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| 0765387565
| 9780765387561
| 0765387565
| 4.18
| 1,332,121
| Oct 06, 2020
| Oct 06, 2020
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liked it
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3.5 I know The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will probably end up on a lot of people's favourite bookshelves this year, but having finished it, I can't 3.5 I know The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will probably end up on a lot of people's favourite bookshelves this year, but having finished it, I can't say I'm in the same boat. Why? Well, mostly due to the blatant emphasis on prose over plot and unfortunately, character too. When Addie LaRue is forced into a marriage with no hopes of escaping her boring life, she mistakenly makes a deal with the devil after dark. He grants her wish â€� Addie will live forever, at the price that no-one will ever remember her again. For 300 years, Addie roams the world alone, unable to make true friends, fall in love beyond a night, even say her name. That is until 2014, in the quiet corner of a bookstore, she hears the words she’d given up on: I remember you Upon hearing the plot of the book, I expected a very different story. I think the concept is beyond incredible â€� whether it’s been done before or not, I’m not sure, but it sounded like a refreshing story that I couldn’t wait to devour. Devils, immortality, a mixture of art, history and the meaning of memory/time thrown along the way. I couldn’t wait. Add to that, a modern day depiction of depression that sounded like it’d be utilised to its full potential, I was hooked. Now, there was definitely a lot about this book I loved. I want to preface this by saying I know where my four stars went. The writing was supreme, each sentence depicting a full blown film in my mind. This style may not be for everyone â€� there is a lot of repetition and the word weaves maybe a touch too poetic for some â€� but I adored it, and there’s no doubt I’ll buy the physical copy just to pore over the similes, the structure, each inch of the prose again and again. Secondly, the themes of time and memory always have and always will speak to my soul. Me being a weird, emo child was obsessed with both from a young age and the older I grow, the more fascinating they become to me. Is my life worth any meaning if I have nothing to prove for it at the end? Is life just a stitched passage of journeys, good and bad, and then ultimately nothing? Am I wasting my youth? Conversely, is Addie’s life a waste since though she is immortal, she cannot write, draw, create without disappearing instantly? She does and does not exist at the same time. I say this as I type my review on laptop, wondering should I be doing something else instead, noticing the time ticking in the corner. Well, lucky for you, no. There is clearly nothing better in the world that I should be doing right now. (Watch as the camera pans in mockumentary style on all my wasted potential, trophies sitting in the background behind me.) So, yes I can say both were executed very well for me through Schwab’s writing alone. I can’t emphasise enough how her prose saved the book for me. Because this book isn’t what I was expecting and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Speaking of wasted potential. What is this book about? I gave a little summary above, if you’ve read it. I’m notoriously good at avoiding plots (seriously, if you give me a bestseller, I could not guess what it is about unless the title is blatantly obvious), but this one seemed simple. Girl is cursed. Girl travels the world for centuries. Girl feels lonely. Girl meets boy. Now, apparently some people expected a villain as the love interest. Maybe that was an earlier release, I don’t know. But I truly believe this plot did not explore the book’s true potential. I expected Addie to go through wars, events, see the whole world to its fullest. Honestly, the most she goes to is America, Paris, and her village (Florence for a bit too.) Maybe it’d be less frustrating if inklings of this other plot hadn’t been given off. Occasionally, Addie will mention how an image or a piece of music will bring her back to, City, City, City. Those cities never get beyond being The Rule of Three. They’re placed there so we’ll believe she’s cultured or well-travelled, as if her immortality wouldn’t give us that idea. But the bulk of the story takes place in Paris and New York, and I wouldn’t even say Paris gets as focused a lens as New York does. And I would’ve loved to see a girl live through so many different wars, revolutions, and we know she has, because we’re told it, but the closest we ever get to see is a World War Two scene which takes up maybe? Three paragraphs. I’m pretty sure she’s also supposed to be a spy during this time, but the book payed about one line of attention to it, so who knows? (Let’s ignore the impracticalities of her being a spy, since everyone forgets her once she’s out of sight and it’s not like she can write anything down to secretly slip into their hands) That’s the issue. We know Addie’s been all these things, or seen all these things, or done all these things, but it’s never shown, only told, and not even in proper detail. Now, there are a load of interesting scenes regarding Addie's curse. But, oh boy, does this book have problems when it comes to “show, don’t tellâ€� and that is primarily the characters. Addie…I’m not sure what her personality is. She has seven freckles, I can tell you that. They look like stars, everyone says so. She likes reading and drawing, you know arty stuff. Her voice is written really, really well, though it's usually only focused on the plights she suffers. And I’d be okay with that...if Addie isn’t supposed to inspire every artist she meets. This is one of her core characteristics. She’ll met a guy or girl, they’ll draw or paint her in that evening, then they’ll forget her. Of course, the artwork never can fully capture her appearance, nor can photos, but there’s always an element of allure and mystique to them. To summarise bluntly, everyone she meets is so entranced by her and think she's the most spectacular person ever. But why? She’s not particularly witty or charismatic. The book will consistently tell us how amazing she seems (without showing it), so it makes some kind of sense that everyone falls in love with her on contact. If this was part of her curse, sure, I’d believe it. But it’s not, so I’ve just settled on she’s hot. Like, really, really hot. Supermodel type of hot. I never knew there was such a fetish for freckles, but there’s got to be if people are this drawn to her (ha! Puns). (Also, Addie seems to be in a load different art works, but don’t think we ever meet these artists or learn their experiences of getting to know her or being with her. There’s two, three maybe max? Once again, the showing part of the story being ignored) (Also Number 2: Addie mopes the entire book. And I know these kind of circumstances realistically call for Endless Moping, but God, it would be a lot more interesting if Addie wanted to do something fun every once in a while.) Let’s move onto main character two, and that’s Henry. This book ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð be renamed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue AND Henry, and I would've accepted it. He gets his own section and there’s more to his character than we expect. Initially, he is the first person to ever remember Addie which I can say was a pretty impactful moment to read about. Then they begin a relationship (let's ignore the age gap), and we learn more about him. He’s a sweater vest wearing, bookish kind of guy. He’s nice. Nice is the key word. Sometimes that often co-ordinates with being bland in books, and it's no different here. See, Henry’s got his own troubles. I can’t remember if it’s named in the book, it’s clear he has depression, and possibly anxiety. Good mental health rep is hard to find and I thought this book would be it. When Addie asks him “would you rather feel nothing or everything?â€� and his face goes blank, I thought “oh, this is going to be real.