Waffling between a 5 and a 4.5, but I'm gonna go with my gut and just give it the 5, because that was one spectacular ending (even if some of it was aWaffling between a 5 and a 4.5, but I'm gonna go with my gut and just give it the 5, because that was one spectacular ending (even if some of it was a little heavy handed on the foreshadowing)....more
Fantastic opening and the middle is the perfect amount of unsettling, but it all kind of falls apart in the last 10 pages or so, which is truly disappFantastic opening and the middle is the perfect amount of unsettling, but it all kind of falls apart in the last 10 pages or so, which is truly disappointing. Flynn is a great writer, and this story may have benefited from being longer by maybe even 30 pages. The ending tries to constantly undo itself in such a short amount of time that it comes across as rushed and a lazy attempt at being a psychological mindfuck, when I know that Flynn is more than capable of doing given a proper amount of pages....more
Honestly, this was probably the best of the trilogy for me, and even this one I'd rate as below average.
Pros 1. More narrative shift from Cassie (blehHonestly, this was probably the best of the trilogy for me, and even this one I'd rate as below average.
Pros 1. More narrative shift from Cassie (bleh) to more interesting characters like Zombie and Ringer 2. More action and less wandering around like previous books 3. Realistic ending given the circumstances 4. Some interesting plot twists (although not particularly great)
Cons 1. No attachment to any characters, even those I found more interesting 2. Still felt like a chore to slog through this, even if I did read it in one night 3. The writing; some of the lines Yancey has put into this book was borderline embarrassing to read, especially the pseudo sex scene
Even though I have more pros than cons, the lack of an entertainment factor for me really brings this one down quite a bit. This is more of a personal preference, but something about Yancey's writing really does not engage me, at least the style for this trilogy. I'm open to giving his other series a try, but I fear it might just be this is not the right author for me....more
I think this's a book that I lot of people won't like, or appreciate.
The characters are messy, mean, and not easy to like, and at times it seems like I think this's a book that I lot of people won't like, or appreciate.
The characters are messy, mean, and not easy to like, and at times it seems like they deny their feelings and refuse to develop for too long. There isn't a whole lot of big plot points, however that isn't where the strengths in this book lie.
No, the reason why I went from wanting to give this book 4 stars to 5 is because the ending ripped my freaking heart to shreds, and maybe it's because I've finally entered high school, and the thought of leaving behind my entire life for adulthood, of leaving behind the memories and the friends that I've been fortunate enough to make, destroys me. However, this book is real, and so are the emotions that it stirs up inside of me.
I also loved the writing, character dynamics, as well as the development of the characters. At times it does seem like the book is just sort of wandering around, unsure of where it's going, and it's very possible that is what happened over the course of the writing, however when it finally does get back on the path, there's no stopping this book.
A book written with this much heart and reality simply cannot get a lesser rating from me. Easily one of the most surprising reads I've experienced in a long, long time, seeing as how I thought I'd only mildly enjoy this one....more
This was significantly better than I had anticipated it would be. In fact, I was so enthralled by it that I read it in one sitting, a rare oc4.5 stars
This was significantly better than I had anticipated it would be. In fact, I was so enthralled by it that I read it in one sitting, a rare occurrence, after I started it a little past midnight. The story line completely captivated my attention.
The first half is stronger to me than the second half, but I feel the second half really picks up again during the last quarter of the book. The book is supported by a strong cast of characters, especially the MC Nanette O'Hare.
Not much to say about this one really except that I'm surprised I allowed myself to lower my expectations for a Matthew Quick book when he has yet to let me down....more
I can't easily recommend this one since your enjoyment of this book definitely boils down to if you like the main character. She's so polariz4.5 stars
I can't easily recommend this one since your enjoyment of this book definitely boils down to if you like the main character. She's so polarizing, and the narration is given such a distinct voice that it will either turn the reader off, or completely capture their full attention.
