Okay, so now that we got the aesthetic graphic designer side of me o3 STARS • ALLURING BUT LUKEWARM _________
THE COVERERRR ITS GORGEOUSSSSSS
*Exhales*
Okay, so now that we got the aesthetic graphic designer side of me out… let’s get out the stuck-up literary critic.
(BTW…I read this a year or two ago because I got it in a book subscription… soooo bear with me with my vague review.)
This world was AMAZING. I loveeee the concept of a LITERALLY half-fantasy, half-scifi world, and it was described and made beautifully.But because of that, everything else really got washed out.So—- except for thedeliciousPOLITICAL INTRIGUE, which we only got a sample of—- the plot was…eh. Good enough to make you keep reading, but nothing of substance. The characters and romance.. nothing to go home about. They were enjoyable at times— and the hate to love vibe was a fun ride—-but I remember their values & aspirations being wishy/washy.
Don’t really quote me on all the details. What I remember feeling is..it had potential…. but it ended up beingjustdecent.
(Plus, I had some content issues with this one… DM me if you’d like to know them)
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EDIT:Woah I just found out there’s a sequel… I think I’ll read it still… *totally not because I want that cover on my shelf*...more
update, reflecting back: not as memorable asthe Bodyguard,and one of my main memories is main character was tooupdate: why is Wes exactly my type:)
update, reflecting back: not as memorable asthe Bodyguard,and one of my main memories is main character was too whiney. 4 STARS. Still good though, I think.
_____ original review:
can we all agree:contemporary romance never fails to disappoint 89% of the time.
but this book.... IT ACTUALLY DID IT RIGHT. ______
4.7 STARS ••••••• -- JUST ADORABLE ✅.The cringey, the sweet, the heartwarming, the frustrating, and the beautiful. All of it was here and it stirred into a pot of cuteness and warmth i don't want to forget the feeling of...more
update: this was back when I just threw out five stars. this is a solid four because of how it’s lived in my mind as time has passed: as a solid bookupdate: this was back when I just threw out five stars. this is a solid four because of how it’s lived in my mind as time has passed: as a solid book I recommend but not at five star divinity.
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“Monsters were nothing. The true terrors were people like me— the ones who saw suffering, who heard the screams of a hundred generations echoing for miles around them— and still did nothing.” (p. 347)
ok woah it ACTUALLY lived up to review hype *is extremely shocked*
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4.5 STARS
This book gave me all of the things I love about fantasy — world building, different societies, magic, characters thrown into life and death situations, a dabble of romance — while feeling so seamless and fresh and entirelyits own.
SETTING/WORLDBUILDING: I wouldn’t describe it as a fantasy that felt so wholly unlike anything else (such as Nevermoor or a Wrinkle in Time, perhaps, which are built upon quirkiness), but that made this world have a sense of timelessness. It’s structured very much likeHunger Games,with 12 different realms ((view spoiler)[ and an outcast 13th realm(hide spoiler)]), with one realm being the center hub of it all, Aristar, bearing the most power. Unlike it, though, realms have less inherent social hierarchy except in Aristar (which are led by blood heirs), and are inspired by different cultures. The transportation reminded me ofKeeper of the Lost Cities,which uses crystals to travel; instead people in this world travel to different realms by “lodestones,” which have the negative effect of making one want to vomit after use, thus it cannot be used multiple times in a row without serious consequences (brilliant job by Ifueko—consequences!!!).
The world is very much intwined with a spirit world and spiritual/demonic beings, as well as sprites, and genie-like being ehrus (I think that’s how it’s spelled?) who must fulfill the first three commands they are given. Every year, this world sacrifices “specially born” people, who are only born in onespecificrealm (I say this vaguely so not to diffuse the enjoyment of discovering the details of the book by yourself) in order to preserve a treaty with the spirit world so they won’t devour them in war.
PLOT: I loved the plot of this book, can Ijustsay. It begins with the personal conflict of Tarisai, at this time a young child (8 years old? I forget) who is commanded by her manipulative mother (but whom she loves nonetheless) to kill the same-aged crown prince of Aristar, Ekundayo. She must first, though, travel to Aristar and be chosen as one of his council — which occurs by the test of the “Ray,” a magical power born to heirs of the empire and of the Kunleo family; a person can only accept the Ray and join the council if they truly love the Raybearer, who is Ekundayo in this case. This is becauseonly the council of the Raybearer/crown prince(formed of 12 people from each realm, including the prince)can kill the Raybearer.
Then, as the book progresses, the plot morphs into more political intrigue and societal, save-the-world and fight-for-justice kind of thing — which I loved. Our protagonist is convicted of the flaws in her world that have devastating consequences — and everyone else accepts them. So on top of personal conflict, she must also decide what justice is, and whether she will and can fight for it.
The plot connects to the second book, while also having its own plot in the first book with a satisfying conclusion.
