Julia

I read all three books in under a week during finals week. Enough said. The only reason that it's not 5 stars is because the snob in me recognizes this is not exactly eloquently written fiction, but who the hell is reading it for its literary merits anyway? :)

Made me smile from ear to ear from beginning to end. Five shining stars for making me read a book practically in one sitting. Levi may be magic, but so is Rainbow Rowell!

Sigh. I wanted this to be something I really liked - but it really struck me as CrossFire series Extra Lite, minus the scorching chemistry, witty dialogue, and gripping narrative. I re-read that series every year and a half or so, because it's impossible to not to get pulled into the dysfunction and then revel in the couple's increasing health and sanity. And did I mention the chemistry?? Sizzle. Here - there's some level of promise, but it all feels like exaggerated emotion and a light sketch of people and narrative. It's a quick read, but not compelling. Too bad.

What to say, what to say? As always, I reserve any reviewing until the series is done or mostly done, and I'm glad I did that in this case in particular. It's a pretty epic journey, and book 3 was really my favorite, though it rung out of me all the feels - for Alina, for the Darkling, for Mal, and so, so many feels for Nikolai, for all the lost and the perished. Book 3 was brutal and savage, and for me it was a study in trauma, both chronic and acute. How we try to conquer it, how we can't escape it. I think that's why, like Alina, we are so captivated by the Darkling till the last page - there's something so eternally human about his quest to conquer all pain and loss, even as he gives in to his very worst impulses. Sometimes we get lost in the overcoming, when all we are craving is for someone to bear witness, to see all that we are, and to mourn all that we have lost. 5 Sun&Shadow Summoning Stars.

So here's the thing - 2 stars for sheer popularity. It's fickle, and you never quite know what will catch the fancy of the public, and that in itself is interesting and powerful. I actually saw the movie first, and became curious about the book after. No surprises here - the narrative is lacking in a distinct voice, plot, storytelling, chapter structure, lots and lots of things that I'm sure have been said a thousand times over here, but it's a lot like watching the Kardashians. I'm not a reality tv fan, but you know sometimes you're doing something else and it comes on, and then you kind of glimpse at it and maybe become intrigued about how this craziness will resolve itself? That's this book. My main motivation was to see how it differed from the movie, because I enjoyed that quite a bit. It was cute, it had some good Jane Austen quotes, and charismatic leads which I really enjoyed watching.

This - well, not so much. But hey, props to Todd for catching that elusive popularity wave with her book on a phone and riding it straight into the box office. I'll be watching the movie again soon, and forgetting I ever read this.