Overall though, I loved just about everything about this. The characters were compelling, the writing incredibly readable except for a few editing blips, the story extremely engaging, and I became easily emotionally invested in the turnout.
Took off half a star because for this particular book I wasn't a fan of the the transitioning between periods of time (not the 'Past' and 'Present' chapters, but the amount of time that would pass within those sections). To me it was a little lazy to just gloss over significant amounts of time in a paragraph, and was kind of jolting to actually read that weeks had flown by in a paragraph.
Still a great read (for my personal tastes) and look forward to the second book....more
I absolutely loved this book. Since for a book report I have due in several weeks, my school district demands that it be on a non-fiction boo4.5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. Since for a book report I have due in several weeks, my school district demands that it be on a non-fiction book, I chose a biography done for Robert Cormier, and it includes chapters that discuss some of his more well-known works (I Am the Cheese, We All Fall Down, Beyond the Chocolate War, etc.) I decided it best that I read as many as I can to avoid spoilers for the books that have premises that intrigue me.
While this doesn't quite reach the standards set before by Tenderness, which I highly recommend in case you were wondering, it's an extremely well-written story about defiance and our place in society. While the characters do come across as very distant, which I have found to be true in the two previous novels I've read by Cormier, it's his plots and characterization (not the same as personal connection IMO) that make his books, and the action in this is so perfectly timed, as well as the psychological agony brought onto our MC.
As you can tell, I'm very rough in my review writing since I haven't written one in so long, but a highly enjoyed book. So excited to read more of his works (which will be consuming me over the next several weeks)....more
I’ll admit, at the beginning of Faking Normal, I was bored. Really, really bored. I couldn’t poRead this review and others over at
I’ll admit, at the beginning of Faking Normal, I was bored. Really, really bored. I couldn’t possibly picture myself getting through over 300 pages of this boredom. Well, color me surprised to say that not only did I get through the book in its entirety, but I found myself completely enthralled with it by the end. It’s simply so unconventional in its romance, characters, and progression of plot.
One of the most terrifying things for me in this world is the power of the human mind - the power that we simply could never understand. The lengths that it can go to hide what we believe that we cannot handle, or don’t want to handle. That’s exactly what this book is about, in a nutshell. I’ve read books superior to this one about this topic, and I’m sure that there will be more books even better than this one in the future.
Aside from a few issues with extremely randomly thrown in slut shaming, and uneven pacing at the beginning of this book, it’s a pretty solid debut, with interesting characters, who have actual, genuine relationships, and do things that sometimes we don’t fully understand, who make mistakes, who have pain and anger, and who feel like real people.
Although this book seems like it’s going to be very predictable, and you think you have everything figured out very early on in the novel, you don’t. I know you think you do, but you’re so wrong. When the big reveal was finally made (and it was a very big reveal) my jaw literally dropped. I had so many emotions running through me, and it was in that moment that I finally realized how much I’d grown to care about these characters and everything that they were going through in their lives.
I felt like screaming, sobbing, throwing my Kindle across the room (well, maybe I wasn’t seriously considering that my Kindle is my favorite technological device), and was left pondering why the world could possibly be so cruel to people so young.
The romantic element that is weaved into the plot never feels overpowering, nor insta-love-y, nor poorly executed. It all feels very authentic and slow-burning, and never overtakes the central focus of the plot, which is what is happening to Alexi. Bodee, her love interest, is an interesting individual on his own, and Stevens never misses an opportunity to delve into his character. The friendship and bond forged between the two is definitely one of the highlights of the book, and I enjoyed reading those parts more than the romantic ones.
The ending is extremely satisfying and ends all loose ends, which is always a positive thing, considering, for me anyway, many contemporary books seem to lose their steam towards the end, and can often rush towards the end with the wrapping up of storylines sloppy (although I normally try to be forgiving of this).
Courtney C. Stevens, the only thing that I have left to say is: please write another book soon!...more
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