â€� But, personally, I rarely felt the emotion of Henry’s suffering, even when it was written so well. And then something (no spoilers) happens to him, and his reaction to it for the rest of the novel felt a little underwhelming? It was once again felt like his feelings were told, rather than shown. Likewise, the chemistry between the two wasn’t visible for me, either than him being immune to Addie’s curse which is reason enough to strike up a relationship, I guess. I don’t think the emotions ring true though, and it may be because of those prose. It’s clear Schwab has poured these similes and metaphors onto the page after years of practice and planning, but it feels a little too clipped, a little too perfect to carry the realness. Words don’t compensate for the actions that incite our feelings. I could be wrong, but that’s my little estimate anyway. Still, I’d rather Addie and Henry have been friends over lovers. As for the real plot, I suppose, it’s Henry or Addie showing each other around New York, intersected with flashbacks to Addie’s past which is primarily in France, or her hating the effects of her curse along with some moments with the Devil dude. It’s a kind of cheesy, indie movie plot which will win some Oscars and become an aesthetic for tumblr (and don't worry. This is becoming a movie) They show each other the joy of living through things they haven’t seen before. And I do believe that element is executed so well, even if it’s not what I wanted once again. Lastly, I need to address, Luc, “the nightâ€�, whatever he is. He literally is The Darkling, and I didn’t even like The Darkling. I don’t know how I felt about him, because he was such a petty, possessive hoe, but he still was more interesting than Henry. Those looking for your love interest, you’re going to get it, just don't think he's any different from the toxic, dark guys of YA. My problem with Luc is he does feel like he's from a YA book. I think this is adult (I haven’t followed Schwab’s usage of V.E and Victoria), but he felt very…cliché to me. You know every line’s going to be a quote, you know he’ll want the main girl to be his lover and be an absolute control freak, you know there will be paragraphs detailing his looks and his darkness again and again and again. I don’t like those possessive guys with no redemption, sorry. I feel his character would have fit in the original plot I expected, but in this book which is apparently trying to take itself so seriously...Nope. And I know there’ll be a lot of people who’ll love him. He’s going to be a Book Boyfriend for many. But like I said, I thought he was a petty hoe and did nothing other than make the prose and scenery a bit cooler. Sorry. (Also, if you think any of your faves haven’t sold their soul, they have apparently.) It’s right I should finish this with the ending. Mmm…I don’t know. I thought it was quite sweet and satisfying, but Addie who is a very resilient and strong character didn’t get the ending I deserve. I can’t explain it without spoiling but with the theme of feminism and independence running so strong through the book, that’s how it finishes? I don’t want a sequel, but I just wished it had been a bit more clear in finishing Addie’s story. Anyway, I think a lot of people will love this book. Overall, the themes and writing completely captivated me. The characters, less so, but their stories were still very interesting to read about. I would tell readers, you won’t get to see any major historical events or wars, bar one or two that are very short. You won’t see Addie’s travels throughout the world. This book is much more focused on grief, loss, memory, loneliness and how two people help each other to get through their pain. Schwab has spent ten years on this book. Was it perfect? I don’t think so. Would I read it again? Definitely. But as a new favourite, or something ground breaking, this happens to be a miss for me. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Oct 29, 2020
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Oct 31, 2020
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Oct 29, 2020
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Hardcover
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| B0DT2LTWR9
| 3.98
| 329,885
| Sep 03, 2019
| Sep 03, 2019
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liked it
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Sometimes I like to think I’ve moved on from YA books, that I’m now somehow a more refined reader who sips a cup of tea with my pinky finger out. I me
Sometimes I like to think I’ve moved on from YA books, that I’m now somehow a more refined reader who sips a cup of tea with my pinky finger out. I mean, do I really like books with cheesy romances? Do I really like characters that seem to be carbon copies of other YA heroes/heroines? Do I really care about a book that focuses less on plot and instead on fast, flimsy fun? Well according to Serpent and Dove, yes. Lou is a witch who’s trying to escape her past in the city of Cesarine, Belterra which is definitely not France. Reid, is a Chasseur, a witch hunter who’s only goal in life is to kill witches. After an altercation goes slightly out of hand, the Archbishop of the Chasseurs sees only one way for Reid’s public image to stay intact: Marriage to Lou. I know, I know, I should’ve stopped reading this at the blurb. But unfortunately I want to be part of the cool kids crowd of YA and that means reading the most popular books at the moment. “Look,â€� I say, as I hold up(?) my e-book of Serpent and Dove, “I’m one of you too!â€� But I didn’t expect to actually, like, enjoy it. Okay, “enjoyâ€� is a strong word, but I didn’t outright hate it which is unusual considering its use of clichés that are really running rampant in YA fantasy these days. I admit I don’t read fanfiction, but the premise itself sounds a bit sketchy. A random marriage? I pictured it in my head as a Ross and Rachel situation in Vegas, or the characters did it to escape some kind of attackers by pretending to get married. Nope. It’s actually a lot less believable than either of my guesses (which are pretty far fetched anyway). After assuming Lou to be a thief, Reid chases her and they somehow fall onto the middle of a stage because book logic. Everyone thinks he harmed her because of injuries she’d received the night previous. But instead of Lou clearing things up with a simple “this wasn’t him,â€� the Archbishop (whose the leader of the Chasseurs) marries them in attempt to preserve the Chasseurs gentlemanly reputation. Technically, this shouldn’t work because people will still presume he assaulted her anyway, but this book is set in an incredibly patriarchal society (I’ll get to that) where when a husband disciplines his wife, it’s totally okay and no-one would view the Chasseurs in a negative light if they thought one of them beat up his wife. Way to stay in the good books, people! Anyway, if Lou refuses, she’ll be sent to prison because a thief’s a thief. Reluctantly, they both agree to this and thus begins a story where they eternally hate each other. Oh wait, this is YA. Starting with characters, I actually did like Lou which is genuinely unusual for me, considering how similar she is to many YA leads I disliked. I thought she was likeable enough and she didn’t annoy me as much as I expected her to. I think Malhurin portrayed a playful, quirky teenager/young woman relatively well and I appreciated that Lou didn’t make a handful of bad decisions to advance the plot. Reid unfortunately, is quite bland playing the stoic, stiff, upper-lip witch hunter. Part of this is how predictable he is. I knew anytime Lou would do something frivolous, he’d be like “wait, that’s unholy,â€� the same as any of the other Chasseurs. I think a lot of authors genuinely struggle with injecting personality into main characters who are quiet or awkward, because it shies away from the persona they’re trying to portray. Reid didn’t have any distinct type of humour or interest, and ended up being rather dull compared to Lou. Honestly, the book didn’t need his perspective and it was completely understandable why Lou’s took up the bulk. But I liked how protective he was of Lou without commanding her. Yes, I like love interests whose best interest is to keep their partner safe, minus the orders of “that’s dangerous! I refuse to let you go.â€� When Lou did something, Reid could be unhappy but he’d never stop her. I think the winning element of this book for me was that I did like the romance. I thought it was sweet and I think it came together better than other enemies-to-lovers I’ve read (though I’ll never believe enemies-to-lovers can be within one book alone over a limited timespan). I do believe the progression was more natural than that of The Cruel Prince (the first book specifically which had one scene which felt really unnatural to me.) and it was clear they cared for each other. Even the enemies side of the relationship was done well, if not quite quickly. If I hadn’t enjoyed the romance, I would not have liked this book. It’s just a shame the book couldn’t have stuck to the relationship alone. The world building was lacking…to say the least. Belterra is, I suppose, a fictional version of France but the French was primarily used for (a)cursing, (b)names of places, and (c) to be like, “hey, this book is cultured.