Been reading this book since about August, when I fell across it randomly at my university's library. I had heard of the title 'black girl in paris' bBeen reading this book since about August, when I fell across it randomly at my university's library. I had heard of the title 'black girl in paris' before and vaguely understood as a risque-y novel not for kids despite its seemingly childlike title. since i am older now, i picked it up and started reading even though i don't have much time for fiction anymore unfortunately. even still, i got caught up in it and over the past few months kept returning to it despite all the work i have to do and each time i returned it never disappointed. right up to the very end.
i really enjoyed this work. i am not one who ever needs plots and even though it may seem like the protagonist is just wandering around the whole book, the plot is there and is simple: the black american girl in paris, wants to be a writer, in search of james baldwin but finds a lot more than him along the way. it was a glorious book with glorious writing. i've been to paris twice myself but the author made me feel like i was actually there - through the good and the bad. the protagonist is quite likable, even though there is a certain distance the author keeps us from her. it's like you kind of get a vision of what she looks like, but through her eyes you understand her companions more than you understand her which i actually understand and appreciate. the protagonist is sometimes almost a fly on the wall, although she is quite active too because the whole book is centered on her movements. i guess what i'm trying to say is that i liked the protagonist and empathized with her and maybe this is because she was in some ways distant even though the book was in first person.
the themes in this book are wide ranging but one of the things i liked best was how the obvious lesson from the book was not obvious to me until the very end. the book is also not preachy. the book is set in mid 1980s paris where terrorism is spiking and the author is living within the waves of increased immigration and movement in and out of paris. the author is not hopelessly a-racial and i was very impressed by the way the protagonist delineated her feelings on colonialism, racism and capitalism while also maintaining the fictional quality of the book. she even discussed the role paris has in pan-african artistry, which can be seen in her feelings of kinship for black people from haiti and barbados. i enjoyed above all else the descriptions which, while this might irritate some, was a real treat for my mind overdosed as it is by plain nonfiction at this point. i could smell some of the places the protagonist led us to, could feel the nausea she described or the warmth, could feel the endless cigarettes smoked burning my lungs too - it was really amazing story telling. i also appreciated the incorporation of lgbt themes, which up to this point is hard to find in black literature.
i didn't initially think i would give this 5 stars as it is rather slow. but the last 50 pages flew by and i really did love the characterization and writing style. it is flowery and as i've stated before, that's what i like ....more
I wanted to return to this novel because I remember loving it very much but for the life of me I could only remember a few sceI am changing my review.
I wanted to return to this novel because I remember loving it very much but for the life of me I could only remember a few scenes from the whole thing. Perhaps in 2016 there were things I didn’t like about this novel but now I can’t think of anything to dislike. I love and I hate them all (I don’t hate Kiki though, love her to pieces) and that’s what draws you in…
I can’t wait to return to this when I’m older. One more thing to look forward to.
"The greatest lie ever told about love is that it sets you free."
I have conflicting views about this book. It is a sophisticated novel in that these characters are very real and unreal at the same time. Although the novel is comprised more or less of ensemble characters, Howard is one of the best characters in the novel - he really does seem like someone you'd see anywhere in any random elite university struggling to come to terms with his family and "liberal" ideologies. All the other characters are good too, though.
The plot...there doesn't seem to be much of one. It's political in nature, in that a recurring theme is highlighting the nuances of Howard's liberal battles against his academic rival, a black conservative. Liberalism on its head, and more complicated because Howard is white. There are themes that on their face don't seem to have much to do with the characters' lives -white saviors, Uncle Tom's, Christian piety, the stifle of academia, university elitism, oppression of Haitians- but all and all, all of these things coalesce into one thing to make a very non-plot ya feel me? That's what I meant about it being sophisticated. The characters seem to be too real to have something happen to them; rather, it is they who happen to the story. Yet all these things ultimately impact the characters, though they won't really admit it. I guess On Beauty is what you would call a character driven novel.
While I mentioned that Howard was really a star (it's so hard to hate him or love him. you can't pick one; must pick both), the true star is Smith's writing. A novelist who could not write like Smith would have trouble keeping up with such expressive characters. Many authors seem to struggle with having great characters who truly run the show, failing to see them through their potential. Smith was in charge, as was evident throughout.
