Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragic play based on the true events of Julius Caesar's rule. Though tTW: murder, betrayal, assisted suicide
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragic play based on the true events of Julius Caesar's rule. Though the work is titled after the central character, the main character, Caesar, is not the main character: it is really Brutus, his best friend and killer, because he experiences the most growth. Some of the events that occur are quite unbelievable, in my opinion. I understand the conflicts and bloodthirstiness of the political world, and that the ethics and morals may have been up for debate during this time period, but I don't understand how someone could just be okay with murdering their best friend. I comprehend the history of it, but I don't really feel certain that this was how things transpired in real life. Then again, was the intention of the play written to be introspective, or to accurately represent the past?
I am going to make a bold assertion: the story of Julius Caesar's assassination is a story that should have stayed within the confines of history, because despite its obvious dramatism, it is quite a boring story altogether. It makes an interesting outline of a historical story, but at the end of the day, it is one small historical event, and fleshing out a particular event for so long can get quite mundane. For instance, the reader doesn't really need a whole act in which Cassius and Brutus talk about killing Caesar. It feels like a time absorption device. Brutus's whole character also felt extremely...surface level. We are constantly told that Brutus is an honorable man, and that he wanted what was best for the country, but we never see it. He just seems like a plain old mutineer without a justifiable motive to kill....more
The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek by Naomi Wallace is a complicated, horrific play set in the 1930s followed by a train-obsessed daredevil named Pace andThe Trestle at Pope Lick Creek by Naomi Wallace is a complicated, horrific play set in the 1930s followed by a train-obsessed daredevil named Pace and a cautious, ambitious boy named Dalton. Right from the start, Pace influences Dalton in many different ways. She dares him to run a trestle at Pope Lick Creek (roll credits), an extremely dangerous stunt that has hurt many. She also entices him into engaging in sexual activities. Both of these factors contribute to the downfall of both characters (the word 'downfall' has various meanings in this case).
Two themes of this play include intimacy and hopelessness. First of all, each of the five characters displays their forms of intimacy, whether romantic, platonic, familial, etc. Many experience abuse in various ways, though the way its carried out is slightly inappropriate and fruitless. Both the themes of despair and intimacy provide some food for thought in the first act, and then any sense of development for these themes is wholly abandoned and left to the dust in the first act...
which leads me to my most important thoughts. The first act had a lot of promise. As I read with my acting class, we speculated about possible endings and plot twists. Then, it ended up being that our speculations were twenty times more interesting than what really happened. The second act completely fell off the railroad in the sense that character arcs were abandoned, the storyline itself was hastily and lazily closed, and many different scenes, actions, or character choices had no sort of motivation behind them. Unfortunately, while I would have given the first act four stars for its mysterious plot development and insinuation, I would give the second act one star for its incoherence and abstractions.
Without spoiling the show, I think I need to warn of the graphic sex scene that provides no bearing to the show, and simply makes many people very uncomfortable, especially considering the location of the scene within the show....more
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a literary classic written by Oscar Wilde about the depth and sin of vanity. One of the major themes is Dorian Gray's deThe Picture of Dorian Gray is a literary classic written by Oscar Wilde about the depth and sin of vanity. One of the major themes is Dorian Gray's destruction of his own innocence and his gradual insanity and greed. One of the most prominent features of this novel is its alleged underlying allegory towards homosexuality. While I cannot ignore the implications that Oscar Wilde projected from his own life, I find it eye-rolling that book websites like Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ lists it as LGBTQ+. There is nothing explicitly LGBTQ+ about this book.
Besides that, I find this book astounding. The writing is intricate and the artistry is philosophical. The whole book is philosophical, so read it if you love long-winded, short yet long, philosophically character-driven liberal literary fiction books....more
it’s been a whopping six months since i read this book, and never had time to review. i‘ll wrap this up by saying that anthem defeated expectations byit’s been a whopping six months since i read this book, and never had time to review. i‘ll wrap this up by saying that anthem defeated expectations by being a quick, entertaining read, but something about the message it left left a sour taste in my mouth. ayn rand’s political opinions shouldn’t affect my opinion of this book, but it does. simply, the message of the novella is that individuality and science and knowledge are all crucial to someone’s lifestyle. In this, she makes everyone in the dystopian society equal, making them all use the pronouns “we� and “they� to refer to themselves and others. does this not sound like something current? if it wasn’t for rand’s political beliefs, i wouldn’t be reading into it this way, but i am now. she also equates the idea of self to the idea of ego, and i really dislike that because identifying the self is really important to living a good life and it’s not the same as having a huge ego. the novella itself is amusing, but the authorial context gives it a separate perspective....more
This review may contain mild spoilers for the first bookTW: suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts, graphic depictions of violence
This review may contain mild spoilers for the first book in the Divergent series. Read at your own caution.
This book was so dull, oh my god. Going into it, I was sort of expecting that based on how the previous book had ended, which in and of itself was a dull ending either way. It was an easy read but not an easy book to enjoy. The characters, for the most part, were dull, the villains were dull, the plot was dull, the plot twists were dull...it was so dull to the point that dull doesn't even seem like a word anymore. This book deserves three stars because it had no entertainment value, but I could still stand to read it. I got through it in a little over a week and it wasn't too slow-paced. It was boring but I got through it easily.