â€� Had it borrowed from French history, or not used American slang, I don’t know, maybe it wouldn’t have felt so unearned. The French language felt awkwardly slipped in as a reminder to readers that this was definitely a fantasy book. Shelby, if it’s France, just say it’s France, instead of thinking it substitutes as a fully-fleshed out world from your imagination. For a second, I thought the hunters were literally named Shoes, but it turned out Chasseur is French for hunter, so I guess I’m not qualified to give any judgements? I do have one question that’s been plaguing my mind though? Lou sees someone drinking chocolat chaud, which is hot chocolate, and then says he has chocolat on his beard/moustache/face/whatever. Does hot chocolate somehow transform into chocolate once the first sip has been taken? Are the drops of hot chocolate disregarded as hot chocolate once they touch human skin? Instead of a making this blunder, why didn’t Malhurin just say hot chocolate instead of trying to emphasise how French this book is? (Now I'm waiting for a French person to come and prove to me she’s in the right. Then I delete my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ account and cry for a few hours.) It’s just this book has no nuance. Every message is slapped across your face. In this case, it happens to be religion/men=bad, witches/women=good. I don’t think it was fair for Malhurin to fully use Catholicism in every way except its name, and then talk about how terrible it was. Once again, just call it Catholicism, or maybe make up a different religion inspired by it. Don’t be lazy, and take every ounce of it and pretend it’s something new. I think it’s just tiring to re-iterate that Christianity or religion is bad when obviously there are good people out there who believe in it. I’m not going to pretend there aren’t bad sides to it, but saying someone who follows it is hypocritical and sexist seems unfair to those who believe in God and don’t use it as a way to repress people, but just as a faith for themselves. Disclaimer that I’m basically an atheist, but I wouldn’t use the bulk of someone’s religion and choose to portray it, or the people so negatively with few outliers. It’s just lazy writing. Maybe if there were morally grey characters in this book, but nope. The Chausseurs hate witches, but some also hate women too, pretty much. They’re referred to as harlots or heathens or whores, whatever you can think of. I don’t understand why Malhurin didn’t stick to them just disliking witches but how else can we show Lou standing up against the patriarchy? She curses! She wears pants! She disobeys her husband! I do like the female friendship in this between Coco and Lou, but I wish Malhurin hadn’t so aggressively made the men/religion in this society so sexist or judgemental. It’s like Reid is so great for treating Lou with respect, though he still thinks of women as weaker than men, or that they shouldn’t be so frivolous. I’m tired of authors acting like their male characters deserve a reward for treating women like people. I’m aware it’s set in the 1600’s (I think), but damn it, if the book ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð been a bit more subtle with its message. This wasn’t a huge problem for me and I think Malhurin genuinely just wanted to make an empowering book, but it just seems lazy and she really ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð made more of an effort instead of proclaiming “look at the sexism!â€� every few pages without actually delving into the theme. Adding to the feminism, Lou calls the girl who used to date Reid a cow for trying to talk to him. She also finds the fact she have didn’t sex with Reid ridiculous. I think Malhurin slipped these in without thinking, but this book was actually doing so well up to that point in women not shaming women. I'm going to go out here and say, I don't tend to delve into controversial issues in my review, going more for the story/writing, but a number of people have brought up problematic elements that you may want to check out before reading. Lauren's review does a really good job summing up the key issues. Also Read with Cindy's Youtube video is an enjoyable 40 minutes whether you've read the book or not. I do think the magic system was surprisingly intriguing and cool for a YA book (I’ve grown to dislike “hey, you’re just born with the ability to control whatever"), and the curses in this book were pleasantly nasty and just as I wanted them to be. A few that stuck out to me was forgetting all your memories of your child, or becoming a cannibal. The writing was gorgeous and flowery (I’m okay with this style of writing though some readers don’t like it as much) and I liked Ansel, another chasseur, and Coco, Lou’s best friend. Yeah, Ansel felt way too young for sixteen, but he was sweet and I liked his growing relationship with Lou. The amount of empathy Lou had was also a nice touch to her character. Both villains were one-dimensional. Morgane (I don't even know if I've spelt her name right) is the kind of villain whose like “it’s good for the world if we kill someoneâ€� while stroking your hair or kissing your head. So boring. The Archbishop hated women more than anyone else in this book in this book so that wasn’t much better. I think it would’ve been better if the leader of the whole religion had some sort of holy compassion, but hey, who needs nuance? Who wants that? There’s hints that the bigger world is quite interesting, but they may only be hints and not even well thought-out ones, according to the way the rest of the world was portrayed in this book. Also the ending was kinnndddd of rushed, along with the introduction of the Big Bad. It's probably only there to warrant a sequel. I thought the twists were fun, if not unoriginal, and I had a good time reading the whole story (besides Big Tiddy Liddy. No. We are never discussing that again.) Sure, I knew this book was a bit silly the second Lou described the colours of her eyes in the first person narrative without looking at her reflection (they’re blue-green. Did you know?). But, being honest, I enjoyed the book up till the last third where it just felt a bit off for me. It was fun, fast, had nice writing, and I liked the romance. It’s totally a fast food book, and that’s okay. I’m just unimpressed with the laziness in the author’s villains, world, and overall themes. If you’re not a critical reader, I think you’d like this. If you can handle the messages being hit at you with the force of a sledgehammer, you could enjoy it. But do I think this needs a second book? No. Am I going to read it anyway? Yes. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 26, 2020
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Oct 28, 2020
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Oct 26, 2020
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Hardcover
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| 0316379409
| 9780316379403
| 0316379409
| 3.95
| 40,874
| Nov 14, 2017
| Nov 14, 2017
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liked it
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I admit, I’m always confused as to why there isn’t more “adult� books concerning mermaids. From the eerie sirens who sing sailors to death, to horrifi