It's hard for me to have any formative thoughts about this novel, just because it would seem almost ironic because this book was so heavily ironic the whole time. That is, whenever I wanted to put some heavy meaning into something the characters did, it was like the novel expressed it for me before I could even think. And that might sound rudimentary, but all I'm saying is that On Beauty almost seemed to be aware of how seriously it could be taken and instead of allowing it to get sucked up as a completely serious novel it embarrassed its characters quite frequently.
The reason I only gave it four stars instead of five, is that it was a tad dull (at times). Not always. Again, this is one of the few novels I've read recently that seems to best embody the human spirit so it makes sense that some things are not resolved or that the novel flowed through normal, everyday human actions that aren't necessarily the most interesting. Also quiet as it's kept, I wanted more from Victoria and Jerome and what happened between them. While I liked Howard a whole lot, he took up a lot of the story sometimes. He was written well but his children and their affairs had interesting parts that I wish had been explored more....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
In this book, there was a single line that managed to keep this book slightly (very, v e r y slightly) above average. It was a line about privilege anIn this book, there was a single line that managed to keep this book slightly (very, v e r y slightly) above average. It was a line about privilege and that even a life of privilege can be sad. Or something. Honestly, I had to return this book and the line wasn't that memorable to begin with. I just liked it (very, v e r y slightly) because it was the line that for me, cemented the fault with the entire book. At least the author managed to acknowledge the very problem with this story, or rather the stories, of these fine and very privileged young adults. If the author hadn't, my god, this book would have been getting a straight 2 star rating. But because there was some admittance of fault from the author I can admire the book a little more.
This book wasn't really boring. I yawned a great deal anyway. Know why? Despite everything -all the ups and downs of the relationships, the falls and rises of the drama through the ages (I'm not kidding, I don't know how old anyone is supposed to be half the time but I think they all age like...20 years or something by the end?¿)- I saw them all, I knew all of it would happen.
Call me psychic.
I wish I could say I was kidding. It's hard for me to even not spoil anything because all of it was so incredibly predictable that from the moment I picked it up and got a gist of the characters -spoiled but deep, nerdy but troubled, poor but genius, troubled but...troubled blah blah- I'm like oh yeah, tons of sex and tons of illicit romances and running away and blah blah blah blah. It's fun stuff, really. I just kept yawning.
I wasn't kidding about the "fun stuff" thing. It really was relatively entertaining. Kinda like watching St Elmo's Fire for the first time and thinking these new graduates were the deepest, darkest things in the world when really, these characters graduated from a top university and they're complaining because they don't have their lives together, ever (join the club). It's dysfunctional and the kind of fodder I would probably write as soon as I graduate college. It's fine if you like watching racy, angsty dramas on HBO. It's fine if you like...Sylvia Plath? I'm not sure but it just wasn't my thing. I didn't feel like I knew any of these characters (besides the fact that they're all jerks and do jerky things before complaining about how they do jerky things) and honestly, it wasn't a loss. I didn't want to know any of these characters because knowing them too well would feel to me, like capitulating into the shoddiness that was their lives (and jeez, the whole time I was reading it, I just hoped I wouldn't turn out like these characters by my mid-thirties). Also got a little One Day gist in there. Just a tad. Not. Good.
Overall, I really probably would have liked this book a tad, slightly (very, v e r y slightly) if the author had stopped pretending that Oliver and Sharon were actually main characters. The author was obviously more dedicated to Phoebe and.... Jake (?)...Adam (although I could see that when she DID manage to write about Sharon she seemed to be a bit more dedicated to Sharon than anyone else. Well the writing wasn't bad...general angsty writing that can be fun for read for about 200 pages or less. ...more
It took awhile but I finally did it. I read it. It's probably one of the best books I've ever read.
I'm not sure if I can put in words how much I love It took awhile but I finally did it. I read it. It's probably one of the best books I've ever read.
I'm not sure if I can put in words how much I love Adichie's writing or how she so placed me in the shoes of Ifumelu and Obinze. I loved each of these characters and watching them grow up was amazing.