Insurgent is the second installment in the Divergent series. In this sequel, we follow Tris Prior, a teenage girl who is on the run from her former faction Dauntless, along with her boyfriend Tobias, her (Erudite) brother, and a few other stragglers from the faction that was recently destroyed, Abnegation. Meanwhile, Tris is coping with her trauma - and holding a secret that she desperately wants to tell her friends - by keeping silent and acting like a hero. By throwing herself into reckless activities and behaving irrationally to distract herself from everything going on, Tris may lose who and what she loves most.
Something that deeply frustrated me throughout this book was the leading ship of the series: Fourtris, the pairing of Tobias (Four) and Tris. Fourtris was cute during the first book, but then ended up transitioning to...extremely toxic. First off, we have Tobias, who began to act emotionally manipulative when he found out what Tris did. He called her brave and powerful and said that he loved her, but actions speak louder than words. When it was really time for Tris's "power" and "bravery" to come to fruition, Tobias would treat her like she was too weak to fight and get angry with her when she acted on her impulses. On the other hand, Tris did nothing to help the situation. At first, the reader can see that Tobias is in the wrong, treating Tris like a fledgling, but then she goes and deliberately lies to him and expects him to be happy with her afterward. All of this, plus the constant bickering, just led to an unpleasant reading experience. The persistent fighting didn't represent realistic relationships...it was just toxic.
If the toxic relationship wasn't enough, the characters weren't all that lovable either. Tris's slightly likable personality from the previous book was completely warped into a whiny, reckless girl who never even made the effort to make the people around her less miserable. Tobias's charming and caring personality turned cold, forbidding, and unforgiving. I slightly liked Christina because she was kind to Tris after...what she had done...but even she managed to get less exciting. Most of the other side characters were enjoyable in the first book...but after my favorite side character died in the last book...they just weren't as enjoyable anymore. And I did like a side character in this book, but then they died, so what can I do?
The plot itself wasn't particularly impressive either. Tris, Tobias, and Caleb skipped around to different factions and asked for refuge. The factions said yes, and either had Tris and Tobias wreak havoc on them or vice versa. It was honestly tiring. The one aspect I liked was the interactions between the Dauntless because it allowed me to break from the tedious action.
Now you might ask, "Andrea, it seems like you don't really like this book. Why is it that you're rating it to be 'meh' rather than 'disliked'?" Well, the truth is, despite all the problems I had with it being boring and Tris and Tobias being annoying...I actually kind of enjoyed reading it. It wasn't boring to the point that it tired me to read the book. Some of the characters were a bit likable at times. I appreciate this book because it wasn't up to par, but it really wasn't too bad.
Also, there was one thing that left me attached to this series. One factor. One character. That character was Will. I will forever be mad at Tris for what ended up happening between them. If you have read the series, you know what I'm talking about. If not, then disregard this character completely. I'm just...I'm still upset.
In summation, Insurgent, as a book, as a sequel, fell flat in general. Tris's and Tobias's decisions made me upset, along with a certain recurring plot detail from the previous book. It was a very...middle-of-the-road type of book...besides the fact that the ending just felt like a lazy, cop out response to a whole subplot that made the reader wonder during their whole reading experience. But alas, this book wasn't really as bad as people make it out to be, and I guess it deserves more credit than it really gets....more
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is an excellently written historical fiction novel that retells the Shakespearean story of Romeo and Jul4.5 stars
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is an excellently written historical fiction novel that retells the Shakespearean story of Romeo and Juliet during the New Era in Shanghai and spins the families of Montague and Capulet into brutish, rivaling Chinese and Russian gangs, who all have to deal with the sudden outbreak of a suicide-inducing disease affecting all of the city. For readers already well-versed with the original story of Romeo and Juliet, the parallelism between the two stories is satisfying and the hunt of identifying similarities between the two. For readers who have never read Romeo and Juliet, the story is still enthralling but maybe not as significant, however compelling and thrilling due to the plot, characters, and delightful writing, all of which don't need the original story to be understood.
In this retelling, Romeo Montague becomes Roma Montagov, Juliet Capulet becomes Juliette Cai, and many other pivotal, symbolic characters become brilliant Russian or Chinese 1920s versions of themselves, changing them slightly but essentially maintaining their personalities. The story also reshapes certain scenes from Romeo and Juliet, altogether changing the storyline but bringing up the major themes of family, feuds, love, and vengeance. The plot is not the same as Romeo and Juliet, considering the romance is not the central focus, the epidemical mystery of the city is. I appreciated that very much, considering Roma and Juliette were very slowly burned and didn't instantly fall in love like the real Romeo and Juliet. The parallels are so cleverly written (whether they were quotes, scenes, character parallels) that I honestly feel like they deserve an award. Every time some sort of parallel would appear, I would get excited, especially towards the end.
