I really enjoyed this one. There was a simplicity about it that I wasn't expecting but it ended up carrying me through until the end. The simplicity iI really enjoyed this one. There was a simplicity about it that I wasn't expecting but it ended up carrying me through until the end. The simplicity is also impressive because the novel contains many historical themes -- life in the Northern United States for free(ish) Black people, the 19th century medical profession, gendered career expectations, colorism, marriage, sex, emigration, HBCUs, intra-racial classism, mental health, Haitian spirituality, and perhaps most importantly, the relationship between a mother and a daughter. To me, the latter is truly the most present and important theme of the novel. Libertie and her mother have a complex relationship. Libertie adores her mother, but at the same time fears her and all at once also resents her (this describes many relationships of this kind). Libertie's mother is a doctor and therefore wishes her daughter to be one as well but Libertie has other plans, plans that don't fit nicely into the schema of what would become the Black petit bourgeois class postbellum. I enjoyed the ways that Greenidge explored sexuality in this book, both between (view spoiler)[The Graces (hide spoiler)] and between Libertie and Emmanuel. These parts in particular felt close to critical fabulation and I really enjoyed them. I was also a fan of Greenridge exploring inter-diasporic travels during the 19th century (and especially liked the mentions of Martin Delany and his own travels). Without romanticizing these travels, I think Greenridge did a good job of exploring the classed complexities of these journeys and arrivals, with Libertie's character arc I think representing such limitations.
A few reasons I'm giving this only four stars. For one, I really enjoyed the first 7/8 of the book which is like...most of the book but the last 20 pages or so were not my favorite. As I was reading I was hoping/realizing that there might be a sequel or might even be part of a trilogy? I don't say that because the story itself needs it or even that there were all these loose ends but because the book felt incomplete. Perhaps the book just felt like it was rushed towards the end, and I almost couldn't believe I had finished it. Another thing that I wish the book had done more of is explore Haitian culture. We did receive parts but it was mainly through Libertie's interactions with Emmanuel's family and their servant. This is related to the fact that I wish Libertie had been slightly more reflective about her relationship with Ti Me. While Libertie has all these critiques of Emmanuel's family in relation to Ti Me, she seems only once to notice that *she* also uses Ti Me in similar ways. Maybe I wish Ti Me had called her out on it. Could be that Ti Me could not given the circumstances (power). Also generally wish that the parts around the power Emmanuel feels he does not have in relation to his family were fleshed out more -- perhaps some open confrontation with the Bishop, a little fight here and there. I don't know.
Overall, I'm glad I read this one. Parts of it read like a young adult novel but the content is definitely for adults. Definitely helps open up discussion about diaspora and class. ...more
*I started listening to Little Fires this time last year via Overdrive and stopped listening because it was very popular at the time and I had to retu*I started listening to Little Fires this time last year via Overdrive and stopped listening because it was very popular at the time and I had to return it to the virtual librarian. I am glad I picked it up again.*
I think Little Fires Everywhere is about many things. On one hand it is a meditation on retribution and justice -- what is a proper punishment? What does one deserve? What counts as revenge? On the surface, or at least during the bulk of the story, it does not appear that way. Little Fires Everywhere sells itself in many ways as a typical book about (white) dysfunction: an upper middle class white family who live a perfect existence in a perfect neighborhood within a perfect town but have deep issues that require a whole book to muddle through. At first one also assumes that it is Moody and perhaps Pearl who are the main characters of the book. Perhaps ultimately there are no main characters in the book, although if there were I would say they are Mia and Mrs. Richardson. Mia: The supposed inverse of Mrs. Richardson; a dark mystery; a free spirit; an artist; willing to live on the edge; not afraid to get her hands dirty; kind. Mrs. Richardson is the typical career woman; driven; cerebral; phony; faux feminist; pragmatist (and of course deep down she really hates how her life has turned out). The two characters' lives and their collisions are truly the frame of the story. Although the book's plot is characterized by the illicit adoption of a Chinese baby by the Richardsons’ white family friends, this to me is only really a subplot. The subplot reveals all that Mrs. Richardson and Mia don't want anyone to see -- the former's maliciousness and the latter's past. Their children are of course experiencing their own high school troubles but these almost serve as a bit of a distraction, at their best when they are telling us more about Mrs. Richardson and Mia. So. The wider theme? Justice and retribution. Mia (probably a Libra or something LOL) is more or less the lawyer in this book despite being an artist. She is the purveyor of justice -- she informs Izzy how she can enact revenge on a racist teacher, helps Bebe get her baby back and most tellingly believes it just that she raise her own child. One can ask of course if any of these things are actually just. Was it right for Izzy to do what she did to the racist teacher when the teacher is clearly suffering from alcoholism? (this is rhetorical) Is it right for Bebe to have her child? Is it right for Mia to have hers? And of course, is it right for Izzy to have lit the fires? While Ng hints at what the right answers are to there (and indeed I have thoughts of my own), these are incidents that are open to interpretation.