There's so much about Nigeria that I didn't know before I read this and it makes me want to read more literature from West Africa in general and Nigeria more specifically. But while Americanah is educational in its own right (at least for Americans like me who don't know any better) it's also just pure entertainment. The protagonists are lively, witty and sarcastic in the best way. They embody struggle and Adichie doesn't try to glamourize their struggles either. I'm not sure I've read a book that was so starkly real. Even the romance proved to be Real. While lush, it was realistic and that was refreshing.
I look forward to reading more of Adichie's work. Thanks Chimamanda :) ...more
The four star rating is based on entertainment value alone. I thought most of the book was complete and utter BS.
I'm not sure if I can say why.
If it'The four star rating is based on entertainment value alone. I thought most of the book was complete and utter BS.
I'm not sure if I can say why.
If it's any consolation, Juliette stopped doing that whole strike out thing. And there's been way less crazy metaphors in this book.
Ignite Me promises to be exciting and it was. I couldn't really stop reading once I started and it was hard not to be immediately drawn into the plot. Even if the plot was BS
In case you read the strikeout, what I mean about the plot and the overall book being BS is, Mafi essentially negated what occurred in the first book to fit her purposes. Any feelings Juliette had for Adam? Oh those were just feelings bred in desperation. All the crap that Warner pulled? That was just because he loved her and wanted to understand her and "it was just your imagination, love"
Poor little Juliette. She was as fooled as I was because I totally believed that Warner was a monster this entire time. Oh wait, he is.
I know that Mafi felt the need to do a 180 with the character of Juliette. I know that, to satisfy the whole love triangle thing, she had to make Warner look fallible, sweet and kind and loving and the thing is, while you're reading it, it's really hard to not believe all this because all the reasons that I hated Warner (and Juliette did) were completely disarmed one by one. Like a "10 reasons why you should love Warner more than Adam Q&A session". I mean seriously. And the reasons you should hate Adam were listed just as clearly as the former. It was really quite obvious what she was doing and i hated it the whole time but I couldn't really stop reading it.
Another thing I'd like to know is why in the world is Juliette so attractive? She must be quite something (I mean, besides her little superpowers) if all of three guys apparently are interested in her. It's almost sickening how much Kenji refers to how hot she was and "if i wasn't your friend..." and all that stuff. And obviously she is enough for Adam and Warner to fight over (oops is that a spoiler). I just don't buy all that "I'm so obliviously beautiful and everyone wants to be with me" protagonists. Ew. It's obnoxious and unrealistic.
I'll admit that Juliette did improve in the finale of this trilogy and overall I think that Mafi did a good job on this trilogy as a whole.
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
"You Know That I'm Falling In Love With You, Right?
This is not the most thought provoking line ever in literary history or anything. But the way Rai "You Know That I'm Falling In Love With You, Right?
This is not the most thought provoking line ever in literary history or anything. But the way Rainbow Rowell just throws on you is just like...
I love her.
I mean, I read Eleanor & Park just last month and I loved that too. I'm too emotional. I know I am. Because I "cried" while reading both of these books. And they're not even sad I just...it was so sweet. And not in the ew-this-is-sticky-sweet-and-it's-getting-all-over-my-fingers sweet either. It's just a nice, subtle sweet. I love how Rainbow writes and I love how she just slowly reveals her characters and before you know it they're just these amazing beings.
I'm sorry.
