KayTo
I kept thinking, "how the heck is he going to stick this landing?" And he DID.
Loved the epic meandering storytelling (not sure how Landry put it exactly). Loved all the allusions to other things (MZD's other works, but also art and literature and mythology). Loved how everyone had a very specific death, and yeah, to encounter all those by the end of the book, it's like, okay, death is unique but also mundane.
Only one death was contradicted (that I noticed, because it happened within the same 2-page spread, which made me think, shit, was that intentional to show she was an unreliable narrator after all?). Only one big issue - Kalin never having a happy ending outside of his family. That's sad to me.
Otherwise, I'm so glad I took my time (but also so glad to be back to book monogamy!!).
I kept thinking, "how the heck is he going to stick this landing?" And he DID.
Loved the epic meandering storytelling (not sure how Landry put it exactly). Loved all the allusions to other things (MZD's other works, but also art and literature and mythology). Loved how everyone had a very specific death, and yeah, to encounter all those by the end of the book, it's like, okay, death is unique but also mundane.
Only one death was contradicted (that I noticed, because it happened within the same 2-page spread, which made me think, shit, was that intentional to show she was an unreliable narrator after all?). Only one big issue - Kalin never having a happy ending outside of his family. That's sad to me.
Otherwise, I'm so glad I took my time (but also so glad to be back to book monogamy!!).
Awww, this was such a great, mostly wholesome read. No depression, but a manipulatively abusive relationship (more palatable? Whatever that says about me...). Same humor as all Dade books, and all the characters were perfect.
Awww, this was such a great, mostly wholesome read. No depression, but a manipulatively abusive relationship (more palatable? Whatever that says about me...). Same humor as all Dade books, and all the characters were perfect.
A fun retelling of a good Shakespeare play (though I do feel like many general plots could be described as being a retelling of a Shakespeare play, whether intentional or not...). Normally I struggle with the family obligation thing, but I enjoyed this one - probably because the mains didn't stay paralyzed by that framework.
And the overall story was fun - the mini-whodunit thread was engaging. The only issue was the editing - there are a few slips that were jarring enough to pull me from the story.
A fun retelling of a good Shakespeare play (though I do feel like many general plots could be described as being a retelling of a Shakespeare play, whether intentional or not...). Normally I struggle with the family obligation thing, but I enjoyed this one - probably because the mains didn't stay paralyzed by that framework.
And the overall story was fun - the mini-whodunit thread was engaging. The only issue was the editing - there are a few slips that were jarring enough to pull me from the story.
I don't know what I expected, but this was pretty much what it sounds like - a series of ghost stories and the historical facts around them. I learned a number of things (apparently Iowa public schools left out that Lincoln had a whole assassination plot that involved other people getting tried for his murder, and Joan Rivers' story was WILD but also perfect for her). It wasn't always the best editing (sigh), so that's always tricky for me to set aside.
I don't know what I expected, but this was pretty much what it sounds like - a series of ghost stories and the historical facts around them. I learned a number of things (apparently Iowa public schools left out that Lincoln had a whole assassination plot that involved other people getting tried for his murder, and Joan Rivers' story was WILD but also perfect for her). It wasn't always the best editing (sigh), so that's always tricky for me to set aside.
Oh my god, what a fantastic impulse buy! So great - funny, a nod to Christmas absurdities, and a great example of sticking up for yourself in the face of family obligation/guilt.
Oh my god, what a fantastic impulse buy! So great - funny, a nod to Christmas absurdities, and a great example of sticking up for yourself in the face of family obligation/guilt.
Enjoyable - same puzzle-y goodness, which is my thing. The level of irrationality in these characters, though, was a LOT to handle.
Enjoyable - same puzzle-y goodness, which is my thing. The level of irrationality in these characters, though, was a LOT to handle.