I mentioned in my updates that I dislike Izzy even though I know I am supposed to like her. While Izzy was nowhere near my favorite character by the end of the book, I do think that she is the best of the Richardson children and the most sympathetic. She is only 15. Few people are likeable at 15. I was also glad that Moody's character was made complex in the way it was...he was Nice & Sensitive Boy™ until he wasn't and I am glad that Ng gave us more to work with. Trip and what's her name were also interesting as characters although I feel that Ng could have given us more about Trip or at least detailed more about his motivations.
I also want to mention the issue of race. Ng writes interestingly about race. Nothing particularly egregious stood out to me. It is clear that Ng has done her research and has thoughts about what it means to be white and what it means to not be white. That being said, I was interested in the fact that at least from my reading that Mia and Pearl are not obviously racialized. Now, normally this wouldn't really be worth noting. In many books, if characters are not racialized this means that they are white. And of course, characters that are non-white are said to be Black, Asian, etc. explicitly. However, in this book al the characters were said to be white or Black or Asian. Except for Mia and Pearl. There were some hints throughout that Mia and Pearl were in fact non-white...for example Mia spoke a great deal about Pearl's hair being "thick and curly". Yet this is as far as Ng goes really to describe either of them. I wonder about this decision and besides perhaps making it easier to cast Kerry Washington in Mia's role I can't understand at this exact moment why they were not clearly marked racially as the other characters were. I think it may have something to do with Mia being this kind of "pure" character, who always knows what's best, who is more or less infallible. If so this is very interesting and slightly disturbing. I will do some research about this. Anyway, thanks for reading....more
Heartbreaking as it is literary, Harriet Jacobs' account of her suffering as a beautiful slave woman is a story that resonates today in women of all sHeartbreaking as it is literary, Harriet Jacobs' account of her suffering as a beautiful slave woman is a story that resonates today in women of all shades. For me, it is one of the only slave narratives to which I felt a personal connection, in the sense that Jacobs intensely captured the struggle of black women during slavery. ...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
I think what was most awful about this book is that it smacked of white saviorism. Perhaps Cleave wanted to resist the temptation to make the secondarI think what was most awful about this book is that it smacked of white saviorism. Perhaps Cleave wanted to resist the temptation to make the secondary character of Sarah as a white savior but he did it anyway and I'm not really surprised which I guess is why this was disappointing.
Little Bee was really a cool main character but Cleave wrote her in a way that made her seem inhuman. Which I think just goes along with society's way of portraying POC as wise, older-than-they-are supernatural individuals, as if things like the murder of their family or staying in an immigration detention center wouldn't break any normal human being (for the record, Cleave did try to make Little Bee a little less than invincible at certain parts, but it annoyed me that she was always forced to put on a good face around Sarah and Charlie. Her inner monologue was truly better than what she actually said).
I actually quite enjoyed Sarah if only because it was entertaining to see Cleave struggle to write her as a non-white savior. He eventually did it but after that point, it was almost comical to see how the story angled towards Sarah in terms of sympathy. I was made to feel more sorry for Sarah (view spoiler)[ Poor Sarah, she lost her finger and eventually her husband because she's an abashed cheater, meanwhile Little Bee practically died and her sister was raped right before her eyes...and then she died. And while we're on the subject, I abhorred how Cleave depicted the men who pillaged the village. They're cannibals, really? (hide spoiler)].