Cath is a college freshman. She is one of two twins and her twin, Wren, is considered the cool one. So cool, in fact, that she doesn't even want to be roommates with her sister. Cath, by the way, is obsessed with a fantasy saga called "Simon Snow" and she is so much in love with the stories and characters that she writes fanfiction. Now, in case you're like huh, fanfiction is the endeavor millions take on in which they write about their favorite characters from books, movies, music groups (cough 1D) and things like that. Cath writes on a fanfiction site in which she "ships" the main character of Simon and his nemesis into a romantic relationship. Her writing has many hits and Cath is quite obsessed with writing this. Ergo, when her roommate or her supposed boyfriend enters the room, she shuts down and refuses to be social for the first two months of college. But then she begins to interact with a boy named Nick in her class. And Levi, her roommates 'boyfriend' and things take a turn that Cath never expected them to take. (and Meanwhile she's dealing with a reappearing mother who left Wren, Cath and their dad on 9/11 and her dad's sanity as he's alone now at home)
Rainbow had me fooled. (view spoiler)[ At the beginning, I thought Nick would end up being the love interest and I was really supporting them until Levi... (hide spoiler)]
As aforementioned, I really enjoy how Mrs. Rowell writes. She is not very blatant or matter of fact but she doesn't shy away from subject matters either. This is a chicklit (to me) but it's more than that I think. It deals with social pressures and subtle topics like abandonment and overall college. Maybe I really liked it because I think (hopefully) it provided me with true insight as to what college will be like. I'm done. I loved it. I'm done. ...more
What can I say about this that hasn't already been said by the hundreds (or is it thousands?) of others who have already reviewed this? Should I mentiWhat can I say about this that hasn't already been said by the hundreds (or is it thousands?) of others who have already reviewed this? Should I mention that this is a book about incest, and it doesn't pretend to be anything less or more than that? Should I mention that this is just really depressing and because of this, it's not particularly easy on the eyes (IMO)?
I have to give Ms. Suzuma credit for combating such a taboo topic. I mean, a brother and a sister in a romantic & sexual relationship consensually is not usually something an author wants to write about. At least not with any comfort. But Suzuma managed to tackle this more or less with grace and she made the characters Understand what Lochie and Maya were going through with their Feelings.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Lochie and Maya are brother and sister in London. Because their mother is a drunk and their father abandoned them for Aussie years ago, the two teenagers (Maya, 16. Lochie 17-18) are forced to care for their three younger siblings basically by themselves. While Maya has friends, Lochie is extremely, disarmingly shy and as a result, he hates school (even though he's really smart) and he never speaks to anyone if he can help it. And if he can't, then he gets really nervous. The only time he feels normal is when he's playing house with Maya and helping the kids in the afternoon and evening. They all look up to him and Maya thinks of him higher than perhaps anyone else. So...they realize they have feelings for each other. In That Way. And despite how wrong they know it is to be together in That Way, neither of them can get enough. Their lives become dependent on the life of the other. This obviously poses some problems and they must keep their forbidden love a secret for an indefinite amount of time.
This might sound really...gross if you read the summary. But once you get into the book, it's like all you can do is sympathize with Maya and Lochie. The author makes their feelings realistic and desperate.
The book is split into two parts, alternating between Maya's POV and Lochie's. Lochie was always very melancholy and he often skirted being emo. He was also quite a pessimist was annoying sometimes even though I know their relationship couldn't last. But his constant depression made things even harder for him and Maya and I didn't like his part until the very end. There were also several elements in the story that never quite capitulated. Maya had a friend that liked Lochie that was never mentioned again after awhile; there were a few people who were mentioned that never quite had any relevance by the end of the story. There were also several parts that I felt were redundant, such as Lochie and Maya's constant 'my loves' and their worries about getting caught. However, this may have contributed to the overall genuiness of the novel.
This is a really sad thing to read and I'm not sure I would read it again, just because it's pretty emotionally taxing (esp. at the end). However, it is well written and it dares to explore things that seem a bit rare in YA (or literature in general) books. So okay. ...more
This book went from unique drama to a boring Nicholas Sparks chick-flik really fast.
So there is a girl named Callie who was kidnapped by hWell okay.
This book went from unique drama to a boring Nicholas Sparks chick-flik really fast.
So there is a girl named Callie who was kidnapped by her bipolar mother when she was five. Ever since, she and her mother have traveled all over the country, supposedly running away from the 'evil' father Callie barely knows. Consequently, Callie has never really gone to school, has never had any real friends and any 'boyfriends' she's ever had only use her for sex. (view spoiler)[ Also, one of her mother's boyfriends molested her when she was eight which is really...sick. (hide spoiler)] Anyway, when Callie is 17, her mother is caught and Callie returns to her father in Florida where he has began a new life with another woman and two sons. At first, Callie is hesitant to remain there or consider her new life -her friends, the Greek community, Alex- as a part of her family and culture. But as the story progresses, Callie -or Callista- realizes that maybe being with her father and not her mother, is what she really wants after all.
