Two pages in (hyperbole, but not by much) and I know already that I’m not going to like this book. The characters are flat and annoying; the writinDNF
Two pages in (hyperbole, but not by much) and I know already that I’m not going to like this book. The characters are flat and annoying; the writing is� not good; and although not much has happened yet, I get the feeling that when things do start to happen they’re going to be unbearably melodramatic, cliche and/or trite. No thanks....more
Good, but longer than it needed to be. Especially that last chapter. I mean my god, every time I thought I must be near the end it just� kept� going! Good, but longer than it needed to be. Especially that last chapter. I mean my god, every time I thought I must be near the end it just� kept� going! There IS such a thing as over doing it. I feel like the impact of the conclusion was diminished, ironically, by Backman trying to make it so impactful. Do we really need to know what every single character ends up doing with their life post book? No. And certainly not with so much repetition involved - lost count of the number of times we were told Maya became famous and sang to thousands of fans all over the world....more
There needed to be less focus on Coal’s rambling thoughts of lust and more focus on the politics involved in Santa basically usurping other Holiday’s There needed to be less focus on Coal’s rambling thoughts of lust and more focus on the politics involved in Santa basically usurping other Holiday’s joy for his own purposes and Coal’s half-assed coup d’tat to stop it.
Basically, the balance was all off, I thought. When it came to how Coal FELT - particularly about Hex but also about Iris and Kris to a degree - there was far too much detail; flowery prose and laboured metaphors and repetition of similar concepts using a variety of different phrasings. Padding, essentially. Pointless word count fluffers that added nothing substantial to the story except to paint Coal as melodramatic.
When it came to the functioning of his kingdom however, there wasn’t nearly enough detail. The fact that his dad is a tyrant stealing joy from other Holidays to further his plot to extend Christmas to every corner of the globe� I mean we’re given the bare bones of the scheme, but we’re never told how exactly that’s going to work. In what way does joy help spread a Holiday’s influence? The only practical use of joy I saw in the book was to help them do silly magic, i.e. conjuring candy canes. Why, then, is it so important? The book says it IS important, but never explains why or how.
The worst thing for me though, was how effortless it all was to stop, in the end. A few letters and one act of teenage rebellion and suddenly everything is fine. Seems unlikely considering the time and effort that went into this expansion plan in the first place, but alright.
I’m not saying the book is bad, just to clarify. It’s cheesy and light hearted and fun, and I did enjoy it for the most part. I’m just saying it could have been better. That being said, it’s a romance book so of course the focus IS the romance. I suppose any complaints I have on that front are ultimately my own fault for expecting a romance book be anything other than what it is.
Romance book or not, I still think it could have done with a little less of Coal waxing poetic about Hex. Melodramatic writing isn’t romantic, in my opinion, it’s just annoying,...more
I’ve been listening to Sum 41 since I was in high school. That makes it over 20 years now, and while I wouldn’t say I was/am a super fan or anything, I’ve been listening to Sum 41 since I was in high school. That makes it over 20 years now, and while I wouldn’t say I was/am a super fan or anything, I can’t deny Sum 41 got me through a lot of tough times in my teenage years. Like a lot of people, I was bullied in high school - most of it incredibly minor, now that I look back on it, compared to some of the stuff I hear about these days, though it didn’t feel that way at the time - and Sum 41 was a comfort. The sense of defiance and attitude in their songs helped me feel that little bit braver, and even today, nothing takes me back quite like a Sum 41 song.
I was lucky enough, this past October, to see them in Glasgow as part of their farewell tour, and as well being one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen - seriously, I loved every second of it - it was also there I learned about this book. And of course, coming away from the show on a Sum 41 high, I immediately did two things - I loaded up my Spotify with as many Sum 41 songs as possible, and I got the audiobook. For the record, that’s how I recommend anyone read this book. Hearing Deryck Whibley telling his own story made the experience that much better in my opinion.
And so what can I say about the book itself? It’s the story of Deryck’s life, his journey from normal kid to lead singer of Sum 41. There were highs and lows, good decisions and bad - it’s been an interesting journey, and I’ve loved getting to hear some of the backstory behind a band that meant so much to me growing up. ...more
I’m not the biggest fan of this one, it has to be said. Which is unusual considering it’s Alexis Hall and I usually eat that shit up, but what can I sI’m not the biggest fan of this one, it has to be said. Which is unusual considering it’s Alexis Hall and I usually eat that shit up, but what can I say? A Lady for a Duke was just a miss for me. Between the herky-jerk pacing, the heavy-handed writing and the duller than dishwater plot, really the three star rating is a courtesy for an author I love and respect more than an honest indicator of what I thought of the book.