I think by the end, although I didn't agree with a great deal of the ideology within the book, Cleave did manage to write this book exceptionally well. It wasn't funny though. ...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
All in all, I have an attitude. This is not to say that I did not enjoy this book -I did- but in a way I feel almost tricked by Murakami. Honestly, I All in all, I have an attitude. This is not to say that I did not enjoy this book -I did- but in a way I feel almost tricked by Murakami. Honestly, I think the way I feel can be attributed to things being lost in translation. It was so often in this book that I didn't understand the characters and their feelings until bad things started happening. They just happened almost with no warning and so I feel a little tricked...
Toru is a nice guy and all but he really is quite an annoying protagonist. You start out with him, hurt over his best friend's mysterious suicide. And his best friend's girlfriend, Naoko is all hurt too and so they hurt together. And then Naoko can't take the hurt well (nor can she seem to deal with having sex with Toru) so she drops out of school and goes to a mental health center in the middle of nowhere Japan. And apparently (I say that sarcastically) the two of them love each other although I'm pretty sure nothing of that kind was mentioned AT ALL before she went away. Toru writes her letters and in the mean time he meets a classmate named Midori who has a dying father and too many other dead relatives to mention. Midori is alive and Naoko, well, is living in the past and she's depressed.
Everyone and everything besides Midori are depressing in this story really. At certain times i couldn't help but wonder what the point was of so many depressing elements in the story (view spoiler)[ Especially the deaths of Naoko and Nagasawa's girlfriend later. I felt like Naoko's suicide seemed to defeat the purpose of the story...whatever that is . It's like anyone who wasn't immediately mentioned again killed themselves. It was really quite terrible. (hide spoiler)]
There was wonderful prose in this although at times the prose seemed to be a space filler in otherwise unneeded pages. The end leaves something to be desired but I guess that's the point. I'm not sure how I feel about Murakami in general after reading this story. This is his most popular one and it's so beautifully vague I'm not sure I can handle another one....more
If anyone tells you that this book is about Ava Lavender, then tell them to shut their filthy mouth.
LOL because it's not.
While Ava narrates it, this iIf anyone tells you that this book is about Ava Lavender, then tell them to shut their filthy mouth.
LOL because it's not.
While Ava narrates it, this is certainly not about her in the traditional way a book is supposed to be centered around its protagonist. Ava is rather a secondary character and this is okay with me because the primary characters and their stories were riveting.
The story begins with the immigration of Emmelinne and her family to the United States. From there, her life is all but cursed and she finds herself in Washington State. Her life is further cursed and she puts much of her time and effort into a bakery, in which she raises a daughter, Vivane. Vivane is similarly cursed and she has a daughter, whom is Ava. I am extremely paraphrasing although it's a little unnecessary. This story is not really plot driven, so giving away key details wouldn't ruin any anticipation. It is solely the beautiful writing that holds this story together. While Ava and her wings was fascinating, it wasn't really why I'm giving it ****. Again, Walton wrote her butt off in this book and despite the rather non plot and non ending, it was a story I was surprised I liked so much. ...more
Started re-reading this because it is one of those novels I read as a young adult that I can barely remember. And now I remember why I loved it 10 yeaStarted re-reading this because it is one of those novels I read as a young adult that I can barely remember. And now I remember why I loved it 10 years ago (!!!)
Reading this made me realize what is so amazing about Toni’s writing — she is a master of metaphor and analogy. No one does it better. And even as she seemingly explains itself, the language can be peeled back and double and triple fold to reveal something new. When I first read this, I read it strictly as a romance between two who shouldn’t be together. I read it now as that but also a meditation on class, wealth, race, color, gender. And, as always, Toni weaves in her attuned insight to ensure that all of this comes together brilliantly. ———————-
It's a bit awkward for me to write a good review for anything Toni Morrison has written, if only because, after I read Beloved, I condemned her. But Tar Baby was far different than anything I suffered through in her most popular novel. In fact, almost everything I hated about Beloved was almost nonexistent in this book.