Speaking of the end...THE END. Oh my Lord Cai. Despite it being ultimately soul-crushing and out of the blue, it also took a scene from the middle of Romeo and Juliet and twisted it so much in a genius yet frustrating way that it might take me a second to read the next book, just because I need a second to process what may come from the chaos and mayhem that will ensue in the next one. I loved the ending, if you couldn't tell, because it was so out of left field, so unexpected, yet so true to the original story and the characters of that story. Unfortunately, since I have read Romeo and Juliet, I was able to predict a lot of the story, which means I can assume what will happen in the next book, which I will certainly not be ready for when the time comes....more
To be honest, I don't normally enjoy having to put energy into reading a book. It kind of...physically hurt me to read 20 pages of my book pdf every dTo be honest, I don't normally enjoy having to put energy into reading a book. It kind of...physically hurt me to read 20 pages of my book pdf every day. I'm currently "speed-reading" The Shadow and Bone Trilogy in order to prepare for the upcoming series adaptation, and I'm honestly unsure if I'd like to continue from here...I don't feel like I should have to read this series every day like a chore. It felt super surface-level and boring and plotless as I went along with it, and I just wanted to stop reading it every single day, but I wanted to be able to watch the series "correctly". I'm still conflicted, should I continue or not?
Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It stars a young teenage girl named Alina Starkov who was raised in an orphanage with her childhood friend Mal and later transported to a military regiment. She was considered by everyone around her to be a "weakling" when she was really suppressing her insanely powerful Grisha talents because of Mal (the little twerp). When apprehended by a group of creatures called volcra in the midst of a large expanse of darkness called the Shadow Fold, Alina finds the power inside her to defend Mal, and gives everyone a taste of light summoning power, winding up saving a load of people stuck in the Fold. Now, all the Grisha want a take of Alina's power, deeming her the new Sun Summoner and having her stay in a palace to experience a new privileged life she couldn't even find in her wildest dreams. But especially for her, when things seem too good to be true, they usually are. Alina has to figure out if she truly belongs with the Grisha, or if there is something else at stake.
The characters in the book were definitely not the area of strength. Alina, the main character, was mediocre, but annoying and whiny. She always said things like "oh I wonder how long it will take until the Grisha realize I'm not one of them"...child, calm down. I know a lot of people suffer from Impostor Syndrome, but it was quite clear that she belonged with them: light literally shot out of her hands multiple times. Another character, Mal Oretsev, aka Alina's primary love interest, was extremely possessive and annoying. He showed Alina little-to-no romantic attention when they were first introduced, but now Alina is the Sun Summoner and a Grisha so Mal has to have her, and he gets angry when she is being performative with the Darkling even though Mal and her weren't romantically involved, and it wasn't her fault that she was seduced by the Darkling. Lastly, I'd like to discuss the Darkling. Now...I'm somewhat embarrassed about this...but I had a crush on the Darkling for a good 60% of the book. Not like a book boyfriend situation, I just...found him attractive. Of course, when he became a stuffy little warthog-faced buffoon, I unliked him...but there's still a glimmer of...something. I don't like him, but....heheheh.
Even though I had issues with most characters, I did love one of them, a character named Genya. Genya was a Grisha servant who worked with the Queen and on touching up appearances. At first, she may appear snotty and egotistical to Alina, but they become fast friends. I loved her character - she was so kind and sweet, and it's such a rarity to find kind and sweet characters who are also self-confident and love themselves. She honestly reminded me a bit of Isabelle Lightwood, who, as some of you may know, is one of my comfort characters. Genya never acted in a problematic way; she always stayed out of people's ways and was just overall a great character that didn't make me hate her.
The plot was also a weak point for this book (honestly, Genya was the only part of the book that I actually liked). The plot consists of...well, I don't know, you tell me. -5%: Alina is weak and normal girl. -60% Alina is trained to be a Grisha. -35% Terribly bland spoilers. I just don't understand the appeal. For the times I wasn't bored, which were rare, it was because of the Darkling or Genya. This book just shows someone training to be a Grisha in a repetitive manner and failing, until "the strength was inside of her all along". I liked the intricate magic system that Bardugo has created, but that was the only thing. If anyone actually found it interesting, please let me know in the comments.
In summation, this book was a bland cacophony of predators, a bland plot, elitist Grisha, and one good character. Honestly, I want to read Six of Crows, another Grishaverse book by Leigh Bardugo, but this trilogy is making it hard for me to want to read it. I don't even know at this point if I want to continue with the trilogy, but if I do, just know that it was only for the end goal, so I can know what's happening in the upcoming adaptation. I pray that the adaptation serves me more entertainment than this book did....more
It didn't actually occur to me that I could use this little short story that I read in English class the other day as a book that I read this year--buIt didn't actually occur to me that I could use this little short story that I read in English class the other day as a book that I read this year--but it is a book...and I read it! So I think it counts. Being honest, I didn't exactly like it. It was an Edgar Allen Poe story, and his stories and writing style often give me a headache. Please don't kill me for disliking a beloved classic!! The story itself is about a middle-aged man, Montresor, who got his feelings hurt by his close friend, Fortunato, so he decides to murder his own friend in his wine vaults by manipulating Fortunato into thinking that he is inviting himself over to try his wine.