Yeah, okay.
So Callie is an interesting protagonist. Her voice is a bit sarcastic at first but then she gets a bit dull. She just reminds me of any number of the female protagonists of the Nicholas Sparks films. She just rolls with the punches. And like any (lame) chik-flik (although I do love them sometimes) there's always these (lame) flashbacks and all this running away and crying and 'oh nos please don't leave mes' and all that crap. And it just go really lame really quickly. Callie was frustrating because while I understand how torn she must have been living in a nice home while her mother is on the run from the law or whatever, every time someone tried to do something nice for her, she'd either run away, scream at them or go off with Alex and you knoww....get it. I didn't mind Alex at first, but then the whole thing with his mom felt really thrown in and unnecessary and to me it never really manifested into something important. I guess it's suppose to be a parallel to Callie's life but...anyway.
I didn't mind the writing, which is one of the only things that saved this book from getting a ** rating from me. It wasn't a bad book, just not a very interesting one. I guess I expected more or something. But at least the cover is pretty!
Oh wait. Hold up!!! Did i mention that the guy she was getting all cuddly with, ALEX, is her freaking step-uncle? Is that not a little creepy to you? Or is that just....
I've never been particularly fond of Anya Balanchine. She's never been very witty, bold or even that interesting. My disdain for her was especially apI've never been particularly fond of Anya Balanchine. She's never been very witty, bold or even that interesting. My disdain for her was especially apparent after finished the first book in this trilogy. However, once I finished reading the second book -despite the fact that I was still convinced that Zevin's writing ability was lacking this time around- Anya became more interesting. Albeit, marginally.
Now, not much has changed but it just so happens that for me, this trilogy peaked at the end. Not just plot wise, but writing wise too. The writing was weak for the first two books (it got better with time) but Zevin has really gotten the hang of this awkward narration. As aforementioned, this was also the peak of Anya's story, though it was pretty far fetched at times.
So. Anya is 18 now and has this grand idea to create a night club centered around chocolate or cacao for medical purposes, because these substances are deemed illegal in the future time in which Anya lives (this is quite obviously reflective of the marijuana thing going on right now). So with the help of her former ex-boyfriend's once evil father, she opens a successful club and soon she opens others around the country. Meanwhile, the Family still has it out for her because most of their leaders are dead or dying. To help her once friend, Yuji, she marries him to connect their two chocolate families. Oh, and she gets cozy with Theo. And her brother returns. And her sister starts going to MIT. It was a lot...
Note that in the length of this...285 page book, Anya ages about 5 years literally. We begin the trilogy with Anya as a 16 year old and by the story's end, she is almost 22. Pretty interesting progression of age.
While I applaud Zevin for wrapping up the trilogy better (and improving the writing and overall interest of the story) I still had some trouble with the awkward dialogue and stiff nature in which Zevin pronounces Anya's feelings. Anya is suppose to be a bit stoic anyway but Anya never seemed to have any passion about ANYTHING, really, even when she expressed to the reader that it made her feel a certain way. Actually, it was almost as if -despite the fact that this is in first POV- Anya was telling it with as much intimacy as a withdrawn, unknown third POV. Pretty weird but I more or less accepted that I wouldn't be getting any sloppy details about Kisses with Win (yes, Win came back).
Birthright Trilogy Overall: 2.85 stars ___________________ This series has actually gone uphill for me. I half despised the first one, the second one wasn't too shabby but this one was by far the best. That is not saying much of anything but hey......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
I knew I would like in the way you look at books sometimes and you just KNOW.
The drama is warranted I'd say, considering that this is one oI LOVED IT
I knew I would like in the way you look at books sometimes and you just KNOW.
The drama is warranted I'd say, considering that this is one of my favorite books of 2013 (books I've read this year, anyway).
I just loved it.
There is Eleanor and there is Park. They are two sixteen year olds. Park is a half Korean outcast who loves punk rock music and Eleanor is this bright red head who is sarcastic and has a rough home life. The two of them meet on Eleanor's first day at Park's high school, when she is getting on the bus. From there, the two of them fall in love and I just...
