Mmm I wasn't a super big fan of this one. The narration, split between two sisters who have the same bigamist father, was okay. Although basically theMmm I wasn't a super big fan of this one. The narration, split between two sisters who have the same bigamist father, was okay. Although basically the narration was the same between the two of them (as in, the style wasn't different or anything), I thought that it was interesting to see the different points of views of the sisters, one who knows that she is an illegitimate daughter and the other under the delusion that she is part of a whole legitimate family.
The writing was also okay. Not great, just okay. Just didn't blow me away or anything. A great deal of the book definitely read as YA which is fine but there was something almost a little subtlely adult there that I couldn't put my finger on. There was a darkness to it that never really felt resolved. It gave me an uneasy feeling and while reading it I wasn't exactly sure at all how to feel.
Of course, this was an uneasy topic. To write of bigamy is quite interesting, especially if it results in two daughters who share so much and so little in common. I think the parts that I enjoyed the most were those that discussed I guess what you would call colorism, and the self esteem issues a black girl can face if she doesn't have certain hair, skin color or slimness. I thought those things were interesting, as the "legit" daughter had the "whole" family but felt ugly for having none of the aforementioned good traits. On the other hand, her sister was illegitimate but was pretty, slim and was a "silver girl". The thing is about all that is none of that felt resolved. I guess my major problem with the book at large was that there was so much focus on the backstories of the parents (only one of which was interesting) that it left the daughters' in the book's present moment almost entirely unresolved. It did not feel in any way that I knew Dana well or Chaurisse. And there were also many characters in this book, as a bildungsroman goes that didn't seem to have much to do with the plot either. I also hated the epilogue.
Overall, I thought this story dealt with an interesting topic but I guess for me the execution didn't have me moved. I wish that I had gotten more info about Dana and Chaurisse (and even Raleigh) because they definitely would have made the book more interesting. ...more
I am super shaken up. I haven't read a book this heartbreaking in quite a while. I'll try to explain why with no spoilers but really, anyone who picksI am super shaken up. I haven't read a book this heartbreaking in quite a while. I'll try to explain why with no spoilers but really, anyone who picks up this book should have seen all of it coming. I just didn't (until I sneaked a peek in the back).
This is the story of Shivana and her conceived baby. Shivana is a 15 year old girl growing up in the early nineties on the South Side of Chicago. She doesn't consider herself particularly pretty, and she has almost no friends besides Nakesha who is also harassed for her non-specialness. Shivana's father left her and her mother when Shivana was younger and Shivana's mother is difficult to get along with. To top it off, Shivana babysits for a family in the building and the husband/father of the home, is sleeping with her (hint: this is statutory rape). Shivana knows that men ain't s*** but she kinda loves this guy anyway even though he's an ugly OLD man at that. Well anyway, surprise surprise, because he doesn't use protection she ends up pregnant with his baby and Shivana must figure out what to do. Meanwhile, her Aunt Jewel comes to town and she's as glamorous as Shivana can fathom - living in New York, with a man she loves, away from the miseries associated with their neighborhood. She idealizes Aunt Jewel and this is perhaps what arguably leads to her demise.
The book is SAD. No way around it. I mentioned that the story is also about Shivana's conceived child. right? I guess we would call this personified fetus a child, yet it has never exited the womb. This fetus has always been in the womb of dispossessed, unfortunate black women, throughout the history of time, and therefore due to some unhappy accident the fetus never makes it to labor. The fetus hopes Shivana will be different, and seemingly attempts to convince her out of an abortion. Both Shivana and the fetus feel better about their situations when they meet Rasul who has also struggled in his life but is overall a good guy.