Honestly, the story itself made me sad, because Montresor kills his poor friend who honestly didn't deserve to be killed. He manipulates this friend into a false sense of security and even smiles at him, pretending to be kind and charming, when he is really planning on killing him. Also, this whole time, this friend is drunk and cheerful, thinking he's going to have a fun time with Montresor and drink his Amontillado. I was also very annoyed with the writing--and yes, I know: "aNdReA, OlD aUtHoRs ArE InTelLeCtUaL aNd WiSe...", well I really don't care. His writing was annoying...the whole first paragraph gave me a stomachache as it is, and we literally had to dissect it sentence by sentence (don't hold me against that, we might just be stupid). His vocabulary is great, but literally, no one wants to read the words "impunity", "unredressed", "retribution", and "overtakes" all in the same line. The descriptive paragraphs were, like I said, very descriptive with advanced vocabulary, but they didn't paint the picture because I really didn't know what all the words meant so they didn't do much for me.
I also feel like this book tried to justify murder...because Montresor had a reason to be offended and kill his friend...but it's never okay to kill someone. Ever. Honestly, Montresor irritated me because *spoiler alert* when he's plastering bricks around Fortunato while he's chained to the wall so he can't escape, he begins to feel pity for his friend, so he LAUGHS at him dying. I get that Montresor is supposed to be portrayed as a maniac, but this story was just stupid. This character is madly evil and doesn't even seem to have redemption or resolution. He kills a man...and then it ends with the man dying and him realizing "oH, MaYbE i ShOuLdN't HaVe DoNe ThAt." No shit you shouldn't have done it. That's why you don't manipulate people for maniacal person gain!
Anyway, thanks for reading this far into my review. If you want to read this short story, you can, in like five minutes. You can search a pdf up online. So, I'll see you guys next time! Byeee!...more
4.5 stars: Oh. My. God. I don't even know what to think. Sebastian. Possessed Jace. Ah. AHHHH. Honestly, and this is a very unpopular opinion, I thoug4.5 stars: Oh. My. God. I don't even know what to think. Sebastian. Possessed Jace. Ah. AHHHH. Honestly, and this is a very unpopular opinion, I thought City of Fallen Angels was better. It was great but moved on very slowly and...yeah. Honestly, I am so surprised that Clary isn't dead yet. At this point, it might just be plot convenience, but I am willing to let that slide. Also, the part at the end with Malec KILLED ME. And I think I might be slowly warming up to Jace. If you've read some updates I left while I was reading this, I was having a lot of difficulties liking Jace. Another thing, THE SHIPS REALLY CAME TO PLAY. I don't LOVE Clace, but they've grown on me a little, and I love Sizzy and the new ship in this book. In the beginning of the book when Luke and Sebastian and Jace fought, I almost cried. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. Possessed Jace also really unsettled me, but you know what unsettled me way more? The real. Real. Real. Incest. Not that fake Clace stuff, but Sebastian. The whole time I was about to throw up. So at this point my favorite characters are Isabelle, Alec, Simon, and Magnus. The Farm Squad. And Luke and Jocelyn are also there, but they didn't appear as much. Anyway, here is another anticlimactic review, and wow! I'm almost done guys. It's only been a month but it feels like it's been forever. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm gonna miss these damn Shadowhunters....more
Please take this review as an account from a fourteen year old. Maybe consider that before you make some extremely inappropriate judgments about me.
TWPlease take this review as an account from a fourteen year old. Maybe consider that before you make some extremely inappropriate judgments about me.
TW: sexism, homophobia, gaslighting, inaccurate/inappropriate interpretations of depression, violence and abuse
I don't think I've ever despised a book more than this one. I cannot positively find a good thing to say about it whatsoever. Before anyone decides to come at me for hating this book and say, "Andrea, you're so immature and uneducated" or "Andrea, it was written in the 1950s, what do you expect", no, I will NOT apologize for detesting this book and no, I will NOT excuse any of its problematic content because it came out a long time ago. To top it all off, I practically killed myself reading it. It was awful to get through. I wish I could throw the book into a paper shredder, but it belongs to my dad and it's from the early 2000s so if I wait a couple of years, I can probably get an antique shop store credit.
This book is about...well, I couldn't even tell you. A character examination? An inadequate and inaccurate account of depression? A plot to piss everyone off who is reading? A slacker who does stupid things and uses hypocrisy and lying to get himself out of situations that he created? A boy who gets kicked out of school?
One of the worst things, if not the worst thing about this book, is the vernacular used. J.D. Salinger writes in this method in which he attempts to emulate the way an actual teenager speaks. That would make it more realistic, he thought, but it was actually just annoying. If I have to hear another character [Holden Caulfield] use the phrase "like a madman" or "like a bastard" or "goddam" (which was horribly misspelled, by the way), I am literally going to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. To make it even worse, it was also obnoxiously repetitive. I counted the word "goddam" seven times on one page. He also had an affinity for the sentence "it killed me". Every time that was used, I literally wanted to be killed.
The other most pressing attribute of this book is Holden Caulfield himself. Probably my least favorite character of all time. I got dragged for disliking this book, so I think I deserve to drag this character for some time now. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's hypocrisy, lying, and shaming/judging other people for what they like to do or tendencies they may have. I have been shamed and judged many a time due to my interests and anxieties. The fact that Holden Caulfield is constantly judging, constantly shaming, and constantly criticizing other people for what they do when he should just stand in a mirror and do a self-examination infuriates me. There is not a second that passes by in that book without Holden getting angry or "depressed" because someone lived their life and upset his little hipster fantasy.