I admit, I’m always confused as to why there isn’t more “adult� books concerning mermaids. From the eerie sirens who sing sailors to death, to horrific beasts lurking beneath the ocean, the potential for scares and horror is limitless. I was interested in Grant’s book, which went more of the latter route, creating mermaids with grotesque bodies who will gladly eat humans, and was pleasantly rooted in science. I did not expect, however, uninteresting characters to take up the bulk of this novel and for the mermaids to be, well…not very scary? When the Atargatis sailed out to film a mockumentary about mermaids, more a party then a serious mission, the ship returned within weeks, only empty of life and bodies. Several years later, Victoria “Tory� Sanderson is desperate to find out the truth of what happened to the ship, and more importantly, her sister. So, when a second secret expedition filled with state-of-the-art technology and top professionals is commissioned, Tori takes her chance to get on board, only to find what is out there is much worse than she imagined� Dun, dun, duuuun I don’t really read sci-fi books, but the best part about this book is undoubtedly the scientific elements. Most novels tend to consider mermaids as magic or mythological, but Grant’s depiction makes them almost appear real with the amount of detail and realism she goes into. I’m seriously wondering does she have a degree related to this or did she just do a lot of research. Another bonus is how she conducts this information through a variety of scientists in her novel. It’s explained how exactly how the mermaid’s bodies works, how they function, their whole lifestyle really, but never in a way hat makes it hard to comprehend. And I do personally find it very satisfying that we received a lot of information about them rather than their origins being left clouded in a veil of mystery. That doesn’t work for every reader, obviously, but I think it fits very well in this case because otherwise, I’m not sure this would’ve been as interesting to read. What caught me out the more I read through the novel, was how the mermaids either (a) appeared too little, or (b) when they were there, the threat rarely felt imminent. The mermaids peak, possibly (probably) within the first few chapters of the books and then take an extended absence till about midway. Now, most of the time they are terrifying when they’re on the page. With some brilliant visual descriptions, Grant evokes equal parts claustrophobia, wonder, and disgust. My interest in them could not be satiated. However, the downfall in this book, to me, lies within the characters. It’s a hard one to pinpoint. With a book this size, it’s understandable why Grant would want to create a large cast, probably so we can empathise with them, and make the promised kill count much more thrilling and emotional. But the majority of them felt so…flat. There’s Tori, the sonar specialist who’s searching for answers to her sister’s demise, Olivia the anchor who has taken Tori’s sisters role on the new ship, Jillian Toth, who’s whole job basically revolves around mermaids and their existence, deaf twins Holly and Heather, their sister Hallie, the three trying to find a way to communicate with the mermaids...there’s a lot of characters basically, and sadly, the book didn’t benefit from it. Very few stuck out and for a simple reason; a lot of their choices suffered from bordering between shallowness and just being ridiculous. (Also, naming three siblings, Hallie, Holly, and Heather made for a lot of confusion. Maybe their parents/Grant were aiming for a Kardashian type thing, but if I saw a number of K’s on the page also, my eyes would still spasm.) After the confirmation of the mermaid’s existence, things quickly get very repetitive and stale. (Not to say talk about the person who discovered them � it’s been some time since I’ve seen that level of idiocy in a book from a character). Characters will continuously say “we are not going to get out of this alive,� but as passively as if they are describing the weather. You see, once the threat is established, no one does anything. They will say things similar to the above, but won’t make an effort to fight it, pursue it. They’re not even afraid of it, and this point really affected the book for me. If a character does not show fear of the main threat, the readers won’t either. This is the second time I’ve used IT as an example in recent months, but at some stage in the book, the kids don’t really seem scared of Pennywise and because of that, I wasn’t either. I don’t think it was an intentional thing in IT � it’s just a case where you knew they wouldn’t die and the kids knew he was lurking around. Here, it’s clear the mermaids are a vital, violent threat, but everyone’s just like “alright,� and go about their day as usual. I’m just going to assume everyone was borderline suicidal or had a death wish, since no one reacted in a sanely human way and wanted to leave the ship. Some of this is blamed on people wanting to finish their research, but you’re telling me no one was remotely scared? All interest went out the window once I realised the characters had about as much emotions as a chair. (Another point is it took such a long time for them � these highly trained scientists- to establish the mermaids were intelligent and dangerous. When they decided they were smart, I basically rolled my eyes. I think it was clear when the mermaids expertly killed someone or did some impressive feat that they may need to be taken a little bit seriously.) I wouldn’t say the characters were bad in other aspects. The dialogue was fine. I can’t say I clicked with Tori or Olivia, since Tori seemed too distant and Olivia was a bit childish. I think my favourite was Dr. Jillian Toth, since she didn’t take any bullshit and made it clear from the start she knew how dangerous it was and didn’t care. By the end, she was the character I had the most respect for and genuinely liked. Also special shout out to her mysterious husband, Theo Blackwell who oozed control with a slight (slight) bit of heart. But otherwise, characters reacted so passively to everything. People literally died in front of their friends, and no one cared after five minutes. It honestly baffles me how any grief/fear/shock was swept aside so quickly. My other issue was the lack of mermaids. They felt very underutilised and the book suffered from plot convenience a little too often. At times, characters would be in very dangerous situations and the mermaids would take no advantage of it because, hey, we need that character later. I was also surprised some of the more interesting elements were ignored. We know pretty early on (the second/third chapter, I think) that mermaids can mimic voices/sounds, yet it’s never used against the humans? I expected some kind of psychological torture invoked here, but, alas, no. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t that creepy for me either. The scariest part occurs during the discovery of the mermaids. I literally held my breath, awash with excitement that I was going to get a lot more like this in an action-packed second half. But if I were to best describe the rest of the book it would basically be a crime show autopsy with, interspersed with random deaths every now and then. Not to mention the number of kill scenes are surprisingly minimal � when they’re there, they’re good - but most happen off page which must be one of the stranger missed opportunities in this book. (Also, while she writes great kill scenes, I do need to mention I thought the prose otherwise was a bit sparse and didn't really do the setting justice.) Grant also has a habit of giving a full life story on any person/building/place we meet. It wasn’t off-putting, just unusual and I’ve rarely seen so much exposition in a novel. No perspective showed much uniqueness, besides a chapter told from a dolphin’s perspective (a brilliant chapter). Also, Tori's ex, Jason, was only in the book for a few chapters, yet I thought his were the most well-written? I'm telling you he was in there for such a short amount of time he should be considered an extra, but she dug into his character really well for the timespan. The changing perspectives didn’t bother me either, though I momentarily freaked out when one chapter was written in present tense, before it stayed at third throughout the book. My brain probably wouldn’t have been a fan of flicking back and forth between the two. I think the themes of humanity’s selfishness, climate change, and nature’s unstoppable power was quite good though two characters felt a little on the nose. Jacques and Michi, two married hunters only talk about how much they love killing, and have off-the-page sex all the time. I suppose their relationship had some passion, at least. The other two (there’s f/f relationship in this book by the way) suffered from time constraints of everything happening over a span of a day or two, or that the relationship was already too cold to be considered love. The mermaids were the highlights and brilliantly created/researched. Overall, the book was well-written, but it’s unrealistic characters, weirdly stitched plot/pacing, and lack of scares really let me down. The book is also unnecessarily long � I think it would be a DNF for those expecting thrills and jump scares. I’d recommend it if you don’t mind the length, but otherwise I couldn’t see it being a major attraction to non sci-fi/horror readers. If you like mermaids too, I guess, you’d enjoy this depiction. Regarding the abrupt ending, it satisfied enough for me. I did a little digging and I believe Grant is writing/has written a sequel but her publisher only picked up this novel, so it depends solely on public response. I do hope for Grant and myself we’ll see a second book published someday, and I believe there’s a film in the works so it should stir up plenty of interest. Unfortunately, as one now this book had a many fantastic concepts, but ultimately failed to deliver due to the humans being more unrealistic than the mermaids. (Before I finish, I need to say this � surely if you fall into the middle of the ocean unexpectedly during the night, the cold would kill you, or render you immobile, or you’d at least panic. This may have been one of the most ridiculous parts of the book, and now, I’m so confused. I need to research this.) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 23, 2020