Now here's the thing. Back to this book being sad. I'm not gonna give anything away. At all. But like...this book will actually rip your heart out and there is almost nothing of comfort in it (at least not to me). I liked the character of Shivana, though. I sympathized with her and generally felt like she was smart but was just placed in an unfortunate scenarios. The narration from her unborn child seemed to imply that Shivana was not nearly as smart as she thought she was, and that throughout she was actually making decisions that could cause her ultimate demise. But I didn't think so - I thought Shivana was doing the best she could with what she was given. And the thing is, some annoying boot strap folks might say that she was playing victim and that she didn't make use of the few opportunities she was afforded. I don't think anyone, unless they've grown up in similar circumstances as a young black woman in America, could make such claims though. I really felt for Shivana. The thing about her and Rasul is, I was never quite sure what I was supposed to feel about him and it's never really revealed if Rasul lives up to the "bad man" stereotype or if he's actually good. And besides acting as a love interest for Shivana, I felt this character fell a little flat. The reason I'm giving the text four stars is because the writing was GOOD. It's probably some of the best writing I've read in a while, and it's just about what the doctor ordered - nice flowery writing with tons of metaphor (my favorite).
The only thing that is leaving me uneasy is that I'm not sure what to take from this book. That bad things happen even when you have dreams? That sometimes love isn't enough? That poor circumstances will sully any attempts to pursue said dreams? I don't even know but this book was sad and that's that....more
Swing Time was a very good novel at its beginnings. But towards the end, I felt like it, or Zadie or even me, got lost. In a major way. I still ended Swing Time was a very good novel at its beginnings. But towards the end, I felt like it, or Zadie or even me, got lost. In a major way. I still ended up giving this book four stars because I remember the waves of literary wonder I had while I was reading the first half of this. But I am rather disappointed with just about all the plot lines' endings.
As I noted for my review of On Beauty, Zadie Smith is a remarkable writer and the writing style is really probably the best character in her novels that I've read thus far. Unlike On Beauty, this is told in first person, and the character takes us through her life - about 30 years or so with some intermittent skipping and flashbacks. The protagonist is unnamed, which is almost so irrelevant to the plot that one wonders why Zadie Smith chose to do this at all. The star of the novel, at least in my opinion, is the protagonist's mother, followed closely by Tracey, the protagonist's childhood best friend/frenemy. The novel isn't really about Anything, really, besides the general theme that seems to run through most Smith novels: what it's like to be biracial, growing up in the West. Although I am relatively skeptical of the "tragic mulatto" trope, I think it is good that Zadie is writing about experiences she can relate to. I think that is generally the best kind of realistic fiction writing. Any way, so the book is not really about anything in particular. The protagonist and Tracey bond both over their love of dance and the fact that they both have a white parent and black parent. The protagonist's mother, who I enjoyed the most, is Jamaican and her father is white. What I enjoyed most about the mother is the fact that she seemed like a real person I suppose. I know that in some ways she is supposed to be a caricature but I think in actuality she is probably one of the most real characters in the novel. She stood as a foil for the protagonist because at least she actually wanted and stood for something. I rather enjoyed her diatribes and agreed with her generally about the protagonist. Although the protagonist is certainly relatable and even worthy of sympathy, she generally annoyed me with her awkward attempts to differentiate herself from these people who had no choice but to stand for something. Which is why, the protagonist is generally only interesting when compared with Tracey and the protagonist's mother, and when those characters are in the novel less and the flashbacks become less frequent, the novel really takes a dip for me. At first, I enjoyed the introduction of Aimee, an iconic celebrity (I pictured her like Madonna) who hires the protagonist and is basically Tracey in celebrity, older form. But towards the end, I felt like she was a poor substitute and I was starting to not understand the point of her. Pretty much the only thing I enjoyed about the Aimee elements of the story were her volutourism humanitarian effort fails in the fictional African country, and the protagonist's negotiation with her body within the African continent, in relation to her biracialness. Other than that, I kinda wish the novel had ended about 150 pages before it did. In general I do not enjoy untied up endings and this novel pretty much did not tie up anything - or at least not in a satisfying way. In the case of this book, though, all's well that begins well. ...more
This book made me a bit angry. Not sure why exactly. It's your relatively typical sad, tragic story about a nerd who can't catch a break right? I don'This book made me a bit angry. Not sure why exactly. It's your relatively typical sad, tragic story about a nerd who can't catch a break right? I don't feel good about this book or anything, and a part of me wonders why I read it. Oscar really makes me quite sad. I feel drained.