Holden seems to be agitated by everything, yet he continues to comply with the things that agitate him. I'll reference a specific example. "Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it." (page 14) In two pages, he uses that exact word in a sentence without thinking anything of it. He constantly and unreasonably points out others for being "phony" when he's the one who's really phony. The filthy hypocrite. He "almost hates" certain people for being reasonable and not complying with his own corrupt morals and standards. I understand that the author is trying to show that he is a flawed character, but he just unsettles me.
Another thing...I get that this book is utterly sexist and homophobic because it's outdated, but that doesn't mean I have to appreciate it or dismiss it. The way he treats the women in his life and belittles the homosexual community is just awful. There is a whole paragraph where he discusses his distaste for men who don't treat women right and who are "boring", implying that women should go for "nice guys like him". Then, on the next page, he describes his date with a girl, saying that they "horsed around" even though she didn't really want to, but inherently "had no other choice". This honestly feeds into the hypocrisy along with the sexism. He can be quoted calling girls weak, stupid, and dumb, not specifically, but in general. He can be found making fun of "flits", in which he describes homosexuals as phonies in regard to gender. This regard is disgusting. I don't understand how people who read this book in this present time can manage to ignore that and call this an excellent book.
This book did not have a predictable ending at all. It had a horrible ending. If you don't want to be spoiled for the ending, skip to the next paragraph, but if you don't care, by all means, be my guest and continue reading. This book ends with Holden coming back home. It begins with him getting kicked out of prep school and running away, and it ends with him coming home to his family and finding another school. No sign of resolution. No sign of conclusion. Just the story being like: "okay, fun. Nothing's changing. It's going to end abruptly. Bye-bye now." There was no sense of ending. I understand that sometimes books do not necessarily have a happy ending, but with a book like this that has already charted its course with little to no plot, I think some resolution is required. I felt like my time had been wasted after finishing.
Lastly, I'd like to talk about this book's interpretation of depression. Now don't get me wrong. Someone who is depressed can be a slacker and not want to care about school at all, and flunk out of everything and not have any friends. But this book's interpretation was insanely problematic. The way the character was portrayed made the book seem as if Holden was diseased because of his depression, and that he was so awful because of it. Maybe this is just my opinion, but that's not a good message to share to your audience.
Overall, this book was horrendous. Ghastly. Abominable. It had no point and it consisted of Holden running away, doing stupid crap, lying about it, getting away with it, and then just having it never appear again or show any effect to the story. The writing didn't make it interesting and neither did the characters, all of which I hated. I don't recommend this book and I've done so many analysis assignments and projects that I never never never want to see it again.
Edit: Can we, in the comments, please stop giving me hate for writing this review? I don’t know if anyone realized this, but I was a minor at the time of writing this and am still a minor, and I really don’t appreciate the endless threats I got for sharing my opinion. I understand that the version of me, who read this book in her freshman year of high school, took this book in a different account than how it was meant to be taken, but never did I say that anyone who likes this book is horrible. I understand that you may not agree with me, and I respect that, but to completely chew out a minor who had a premature opinion in paragraphs and paragraphs of writing is maybe something that should be more thought out? Maybe you can make a statement commenting on how you think I’m wrong, and then you can commit to something…more fulfilling?...more
I think this might be a super unpopular opinion, but City of Fallen Angels is better than City of Glass. It had the same type of relationship drama asI think this might be a super unpopular opinion, but City of Fallen Angels is better than City of Glass. It had the same type of relationship drama as City of Bones, the same casualness as City of Ashes, and in the same way that City of Glass satisfied me, City of Fallen Angels did as well. I especially liked the focus on Simon, as his storyline was way different than that of Clary and Jace's. Also, Sizzy and Malec for life, man. I was rooting for both the whole time and still am. Also, although Clary is super annoying and stubborn, I still love her and I think she deserves better than how Jace has been treating her...as if she's dumb and doesn't deserve to know what's going on. Another thing...I really liked how they included Lilith! Like whoa...I don't think that's a spoiler or anything, but wow. I love how Cassandra Clare includes people from actual mythology outside of her Shadowhunter universe. I wish they'd forget about Sebastian though; Cassandra Clare needs to stop using plot convenience and huge coincidences to get her characters out of bad situations or revive characters that died. Also, when I said I shipped Sizzy, I really ship it so I hope that something happens there. Anyway, only two more books left to go!...more
I am betraying everything in my being by reading this but here I am, about to start, so good luck to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TW: lack of I am betraying everything in my being by reading this but here I am, about to start, so good luck to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TW: lack of consent, sexual manipulation, graphic depictions
Here I am, so pleasantly surprised by this book! I had to put it down and not finish it at 20%, something I've literally never done to any book ever, because of my overload of positive love for it! Even though it was a book derived from erotic fanfiction about Harry Styles, I think it might be my favorite book in the world! It might even be better than The Catcher in the Rye, which is, as you know, my literal favorite book ever! Oh joy, I'm so excited to discuss how much this book surprised me and made me lose some brain cells! ...more
