A strange book, that's mostly kind of dull until you get into the secrets.
It follows a lonely teenagerNarrated by Jesse Baek Presented by Octopus Audio
A strange book, that's mostly kind of dull until you get into the secrets.
It follows a lonely teenager as she seeks attention in many destructive ways, but without the context it's quite hard to like the protagonist. I guess that's probably the point.
This is a rather short story, about innocence and its destruction. It's not really long enough to be clever and memorable, but it raises some interesting ideas about the fragility and impressionability of youth.
The narrator does a decent job, but the voice didn't feel quite right to me. It was easy enough to listen to, but there were strange inflections here and there, with a few awkward pauses and emphases. I'd happily give this narrator another chance, though.
It was an average sort of story for me, but a full length novel of a similar idea would be rather interesting from this perspective.
A rather insightful train wreck story, with some important themes written with a great balance of comedy and heart.
Queenie is a chaotic black woman beA rather insightful train wreck story, with some important themes written with a great balance of comedy and heart.
Queenie is a chaotic black woman being undermined by everyone around her. She's 'too -' everything - too loud, too bold, too sensitive, too ... HER.
Now if that doesn't resonate, this book might not be the one for you.
While I can't relate to Queenie's Jamaican-British heritage in any way, I can relate to the experience of people trying to silence you because you make them uncomfortable.
Sure, Queenie doesn't respond the best to some situations - making for some great comedic moments, as well as some more tragic results - but she is constantly undermined and subjected to racism and sexism, both blatant and more subtle. I felt for her and what she was experiencing, and I was glad there were characters who loved her exactly as she was anyway.
This is not a story about fitting in. This is a story about being loud and (eventually) proud; of owning who you are, even if there are some problematic behaviours while you figure out how to do that. There's a respect for mental health, and this book raises some interesting topics around it.
There's no guidebook to life, and Queenie is figuring it all out the best way she can. I loved that, even if it didn't always go Queenie's way. This book understands the messiness of life, and treats it with respect, humour, and unconditional love.
The writing finds a great blend of seriousness while still remaining comedic; it raises multiple topics and treats them with respect and insight, yet still finds a way to keep things lighthearted and amusing.
I really enjoyed reading this one as it gave me a better understanding of racial challenges as well as just a fun time watching this human trainwreck from a safe distance. It's easy to cringe and judge some of her decisions, but ultimately Queenie is a character you will root for and embrace.
This was Book 4 of my Advent Calendar Challenge...more
Absolutely heinous with a heavy focus on torture and unhealthy obsession.
Also insanely addictive??? But like, car crash addictive. LikeThis was AWFUL.
Absolutely heinous with a heavy focus on torture and unhealthy obsession.
Also insanely addictive??? But like, car crash addictive. Like, the bad kind.
I AM NOT OKAY.
***
So it's been about a week since I finished this now and WOW did it scar me.
Our protagonist, Alexis, lives through a traumatic, scarce childhood as a foster kid hated by her foster parents in a world that worships Spartans, aka gods. These are the Greek gods but really in naught but name, so mythology fans looking for some kind of retelling will be pretty disappointed by this offering. I know I was.
So naturally Alexis turns out to be the bastard offspring of a god so she's sent to compete in a bloody death match which, if she survives, grants entry into 'The Crucible' - an even bloodier, deadlier game that only 10 people will be alive to participate in.
Lots of torture, lots of pain, lots of blood and maiming and death. Lots of Alexis blindly staggering through things without really knowing what's happening.
That's a huge problem with this book - most of the action is glossed over due to Alexis's 'torture haze' - ie she's so broken and disturbed by what's been happening to her and around her that she doesn't really follow or take part in what's happening, so we as the reader also have no idea what's going on.
But then of course things become crystal clear when one of the 'devastatingly handsome, purely psychotic' controlling gods shows up - Alexis is bullied first by 'Patro' and the muzzled Achilles, then by her overbearing teachers, Kharon and Augustus.
Bf: How's the book? Me: Umm, I think it's gearing up for a 5-way torture orgy gang bang
None of these men treat Alexis well but we're clearly supposed to fall all over ourselves at their handsomeness and their psychotic protectiveness.
I honestly hated every single one of these characters. They're all terrible people, and Alexis just lets all this crazy stuff happen, never stands up for herself, and somehow still feels 'tingling' and other bizarre positive feelings towards men who are literally torturing and abusing her.