Like I said, the pacing was just all over the place. Some things, like Gracewood figuring out who Viola really was, were glacial to the point of absurdity. I mean really - you’re telling me this guy didn’t recognise his own best friend until he spotted a particular line of freckles that Viola hadn’t even been trying to hide in the first place? I know he was addled on laudanum at first, but come on! This is, according to Gracewood himself, the person he knows and loves better than any other in the world - surely Viola’s resemblance to Marleigh merits at least a passing comment.
Others elements, like the turnaround from Viola being determined not to be Gracewood’s mistress to suddenly deciding a mistress is a fine thing to be, were so fast I got whiplash. By which I mean, once you got past the overwrought, circular writing around the topic - pseudo-philosophical, overly emotive drivel that spanned pages and pages without ever really breaking any new ground - the actual decision itself came out of nowhere. I mean one minute they were reminiscing about the war and their PTSD and the next they’re sleeping together and whatever objections Viola originally had suddenly don’t matter any more.
More than the pacing and the overly flowery writing though, I was most disappointed by how little the plot actually had going for it. Nothing happens here. From the moment Viola is revealed up to the happy ending, there’s nothing of any real interest going on. A few boring parties and social events wherein our two main characters barely interact. Instead they think themselves in circles, repeating the same laundry list of desires and the perceived problems with those desires, as if this will convince the reader there’s any real obstacle to the happy ending we all knew was coming bar sheer obstinance. And it’s a shame, because there was so much potential for interesting conflict here.
For it being a book about a trans woman, the trans issue never really comes up. There’s so much that could have been done with this as a story element. Gracewood, initial shock and delight for his old friend’s survival aside, never questions it. Never even takes time to process it. It’s just a case of oh, you’re a woman now? Okay, then I love you as more than a friend. And I’m sorry but I don’t buy it. It’s already a big ask for me to suspend my disbelief long enough to believe that Viola would have found acceptance at all in this era - to not have that acceptance come at any kind of struggle is a huge disservice to the story. How does Gracewood reconcile his feelings for his old friend with his budding romantic interest in viola? Doesn’t he have any questions? Any reservations? It’s not enough for me for him to just immediately accept that Viola is a woman now - I want to see him struggle against his social programming to do it. The fact that Viola is trans has little to no bearing on the story and I can’t help but think that’s a lost opportunity. ...more
Unlike many books I’ve read from the kindle unlimited library, this one actually had potential. There’s a fairly decent crack at an actual story here,Unlike many books I’ve read from the kindle unlimited library, this one actually had potential. There’s a fairly decent crack at an actual story here, only somewhat overshadowed by the clear desire to cram as many sex scenes as possible into the short 193 pages this book stretches. Page time that could have been better spent developing the world, the plot or, indeed, the characters and their respective relationships - what I read makes me certain the author was more than capable of it.
The thing is, the underlying plot here is pretty good. It’s just woefully undercooked, and the cynical part of me can’t help thinking that the reason for that is ultimately down to the author wanting to write smut more than they wanted to write an interesting story. Which is of course fine - people can write whatever they want - but it’s such a shame considering the aforementioned potential here. A little more time and care (and maybe an editor, to take care of the multiple typos and grammatical errors) could have seen this book go from a good but otherwise unremarkable 3 star read to a truly amazing four or five star read.
That being said, I wouldn’t rule out continuing the series someday. The romance may, in my opinion, be rushed and artificial-feeling, but the stuff about the Singularity and Descartes and the Commonwealth is all interesting enough that I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing how it plays out. Not right now, but eventually. ...more
This book is like Hotel Transylvania meets Hazbin Hotel meets that weird T.J. Klune series I never finished (the one with the wizard and the knight anThis book is like Hotel Transylvania meets Hazbin Hotel meets that weird T.J. Klune series I never finished (the one with the wizard and the knight and the sassy gay unicorn). You’d think then, since I like all those works to one degree or another, that SOS Hotel would be right up my street. Not so it seems.
The problem I have here is that all the things SOS Hotel was trying to do it either didn’t do particularly well, or did fine but is something I’m ambivalent about. The plot - undercooked, barely showing signs of being a plot at all. The world building - vague, rushed, almost nonexistent. The relationships - arguably the one thing this book has going for it considering it’s erotica (something I didn’t realise at first), but sadly not my jam.