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Oct 25, 2020
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Oct 23, 2020
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Hardcover
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| 0312642962
| 9780312642969
| 0312642962
| 4.24
| 446,315
| Feb 05, 2013
| Feb 05, 2013
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really liked it
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Honestly, I didn’t love Cinder, with its lack of world building and the amount of predictability in about everything. It felt more like a precursor fo
Honestly, I didn’t love Cinder, with its lack of world building and the amount of predictability in about everything. It felt more like a precursor for what’s to come. And then I read Scarlet. Am I allowed to say this? Scarlet is the real beginning of The Lunar Chronicles Okay, before you come at me, this book has: (a) Infinitely better everything. (b) Spaceships! So we’re actually in space! (hence Lunar, etc.) And (c) Captain Thorne. Do I need to say more? But, seriously, this book is just pure fun all the way through. Cinder, who’s been arrested in the last book, is attempting to make her escape from prison and find answers regarding her past and future. Meanwhile, in France, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother has gone missing and a street-fighter with superhuman senses named Wolf, may have a clue to her whereabouts. I think ±ð±¹±ð°ù²â³Ù³ó¾±²Ô²µâ€™s improved from the last book. Characters, plot, world-building. Even Cinder, who I found kind of bland in the last book, really gained my approval, especially as she ventured into using her mind control powers for both good and not-so-good purposes. Now since this is Scarlet’s book, Cinder and Kai obviously took a step back, but both of them were fleshed out considerably compared to Cinder. In fact, neither Scarlet or Wolf captivated my interest as much as they did. As I said, the plot and world-building has improved immensely. Like, I think I know what’s going on the world and space, at least. Also, this book is so action packed. We’ve got a long-lost princess running from the law and trying to learn how to use her new powers, as well as a girl searching for her missing grandmother with a Wolf man (haha, double entendre) while there’s a possible war coming? This has more plot than the entire Raven Cycle series! (sorry Raven Cycle, you know I love you.) Cinder and Thorne are the best duo going. And they had the more fun adventure. I really appreciate Cinder’s use of her new powers. If you’ve read my Storm and Siege review (it’s kind of meh), I mention briefly I love characters going down darker roads and that’s what Cinder does. She tries to not be evil with her ability, but she is drawn to its power. Also, powers are cool and it’s always fun to see them in action, which happens many times in this book. (A brief mention on Kai, he wasn’t really there, but he was fine.) Also Thorne is literally the best character ever. He’s charismatic and caring while also being a total player and stealing priceless artefacts. Thorne has become my number one literary boyfriend. I don't know who was previously my number one, but that is a very hard status to achieve. “These cells aren’t supposed to be occupied,â€� she said. “Special circumstances.â€� She surveyed him for a long moment, her brows knitting together. “Murder?â€� His grin grew. “Thank you, but no. I started a riot on the yard.â€� He adjusted his collar, before adding, “We were protesting the soap.â€� Her confusion grew, and Thorne noticed that she was still in her defensive stance. “The soap,â€� he said again, wondering if she’d heard him. “It’s too drying.â€� She said nothing. “I have sensitive skin.â€� Not to mention, this is one of the most unique re-tellings I’ve ever read. There have been so many Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and other fairy tale inspired stories popping up over the years, but this is probably the best one. It’s got sci-fi, fantasy, people live on the moon, androids, genetically enhanced soldiers. That already ticks a lot of boxes for me. It takes what made the original story so enticing and does something completely different. Also, I adore how it’s all connected. You know that weird tingly feeling when there’s a crossover similar to Avengers Endgame, or how New Girl was on Brooklyn Nine-Nine that one time. And here, there’s another two books of it. I instantly liked Cinder more, because I already knew her. If an author writes a book with a character I hate, but that character shows up from a different perspective in a following book/ spin-off, I’ll like them! I don’t know why, but it just makes me happy. So, where do my stars drop off? Um…Scarlet? And Wolf too? I genuinely do like them, but their story felt so much weaker than Cinder and Thorne’s. Scarlet made a lot of weird decisions throughout the book, while Wolf…I actually loved him at first, but his character felt really inconsistent at times. And the instalove. This was just one more example of her emotions carrying her away, all over a guy she’d known for only â€� she strained to count back and realized with some shock they’d barely known each other for a day. ³Û±ð²¹³ó…n´Ç. Scarlet’s relationship with her grandmother was touching, and Wolf had strong moments particularly towards the end, but the parts with them could drag so much. I’d sigh as I went onto another chapter and found I hadn’t got back to Cinder or Thorne yet, and since the cast only expands, I feel this may happen in the next book or two. It’s actually a little strange how the platonic friendship between Cinder and Thorne was instantly more captivating than either of the romances. Will the trend keep up? I don’t know. The writing is pretty simple but a good story always pleases me more than great prose. Against Shadow and Bone series which likely has stronger writing, I’ll obviously pick The Lunar Chronicles any day. This story is expansive, interesting, and most important of all, fun. I feel like a child getting completely absorbed in another world again. To sum it up: My need for Cress is as important as Thorne’s need for nice soap. That's all there is. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 04, 2020
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Sep 13, 2020
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Sep 04, 2020
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Hardcover
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| 1984822179
| 9781984822178
| 1984822179
| 3.81
| 1,691,324
| Aug 28, 2018
| Apr 16, 2019
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really liked it
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Edit: I'm upping this to four stars since it's been around six months and I still think about it a lot. Finishing Normal People has left me exhausted a Edit: I'm upping this to four stars since it's been around six months and I still think about it a lot. Finishing Normal People has left me exhausted and on the verge of a headache. Somehow, a journey of suffering, trauma and love has been compressed into a span of 260 pages or so and I'm absolutely shattered. Connell and Marianne look to be opposites in every sense. He’s the star of the school soccer team and everyone likes him. She’s friendless and considered to be a bitch. Marianne lives in a multitude of wealth; Connell’s mother works as the cleaner at her house. Yet, despite these differences, Connell and Marianne become entangled in a relationship that begins as teenagers and continues right through adulthood as they study in Trinity College, Dublin. While I began this, I thought the writing was simple and this would be an easy read. It was only at the end, I realised how much weight this book held. Connell and Marianne are marred by flaws; they can be hypocritical, unlikeable, unable to properly express their feelings. But they are painfully real, and so are the journeys they go on. Connell is the popular one in school, and so keeps his relationship with Marianne hidden, ashamed of what his friends will think. As they attend college, however, Marianne is considered the one who is desirable and befriended by many people, while he grows more and