Oh so you might be thinking, 'well then why did you give it 4 stars then dodo'? Well my curious friend, truth is this was good writing. 'Enough for 4 stars?' Mhm. Yes. Yep. And yas. It wasn't the all time BEST or anything (although I could see that being the case if you like less 'traditional' writing styles) but Díaz definitely has a remarkably unique voice. Probably could tell it was him from a mile away and I've only read one of his books (not sure if I will read more but that's for later to tell). Characterization was on point and the back stories were bomb. That's part of the reason why this book makes me so sad because I really got attached to Oscar and (view spoiler)[ well he died. got killed, actually. you knew the former, don't play (hide spoiler)] . At first I wasn't quite sure what to make of Yunior's point of view. The first time I tried to read this, I stopped at Yunior's part because I was just like what the hell is this? But now...well now I'm very glad that it is from Yunior's POV and not from some random third or Oscar himself.
And to tell you the truth this book really wasn't about Oscar. Not entirely anyway. If anything this is an ensemble cast, which I'm really starting to like more and more. I do think that the historical details were the best part of the book. If only because I learned so much about people I literally never of before reading this. One thing that bothered me about this book is not the quite frequent use of the N-word (mostly in narration) but the fact that while anti-blackness was mentioned a lot, nothing in the book really went into depth with it. Before reading this book, I knew and understood surface level things about the DR's relationship with Haiti, Haitians and blackness (particularly their own). And while the book reflected a lot this is, I was really disappointed that none of the footnotes seemed to address the root cause(s) of all this turmoil. I thought that this made it a little hard to accept the use of the N-word consistently (as well as Negro), even though it didn't seem like any of the characters were denying themselves that they had black ancestry. I mean, unless I missed something which is possible. To be honest, I skipped over some of the Spanish because mine isn't the sharpest.
Anyway, I liked the writing and the characters. They're definitely memorable. Characters that stick in such a way that you're not sure they weren't real. In hindsight I'm glad I read this but it was definitely not a leisure book. ...more
I ended up loving this text more than I thought I would. Mainly because, when I first sought out Gloria Naylor I didnBeen meaning to review this one.
I ended up loving this text more than I thought I would. Mainly because, when I first sought out Gloria Naylor I didn't really know what to expect other than that she's earned her place within the black feminist literary canon. I just recently finished Octavia Butler's Kindred, which although not in the same genre, has a similarly staunch place within the canon or whatever. So I was a bit apprehensive in fact, that this classic would also end up disappointing the way that Butler's book did (see more here). But Kindred is not much like Brewster Place at all, and the only reason I bring up Kindred at all is because the writing styles are so vastly different and clearly there is one I enjoy above the other.
From the beginning, Naylor pulls you in with this beautiful personification of this neighborhood -Brewster Place- engaging the reader with a folklore historicity that few authors I think are able to pull off. The entire book is in third person, but there are seven different stories, all seamlessly woven together. Despite the fact that most of these stories are only 20 pages long, and the entirety of the book is less than 200 pages, you get attached quite easily to the characters. Mattie, who begins the book, is clearly the vanguard for the rest of the women in the story, and I was like rooting for her throughout, even though the plot points of her story are deemphasized by the end.
