrapped in their problems.
Overall, it was a huge disappointment. I liked how Malcolm Fade story ties to The Dark Artifices, i loved Grace's arc and i adore Matthew, but the finale was a mess and felt like an unfinished draft.
reread jan, 26, 2023 3rd time reading and feeling a spectrum of emotions, be still my heart.
Second time reading this and it still managed to amaze me like the first time.
This book gave me all the feels. It's everything i want - the excellent plot, the world building and the complex characterization.
Finnikin of the Rock was great in its own. But what makes the second installment my favorite is Froi. The author did a wonderful job at displaying both his good qualities as well as his flaws which made him a very memorable protagonist. The side characters are no less vivid or complex than the protagonist, every character is distinct and serve purpose. I'm in awe at the way Melina Marchetta writes her characters. All of them were flawed and deeply human.
This book completely mesmerized me. The story was compelling with plot twists and shocking revelations. The writing and the detailed description of the world are just perfect.
The growth Froi goes through in this book still fascinates me and the heartbreaking romance of Froi and Quintana still haunts me. These two will forever have a part of my heart.
I also like to address the family bonds in this book. The themes of found family and family by blood are very well done. The dynamics were funny, heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time. Just like everything in this book; they were unforgettable.
I don't think words can do justice to summarize my feelings for this book or how good it was, i will just suffice by saying that it put me on a spectrum of emotions. It broke my heart in million pieces.
A literary masterpiece. Definitely my favorite of Dickens. This was an amazing story with a powerful lesson behind it. Reading about Pip and his coming-of-age journey was not just enjoyable, but also thought-provoking. Pip is one of my favorite protagonists ever, because of how realistic his wants and wishes were and his moral development was satisfying to see through to the end. Aside from him, there were numerous likable and memorable characters such as the loyal friend Herbert, the generous (true gentleman) Joe, and the unique (so-called) villain of the story Miss Havisham.
“You are in every line I have ever read.”
There was something bittersweet about the story, the relationship between Pip and Estella, The Convict's storyline, and the ending in general. It makes me sad somehow but I still loved the cautionary tale of this book.
“A strong woman who recklessly throws away her strength, she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away.”
Kudos to Thomas Hardy for writing a book that depicts valid criticism of society's hypocrisy and injustice toward women in his time. Although, there are some things I couldn't wrap my head around, especially some of the heroine's choices. However, it is a melodramatic story where tragedy is destined to strike the heroine's life no matter her choices and I couldn't help but be drawn to her story.
“Why have you treated me so monstrously, Angel! I do not deserve it. I have thought it all over carefully, and I can never, never forgive you!”
It is quite depressing which was hard to get through at times, and the ending left me hollow. but i found beauty in this book somehow.
“You decide the truth about yourself. No one else. And the choice about what kind of person you will be is yours alone.”
I don't want to jinx it but the beginning of this trilogy is so good. I adore Cordelia as the main heroine, I enjoyed the new generation cohort, and the plot -despite being slow at times- is quite engaging. My favorite out of these characters is definitely Matthew but i enjoyed everyone equally, especially reading about Will, Tessa, and Jem again.
“Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.”
I thought I was prepared for this but obviously, I was not. this book is simply beautiful. bittersweet, but still beautiful. it's been a long time since I was attached to many characters as I was to the London Institute group and especially Will, Tessa and Jem. Their story was memorable, one I will definitely be thinking about for a while.
the plotline was engaging but I would be lying if I said I wasn't here for the romantic storyline between our main trio. I was worried about how everything will be resolved, but the outcome was very special and I have no complaints.
“At last, the wheel comes full circle”