To compare the two novels doesn't make sense because while Beloved is set in Reconstruction America, Tar Baby is mostly set in circa 1970s Caribbean with a few sprinkles of the Deep South and Manhattan. And there aren't really any slaves running around thank god. No, this is the story of a young woman named Jade/Jadine. She's a model and has been featured in international magazines. Her aunt and uncle work for a white couple, Valerian and Margaret, and when the book begins the latter four are in the Caribbean. Margaret is far younger than her husband and his second wife. They have a son that basically never comes home despite his mother's affections for him (in Valerian's opinion, too much affection). Jadine goes down to Haiti to see her folks and the white family that has treated her so kindly. Shortly after, Margaret finds a young black man hiding in her closet, apparently just hungry and a fugitive. Valerian decides to make him comfortable in the home and Jadine reluctantly falls in love with Son.
I really liked this story because of its emphasis on a few things: interpersonal relationships, race relations and feminism. Jadine was a strong female protagonist and even though was Margaret was off her rocker, she was pretty strong willed in her own right. Ondine and Sydney, the aunt and uncle, were used for the race relations pieces but they were interesting as symbols of bourgeois African Americans in the 20th century.
The only thing I really wish is that the romance between Son and Jadine wasn't so rushed. I know that in reality their romance was really in the background, even if is advertised as a romance, but I'd like it better if the majority of it hadn't been just highlighted in merely a few pages.
Nice read for Morrison and I think I might give her another try....more
As much as i hate where this plot went, I must rate this book based on pure intrigue. I don't really like Juliette (almost, at all). But she was interAs much as i hate where this plot went, I must rate this book based on pure intrigue. I don't really like Juliette (almost, at all). But she was interesting to read about. That may be why I have such mixed feelings about this. While there was for sure, incredible writing in here (it seems the excessive figurative writing has been, at the least, polished) I just...
So we find Juliette only a few weeks after the end of the first book. She's housed at Omega Pointe, ran and founded by Castle. His mission is to help and protect (and ultimately mobilize) those special creatures like Juliette from and against the Reestablishment. Juliette cannot quite adjust to life with *gasp* people and the only one she really clings to, initially, is Adam (view spoiler)[ As you can imagine in a couple STEAMY scenes, alright? (hide spoiler)] But eventually, Castle orders silly little Juliette to get up and train her power, since she so obviously knows very little about it. Remember Kenji? Yeah, he begins to help integrate her into the Omega Pointe society and hone her skills.
Somewhere in between all that, Juliette finds out something tragic: (view spoiler)[ Adam, her love, who is one of the only ones who can touch her, must fight to even do so. To be with Juliette, proves exhausting. (hide spoiler)] Juliette pretends to be selfless and then comes along little Warner and God knows how I feel about THAT thing.
The problem with this book, is not its dialogue (sometimes, though), not its plot, not its execution, its Mafi's tolerance of this weird love thang between Warner and Juliette. I don't know why she capitulated to that whole Team Warner mess, or if that was her plan from the start (view spoiler)[ And I don't know why Warner and Adam must be brothers (hide spoiler)] but it didn't even seem feasible. I don't care about how cute this guy looks like with a dog, or if his father beat him or his father is a mean person or whatever excuse Mafi made for him. Adam had problems. Juliette had problems. Do you see them attacking and killing innocent people on purpose? Well, maybe. But will Mafi give them the benefit of the doubt? No. But when it comes to Warner, it's all "well maybe he's not so bad" and i just feel like this attitude is entirely too convenient and Mafi has just been feeding into the Warner fandom.
I do not support.
I do not like Warner. And I don't care about how nice he is. (view spoiler)[I admit that the little scene with him and Juliette was steamy but I don't care BECAUSE I WANTED IT TO BE WITH ADAM (hide spoiler)]
Another thing that I can totally leave is Juliette. Oh wait, she's the protagonist. I mean, she was always crying about something and no sooner than she set the resolve not to cry anymore, she was doing it again a chapter later. Jeez, give me a break.
I'm gonna read the next book. I promise. But it might take a long time for to swallow all that Warner crying mess. Bye. ...more
I'll probably give this book five stars at another day and time but, for now, it stands at four stars. I don't why exactly. Don't ask.
However, despitI'll probably give this book five stars at another day and time but, for now, it stands at four stars. I don't why exactly. Don't ask.
However, despite its less than perfect rating, this is the best, unassuming (or is it nonassuming?) novel I've read all year (that's not saying a lot since my reading experience this year has been less than extraordinary but take it as you will).