It's been a while since I've read a book where I like the plot, characters and style of writing ALL AT TH E SAME TIME. Some may say that this is strictly a character driven book with no central plot, but that's the great thing about it. Each story has its own unique plot but there is a larger theme that is more or less tied up by the end. A lot of these stories are simply heartbreaking - I will not say that it was easy to read by any means. But Naylor's writing is incredible. I was really blown away by how she was able to transition from clear dialogue to flowery (which for me is good) stream of consciousness. A lot of it had a visceral effect on me. I also enjoyed the complexity of experiences that she included. You have the girl from a middle class background, that is perceived by her mother as rebel without a cause for living in Brewster Place. You have the lesbian women who are together and who face discrimination from other members of the street (which leads to horrible consequences). You have the single mother who has "too many" children, but is complex in her desires and not pathologized. All of these things occurring at once may sound messy and drama filled but really, I thought it matched what actually occurs in black communities.
Anyway, highly recommend for just about anyone. It's a really short read and I think there's something to be garnered for just about anyone who reads it....more
Shanghai Girls is one of the first books I've read of its kind in quite some time. It is historical fiction that doesn't quite feel like historical fiShanghai Girls is one of the first books I've read of its kind in quite some time. It is historical fiction that doesn't quite feel like historical fiction. There are plenty of references to times past but something about Lisa See's writing makes it feel quite modern. It manages to transcend some of the issues of the day and the main characters of May and Pearl practically jump off the page. I think what I liked most about this story is that I wasn't really expecting the plot to scatter the way it did. While the plot was indeed sporadic, I thought that it fit the tone of the story after awhile. They were, after all, in the middle of wars. I am not surprised in the slightest that certain events occurred the way that they did.
That being said, I really didn't appreciate the way in which May behaved 95% of the book. May was seriously the bane of the story line and one of the reasons why this book does not deserve a 5 star rating. She was selfish and continually blamed her sister for things despite all that her big sister had gone through for her. The worst part is that Pearl eventually accepts these failings because she perceives herself to be "old fashioned". May is literally a backstabber but never is anything really May's fault because she's so "beautiful" and can complain like nobody's business. But this isn't just a commentary on May as a character, this really is a commentary on the way in which See wrote her. The excuses that Pearl give May don't really give sense and there were times that Pearl's feelings about her sister -I'm talking about honest feelings- were never really explored. Especially at the end.
I also didn't enjoy how little we got to know about any characters other than May and Pearl. There were numerous characters in there but they all might as well have never really been given names because basically no one is given any attention in terms of characterization. Sam, in particular, is troubling because he probably would have been a rather complex character had See really chose to explore him more. Even Joy isn't given the characterization she deserves, which I guess is why she has her very own sequel.
I really enjoyed this book, even if at times it read as a soap opera (I like soap operas sometimes). I think the sequel should be good and I think the way in which See handles the historical aspects is laudable....more
This was a very sweet book, if not annoyingly and ostensibly chick-lit (this is by no means a bad thing). What separated this from a great deal of eveThis was a very sweet book, if not annoyingly and ostensibly chick-lit (this is by no means a bad thing). What separated this from a great deal of every day "guy-meets-girl-or-guy" thing is the narration by Don, a socially awkward (and perhaps slightly autistic) Australian professor who is looking for love in all the wrong places (this is in fact not the official synopsis of the story and I made that up. I know, I know. It's genius).
Now, now before you say, "Oh jeez well how very inhumane of you readers to Laugh at the struggles of an Autistic man and to make it *gasp* relatable to people???". Well Invisible Reader of my Review, I'm kinda thinking that the story is not meant to poke fun at anyone on the autism spectrum (not that Don identifies himself as autistic with any level of frequency. I'm pretty sure he only mentions this once or twice). Don is great and I don't feel bad for him except I do on a romantic level. Do you see how that works?
Rosie is an all around great character and acts as an excellent foil for Don. The two of them together are pretty magical.