3.5 stars: This book relied mostly upon a spectacle called *plot convenience*. It was kinda boring in the beginning and Clary and some others did thei3.5 stars: This book relied mostly upon a spectacle called *plot convenience*. It was kinda boring in the beginning and Clary and some others did their best to create random drama and mess a ton of things up and then Cassandra Clare decided she wanted to go the easy way out and solve all their problems using plot convenience. Honestly, I don't blame her, I would have done the same but like she really had to make someone escape their confinement by suddenly realizing they had super jumping power...also I really didn't like the Simon-Clary-Jace thing, and that's more of a personal preference but SHE REALLY HAD TO INCLUDE INCEST LIKE IT WAS SO UNNECESSARY. Honestly, this book was kind of a filler book. I don't know if I liked it more or less than "City of Bones" because "City of Bones" was more monumental but the writing and the plot is better in this one. My favorite characters are Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane, and Luke. Mainly because for the most part, they aren't problematic. I'm also starting to ship Malec, so watch out for that. For an overall character analysis, I'll just say that there are characters who are problematic and nonproblematic and just people who are downright clueless and some of those characters can really bother you, so if you read it, be prepared. I can say I did like a few plotlines, but not everything, unfortunately. Anyway, peace out, and I'll see you in the next one (I've heard "City of Glass" is great so I'll be relying on that)....more
I was entirely disappointed by this book. I decided to read it because I love the movie but it, unfortunately, didn't own up. While reading, I kept thI was entirely disappointed by this book. I decided to read it because I love the movie but it, unfortunately, didn't own up. While reading, I kept thinking to myself: "is this plot really that bad? are these characters really so annoying?" and then I'd realize: "yes. the only reason you think you like these characters is because you like the movie's characters". To be honest, I think this book helped me to appreciate the movie adaptation even more. I love how it took some of the book's aspects and characters and ran with them, but did away with old tired plots and traits. It was just more likable in general.
This book contains three short romances that are, in a way, connected. One of the things I did like was how it all seemed to come together and interweave in the end. It was kind of cheesy, but I enjoyed it. However, each story was given about 100 pages to develop, meaning that they were either instalovey, rushed, sudden, or even all of the above. I think the book would have worked better if, instead of being formatted into three short stories, it was three different povs that interweaved as time went on until they finally arrived at a conclusion.
The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson- 2 stars
This story follows a qUiRkY� girl named Jubilee (yes, that is her name) who has to take a train to Florida to her grandparents on Christmas Eve after her parents have been arrested for being bystanders to a riot. A "Flobie" riot. Flobie- a Christmas mini village decoration collection. That's right...her parents have a weird obsession with "Flobie". I guess that filled this book's qUiRkY� obsession quota. Anyway, Jubilee's train stops after a major snowstorm hits, which leaves her stranded at a Waffle House. Then, a RANDOM STRANGER, Stuart, comes in, apparently her age, and says "oh hey! wanna just crash at my place? even though I've never met you?" and then they form a romance in under 24 hours. Completely instalovey.
A few things that really bothered me about this story that prompted me to give it two stars was:
-Jubilee: Jubilee, as I mentioned before, is qUiRkY�, but I was willing to forgive that for this story, since I enjoyed her character in the movie. But then, when her train stops and she's stranded at a Waffle House, she encounters a whole large group of cheerleaders. And these poor cheerleaders cannot catch a break! Jubilee is so quick to judge them without even meeting them, just completely stereotyping them. Also, she always constantly beats up her name. It was funny at first, her comparing the name Jubilee to a stripper, but it quickly got old when she constantly repeated it over in every chapter. Sorry Mel, but i just didn't like her.
-The whole relationship development: Within like, three hours of meeting, Stuart suddenly didn't feel sad about his past relationship anymore, as if she was the new light of his life. as soon as she broke up with the boyfriend she was obsessed with, she moved on SO quickly. She even counted the amount of minutes between her break up and kissing Stuart...25 minutes!! It took her 25 minutes to move on. So yeah. That's why I didn't really like this book.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green - 3 stars
This story follows three qUiRkY� best friends on Christmas (2 male, 1 female) getting a call from their other best friend (male) to come down to Waffle House, because there is a harem of cheerleaders stranded for the night and doing stretches down there. Sound familiar? Make the connections with the last story? Anyways, our narrator, Tobin, and his male friend JP are so excited to go and take advantage of these cheerleaders, but the female friend, The Duke, is reluctant, but eventually obliges because she loves the hash browns. And as it turns out, there is a limited amount of people to be let into the Waffle House, so Tobin, JP, and The Duke are now racing the "big bad Reston brothers". Unfortunately, they have to practically run, because Tobin's parents' beloved car got caught in a snowdrift. Along the way, Tobin realizes he is in love with The Duke and yeah...some things go down. I liked the romance better in this one, as it was more thought out.
A few things that bothered me that prompted me to give it three stars was:
-the whole cheerleader thing: everyone in this book either adores or despises cheerleaders. Tobin and JP and the other male friend, Don Keun, are so freaking horny and are just objectifying these poor cheerleaders. Then on the other hand, we have qUiRkY� The Duke, who is kinda hating on these cheerleaders out of jealousy, is just being a bit bitchy. It just bothered me. We had shaming and objectifying in one story. Yet this book still passed the bechdel test.
-the plot in general: the whole plot in general was a little boring. I liked it for the experience but didn't really think about it afterwards. It didn't exactly stand out.