Anyway, this book doesn't take itself too seriously, even when it's trying to preach (and it actually does so quite nicely, considering. Many authors wouldn't be able to handle such subject matter without being preachy).
This is the story of a girl named Chelsea. She is a classic, popular girl. If you have ever seen Mean Girls, picture one of the henchmen of Regina George. Except, unlike these henchmen, Chelsea actually has some brain in her popular head (um, what?) However, She has verbal diarrhea- whenever she sees or hears something, she spreads the word regardless of if it's true or not. And because she is best friends with the most popular girl in school (her name escapes me at the moment), she can get away with being a terrible gossip. But that all changes when one day, at a classic teenage, wild party, she accidentally witnesses two gay guys in a bedroom together. She spreads the word to her popular buddies as soon as she sees this and -despite how irrelevant and flippant a statement it was- these homophobic jerks were -gasp!- offended by it and decided to beat up one of them, Noah. Chelsea later feels terrible about her decision because now Noah is hospitalized, in a coma. She decides to tell her parents, who then tell the police about what two of the guys did to Noah. Because she believes her big mouth caused the trouble in the first place -and after reading an article in the National Geographic about a lifelong silent monk- Chelsea takes a vow of silence. She keeps up this silence even as her popular friends abandon her, her teachers fail to understand, to her parents' chagrin and the abuse she receives from her former allies (because he put the popular guys in jail).
And despite all that -despite her silence, even- Chelsea manages to make new friends out of a boy named Sam and a girl named Asha (two social outcasts she would have never come into contact with before her silence) along with others she meets at the diner Noah, Asha, Sam and Noah's boyfriend work.
I really enjoyed reading this story. It was light, in a way that many books of this nature aren't. I never felt like I was suppose to be learning anything, even though at the end I realized that I did. I think that's the way books are suppose to be; not preachy but still sending a good message to the readers at the conclusion of the story .I really liked all of the characters and I thought Chelsea as a protagonist handled herself very well. I realllyyyy liked Sam (& Asha) and his qualities and his unobtrusiveness. Again, most parts of the book, nothing was over the top. Everything was very simple and in this book, it worked out very well.
Overall, this is a nice read for anyone who wants to learn a little something while getting in their entertainment fill. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and that has to count for something. ...more
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
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
Just One Day is an excellently written novel about a young woman on a quest to find someone. Who is she looking for exactly? No, not her quick fling oJust One Day is an excellently written novel about a young woman on a quest to find someone. Who is she looking for exactly? No, not her quick fling of a Dutch lover, Wilhem. No, this young girl, Allyson (aka Lulu), is on a subconscious quest to find herself.
Allyson, a recent graduate of high school, is on a trip with her best friend Melanie. The trip is a supervised student tour of Europe and as the tour reaches its end, Allyson has been less than thrilled with it. Melanie is constantly ragging on Allyson about how she never takes any chances but Melanie is too much of a pessimist to listen to her friend most times. However, Melanie convinces Allyson to do something daring and that's how ole Allyson catches the eye of Wilhem, an actor in 'As You Like It'. Coincidentally, as they are leaving...hmm I can't quite remember for London, Allyson meets up with Wilhem on the train and actually accepts his offer to visit Paris with him (the tour didn't get to go). Once Allyson gets over the fact that he's a complete stranger and all (and that he's hottttt. obv) she learns things about herself and becomes bolder and altogether different. So different that Wilhem only knows her by the name he gave her, Lulu. But then, all of Allyson's confidence goes straight down the drain when, (view spoiler)[ after a long and heated night, if you catch my drift (hide spoiler)] , Allyson wakes up to find that Wilhem is gone and eventually she convinces herself that he abandoned her, that he got what he wanted and hit the road. Aw. Heartbroken, Allyson goes to college, finds things that make her happy and through hard work and help from her friends and family returns to Paris to get answers.
Sigh. Okay.