It’s not an awful book. The writing has a fun, light-hearted vibe that I like and although the plot is barely plotting, there are some elements that have potential - who knows, I might even read the other books some day, if only to find out what Adam is. For now though, I think I’m done....more
I was never a big fan of iCarly growing up. I saw the odd episode because my younger sister liked it, but it wasn’t really my thing - I was around fifI was never a big fan of iCarly growing up. I saw the odd episode because my younger sister liked it, but it wasn’t really my thing - I was around fifteen or sixteen when it first came out and largely uninterested in tween comedy/drama by then. What I remember of the few episodes I’ve seen is enough to know that I would never have imagined such a gruelling background for the actress playing Sam. I suppose that shows how good she was at her craft, even if she never really liked it.
It’s taken me a while to review this book because when I finished it, I just couldn’t find the words. I didn’t review the previous book in the series It’s taken me a while to review this book because when I finished it, I just couldn’t find the words. I didn’t review the previous book in the series because I couldn’t find the words then either; instead I just immediately set about reading this - the third and final book - in the hopes that the right words would present themselves to me eventually. And while I’m not sure that has happened, I figured I’d better write something anyway, or else there was a real risk I never would - and it would be a shame to let books as fantastic as these pass by with nothing but a star rating to recommend them.
Rook and Rose is one of the best series I’ve read in a long while. Nearly everything about it is pure perfection in my eyes - the characters all feel like real people with individual personalities and motivations and depth; the world-building is detailed and intricate and complex; and the story that ties these two things together is as entertaining and fascinating as I could ever have hoped for. Any assumptions I made about where this story was going were turned entirely on their head by as early as the first part of the second book, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong.
My only real complaint is that the build up was so perfect that, when we eventually got around to the ending, the finale felt a little too easy. The fact that no one - not even a certain duplicitous cousin - ended up dead, seems unlikely after everything else that went down. Miracle resurrections, and nearly everyone ending up happily paired off seems a little too perfect for a story with as high stakes as this one had as well, but its not jarring enough for me to be anything more than mildly put off.
I think after all this time, Vargo turned out to be my favourite character in the end. He wasn’t the villain like I thought he was going to be, and his specific ending was the best and most balance of the main characters as far as I’m concerned. I nearly cried during his goodbye scene with Alsius, and I laughed when he offered to adopt Arkady.
This is a great series and I’m so glad I took the time to read it....more
This one’s not for me. I’m two chapters in and I’ve already had enough of the high school theatrics. To be entirely fair to the book, it’s probablyDNF
This one’s not for me. I’m two chapters in and I’ve already had enough of the high school theatrics. To be entirely fair to the book, it’s probably a me problem - I’m simply too long in the tooth to find teenage drama very compelling. Which, despite the much more interesting element of super powers in the background, is basically all there’s been so far. And yeah, I know the story probably gets more interesting later on, but frankly, I just don’t care enough to get to that point.
In a way, Not Your Sidekick felt like a less entertaining version of My Hero Academia. Feels like I could save myself a lot of time and just skip the middle man here. ...more
This book was kind of anxiety-inducing for me. Mostly in an anticipatory “can’t wait to see what happens� kind of way, but also in a “oh my god, it isThis book was kind of anxiety-inducing for me. Mostly in an anticipatory “can’t wait to see what happens� kind of way, but also in a “oh my god, it is going to be awful when the truth finally comes out� kind of way.
See, in real life I have a bit of a thing about lies. As in, I don’t do it. Ever, if I can help it, or well if I can’t (because I’m also a recovering people-pleaser and sometimes a small lie is the path of least resistance). And as it turns out, my hang ups about honesty follow me into my reading life, such that when the plot of a story involves a large and sustained lie, it makes the experience of reading it quite uncomfortable for me.
It didn’t help that I noticed early on that the last section of the book was ominously called “Coming Clean and Saying Goodbye�. I mean, if that isn’t a set up for some serious emotional trauma, I don’t know what is.
But as it turns out, it wasn’t that bad. Sure, there were some hurt feelings all round, and I’m a bit miffed that Sam didn’t really “come clean� so much as he was grassed on (making me wonder if, in other circumstances, he would ever have admitted to the lie), but Jonathan was surprisingly chill about it in the end. Which, while I’m ultimately glad there was a happy ending, I can’t help being kind of annoyed by. I know Sam says in the epilogue that it took a while for them to get past it, but the fact that none of the getting past it happened on page is frankly a bit of a cop out. Bad enough Jonathan basically forgives Sam out of nowhere, but we don’t even get to see them fight to make it work? Bit of a let down.
Overall, the story was fine. Not my favourite work by Alexis Hall, but still enjoyable enough that I don’t regret having read it....more
Amber-Leigh
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