I have so many feelings right now.
Eleanor's home life is messed up, let me tell you. Her step dad is a perv, her mother is abused and docile and her little siblings are tattle tales and Eleanor can hardly DO anything without being afraid Richie (her step dad) will find out. Park is just amazing and he has this wonderful family and I just...it's too much for my little emotional self.
The writing was simplistic and beautiful and I just loved it (even though it was in third person). I loved the ending and I just...
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.
This book was not a simple read like most YA novels I've read. This here 5th Wave was an Experience. And let me tell you what I mean by thatLong time.
This book was not a simple read like most YA novels I've read. This here 5th Wave was an Experience. And let me tell you what I mean by that. Well first, it has to do with the duration in which I spent reading this. Ah...It's embarrassing. But ah... About 2 months
Ahem. Well. 2. Cassie just takes you back. At least for me. She sat me down and it's so deep (not really in a profound way) but it's just so much to absorb that it is at times hard to swallow.
3. There are multiple parts here and this is one long novel. I mean, this isn't really one of those books that you read on the beach for a couple days. Um no. You have to sit down and read this over several days (and if you're like me, several weeks).
Now, with all that being said, there are also two (3 actually) POVs which is just...eh. I mean, I didn't mind them but it's not really what I signed up for. I mean, I didn't ask to have 2 POV. I thought it would be all about Cassie. But that's okay. My feelings aren't hurt or anything.
So. Cassie, Ben & Evan (kinda...). Three 'teens' that have survived the aftermath of the four alien 'waves' that have swept over planet Earth. Did I mention that these waves came in like Exodus like forms (no locusts, though) and it killed the majority of the human race? But then...this wouldn't be an apocalypse novel, would it? Cassie has made a promise to her younger brother that they will be together indefinitely. This was after a group of soldiers took him to Camp Haven for 'safety' and their father was shot dead by those same soldiers (ooopss SPOLIER)
Ben is just...alone. He was more or less taken up by those same soldiers into that same camp and, like Cassie's little brother, trained to fight against the so called enemy. Ben is of course, Cassie's previous high school crush that didn't know she existed.
Finally, Evan is this mysterious guy who saves a half dying Cassie and brings her to his forested refuge. And he likes her and she likes him but Cassie has trust issues (and rightfully so).
I really did like this. Cassie was hands down one of the best female protagonists of the year (and she's pretty funny too which is cool because her life is really sucky). It will probably grow on me more with time. I'm not sure that it was like...like altering or anything (there is a lot of hype surrounding it this year) but it was pretty good. I know it's pretty terrible to compare a book to any form of film but it reminds me of the series 'Falling Skies' which I actually like quite a bit. Hmm. ...more
I had really high hopes for this. Like, through the roof. And sadly *tear* I was let down towards the end. Like, through the basement.
Ahem, enough.
HeI had really high hopes for this. Like, through the roof. And sadly *tear* I was let down towards the end. Like, through the basement.
Ahem, enough.
Here it is: there is a young Australian girl (for once I didn't mind reading about Australians) whom starts working at a grocery store for extra cash. Immediately she meets a fellow employee, a guy named Chris. And before she knows it, Amelia has fallen in love with him. But here's the problem: while she's only 15, attending high school, he is 21, attending 'uni' (university). That's a six year difference and Amelia is quite sure that he doesn't love her back anyway because she is not sophisticated or charming or anything like some of her other fellow co workers. But who knows....maybe he does?
I just loved the first half of this. Okay, love is the wrong word to use, maybe. I really liked the first half. There. It was charming and I really liked Amelia as a main character and I really enjoyed the literary banters between her and Chris.
Where it started getting bad, was when I realized that Chris is one of those annoying main guy characters who drinks and smokes ALL the time. I mean, I get it, he's young and has no worries and ah-who-cares-if-i-have-liver-problems-when-im-older-that's-later-and-this-is-now and all that other 'live while we're young' crap. Jeez. And to think that Amelia (even during the second half of this thing, I still thought she was a pretty good main character) almost got sucked into this lifestyle. Also, at first the inserts of Chris's diary entries were cute but then...after I was a bit disgusted by his constant drinking, they got boring and they all seemed incomprehensible and ranting and blahblahblah. I must preferred Amelia's narration. Now the reason why the second half of this book was less than satisfactory, cannot be fully disclosed lest I put up a 'this review contains spoilers' post on here (and we don't want that, do we?) I just...I don't know what the heck I was even suppose to get out of that. I guess that's the point, and the author even kinda warned me by referencing the end of 'Great Expectations' but still...jeez. What. the. heck? That was the like the worse noncommittal ending....
