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Very conflicted about this one. I vacillated between giving it 2 or 3 stars. It certainly kept me hooked, and there were a lot of good elements. Unfortunately, not everything about it worked for me. It was an enjoyable enough one-time read, but I won't be recommending it to anyone - or seeing the movie.
Alice Pung's prose was absolutely lovely, her descriptions as unique as they were apt. I enjoyed reading about Lucy's family, and I appreciate how this book dealt with issues regarding both race and socioeconomic status.
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the Mean Girls style plots, so overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I'd have liked. But if that's your thing, I definitely recommend it!
2.5 stars.
You know how sometimes the love story in romance novels is happily solved 3/4 of the way in, and the last 1/4 is just unnecessary drama? That was basically this. entire. book. The compelling part of Rhys and Helen's relationship happened in Cold-Hearted Rake, leaving nothing much for this one. I was so bored I actually abandoned it about 100 pages in, but I picked it back up again because I needed a book to fulfill “a book you've previously abandoned” for my 2016 reading challenge (also because it is Lisa Kleypas and it pains me to add her to the list of “historical romance disappointments of 2016” list).
I'm grateful I finished it, because it did get slightly better, if only because of the supporting characters. I very much enjoyed Lady Berwick. I actually believed Cassandra and Pandora as characters this time, whereas they read like ten-year-olds in Book 1, not (albeit, spirited and undisciplined) young ladies on the cusp of their first Season. And Dr. Gibson! She was the saving grace of this book. That extra half star is mostly due to her. I also confess to being curious about Severin.
I'm still extremely excited for Devil in Spring, though, and will be purchasing it the day it comes out. I am also crossing every available digit and appendage that Dr. Gibson will get her own book, because she was by far the most interesting character in the entire book, and I am dying to know more about her.
A note on the audiobook: I listened to about half of the book on audio, and I very much enjoyed the narration! Mary Jane Wells performed very well with a variety of voices and accents. I was particularly impressed by her Lady Berwick voice, as it somehow exactly embodied the description by Kleypas.
*4.5 stars.
Furthermore is the tale of Alice - and Oliver - which is told to us by the Narrator, who gives asides and commentary occasionally throughout the story, lending to its charm. The book is utterly enchanting, from the style to the content to the cover (so beautiful) and the illustrations between chapters. I cannot say enough about the writing itself. If you've ever seen me talk about the Shatter Me series, you know how utterly in love I am with Mafi's writing, and this book cements it. She utilizes a different writing style than in her teen books, because this is a different type of story. But she shifts techniques flawlessly. Her gift for using the perfect words, for knowing when to say much and when to say little - and to do so in a fashion that leaves you breathless either way - remains the same, and she uses it to enhance the magical world of Furthermore.
I also cannot say enough about the world-building. I was intrigued by the rules of both Ferenwood and Furthermore, and I would be more than happy to return to this land and learn more about it. Ferenwood was so lush, and it was intriguing despite its apparent “regular world” comparison to Furthermore. And Furthermore. I could live in that world for books and books, and I feel like there would never be an end to my curiosity, because Mafi would elicit more questions even as she answered old ones, and my imagination could never keep up with what she had in store.
Overall, I was completely enamored with every aspect of Furthermore, including the characters. Alice was especially terrific, but I really grew to appreciate Oliver, too. Even though the story was compelling and the book read very quickly, I made it last over a week, because I never wanted it to end. For me, it recalled classics such as The Phantom Tollbooth and the Narnia series. Not due to the content (though it does similarly contain a strange, new world for our protagonists to explore) but simply because it has that old-school children's fantasy/adventure novel feeling about it. I don't know how if that fully conveys what I mean, but that's the only way I can explain it. It isn't only about the adventure. It is equally about the writing and the characters and the world and the journey (underneath which lies a beautiful, beautiful moral). I don't get that feeling with many similar books that are published today, but somehow Mafi pulled it off.
As a side note, almost the entire time I was reading, I could not stop thinking about just how stupendous this book would be as a read-aloud book, either for families or for recurring storytimes in a school, etc. The Narrator's perspective really makes it feel like a story that is being told to you, and that would only be enhanced by it actually being read aloud. Just as a warning, though, there are some slightly older themes, so if your child is too young for the story of Hansel and Gretel, I'd wait a bit.
I recommend this book to children who want to feel older, adults who want to feel young again, and everyone in between who simply enjoys a well-written story.
Disclosure: I did receive an ARC of Furthermore in exchange for an honest review, but I elected not to read it because I wanted to wait until I had the finished product in my hands. And every second of extra waiting was worth it.
What did I think? Well, I sent a 14-part photo essay to a friend detailing why the “love interest” in this book is not, in fact, the actual love interest.
But other than that, it was pretty good (if messed up and a little too melodramatic for my taste. But I find myself saying that about a lot of YA books lately, so it is very possible my perspective on what constitutes “drama” has shifted.).
I really, really enjoyed reading about Agnes and being legally blind, though. I also enjoyed Bo's perspective, but Agnes was definitely my favorite aspect of the book.
2.5 STARS.I am finding it difficult to rate this one, because objectively, there are good things about this book. Some things I did enjoy. The setting, for one. My inner theatre nerd had a blast. And Brooklyn's relationship with her family (and her issues that stemmed from it) was, for me, hands-down the best part of the book. Unfortunately, overall, I did not really enjoy reading it. The marketing (that cover? seriously!) led me to believe I was going into something else entirely. I spent a good portion of the first half of the book dreading where I thought it might be going instead, and most of the second half resentful of the fact that I was right.That isn't to say the book was *bad. It wasn't. But I wish I could have gone in with different expectations. It still would have been problematic for a few different reasons (which I will not go into here, so as to avoid spoilers), but it definitely would have been a better experience overall.
If you're looking for a romance, skip this one. If you want CW-esque relationship drama mixed with lots of showtunes and monologues and the occasional rogue egg, and a girl learning more about herself along the way, then jump on in.
Content: 3 stars
Enjoyability: 2 stars
Overall: 2.5 stars
Dear SJM,
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. ♥
I was legitimately worried about this book. Because although I mentioned that I was rooting for someone other than Tamlin in my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses, I didn't go into details as to why.
Honestly, it's been long enough that I don't remember all of the details, though a couple do specifically stick out in my mind because I hated them so much. I found their relationship to be at turns boring and extremely problematic. But I won't go into that now. The only reason it wound up with a positive rating was for the last portion of the book and the fact that I thought SJM might be about to take us on a wild, twisty ride that deviated hugely from what we thought the set-up was going to be going in.
And THANK THE STARS, I was right.
That is all I'm going to say. I'm in love. I still had a few issues with this book - it wasn't perfect. But holy wow, was it amazing. ♥
I probably won't write a full-length review of this one, since it's just a novella. Suffice to say, it definitely wasn't perfect. But it was just what I needed at the moment - a quick, fun read to get me out of my post-Twelve Houses malaise. It was great to be back with the Spindle Cove crew again, and I am so excited to hear that Charlotte is finally getting her own book!
However, the hero revealed something toward the end that is extremely problematic. I am willfully ignoring so I can retain my own enjoyment of the book, but I could not in good conscience bring myself to rate it more than two stars.