I liked this a lot. There was a huge emphasis on traveling and Europe in particular which was very cute. The culture the author included seemed very well researched. I enjoyed Allyson's friends, especially Dee, her black gay compandre and Melanie (even though she was kinda mean). The writing was excellent which I remember about Forman from If I Stay. While I enjoyed Allyson's quest for Wilhem, many times she seemed very naive and unsure of herself, which I guess is realistic (and it's not like I have any nerve to talk) but at times this annoyed me (even though it was practically solved by the end). Wilhem was...he was cute but at times he irritated me too. He was too cryptic for my tastes but I guess that was the point. Now, another thing I will point out has nothing to do with the story per se, it's just something I noticed quite a bit. I have never seen so many typos in my life in a published work. Seriously. Nothing was spelled wrong. It was was just subtle things like what I just did, or mixmatch the of words like that. Maybe I was being hypersensitive but they was one at least one every twenty five pages. It was more interesting than anything but still...
Anyway, this was a very cute book and I'm glad I read it. I am awaiting the sequel earnestly....more
I am pleasantly surprised with Ashfall. When I got it on my Kindle (yes, I read digital books. I still like traditional books better, though), I figurI am pleasantly surprised with Ashfall. When I got it on my Kindle (yes, I read digital books. I still like traditional books better, though), I figured that it was just a generic apocalypse about a volcanic eruption or something. And it took me awhile to actually open it up once it was on my Kindle. But when I did, eventually read it, I was...well surprised. Like I said.
This story is about a boy named Alex. He lives in a small town in Iowa and is a typical teen boy. His parents decide to go on a little road trip to visit family in Illinois without him. Alex expects to just spend the weekend as a semi-lonely teenage boy. That is, until a rock crashes into his house. Alex is forced to fight his way out the collapsed house and seek refuge with neighbors. An incessant, loud, sound follows for three days while Alex hides out in a house. Meanwhile, the Earth is coated with ash from what they later find out is a super volcano. Eventually, Alex promises himself that he will find his family. So, he treks out of his town, his destination: a small town in Illinois where he hopes his family is. On the way, he faces many obstacles and he also meets Darla, a tough, hardcore girl who fixes Alex up when he collapses in her and her mom's barn. And eventually, they both make their way toward Illinois, still facing problems.
I liked the concept. I've seen things on TV about the possibility of a supervolcano at Yellowstone to erupt at any moment. I live in Chicago, and although that's a bit farther from Alex's home in Iowa, a situation similar to Alex could happen to me. I also liked the relationship between Alex and Darla. I liked how Alex wasn't some macho guy who always felt the need to save his girl. Actually, half the time, Darla saved him. Darla had some grit, which is sometimes lacking from female characters (especially when there's a guy narrating). They were a very strong, realistic couple and that's what most stories like this need.
Overall, good story and I am awaiting the sequel. ...more
'When the scientists of the future show up at my house with robot eyes and they tell me to try them on, I will tell the scientists to screw off, becau'When the scientists of the future show up at my house with robot eyes and they tell me to try them on, I will tell the scientists to screw off, because I do not want to see a world without him.'
This, my friends, had to be one of the best lines in the book. Which is saying quite a lot. John Green books always deliver at least six deep, lovely, quotes so when I say that this is the best, well IMO, it IS the best.
Of course, I could say how good this book was, but I'm not sure that would be of much use to anyone. I guess I'll just start off with the basic, unbiased summary.
A girl named Hazel has cancer. Although it's been somewhat tamed by this miraculous medicine, she still considers herself to be terminal. In an attempt to get her homebody, sixteen year old daughter out of the house, Hazel's mother sends her to support group meetings where people with cancer are suppose to talk about their feelings. At one session, Hazel comes into contact with the friend of an acquaintance named Issac. And Issac's friend, is named Augustus.
And he's just...well, I can imagine, is awesome. Beautiful, as Hazel said.
But anyway, trying to remain unbiased so, he openly stares at her (view spoiler)[because, as he later tells her, Hazel reminds him of his late, cancerous girlfriend (hide spoiler)]. After bonding over a cancer book that Hazel loves and introduces Augustus to, they ever so slowly (and then all at once) fall in love.
Yes, this is a cancer book. When I first heard about Green's new novel, the subject type kind of threw me off. I mean, cancer. Cancer. It's one of those morbid subjects that books like to talk about a lot. And sometimes -well, in my experience, most times- they don't turn out very well.
But John Green -I mean, he's pretty much like a YA lit genius- managed to turn a cancer-cliche book into an original work of art. I initially thought it was weird that the protagonist was a girl (because, after all, all of Green's previous protagonists are males), but Green somehow made this work, too.