I think what didn't sit as well with me was the almost distracting Father Project. I understood that this part was in fact the plot but it felt as if the author sincerely had characters in mind and just needed to give them a good plot. But the plot was relatively boring and it was really the characters that reeled me in. I think that's okay because the characters were well written. The plot could have been a tad stronger but it was a pretty good read anyway. ...more
I set out to read this book in the summer. I admit that I had to start over reading it about three times before I could really get into it. If I were I set out to read this book in the summer. I admit that I had to start over reading it about three times before I could really get into it. If I were not reading more interesting books alongside it, I may have continued. A great deal of the book that I DID finish felt very pretentious and I didn't feel particularly connected to the main character. I did like Tereza and I honestly felt pretty bad for her. Unfortunately, the fluffy philosophical tings couldn't make up for the slow plot. I've heard mixed things about Kundera anyway, but at some point I would like to finish at least this book to see for myself. For now, as yet unrated but disappointed. ...more
University reading. Insightful in the best way. Raised some interesting questions about life and what makes life meaningful. Is writing book reviews oUniversity reading. Insightful in the best way. Raised some interesting questions about life and what makes life meaningful. Is writing book reviews on Goodreads, as an independent activity, making my life meaningful? As this book ultimately suggests it is not only for me to question and eventually decide, it all depends on what a large majority is able to value and thus, bring meaning to it. Great lecture by Susan Wolf. ...more
It has been so long since I've read something that I never wanted to end. Perhaps the best book I've read this year and indubitably the most insightfuIt has been so long since I've read something that I never wanted to end. Perhaps the best book I've read this year and indubitably the most insightful book I've read in the last two. Simple, no frills and very short. I couldn't have asked for more, really. Except for more length I suppose. ...more
This was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I'm not sure that anyone reads such a book by choice, but perhaps there is someone out there.This was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I'm not sure that anyone reads such a book by choice, but perhaps there is someone out there. I, did not. This was required. However, as far as required reading goes, this was not entirely bad.
The story of Jill Conway, was an interesting and unique one. Jill guides the reader through the landscape of her beloved Coorain, a sheep farm in rural (and I mean RURAL) Australia. She speaks on her role as the only daughter in the Ker family among two older brothers and her parents. This includes assisting her father with the sheep while her brothers were away at school. Jill's journey through childhood was what interested me most, especially that of her time in Coorain before her father's tragic death. After that point, Jill and her mother depart the land -which suffered from extreme drought for years- for the metropolis of Sydney. There, Jill received various educations before finally getting accepted into The University of Sydney. While I found her subtle, almost passive aggressive remarks about feminism and Australian sovereignty to be interesting, the novel took that all too familiar route most memoirs I've read seem to take: the ennui of growing up. Still, I admired Jill's grace with life and her steadfast determination to herself and her mother, even when the latter seemed to be giving up hope.
I would have wished that Jill would have focused a bit more on her interpersonal relationships, especially those outside her family. Her companions were always mentioned very briefly, and many times it was as if they should have hardly been mentioned at all for all the relevance they had. All in all, an interesting coming of age memoir for anyone; but most particularly those interested in post-war world II, Australia or feminism (of the passive kind). ...more
So, this is one of those books that I basically read in one setting. That is not because it was extremely captivating (although it was) butOh, Golden.
So, this is one of those books that I basically read in one setting. That is not because it was extremely captivating (although it was) but because....well something has to be said for pretty books. Like, this was one attractive books and even if the plot really really really sucked I would be a bit hard pressed to put it down forever. Because it's just that good looking.
Well anyway.
This book didn't even really need to look good, necessarily to keep me reading. It spoke for itself.
Let's see here...
So we have little miss perfect, Parker who is about to graduate high school at the top of her class, already accepted into Standford University. She has even acquired finalist status for a full ride scholarship as well. However, Parker is always getting pressured by her friend Kat and crush, Trever to seize the day, to do something unexpected, to take the road less traveled (the book focuses a lot on Robert Frost poetry because Parker's last name is Frost). Parker is unsure of their advice until, during her TA assignment, she runs across the journal of a girl named Julianna. She was the golden girl of the small town ten years ago. She had just graduated Parker's high school with her perfect boyfriend, Shane, to match her perfect life. And just as their perfect lives could reach their peaks, they ended with a deadly car crash into a local lake. They became town legend and now Parker has a chance to peek into the life of this dead girl. She just doesn't know if she should (NEWS FLASH, SHE DOES). And once she does decide to take a risk, she is swept up into the life of this oh so perfect girl and somehow the questions Julianna asks directly parallel Parker's life as well.