more lonely. Rooney explores all sorts of themes in this book; mental health, class status, social constraints and so on. Connell never felt he belonged growing up in his small town of Carricklea, though to an outsider his life could be considered perfect. He goes to Trinity in the hope of finding people like him, but is burdened by his social anxiety and lack of wealth. I honestly found Connell’s narrative more interesting than Marianne’s since his struggles were more relatable. He’s left his town for a (predominantly) wealthy college and given up contact with all his old friends, but is no closer to the promise that if you didn’t like secondary school, college is where you’ll finally belong. It’s a driving point of Connell’s anxiety throughout the book � his old life was easy, as everyone at home knew and accepted him, but since leaving it, he’s lost that assurance in return for a future that may not guarantee him any happiness. Their feelings were suppressed so carefully in everyday life, forced into smaller and smaller spaces, until seemingly minor events took on insane and frightening significance. It was permissible to touch each other and cry during football matches. With that being said, I think Marianne’s story was still well-done. She’s grown up to consider herself unlovable and ends up looking for attention in troubling romances/friendships. I wasn’t interested in the BDSM aspects � I’m not sure if I’m content with how the book ended on that topic since I know nothing about it anyway. But with Connell’s unwavering support and admiration, Marianne at times breaks away from the cage she’s contained herself to and comes through for herself. Not for the first time Marianne thinks cruelty does not only hurt the victim, but the perpetrator also, and maybe more deeply and more permanently. You learn nothing very profound about yourself simply by being bullied; but by bullying someone else you learn something you can never forget. Besides the relationship, which I did find myself invested in due to its focus, I found equally, if not more, riveting the themes of class privilege and fitting in. The contrast in Marianne’s wealth against Connell’s shows up in everyday life, an example being where he tries to win a scholarship because he needs it, and she tries to do it for the validation of being special. Rooney also looks at both sides of an argument where school is either “the best days of your lives� or the process you have to suffer through until you move on to your “real life.� This book seems to say everyone would be a lot happier if we we’re all accepted. After all, why do we care so much about people’s views on us? What difference does their thoughts make to our lives and vice versa? Rooney also captures a lot of realism in the supporting characters despite their short appearances. Marianne’s friend Peggy constantly puts her down under the guise of being supportive. Some of Connell’s school friends were kind to Marianne while others tried to play off their meanness as a joke. She doesn’t play stereotypes, and it’s likely why I recognised a lot of the cast as people I actually know. Rooney also comments on how women are treated in society � how Marianne is the abused one and is often left reviled, while her perpetrator gets off scot free due to his gender. I don’t think I’d call this an epic love story. Sometimes I found Connell and Marianne’s relationship rather toxic. This story is more about peeking into the lives of two people who have been an essential part of each other’s survival, seeing their inner most thoughts, along with what happens to them. Their relationship is neither good, or bad, but endlessly messy as most things are. I was indifferent to the writing. It’s incredibly simple and doesn’t add to the story as much as it’s a way of connecting scenes. It’s been marketed as a novel that tells more than shows which probably is sneaky way of writing off genuine critiques. That being said, there were beautiful paragraphs in here, and you could start a sentence so simple, only to be slammed by the force of it at the end. This book is real, miserable, depressing, and yet, somehow hopeful. I may pick it up from time to time and read beautiful passages, but I don’t know if I have the energy to read it again. This book can be rather artificial and pretentious at times, and I thought the TV show executed the ending much better, but I still weirdly know the characters and their situations will stay with me. And I suppose, with that delivered, I don’t have much more to ask for. “Life offers up these moments of joy despite everything,� (Also, Paul Mescal deserves that Emmy, just saying.) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 30, 2020
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Sep 03, 2020
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Aug 30, 2020
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0545424984
| 9780545424981
| 0545424984
| 4.25
| 154,483
| Apr 26, 2016
| Apr 26, 2016
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liked it
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(After an in depth discussion with Henny, I need to bring this down to three stars. You shouldn't have so little conclusion for so many characters/ pl
(After an in depth discussion with Henny, I need to bring this down to three stars. You shouldn't have so little conclusion for so many characters/ plots because they'll be in your future series or you just want to be mysterious.) The Raven King and I had a troubled relationship. That is, I left it lying in the corner of my bedroom for about a week, unable to contemplate that this series would finally be over once I picked it up. But eventually curiosity got the better of me and now here I am, infinitely sad while trying to write my way into a review. The Raven King centres on our final outing with The Raven Boys â€� Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Blue and Noah, as their magical world of Cabeswater is slowly being destroyed by an unrelenting demon and the days counting down to ³Ò²¹²Ô²õ±ð²â’s death are getting shorter and shorter. First of all. Was this book perfect? No. I’d rank it either third or last of the whole series. But as far as things go, I don’t believe the attraction of this series has ever been its plot, as much as the characters (obligatory ranking of characters based on importance to the book) This is ³Ò²¹²Ô²õ±ð²â’s book, the daredevil, all-knowing, sweater vest enthusiast and our gang’s leader. I was pleased how ³Ò²¹²Ô²õ±ð²â’s arc ran along the lines I wanted it to. After all, he’s been spending years obsessing over finding a long lost king while leaving the rest of the world behind. Through each book he’s becomes less and less enamoured over his magical search, seeing him as more of an outsider to the magical world that all his friends are tied to. Gansey really does have a fantastic internal monologue, as well as great characterisation. I suppose that ³Ò²¹²Ô²õ±ð²â’s main storyline in this book is that he is going to die soon. But there’s nothing much he can do either than wait and reflect. The search for Glendower has tended to take a backseat in every book since the first and it’s no different here. So while I’m glad I’ve gotten to see such a unique and original character unshelled, action wise, I wish we’d gotten more for him in this book since he was at his strongest towards the end. In the end, it was such a simple, small thing. He had felt flashes of it before in his life, the absolute certainty. But the truth was that he’d kept walking away from it. It was a far more terrifying idea to imagine how much control he really had over how his life turned out. Easier to believe he was a gallant ship tossed by fate than to captain it himself. Both Ronan and Adam are tied in terms of importance and how much I love them. Similar to Gansey, Ronan has just evolved into such a fantastic, loveable character. He’s so far from the tough, edgy boy of the first book. His relationships with everyone in this book are just on peak. Gansey asked, “Do you have time to run an errand with us? Do you have work? Homework?â€� “No homework. I got suspended,â€� Blue replied. “Get the fuck out,â€� Ronan said, but with admiration. “Sargent, you asshole.