This was a semi-quick read. I read the majority of it on a four hour flight from Chicago to L.A. Perhaps, this may have been one of the problems. I mean, I know that the book is suppose to be simple and all, but I don't know. I've been hearing how this book is Green's best, even better than Looking for Alaska. I guess I see how some one can compare the two. They are both a bit similar: dorky, alone protagonist, meets fabulous, almost unreal person, falls in love with this surreal person, (view spoiler)[This incredible person dies, often under suspicious circumstances (i.e. hiding something), protagonist finds comfort in their death by searching for something they left behind. (hide spoiler)] SO...you know, they're similar. But, I beg to differ anyone who says that this novel is better than Looking for Alaska.
True, it was probably very close to the caliber of the aforementioned title. Better, even, than any of his other works. But it's just....not Looking for Alaska. At times, when I was reading this book, I felt like I was reading a washed out version of it, one that was cut down a bit or something.
Which isn't saying much. Even Looking for Alaska WASHED DOWN is a good novel. At least, one good enough to earn an almost-5-star-but-not-quite-how-about-four-star-rating . And that's what I gave this book. (I changed it to 5 stars after rereading some of the quotes)
In a nutshell, I loved all of the characters, all of the emotion, all of the deep sentiments (John Green, you're amazing) and I almost even cried. Beautiful....more
Hodkin knows how to write a suspense. And a mystery. And a paranormal novel. And a romance. And a psychological thriller. And just...it's too much. GiHodkin knows how to write a suspense. And a mystery. And a paranormal novel. And a romance. And a psychological thriller. And just...it's too much. Give me a sec.
Okay. I'm back (that up there took about thirty seconds, by the way. You should appreciate it).
Anyway, all that above that Hodkin can write so darn well, when all of that comes together you have Mara Dyer in all her mess and glory. ALL her mess.
You gotta love her, though.
This is the sequel to that awesome book, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (I don't feel like putting an external link on that bad boy, so if you're really interested in seeing it, just click the title of this or something and it should redirect you...or something).
Anyway, we have Mara here again and we find her certifiably 'insane'. She has been placed into the care of a mental hospital (or something) and despite what she saw at the end of the book (sorry, there's spoilers. she saw Jude) no one will believe her, because, guess what: her ex boyfriend, the one that was involved in a building collapse that killed Mara's friends and scarred Mara (because goshdarn it she did it with her freakin mind) is suppose to be dead.
Mara keeps seeing him and it gets to the point where it is clear that she either out of her mind or he is simply vengefully stalking her. Mara and her....Noah.... do not understand why and seek to find some answers, further compromising Mara and Noah's credibility and even -gasp- their awesome relationship.
This book had more action than the first book. The prequel to this was lacking in the action department mostly because it was highly focused on the romantic element of Noah and Mara. This was also way more suspenseful, and while the first book never really did manage to scare me, I'll admit that I almost, maybe got a little afraid when I read certain parts of this. Some of the mystery frustrated me and at times I was willing to commit ole Mara myself, but I guess that's the whole point. I still love Jaime's character and ... well how can I not Noah (okay, don't answer that). I have a feeling that Hodkin is starting to go a little X-Men on us (similar to Shatter Me) which I may or may not find more appealing at a later date. Now I'll have to wait for the sequel that better (and I mean like seriously because like, what do I look like waiting for a long time after a cliff hanger like that?) be coming out this year. ___________________________________________ OOhhh! Interesting. The premise, anyway. It kinda seemed like a rough draft but whatever. Still waiting for the real thing. But at least I can add this to my 2012 reading goal :)
As you may see from my shelves, I'm a little at war with myself. I gave it 4**** but I also shelved itSo...my brain is hanging from my split end.
Yes.
As you may see from my shelves, I'm a little at war with myself. I gave it 4**** but I also shelved it as almost 3*** and almost 5*****. I guess giving it 4**** (tired of that yet?) equals that out but still...I feel the need to explain myself.
Why This Almost Got Five Stars
-Adam:
[image] I mean what else can I say? He's charming, witty, FINE, hot, unbelievably attractive, muscular, spectacular, has a four letter name (I mean, he easily could have been Noah or Alex or John or something of that nature) and everything else the author intended him to be. So you have to give Mafi her props.