I just get so lucky with subtle books sometimes. At least in the last six months. This was a subtle, pretty books. Non-assuming. It doesn't pretend to be more or less than what it is and it's not ostentatious. It's just marvelous. The writing is beautiful but not superfluous and Parker and her friends and everyone, really, are realistic and mostly undramatic. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Robert Frost poetry inserts (I'm a poetry freak sometimes) and it really drove the (subtle) message home: To take the road less traveled, sometimes, even if you don't know where it will take you. Hmmm. It really is a nice little read, this one is. ...more
So I have really mixed feelings of which I will try to explain in the next...two minutes or so? Bear with me.
I purchased book for the Kindle back in So I have really mixed feelings of which I will try to explain in the next...two minutes or so? Bear with me.
I purchased book for the Kindle back in like January. No seriously. The thing is I didn't actually get started until this past March which you know...For some reason I couldn't get past the first couple of pages. When I saw this book and subsequently bought it, almost without any knowledge of the synopsis, I thought there would be a whole Eleanor & Park vibe. You know, sweet to the point of syrup blah blah. But it's not. How could it be?
The main characters are Nastya and Josh. The two of them have experienced tragedy and when Nastya arrives as a new student at Josh's high school, they eventually collide. Josh is of course the handyman with a broken past, one of which destroyed all of his family members. He is all alone and therefore the only friend he really has is Drew.
Nastya is (view spoiler)[ not Nastya. She is Emilia and escaping her own broken past. She was brutally attacked three years earlier and died only to come back to life. I'm putting this in spoiler alert because while it is quite obvious to me and hinted at throughout her POV, most of the book hinges on the suspense of this fact so... (hide spoiler)]
Slowly Josh becomes an unspeaking Nastya's sanctuary. And slowly she becomes his. And despite all the secrets between them they fall in love.
I liked this story, though at first as it always does, it annoyed me that the author felt the need to hold back Nastya's secret until the very end. I'm not a big fan of that but I suppose I understand why now. The story itself was more or less plot-less. It all depended on the pasts of the characters and in knowing what happened to Nastya/Emilia/Sunshine early on, the book would have lost a large deal of appeal.
I liked Josh more than Emilia by the way. Obviously, the two of them were both whiny but Josh was less so (and no it's not because he's a boy). I just liked him better and his narration was overall better than Nastya's (to me).
The one thing I didn't really get was, of course, the oh so obvious breaking off that every chick-lit has to go through just because you know, why not? (view spoiler)[ Josh and Nastya sleep together but immediately after Nastya realizes that Josh knows she's a virgin, she gets so upset that she makes up a lame reason as to why she slept with him and they stop talking altogether. (hide spoiler)] To be honest, that's where the book fell apart for me. I think the author needed an excuse for the couple not to be together and that's almost okay if it made sense. The spoiler above didn't.
I'd also like to add that the whole Clay, Tierney and even the Drew thing never really seemed to come together for me. All of a sudden Clay and Nastya are such good friends (she doesn't talk to him btw) that he can draw her whenever he wants? And whenever Tierney and Drew were together, Nastya tried to play matchmaker or whatver and it's like...why is this relevant? While I'm on the subject of Drew, still not sure of his rationale of using Nastya as a prop. Who really cares that much about how Drew dates or otherwise interacts with high school girls? That whole part was unnecessary and it felt like the author was trying to force tension between Josh and Drew over *barf* Nastya. And don't even let me get started on the whole Leigh thing (view spoiler)[ pointless (hide spoiler)]
But on a positive note: It's not a typical love story and many times it's not even very sweet but if you can deal with that then you have a relatively good and lengthy read on your hands....more
This is my first ever ARC and I am so excited that I got to read this a full...six months before it was even published!