>>>Romance.I’ll just say two things about this. 1) It is not necessarily the first thing you might predict or assume from reading the plot synopsis, don’t worry there. 2) I was SO surprised by how wholesome the main relationship is. So many books emphasize the steam, but this relationship was so much more about support and compassion and all that loveREALLYis (though, steam did follow in the second book and some of it was unnecessarily suggestive… but oh well).
CHARACTERS: Tarisai is definitely my favorite character (and she develops even better in the second book!), and that’s saying something, since I usually despise main characters because they’re crackers and water —- dry and watery, since it’s much easier for an author to use their POV that way. But through the emotional longing of finding new family and the simultaneous longing to stay true to her blood family, I was immediately attached to Tarisai’s journey. Then, she (especially in the second book) is placed in situations where she must stand firm in the things she truly believes, even when the entire WORLD— and worse, all her FRIENDS— tell her to do something otherwise. She is a brave and fierce heroine while also being full of love and compassion — tell me, how rare is that to find nowadays?
The side characters are notobsessive-able,but they brought significance to the story. I love Tarisai’s guy relationships, they are a great example of how healthy guy-girl relationships can be. I also love her bestie relationships with Kirah — they are so supportive of one each other while also having a fun ride (but I was disappointed that their friendship was basically non-existent the second book???). The CHARACTER ARCS are so well-developed, especially Tarisai’s, and that only cements more in the second book.
WRITING: Literally perfect for the story. Illustrious without weighing down in description, flowing in narrative, and setting the tone beautifully.
THEMES: And finally, the themes. These are POWERFUL, my friends. Searching for new family and family healing; desiring belonging; seeking purpose and meaning; discovering what love truly is; deciphering what justice is and standing up for what you believe; leadership— just to name a few.These themes are what cementRaybeareras resonant and unforgettable. ______
So why did I knock off half a star?
Right now it doesn’t have the je ne se quois, I suppose, and I have to marinate on it a little further. But it’s almost there.
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CW // Sexual content (references and brief scenes), blood, death, verbal child abuse....more
A review I wrote a long time ago after reading the book:
The Resistance is about a Jewish girl who fights in resistances against the3.5 STARS
A review I wrote a long time ago after reading the book:
The Resistance is about a Jewish girl who fights in resistances against the Nazis.
It was really interesting, and worthwhile, but hard to get through. The culture was so rich and incredibly on point, at least to my knowledge. And the writing style is really good and descriptive but not overbearing.
The plot could just be… heavy sometimes. It was exciting in a way, but there was always something depressing happening. It wasn’t graphic or anything (nothing beyond Marvel). And understandably, there was no humor and could be sad sometimes.
And the protagonist, annoyingly, hardly made any mistakes and was always super tough and unrelatable, except at the end. There was only one character that I liked entirely, who had a beautiful and touching character arc.
My favorite part was the bravery and willfulness and persistence that came through. Resistance showed that no matter how large the unfairness and cruelty of what the Nazis, there will always be people fighting for good, and that was a really wondering message.
So, it was a worthwhile, eye-opening, and soul-cutting read that would recommend if you are prepared that it isn’t an easy one....more
Exactly the book I wanted to read right now, and a marvelous follow-up to Alice In Wonderland.Review to follow.
TW // Fatphobia/sizeism & e4 STARS
Exactly the book I wanted to read right now, and a marvelous follow-up to Alice In Wonderland.Review to follow.
TW // Fatphobia/sizeism & eating disorders (MC likes to eat, but her mother calls her name based on size and stops her from eating multiple times), otherwise mild mental parent abuse. CW // Death (moderate), mentions of "undergarments" (mild)...more
This book was unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It is a visual, moving, and personal dive into the4.5 STARS • IMPACTFUL, INTROSPECTIVE, MYSTERIOUS
This book was unlike anything else I’ve ever read. It is a visual, moving, and personal dive into the perspective of a person struggling with schizophrenia, without glorifying it or making it graphic. I loved reading in Caden’s perspective. The boy has someseriouslyprofound thoughts and imaginative tales that impacted me.
>>>>> Trigger warning: suicide.go to end of review for details. >>>>>
I knocked off half a star is because the book was hard to get into at first for me, and I didn’t understand the point of the second storyline (it flips between Caden in real life and Caden in his head, on a ship). But by the last 100 pages, Neal Shusterman truly linked the perspectives together in a subtle way that made the book much more suspenseful.
This book has something inside it for just about everyone.If you have struggled or are struggling with mental health, or you know someone personally who is, PLEASE pick up this book without hesitation (though read triggers below just in case please!!). If you are like me, and haven’t personally struggled with mental health, you will probably still like it! I related to some of what Caden went through — loneliness, losing friends, disassociating. I also loved how he observed people and would notice things before they said them, because I do that too!! Plus, Caden’s unexpectedly profound observations will make anyone stop and think about life.