â€� Blue reluctantly allowed him to bump fists with her as Gansey eyed her meaningfully in the rearview mirror. Ronan and Blue were just such a great duo. Ronan possibly goes through the most trauma in this book, but it is compensated with the joy of his relationships. “The twistâ€� if you want to call it that, felt pretty unsurprising to me, I don’t know why. I think some part of me was a little unsatisfied with it, but it made sense for where the book was going. Besides that, everything for Ronan was tied up so neatly. His abilities, his familial relationships, Adam :) Mentioning Adam, he was always the character I understood and felt for the most. By far, he had the most fulfilling character arc, growing from a boy trying to escape his abusive family into a good life, to a magician whose self-assurance stems from himself and his friends. I was just so proud seeing how he evolved and he undoubtedly had some of the darker moments in this book, as did Ronan. His last couple of pages were perfection. Also Pynch :) Pynch get its own star. Blue once again, I felt fell to the sidelines. Along with Adam, she always had the contrast of her poverty against the Raven Boys wealth and it’s dug in a little here. The fact that after school, she probably won’t be able to travel the world as she wants to. But overall, Blue is fine in this book. Sometimes I do feel like she suffers from criticising others to a fault; it’s a flaw never seen to or explored more and it can get overbearing. Still, she has many tender and warm moments in this book and I couldn’t get enough of them. One thing I want to add though is she’s given this huge reveal and it’s kind of…brushed over after one chapter? It’s just explained, she does it and everyone’s like “okay, yeah, let’s not explore that a little further.â€� (this unfortunate “brushing overâ€� is not a once-off occurrence. It’s the bane of this book) What do I think of Gansey and Blue? I mean, I prefer Pynch. The issue with Blansey/Glue (UGH. I still don’t know the ship name) is they don’t really talk as much as they gaze at each other or listen to the sounds of each other’s voices and personify these things in a beautiful sentence. I suppose the substance isn’t there, against Pynch who had their admiration seeped in through clues and conversation. Pynch is more naturally built up than Bluesey (I just googled it, that’s what the author called it. Don’t know if it’s legit or not, but let’s roll with it.) who lack meaningful conversations in the final book compared to the first three. I don’t know why but the best part of romantic relationships for me tend to be at the end, when you can feel the weight of the love like a paperweight in your hand. However with Pynch, you always feel the intensity of their relationship and that’s why it wins out for me. Plus, they’re two soft boys who comfort each other frequently and I love it. Okay. (Takes a breath) Is this where I get critiquey? Let’s talk about Henry Cheng I do like Henry as a character. He has funny moments like when he drives to Blue’s school and give her the chance to pretend he’s her ex and yell at him. (It’s Blue way of showing how she stands up to elitists in front of her whole school. Then Gansey picks her up and she’s aware she’s lost a bit of that message.) He feels like a quirkier, weirder version of Gansey or Noah, but I’m uncomfortable to how he was forced in. Henry was introduced in the third book, so it’s not like he’s pulled out of nowhere. Still, a lot of people believe his Asian heritage wasn’t written very well and he was put in so Maggie could make a mostly white cast more diverse. I’ll stay out of how his background was written since I don’t believe I can comment properly on it, though I will say his constant mentions of being Korean seemed to be a reminder from Maggie that she has a diverse cast rather than being simply an extension of his character. My biggest issue with Henry? If you’ve read IT by Stephen King, you’ll come across a passage where the main seven meet for the first time and the narrator (I think it’s Bill at that stage?) says how right it feels, something just clicks together as a group. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle and there will never be another bond like it. Now, imagine while they’re fighting in the midst of fighting Pennywise a few weeks in, an eighth member joins The Losers Club. Since we didn’t get a thorough intro of him, his character arc and development are a bit murkier. Bill retracts his statement and says now the group is complete, throwing the whole seven being unique and mystical thing in the bin. It takes away from the power and strength of their original bond, the bond that felt so right, it had to be supernatural. Henry is the eighth member of the Losers Club. I think Maggie should’ve have incorporated him in and, hey, maybe he would’ve become a Raven Boy in time. But saying he fits perfectly straight away, despite having a minimal amount of time with each character to bond or develop feels very untrue. Especially since the book thrives on the power of friendship and bonds built over time. What’s worse? Henry replaces Noah. Noah is barely in the book, Maggie did Noah sooooooo dirty. It’s like she forgot he’s a Raven Boy. Remember when I marked him as one of my favourites in a review, even though he was barely in the book? I just liked him because of his general weirdness? Yeah, he’s in maybe four chapters in this book? If he was in anymore, I can barely remember which stands to a testament of how much he was used. Now there’s a sneaky little revelation regarding Noah and the plot which I think was done pretty well, even if it disregards other prophecies and foreshadowing. But we’re also told time is circular for Noah. He will continue down the same part forever, a path ridden with pain, confusion and being forgotten by the author. I’m just confused on the ending for Noah in general. I have no idea what happened. And to think Henry replaced Noah, pretty much? I’d be more appreciative of Henry’s inclusion if Noah ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð been in this book more too. Seriously, did no editor take a look at this book and think “But Noah’s so nice and weird and creepy. Why is he barely in it?â€� Cause I sure did. Okay, my Noah rant is finished, but unfortunately things don’t get much better. I wasn’t really invested in the first two hundred pages of this book. I enjoyed it in the sense where I love these characters and reading about anything they do, but the plot felt hastily stitched together and I wondered what was the point? Cabeswater being destroyed was the main storyline and I think it was executed well, but the secondary plot and characters were abandoned. Piper, our villain from the last book, is getting into the business of selling magical artefacts, one of them the demon that is destroying everything. But what do her scenes even add to the book? If you removed them, they’d have no impact on the plot because they come to no relevant conclusion. I’ve never loved the villains of this series (though I had soft spots for Piper and Kavinsky) because they always change and never feel like a viable threat. I wish Stiefvater kept Kavinsky or at least have Piper make an impact on the plot in this book. She and the teens never interact in a first or secondary sense. She may as well not be there. I think Maggie wanted a subplot but she may as well left have left it out considering the lack of effect it actually had. Maybe it’s a set-up for a future book? I don’t know, it just seemed incredibly filler. I also stand by my controversial statement from Lily Blue, Blue Lily. The overall plot is not complex. I said in my review I couldn’t judge how much she planned out until I finished this book. Well, now it’s finished and my opinion hasn’t changed. Biggest Problems with the Plot â€� The big reveal, which may have disappointed other readers didn’t disappoint me, except the fact it disregards the prophecy of “three sleepers.