But no sequels. please no sequels. Maybe I am preaching to the choir but despite the terrible ending, this book does not need it. If you base this book purely on what the summary first says, 'love is awkward' then 'Love and Other Perishable Items' fit right into that description. ...more
When I first heard about this author named David Levithan, I thought that he could possibly be the next (for me, anyway) John Green. You know, author When I first heard about this author named David Levithan, I thought that he could possibly be the next (for me, anyway) John Green. You know, author of books about males with male problems with male feelings with male solutions. Yayayaya. As the years have gone by (it's really only been 18 months), I have found that Levithan (so far) has relatively disappointed me.
It's not that I don't like his subject matter, because that shouldn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. If one is a good author, their writing skills should supersede any mediocre plot. But um...David's writing just never does it for me, ever.
I've read three of his books so far, one of which was Dash & Lily's Book of Dares ( which was a joint effort; this is one of the only reasons why it was decent) and The Realm of Possibility (which I didn't even finish). I don't know. It straddles the line between angst and reflection and I know that sounds like a mildly good combination (especially a fan of Holden Caulfield such as myself) but when David does it, it sounds superfluous and bourgeois, as if he's writing a dissertation or something of that nature (aha. I hope you catch the irony in there) And in the case of this book, the plot was excellent but the writing...was slightly lacking.
Okay, let's get to the plot. There is this 'human' simply self-proclaimed 'A'. This person has the ability (or is cursed, which ever way you want to look at it) to travel from one body to another (within age range & geographic area constraint) each and every day (that's the title; did ya see what I did there? did ya?) A has never known another way of life. A has never had a real family (not including the ones he visits on any given day) and has trouble keeping friends or maintaining relationships for more than 24 hours. When A goes to sleep at night, A wakes up in a different body, be it male or female, white or black or asian or hispanic or whatever. It doesn't really matter.
But then A meets a girl named Rhiannon when A is placed into the body of her jerk of a boyfriend named Justin. A falls in love with her and unlike A has done with anyone, A pursues the relationship even as A travels through different bodies. A somehow expects Rhiannon to accept A's ...thing wholeheartedly and love A as much as A loves her.
Yeah. Okay.
This is a nice concept, yes? (Did I mention that A has no gender?) It's terrible to think about, to place yourself in A's shoes. A has to live a totally solitary life, living as hundreds of people all the time. And there is no reason placed behind this, it just IS and A has to deal with that.
Throughout the book, I found A a bit annoying. I mean, A wasn't too bad but enough for me to say, 'hey, shut up'. A was selfish (and I meant that in the best way possible) but I could understand why A did some of the things A did because, you know...his 'life' kinda sucks toe. I wasn't very fond of Rhiannon at all. Everything from her name to her complaining irritated me to no end. I never got the feeling that Rhinannon ever really reciprocated A's feelings and I don't blame her but I hated how A and Levithan pretended that she could.
Levithan is not shy about making social issue statements. Everything from suicide to drug use to homosexual couples is covered and (because they're teenagers) they are covered quite extensively. I just wish that I didn't feel like I was watching some kind of health video about teen issues. It was OKAY but...very odd and methodical.
I also didn't fancy the paragraphs used (but that's just a pet peeve of mine) and I abhorred how Levithan placed in these generic lines about love in there and I could just picture every last one of them lined up at the bottom of the book page under 'quotes'. Barf. It was so contrived and those lines could have been in any love book written in the last decade.
Anyway, this book wasn't all bad. It had a really nice cover and there were some parts I enjoyed. I wouldn't be all that interested in reading it again, just because it's so annoying the first time. I recommend it to...well I don't even know. I'm not sure I even recommend it, to be honest. ...more
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