The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle - 2 stars
This story follows a self-absorbed bitch named Addie. But no, seriously. I don't think I'll even have to make a section describing what bothered me about this story. Addie, being self-absorbed, isn't thinking about her boyfriend's feelings, so she expects SO much from him even though he loves her, and goes so far as to kiss another guy behind his back. Then she victimized herself and make her friends feel bad for her, and she goes on a crazed spiral. She goes crazy at her job and forgets to pick up her best friend's Christmas present (her best friend is qUiRkY� so she wants a pig). SHE doesn't shame cheerleaders, but she relies on her ex-boyfriend to function, so I think we've established that this is not a feminist book. I don't even want to talk about this one. I'm done with this book....more
**spoiler alert** Oh my god, this was the best book in the series by FAR! The book's raunchy/cheesy factor went way down and the realistic factor went**spoiler alert** Oh my god, this was the best book in the series by FAR! The book's raunchy/cheesy factor went way down and the realistic factor went way up. When I first started this series, I was a little annoyed with the writing and the instalove and the unrealistic love interest and the oh so many typos and the whole thing about PENNY SAYING THAT NOAH WAS HER WHOLE WORLD EVEN THOUGH NO GUY/GIRL SHOULD BE ANYONE'S WHOLE WORLD (sorry I had to let that out). But eventually, I came to love the book's flaws. At the beginning of this book, I was considering a 4 to 4.5-star rating for my review. I just wasn't so driven to read it so much. I liked how it started, but then Penny met Callum and my consistent want to binge read kind of went downhill a little. He was really awkward and clingy and obsessive so I was so happy when she dropped him. Also, although I'm really into the theatre and singing scene, Posey's whole storyline was written really weirdly and it kind of bored me (no matter how much I love Leah Brown). I did love how Penny was helping Posey deal with her anxiety. The storyline I did like was the whole Penny + Posey vs. Megan bit. I never trusted Megan ever since she made Penny have a panic attack in Book 1, so I didn't believe anything she said ever, which was entertaining. I also love Kira and Amara, and the new squad (Alex, Elliott, Noah, and Penny), they're all so amazing. When Elliott ran away from home, I cried so hard as he has always been my favorite. Lastly, I loved the new unfolding of Penny and Noah's relationship and the unfolding of her photography exhibition. I ended up crying at the end because I knew I would miss the characters a lot, but I guess that's what makes a good story! :)...more
**spoiler alert** This book reminded me of a game I used to play when I was younger. It was a sort of "Episode" app but it was about Demi Lovato and h**spoiler alert** This book reminded me of a game I used to play when I was younger. It was a sort of "Episode" app but it was about Demi Lovato and having your character rise to fame while on tour with her as her opening act. Girl Online: On Tour reminded me so much of this game. As it was also about surviving on tour, there was a super supportive best friend, super rude management/bandmates, CELEBRITY friends you lose and make, and feeling super unprofessional on tour. They were both super cheesy and cringey but also extremely entertaining and addicting. My two favorite characters were probably Leah Brown and Elliott. I love how Leah Brown was like a hotshot celebrity but, even when Penny thought she would be a catty stuck up celebrity, she took the time to buy Penny all these clothes and makeup. I also loved Elliott because this time, he didn't get jealous and ghost her. He took the time to listen to her concerns and problems even when Alex had broken up with him. I also love the fact that Noah and Penny's relationship was more realistic this time. Sometimes meeting conflicts can break relationships. I also loved Noah more as a character because he showed more depth. I also like how this book showed that sometimes friendships drift but can find their way back to each other in the end, even if they aren't as close. I also liked that I can see significant character development with Penny from the last book. She is more confident and stands up for herself and for her friends way more often and she finally recognizes that she has talent in her photography. Also, this book had the American characters sounding more American than the last one. And it didn't need to give me a constant reminder that Penny is British by having other characters constantly talk about her accent. Anyway, I really liked this book, even more than the previous one, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be reading the last book, which is (according to my friends) supposed to be the best one. ...more
I really really really really really wanted to like this book. I wanted to keep going and wanted it to get better. I was really excited to read it wheI really really really really really wanted to like this book. I wanted to keep going and wanted it to get better. I was really excited to read it when I first got it. I had decided to read it with my friend Mel and we were going to have so much fun with it. Mel, I'd just like to apologize profusely AGAIN for dnfing this book on you, but I seriously couldn't take it anymore.
This book was EXCRUCIATING for me to read. I realized that I need to dnf this today when I was supposed to read six chapters and two hours passed and I had only read two and a half chapters. I've been wasting my day reading this book that is proving to be IMPOSSIBLE for me to enjoy. The writing style is so bland, so terrible, and so monotonous. It feels so lazy and like a first draft or an outline of what the book is supposed to look like when it's finished. The prologue of the book is literally the fairy tale INTRO TO THE MOVIE! Before the movie is well developed! And then it just continues with that fairy tale type of structure.
Another annoying thing was the structure of the book. I feel like the first chunk of the book was written just in case someone didn't know the story or the book. The thing is, I feel like the only reason people read these Twisted Tale books is to see an alternate version of what the movie could have been...meaning that they had to have seen the movie. So we didn't need all this excruciatingly long first part of the book because it was just the movie transcribed into book! It reminded me of one of those Disney books you buy as a kid that's basically just the movie but written down, to get kids into reading. It was so unnecessarily descriptive that I wanted to gouge my eyes out reading it! Maurice's backstory wasn't in any way redeemable either. Every chapter would alternate from Belle's present-day to Maurice's past, and I literally couldn't decide which storyline I hated more!