Yay me!
I am not sure how muOMG!
This is my first ever ARC and I am so excited that I got to read this a full...six months before it was even published!
Yay me!
I am not sure how much I should reveal about it since it hasn't been published yet so I'll keep it short and sweet until...January.
At first I wasn't exactly feeling the writing style the author had taken on (and it is third person, boo) but I got used to some of the corny phrases eventually. Clearly the author was inspired by like, Across the Universe because the protagonists have generally the same characteristics. The main female character is a strong, opinionated red head and the main male character is like olive skinned and...alien (like Amy and Elder in Across the Universe).
Don't get me wrong, however. The author put a whole new spin to it. Cara, an Earthling, is chosen as one of three worldwide exchange students to house beings from an alien planet, whose inhabitants have DNA that resembles humans. However, they are more advanced and feel superior to Earthlings, causing a rift between the two species.
I don't feel like summarizing much right now. Later. I promise.
Really looking forward to what can come out of this and what others will say once it is published in 2014 (yes I'm boasting). Boo for me, but I have to wait TWO YEARS for the sequel.
Perhaps it is unfair that throughout this book, I was judging it based on how well it was NOT Every Day (because gosh that was a lousy book). I kept hPerhaps it is unfair that throughout this book, I was judging it based on how well it was NOT Every Day (because gosh that was a lousy book). I kept hoping against hope that even though David Levithan was co-authoring with this Cremer chick that it would NOT be another whiny, self obsessed...monologue (I mean, Every Day was not that bad but I'm just saying). Because it easily could have become that. I mean, they both have pretty similar-ish plots. The reason why this book is better, however, lies in many regions that we will explore momentarily.
Invisibility begins with the plight of a teen named Stephen. Since his birth he has been mysteriously cursed to be unseen by anyone, including himself. So he has no idea what he looks like and neither does his mother, who ends up being the only one he really speaks to as he grows up. His father, basically freaked out by his invisible son, backed out of his life early after his birth. Eventually, Stephen's beloved mother dies suddenly and Stephen is essentially alone for a year. One day, however, he encounters a girl, someone whom has just moved into his New York City apartment building who can actually see him. She has her own problems in the form of the bashing her gay younger brother received at the hands of her previous Minnesota peers. She is now virtually friendless in a new city and she has a chip on her shoulder as a result. Then she meets Stephen and their lives basically change forever.
Now, I really like this concept because it is quite romantic in my opinion to think that only one person -someone that you can attracted to- is the only person who can see you. I mean, I think that's more interesting than what the protagonist and his love interest had to deal with in Every Day (jeez louise).
I have a theory about Levithan: I think he may very well do best with other authors, as in co-authoring. At least in my experience. I do not enjoy the books that he does solo and I may in the minority on that, but that's just IMO. On the other hand, I enjoy way more when he writes with other people. I think that this is mostly because his writing style is a bit...heavy and it can be hard to read a whole book of that. It's much better to me if he's alternated with someone a bit lighter, like Cremer, to balance out his austere.
However, back to the book. So while I liked the initial plot, it kinda surprised me (in a sorta bad way) the whole magical element thrown in there). Like, I knew that the plot needed something like that in order to sustain itself but it's just...I wasn't expecting that. I didn't pick this up and think of it as a magical, paranormal thriller or anything. It didn't go too crazy. I mean, most of the magical stuff was (oxymoronically) pretty realistic sounding. It didn't go all Harry Potter on me.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters in here, even Elizabeth. I generally begin to dislike female protagonists but she was a really strong one and never cowered in the face of her fellow male protagonist. If anything, it was Stephen that kinda got overshadowed (no pun intended). Everyone had good intentions and no one was overtly ostentatious and stupid or dramatic. I just loved Laurie. He was a nice foil for Elizabeth.
So overall, this was a nice summer read. It wasn't exactly what I expected but *shrug* maybe that's not such a bad thing. ...more
Oh jeez. A five star rating for a book I read THIS year?