I like the idea of this more brutal challenge but we just get repetition and blurs of torture until the action slows down to highlight all the creepy suss stuff the Ick Men are up to. I wanted the action of the crucible but it's mostly the same thing on repeat that eventually becomes a haze. No new challenges, no creative competitions. The whole notion of the crucible was tragically under-utilised.
To be honest, though, there is a dark side to this story that did keep it quite addictive to me. It felt like Alexis was always just on the edge of snapping, and I kept waiting for that. The wait kept me reading eagerly, and the rest of it was definitely like the classic 'train wreck I couldn't take my eyes off'. Because so much of it is so terrible that you keep reading, waiting to find the POINT of it all.
Even the spiciness was tragically absent. The setup had me thinking, 'ohhh, this is one of those gang bang books for the spicy lovers' but even that aspect was all waiting and no delivering. So even spicy gang bang fans will be missing out, sorry guys.
Insanely enough, I still found this to be a conflictingly fun read. Almost like it was so terrible, and so wildly out there that I just loved how batsh*t insane the whole reading experience was. So that's where the bonus star comes in.
Mythology fans will be horrified by what's been done here, and romantasy fans might not get the payoff they're after. But if you're after a whirlwind of torture and dark things that make zero sense, this is your ticket.
With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC - my therapy bill will be in the mail...more
This isn't a book for readers, this is a book for pretentious asshats that think of themselves as 'scholars'.
The hype for this book was real - I hadn'This isn't a book for readers, this is a book for pretentious asshats that think of themselves as 'scholars'.
The hype for this book was real - I hadn't read any of this author's books before but The Poppy War is a favourite of my good friend Juliette so we were both hanging for this and were lucky enough to get ARCs from Harper Collins.
So this was a Buddy Read with Juliette.
A journey to Hell sounds like just my kind of premise, and this book started by taking us straight there with Alice Law and her fellow student/colleague, Peter. Magic(k) in this world mostly involves drawing pentagrams and reciting absurd paradoxes so a little of that and away we go.
So let's get it out of the way: this book made a journey to Hell about as exciting as sitting through a lecture on the scientific properties of dry paint.
Although, to be fair, science is much more interesting than this awful, bland blend of mathematics, linguistics and philosophy.
Almost immediately, the narrative switches to flashbacks detailing how hard Alice worked as a student under Grimes, and goes on (and on, and on, and on ...) about word puzzles, paradoxes, mathematical properties and implications regarding Hell and all manner of pointless things in between. A little bit tested the brain so at the start I didn't mind so much, but as the book went on and all this extra stuff took precedence over the continuation of the story I became increasingly frustrated. We get about three chapters of this random, way-over-my-head crap for every chapter of actual journeying through Hell. The average reader is not going to be interested in this amount of superfluous speculation. GET TO THE GOOD STUFF ALREADY.
Sadly, even 'good stuff' is a stretch because, Kuang's Hell? It's all flat, monotonous plains and other ridiculously dull iterations that I won't mention just for spoilers-sake. There is no kind of LIFE in her story - no demons or devils, no fire and brimstone, no pitchforks or pits or meaningful monsters. The creativity she does develop in this area is washed away easily by those other chapters of random stuff I mentioned, meaning there's really not much exciting about their journey at all.
This is a book about a PHD student who is just the BESTEST STUDENT EVER. She's Not Like Other Girls because she doesn't mind being treated like a piece of crap by her advisor because it's all totally worth it: one day she's going to get A Really Good Job out of it.
Honestly? The whole 'student life' she detailed was depressing AF but, with Kuang being a PHD student herself, I can only assume we're supposed to admire Alice's dedication to a life entirely devoid of anything other than her studies. I myself felt sorry for her lack of living, but that wasn't a subject that really made its way into this book the way it should have.
So then we have the 'magick' which mostly amounts to a whole lot of nothing. It felt a stretch to refer to it as magic since it's just chalk drawings and paradoxes and there's no real decent explanation of how it all works. Basically, it's maths. 'Just be okay with it' is kind of the message here. Magic has never been less interesting to me.
Finally, the whole reason for Alice and Peter going after Grimes was POINTLESS. Allow me to veer into SPOILER territory: (view spoiler)[Both claim they want to get Grimes back because he's their only hope of landing a good job. But then it turns out that Alice wants to bring him back as some kind of ridiculous revenge, and Peter just feels guilty because he believes he's the reason Grimes died. Given the level of sacrifice that needed to be made by both, I found neither of these things plausible. I also LOATHED the sexual assault because it was such a trope moment - this book is supposed to be telling a different kind of story and you still had to have this same student/teacher rapey BULLSHIT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I was so mad reading it. It's such an old, tired crutch for authors to lean on, to give their characters A Bad Time. There was nothing clever in the way it was done. It was just shoved in to make some kind of point that made zero sense to the whole plot of this book. (hide spoiler)]
Essentially, this book had zero reason to exist because the premise thins to nothing as the book goes on.