-The Action
One thing you cannot say is that this book doesn't have action. It takes about thirty pages to get the characters revved up but once they do it's like...
[image]
-The um...Juliete and Adam scenes. I should actually just use the same GIF, really. I mean, I haven't read a romantic dystopia in awhile...so jeez it was steamy (I think I have a problem.)
Which brings me to my next clause:
Why This Almost Got Three Stars
-All the goshdarn strike outs. Jeez Louise. I get it, okay, she's a crazy, messed up girl who can't make up her mind....or something. And thank God she stopped doing it towards the end (is that considered a spolier?) I think that's suppose to be symbolic but I was too annoyed by it to even analyze it any further. I just kinda hated all of that. And I wasn't even entirely sure if the words striked out were things she didn't want to admit, things that actually didn't happen or things that she didn't actually say. I just wanted her to shut up with all the strike outs (that didn't make sense)....
-Juliette I feel for this girl. I can only imagine being alone the way she was. I can only imagine having this crazy disorder (we'll talk about that later) that has the ability to seriously harm people. But girl, stop being so...paranoid. Nervous. Every other line she'd blush or gasp at the craziest stuff.
Other than that, though, I did like Juliette enough to tolerate her random tantrums and sudden miscreants of passion...or something. I liked her best with Adam, however, and I'm not exactly sure what that says about her.
-The Metaphors, Similes, Hyperboles, Analogies and every other figure or speech on the planet (not really)
I know authors love to use figures of speech. Shoot, so do I. Mostly everyone loves a nice onomatopoeia once in awhile. But then you have Mafi who just almost makes you hate them all. It starts getting ridiculous around page 5. That is, page 5 is when you realize that Mafi is one of THOSE authors that over uses figures of speech.
'It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall...'
See that's not too bad, right? Pretty, even? Correct?
Okay...we'll see: 'I've been a slice of silence, struck, shocked...
There's a ton more. (I alluded to one up there) but I don't even feel like finding them and really, I think I wouldn't even recognize them because I've been reading this book so long.
-He smiles a little smile
No...he smiles a little frown. Jeez Mafi I wasn't sure, there. Juliette says this little stupid phrase about 20,000 times (and uses ridiculous numbers like these). When I write I often have to restrain myself from saying redundant things like that. And maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Mafi had done it oh, once or twice, maybe. But she did it at least five times and each time I could have barfed or puked. Something.
-Um...Juliette and Adam I do love a good dystopia romance and maybe under a normal circumstance (Say, if I wasn't in a point in my life where I realize my love life sucks) I'd happily enjoy the endeavors of this lovely couple. But I mean...they'd make out and then, ten pages later, make out again and again and again and again. I was beginning to wonder when they'd get tired of each other.
Oh jeez I guess I never summarized this book.
*slaps forehead*
Okay to put it straight, there's this girl named Juliette. She's been locked up in a jail for about three years (don't quote me) because she has this dangerous, lethal power. When she touches people, she has the ability to kill them. So, she is locked up and hasn't spoken or touched a human in years. Meanwhile, the world is messed up. The world is shifting climate-wise and traditional governments have given in to a new power that rules by fear and fear alone. People are sick, hungry and poor. The landscapes are a mess. Cities are abandoned. Animals are dying. People are dying. Et cetra et cetra. Anyway, one day a boy enters Juliette's cell and basically changes her life. And after much difficulty and realization, they escape the jail and Juliette is handed over to Warner, a young man whom is the leader of the 'new government' and has a thirst for power. And this power just happens to extend to Juliette. Warner is obsessed with Juliette and Juliette must decide, with Adam by her side whether she will allow her power to be used for good or evil.
I totally just skipped a lot, for spoliers' sake.
Overall, I enjoyed this book for what it was, a conglomeration of a romance, dystopia, sci fi, supernatural thriller. I liked Kenji (you just need to read about him, James, Adam, Juliette (sometimes), detested Warner and basically liked the whole *spolier alert* X-Men vibe at the end. I am very much looking forward to its sequel.
Oh, I just thought I should add, this should definitely be made into a movie. Hollywood would eat this mess right up. And then fart it out happily. Okay, that was weird. ...more
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