Paola

I picked this up knowing nothing but that the cover was pretty and that Kazuo Ishiguro's name was on it. I thought I was getting another of Ishiguro's compelling stories, and was not so pleasantly surprised that this is a collection of lyrics.

It was interesting to go through, even more so for the songs I was able to listen to while reading. But what I appreciated the most was Bianca Bagnarelli gorgeous illustrations. Would go back just to look at them.

Creo que calificaré este con 3.5 estrellas. Fue bueno, me gustó en gran parte, pero hubo algo que no llega a hacerlo un 4 para mí.

I think I'm rating this one at 3.5 stars. It was good, I liked most of it, but there was something that doesn't quite make it a 4 for me.

Esta es una historia de dos hermanas huérfanas con poder para leer mentes aue se escapan de su muy próximo destino como esclavas (o peor) para intentar encontrar una mejor vida para ellas. Incluso con todos los peligros que vienen con esto en una ciudad violenta y claramente jerarquizada que las marcó como ganado para identificarlas como algo que no merece llamarse siquiera "persona".

This is a story about two orphan sisters with mind-reading powers that escape from their soon-to-be fate as slaves (or worse) to try and find a better life for themselves. Even with all the dangers that come with this in a city that's violent and with clear hierarchies, which marked them as cattle to identified tham as something that doesn't even get to be called "person".

Es una novela de ritmo rápido que logra mantener el interés utilizando un narrador en tercera persona que alterna entre los eventos que le suceden a cada una de las hermanas, lo cual ayuda a mantener la predicibilidad al margen. Tiene suspenso, fantasía, algo de acción, y amor. Pero, personalmente, este último fue un pequeño problema.

It is a fast paced novel that manages to keep you engaged using a third person narrator that goes back and forth between what's happening to each of the sisters, which helps to keep predictability at bay. It has suspense, fantasy, some action and love. But personally, the latter was a bit a of a problem.

Me gustó que, en un principio, la necesidad de romance se justificara con algo serio y profundo, incluso indeseable en cierto grado, siendo solamente un medio para el personaje de estar a salvo y conseguir una mejor vida. Pero esto rápidamente se convirtió en un tipo de amor instantáneo que logró reducir mi emoción por lo que estaba leyendo y hacerme verlo más como un libro para adolescentes. Especialmente cuando se agregó un romance innecesario.

I liked that, at the beginning, the necessity of romance was justified as something serious and profound, even undesirable at some degree, being only the mean of the character to be safe and get a better life. But this quickly turned into a insta love kind of thing that managed to reduce my hype for what I was reading and making me see it more as a PG-13 teen book. Especially when an unnecessary romance was thrown in.

Sin embargo, la historia logra sobrepasar esto y -no estoy muy contenta al respecto, pero en el buen sentido- termina en un momento de suspenso que te mantiene queriendo saber qué será lo que depara a estas dos hermanas.

However, the story does make it past this and -I'm not very happy about this, but in a good way- ends in a cliffhanger that keeps you wanting more of what's to come for these two sisters.

En general, fue una buena lectura, ligera y entretenida. Definitivamente quiero leer la secuela.

In general, it was a good, light, entertaining read. I definitely want to read the sequel.

I've got tears in my eyes because of how perfect this ending was. Thanks, V.E. Schwab, for another masterpiece.

I'm so glad I got the next one already

Another beautiful, grasping story by V.E. Schwab. I felt as entangled as the characters' stories were to each other and thoroughly enjoyed the layers and uniqueness of each of them, even when they were all planted on the same midnight soil.

Will definitely revisit this at some point.