Also — I think it’s important to say, just so you know you aren’t in for a heartbreaking book that will ruin your week —- this book has a good, positive ending:)
Next time you’re in the mood for something impactful, thoughtful about a topic that’s greatly relevant to today’s culture— Pick up Challenger Deep.
TW // suicide- one character describes trying to kill herself, another kills themself (see spoiler below if you need more detail about the severity), mental health, frequent mentions of medication, brief mention of abuse. CW// brief inappropriate mentions of assorted things. I forget exactly what they all are, but there is this time one kid says, “God would never give us more than we could handle” (which is already a misleading statement), and Caden basically replies, “he does to the people he really, really hates.” Caden “lies in bed” with a girl, but nothing happens, it’s purely just to comfort her. (view spoiler)[One girl in Caden’s therapy group repeatedly vents about killing herself after her uncle abused her, and describes pressing a knife to her throat. One of Caden’s friends kill himself; the method of how he did it are briefly described and Caden is more depressed for a few days and thinks about whether he would conclue he could kill himself. He concludes he never would.(hide spoiler)]...more
This was a book that I… have no idea how I feel about. _____
TW // mild mental abuse from father figure. CW // Passionate kissing, sorcery (tabot cards, some witchcraft), multiple characters cheat with partners. _____
But I’ve decided it’s a three star read. Here’s why:
WRITING STYLE:Loved it. Maybe it’s because I’ve read a lot of classics, but it wasn’t over-the-top or hard to understand to me in any way. The imagery was stunning, the tone of it transporting you to every place described. At the same time… It has its flaws. For one, I could not call the writing “intentional”, where every word is a piece of the bigger puzzle, and if it were removed the story would not be the same, and would be worse. In the Night Circus, some of the writing WAS fluffy in that sense, and made the story slightly congested with unnecessary words.
CHARACTERS:I loved these characters because it didn’t feel like they were trying to be someone they were not. I love how different each one is. But at the same time, I feel like I never got the chance to find a deep connection with any of them. My favorites were by far Isobel and Celia, and I really wanted more time to “get to know them”, but I felt like the story out a barrier between us, focusing on other characters and on so-called plot points I couldn’t get engrossed in. I loved Marco at first, but after that one thing he did regarding “relationships” (that’s all I’ll say), I CAN NOT respect or trust him.
ROMANCE:I had decent expectations for this one, but alas… Stemming off the above, the romance was done differently than I expected, just because I thought from the beginning it’d be straightforward, between two characters alone. It wasn’t, which I appreciated. There was a slight twist. And then…. Morgenstein ruined it. The least spoiler-y way I can explain this is that Marco lied and broke his loyalty - so I couldn’t trust him anymore. Therefore, I couldn’t ship him in a romance- so I didn’t CARE about the romance anymore. He acted like what he did was no big deal and that Is. Just. Disgusting.
THEMES:Themes are an underrated aspect of books these days sometimes, but they really are what set a book apart. Yet? I’m struggling to find out what the themes are this book are. It’s mysterious, adventurous, and reflective. It’s about love that pulls people, together and apart, and can’t be explained or suffocated. I guess one thing I could see a lot in this book is a common love between many people that was their escape from the real world: the circus. And every single person is willing is sacrifice their time, their plans, their futures, and their LIVES, to keep that whimsical escape alive.
PLOT:*Exhales* Oh boy is there a lot to say about this point. For most of the entire book, the plot DRAGS. Actually, I was *relatively* engrossed in the beginning half as the plot was unfolding, but once I hit the halfway part, the train studded to a halt. This is because I finally realized the plot was NOT going to speed up from a snail-like pace, and it was going to CONTINUE switching between the POVs of the entire cast of characters, when the only POVs I cared about were Celia, Marco, and Isobel. I found no interest in Bailey whatsoever… until the end. And, I promise you, there IS a clever reason for using Bailey’s POV, however dry and flat I found it. So yes, don’t fret as I did, Morgenstein DID tie all the very loose and watery strings together at the end (and when I mean END, I mean literally 91% through the book. I would know. I read this on Kindle), and tied it up interestingly and satisfyingly, but not without taking away from the mysterious tone of the entire story. For that ending, I *may* raise the rating eventually. But I really, REALLY think she could have written the entire story in a much more engaging way, AND still have a surprisingly good ending. It really shouldn’t just be a “good” ending because you’re relieved the author didn’t make the *entire* story boring.
MAGIC:The magic was excellently written, however mysterious and confusing it was at time. The descriptions of it, and how Marco and Celia used it, were captivating. I wanted more of it. The Ice Garden — oh smokes, I LOVE the Ice Garden. ____________________
In conclusion?I’d definitely recommend this book to read once in your life if any of the above sounds appealing. But, go into it knowing it’s an arduous ride that lacks in a lot of potential areas. If you’re willing to spend the time and brain cells, it will captivate you....more
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