Somebody hold me.
[image] And St. Clair...
Jesus.
But before I get to how FINE St. Clair is (I Oh jeez. A five star rating for a book I read THIS year?
Somebody hold me.
[image] And St. Clair...
Jesus.
But before I get to how FINE St. Clair is (I would spell out his first name but I can't spell. Boo me), let me just say one more time...
Someone hold me.
I mean, every time I think about this book (or more, specifically, St. Clair), I just get all
[image][image]
[image][image]
Ahem.
Moving on.
Anna. Right. This is about Anna. I liked Anna. She was very funny and relatable. You'd think she'd be a brat. I mean, she is UPSET that her Dad forced her to go to boarding school in PARIS.Yeah, sure she has no friends but a girl can deal, right? Especially when one has....
Etienne.
There I spelled it right.
But...oops. Etienne is taken by another, older woman. And so, even though she is desperately in love with him (as am I, don't judge), Anna must hide her feelings for fear that she will further complicate Etienne St.Clair's already complicated life ( (view spoiler)[ His mom has cancer (hide spoiler)] and his father is a jerk).
That's the general breakdown. If you look at one of my shelves, you'll see that Etienne is very attractive and this is constantly mentioned. Although this may usually annoy me, strangely, this time around, it didn't. I don't know. Maybe I was in a good mood. Or maybe it was because Etienne was British (which I find annoying on TV shows but not in books).
I loved just about all of the characters and didn't even get too ticked off when Anna made mistakes (as all humans do). I loved that the setting was Paris and that the author managed to make the boarding school thing work (for me, that's either a hit or miss).
I'm glad I picked this book up from the library on a whim. Oh am I glad ^_^
I recommend this to any chick lit lovers. Don't be ashamed.
But very wonderful novel. It may be one of the best romance novels I've read all year. Gasp! ...more
I just...I have so many feelings after reading this. So many.
Oh gosh.
I think I'll come back to this one. Maybe once I stop crying?
48 hours after reaI just...I have so many feelings after reading this. So many.
Oh gosh.
I think I'll come back to this one. Maybe once I stop crying?
48 hours after reading:
I have been pining for this book for quite some time now. As in, for the last eighteen months. Due to some miscellaneous events, however, I was only just now able to read it. And...it didn't disappoint. Mostly.
So...this was just a crazy novel overall (but in a good way). Let's see... So an almost-sixteen year old named Brie lives this kinda perfect life in a beach town in northern California. She has wonderful parents and little brother, three perfect friends and, a perfect boyfriend. Her life is really awesome. But then her perfect boyfriend, Jacob, destroys that perfection by breaking her heart. And, in a strange turn of events, Brie actually dies due to her broken heart.
Now, Brie is dead and she is finding it hard to live with the fact that he short life is over. She is a bit obsessed with living in the past and hoping that her friends and family will somehow acknowledge her ghost form. Then Brie meets Patrick, a fellow dead teen at the after world version of their favorite pizza joint, Slice. He attempts to tell her the rules of the afterlife and helps Brie get the closure she needs. Often, however, that comes at some massive prices.
Oh boy. Now, what I cannot say is how awesome the plot twists were in here. They were pretty good. I mean, I COULD, but then I'd have to add some HTML (assuming someone actually reads this) and that's so much work...
I just really liked this novel. It was on the verge of being supernatural but it wasn't...it wasn't extremely overwhelming. My only real problem with it was the narration. I understood that the author was trying to make Brie sound as realistic as possible. You know, like a teenager. Perhaps Brie was just really corny but, well...Brie was really corny. Very corny. I got used to it but in retrospect some of the lines in there were a bit trying too hard. I think it fit after a certain point but, it was just hard to get used to. That's all.
I really wish I could conjure up the strength to add some HTML in here because I just...the twists were just so crazy. But I can't. Whaa. But, save for the narration at times, I really loved this one. Cute. ...more
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