Let's move onto the plot. This story was basically the Beauty and the Beast story but "what if Belle's mother cursed the Beast"? Okay...what if? The whole time I was wondering what that would change in the book...but all it did for the beginning of the book was provide a boring ass backstory for Maurice. Maurice has no flavor too...he is literally so boring. Annoyingly enough, his plot moved so slowly...so slowly that it felt like hours had passed by each time I finished a chapter...and do you know what? This book was so bad that chapters did take hours for me to finish. On another hand, Belle's present-day plot moved in milliseconds. All of a sudden, by her third chapter, Belle was being imprisoned by the Beast. It was just a disaster.
Finally, let's review some of the characters:
-Belle: Belle is and has been my favorite Disney princess since I was six years old. I loved her because I saw myself in her through her kindness and her obsessions. This Belle was SO surface-level. She thought like how outsiders see book lovers. All she thought about were books! Every single thing would result in "omg this happened in a book" or "omg all I love are my books". An annoying thing about Belle was that her thoughts were so one dimensional. "Maybe I like the Beast. Maybe I don't." No in-depth thoughts. Another annoying thing was that Belle would reference things that happened in her books ALL THE TIME, but the thing is, she would reference things that is literally KNOWN TO HAPPEN IN HER STORY. "this reminded Belle of a book she read where the captive fell in love with her captor". That's literally her story! She literally used her thoughts to make sure the reader knew what was going to happen!
-The Beast: This book made me realize how much I hate the Beast. Him being a Beast is literally just an excuse for a grumpy, angry, abusive old character. He yelled at Belle for literally everything, and when he was finally nice to her and unsettling. The little friendship buildup they had made me so uncomfortable.
-Maurice (Belle's father): Maurice wasn't as butchered as the others, but he was so boring. He was practically described as a plain simple man. Nothing else to him besides the fact that he was in love with the Enchantress. He was just so annoyingly surface-level and he didn't have any likable qualities.
-Rosalind (the Enchantress/Belle's mom): Rosalind is a strong female character, yes, but too strong, as if she was trying to fill a quota. She would rush to fight or yell at people and she was always described as fierce. I feel like the author just wanted her to be a "strong female character" but it was too much. It made the character annoying to read about.
Something the book could have used was more of an element of surprise. Since we had Maurice's backstory going on alongside Belle's present-day storyline, we knew everything Belle was going to figure out before SHE did. It would have been beneficial for Maurice's backstory to collectively go after Belle's present-day storyline, so we'd be surprised with her. Also, it would have been beneficial to shorten Maurice's backstory...IT DRAGGGGGED.
Readers of my reviews have seen in my reviews that I try to include the bright side in every book I review. This had NO BRIGHT SIDE. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT THIS! The only redeeming quality was the cute chapter titles. I'm so sorry for my hostility and I promise my next review will not be as accusatory. Thanks for reading!
P.S. The fact that Maurice released a breath he didn't realize he was holding lost respect points in my book....more
TW: graphic violence depictions and sexual assault
It's books like these that make me love reading. I read only a few of the chapters of this book and ITW: graphic violence depictions and sexual assault
It's books like these that make me love reading. I read only a few of the chapters of this book and I knew I would absolutely adore it. Sometimes I get nervous reading historical fiction books because I'm afraid that I won't understand the history 0f the books or I'll get bored or something like that. Ruta Sepetys's writing prevents either of those from happening. She is such a prolific writer that it is complex and easy to understand her writing at the same time, and she hooks you so you grow attached to the story and the characters. This book was so good that, at this moment in time, I consider it one of my a-list favorites. I guess I'll have to see how that holds up.
This book is about a girl named Lina who gets separated from her father and taken to a Siberian labor camp alongside her mother and brother Jonas in 1941. It is so difficult to read, not in writing style, but in content, as it depicts the lives of these people who are so deeply suffering. Lina is an amazing artist and she often draws pictures on spare sheets of paper to try to reach her father. It is such a beautiful story and it sheds light on a part of this time in history that is often ignored or brushed aside. The plot was riveting and it was literally so hard for me to put this book down. It often flashed back to moments that Lina and her family had experienced to create a sense of realism and attachment for the story and the characters.
The characters in this book were literal perfection. Lina was such a perfect character, but not in an annoying Mary Sue sort of way. Jonas was her innocent lovable little brother. Her mother was so kind and caring. Andrius was Lina's enemies-to-love interest and he was such a complex and likable character. All the side characters are so likable as well, but there are so many of them that I don't want to list them all. There was one character that I was pissed off at most of the time, but I grew to appreciate him as well. The Soviets were so dislikable, which was very important.
Overall, I don't have much to say about this book besides the fact that I love it. I think everyone should read this book because it's so beautiful and important to read. Honestly, it's really hard for me to review this BECAUSE of the fact that I loved it so much. So this was kind of a sucky review :). If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one!
Edit: I just learned that my uncle who fought in World War II was imprisoned in a Russian prison for four years similar to the characters in this book. I thought that was an interesting tidbit to add....more
Loading...