â€� The Glendower storyline has always been secondary, but I do think she must have changed her plan somewhere along the way. â€� The ending felt really rushed (yet it also saved the book for me). I was fairly pleased until I dug into some other reviews that question the legitimacy of the ending. Little seems to be of consequence. The big sacrifices ended up not being that sacrificial after all. Someone should’ve died in this book, I think. In the end, the stakes felt big but actually weren’t. I do like the happy ending, but it did feel a bit anticlimactic against all the ominous foreshadowing we were given. â€� So, Blue’s vision in the first book was true, but Adam’s wasn’t really? Why? And that’s how I think the plot changed again somewhere along the way (and the vision seemed pretty intriguing too) â€� The epilogue should’ve been much longer. We get no answers on several people and subplots? I actually noticed everyone was packaged off early in the book so their endings were sort of wrapped up. Now, I think all of these unanswered questions were because Maggie will explore them in future books, but it felt like pieces of The Raven King were missing. Considering I didn’t think the first two hundred pages to be that relevant, I don’t know why she couldn’t cut some chapters out in favour of others. Also, she’s focusing on Ronan’s trilogy now, so if answers will come later, they won’t come for a long time and that makes me a bit sad. Maybe she just wants to leave things open ended, but I think there was a bit too much here that ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð been answered. •What Stievfater did in The Raven King was she gave characters who weren’t explored before a chapter of their own to tell us their story and motivation. It was all exposition, but at least it was nice-sounding exposition I guess? •I’m still kind of indifferent to Gwenillan, Orphan Girl and Mr Gray. The former two annoy me due to how confusing they are, and Mr Gray, I’ve never clicked with. And despite all these issues, I still adore this series Yes, I know, most of this has been a rant. Overall, the plot for the whole series has been maybe a 2.5 or 3 out of five. Yet everything else has soared beyond expectations I even predicted. I guess the power of the Raven Cycle is it doesn’t feel like a book series to me. It feels like a grand, majestic journey that I’ve been allowed to tag along on. Some people enjoyed the start and disliked the end of this book, yet in the last eighty pages, I felt like I was riding a massive wave that brought me further and further into something magical. That feeling has happened in every book, bar Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and three out of four books are pretty impressive. The writing and the characters make this compulsive reading and I’ve never found anything quite like it. The writing here gets gross, creepy, beautiful, beyond weird and I still loved it. And these characters…It’s rare to find fictional creations that evoke such emotions in you. I’m beyond sad it’s over and I’m grateful I got to have it, even for a short while. So this is my first farewell to the women at 300 Fox Way. To magical forests. To Ronan, Kavinsky and the other dreamers who bring magic to life. To funny, weird details. To friendships that may as well be magical. And to my Raven Boys/ Girl (I’ll let you in on this too, Henry Cheng) He was a book, and he was holding his final pages, and he wanted to get to the end to find out how it went, and he didn't want it to be over. And the best part? It’s not even finished yet :) By the way, my ranking of the series goes in the order of: (1) The Dream Thieves (2) The Raven Boys (3) The Raven King (4) Lily Blue, Blue Lily ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 26, 2020
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Aug 29, 2020
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Aug 26, 2020
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Hardcover
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| 3.93
| 30,147
| May 12, 2020
| May 12, 2020
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liked it
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3.5 I can’t deny my expectations for this book were high and it just about delivered. I enjoyed the story a lot, but the finished product didn’t exact 3.5 I can’t deny my expectations for this book were high and it just about delivered. I enjoyed the story a lot, but the finished product didn’t exactly give me what I thought it would. I was looking forward to in-depth dives into cultural appropriation, a Sapphic enemies to lovers romance, and just a story generally dealing with the aftermath of coming out. I still got one of those things, so that’s still decent but this book felt like it could've been so much more. The Henna Wars centres on a Muslim girl, Nishat, who lives in Ireland along with her Bengali family. After coming out to her parents and receiving only a strained silence, Nishat must navigate her sexuality while falling for an old friend, Flávia. However, their budding romance is put on hold when both of them enter a competition with the idea to do henna â€� and both girls refuse to back down. I’ll start by saying I loved Nishat. This probably doesn’t mean much, but it’s so rare for me to like the main character. Despite all the wrongdoings that were done to her, Nishat never gave up and was always steadfast in her decisions. To have a main character that felt real, believable and authentic without being annoying just made it easy to follow her journey. And also Nishat’s relationship with her sister was so sweet. Seriously! This book made me realise how much more I wanted to see strong sibling relationships in books rather than only children, or family reduced to minor mentions. But the romantic relationship…not so much. Flávia is an Irish-Brazilian girl who was sold as beautiful, charismatic, caring. But for most of the book, I didn’t like her. When Flávia takes on the idea of doing henna, Nishat immediately expresses her discomfort. And Flávia just…shoots her annoyances down. Without even listening to a full explanation about how Nishat felt her culture was being appropriated. To say this book is an enemies to lovers would be untrue â€� they’re kind of friends, then minor rivals (minor as in Flávia still talks to Nishat normally and wishes her luck and stuff) to, I think you can guess the outcome. But Flávia always felt manipulative or unconcerned to me while playing the good guy. And when something terrible happens to Nishat (it’s one of the trigger warnings), Flávia tells Nishat this the following day; “Look, I know you’re angry about what happened, but you’re too caught up in â€� whatever this is. Victimizing yourself. You don’t even realize what a brat you’re being.â€� Whether this refers to what happened to Nishat, or how she feels about cultural appropriation, Flávia should have had so much more sensitivity. I mean, what happened to Nishat was incredibly traumatic. Nishat needed ²¹²Ô²â´Ç²Ô±ð’s support during this time and I was so surprised when Flávia said that. At the same time, she had so many heartwarming and cute moments, but then things like that just left a bitter taste in my mouth regarding her character. It didn’t feel liked she learned much and it disappointed me. Another issue I had was the discussion on cultural appropriation. I was really looking forward to it, as it’s such a massive topic in the world at the moment, but it never felt like it was fully explored. Nishat would mention that cultural appropriation was bad, and then someone would throw her a question at her and it’d never be answered properly. There was just never enough depth regarding the subject. I really would’ve loved if Nishat had explained exactly how she felt to anyone in the book, but it never happened. By far the best thing (besides the characters) was Nishat’s journey on being out as a lesbian. She’s proud of herself and there were so many nice moments in there regarding her sexuality. The steps made by particular people just…they made me feel so, so, so happy. I’d definitely recommend this book to any queer teen for the relatability alone. I think Jaigirdar’s writing style was very pleasant to read and I flew through the book. All of her characters were amazingly believable and reading about Bengali culture was just excellent for someone who doesn’t know anything about it. And Jaigirdar did tackle racism predominantly throughout this book e.g Nishat’s friend Jess telling her she’s overreacting on cultural appropriation and the borrowing of cultures when it’s trendy. I’d rank it above the enemies-to-lovers, and the cultural appropriation discussion for sure. Another slight thing; The competition as a whole fell to the background, and the “incidentâ€�, as I’ll term it, was kind of never resolved? Literally in any shape or form? I don’t mind the former as much, but the latter did leave me wondering why it wasn’t dealt with. Like seriously, the implications, source...just I’m sick of books brushing over this, it can be beyond traumatizing. Overall, I really enjoyed the characters, the writing, the pace, the absolutely amazing non-romantic relationships, the diversity, the different cultures, and the gayness, of course. If you’re looking for a quick, cute and easy read, I’d recommend it. However, If you’re looking for a deep dive into cultural appropriation and enemies-to lovers romance? I’d give it a miss. However, I think it was a strong debut and I’m looking for to more books by Jaigirdar in the future. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 13, 2020
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Sep 16, 2020
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Jul 07, 2020
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Hardcover
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