In the same line of thinking, a quick comment on the 'romance' this book is promoted as: what romance? There is some awkward smooshing of Alice and Peter's feelings here and there but nothing about their relationship feels organic. It's more like she threw in a little bit just so this book could cash in on the current trend of 'Romantasy.' I'm not even into romance and I found this relationship dull. And communication misunderstandings is one of my least favourite things in any book - JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER FFS.
Don't get me started on the additional pointlessness of the fking CAT.
This started out as a four star read for me, but dropped dramatically to a place of loathing. I wanted so badly for it to meet the high expectations I had for it, but it ended up turning me off Kuang completely. I've heard it mentioned that she believes people who don't like her books 'just don't get it' so I guess I'll happily admit she would think I'm a dumbass. Because this book was terrible.
I'm throwing it a bonus star for keeping me curious for the first hundred or so pages, but it's more of a pity star and an apology to Harper for such a hate-filled review of a book they so generously provided.
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor Presented by Brilliance Audio
DNF @ 67%
This one was straight up infuriating.
The plot revolves around a scientist strange Narrated by Patrick Lawlor Presented by Brilliance Audio
DNF @ 67%
This one was straight up infuriating.
The plot revolves around a scientist strange magician being stranded amongst a primitive culture, where he must teach them his science strange magic so that he can build a craft to get him back to his homeland, 'up there in the sky beyond the dust cloud'.
The 'jokes' end up all being the same, where essentially some basic scientific principle of our world is described from the perspective of morons simple folk who believe magic is the source of all. And funny old Shoogar the Magician taking everything literally and getting offended about everything.
So as if that's not enough stupidity, this is such a primitive culture that, not only are women treated like slaves, they're constantly referred to as useless, stupid, pointless and only good for what they do for men. I get that the misogyny is supposed to be a 'funny' reflection of society but, jeez, give it a freaking REST now and then. I found zero humour in any of this 'ho ho ho, what a primitive sort these folks are.'
So I made it over halfway but then switched to 2.5x speed to try and get through the rest and it STILL wasn't enough. I think this is the first time I've ever DNF'd an audiobook because they're always so easy to just kinda half-listen to if they get dull, but I found this one was just too insulting to put up with. Life's too short.
The narrator did a decent job with what he had but the screeching voices just made this story all the more unbearable. Not his fault, though, so I'd easily give this narrator another go.
I guess this is for the dudes who enjoy low-brow humour and generally hate women but it was very much not for me.
I honestly have absolutely no idea what happened in this book amongst all the d*ck jokes and sexual innuenNarrated by Casey Jones Presented by RB Media
I honestly have absolutely no idea what happened in this book amongst all the d*ck jokes and sexual innuendo. Something to do with pirates which could have actually been cool but definitely wasn't.
Complete trash.
Unless you're into d*ck jokes, I guess.
I lost hope for this almost immediately, and if it hadn't been a NetGalley read I'd have DNF'd it on the spot.
The barrage of sex jokes is so off-putting that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and tuning out. There are characters here that deserved better than what they were given, and I found it so disappointing.
Nothing really seemed to happen - there's a serpent at one stage and a ridiculous baking competition (??!) but not really much else beyond a bunch of boys wanting to f*ck each other etc. It got real old, real fast.
Honestly, I just ended up tuning so much of it out. I was actually listening at 3x speed at one stage just to try and get through it.
The only reason this gets a second star from me is for the narration, which was absolutely spectacular. Honestly, if you are into sassy boys who make a LOT of d*ck jokes then you should actually enjoy this immensely and I highly recommend the audio because the delivery was brilliant.
I wanted badass but I got ... mopey. Not quite what I wanted, and sadly kind of dull.
When I think of Hera, Queen of the Gods, I think of petty vengeanI wanted badass but I got ... mopey. Not quite what I wanted, and sadly kind of dull.
When I think of Hera, Queen of the Gods, I think of petty vengeance and ferocity. I think of her as bold, brave, and confident.
I was excited for a book that would take these things and show us a villain in a new light, but instead this book tries to make her something of a beaten-down heroine? It really didn't work for me.
I didn't like Hera as a character here at all, and I felt the story really washed her out and turned her into a victim. It seemed to be fighting so hard to tell a feminist story that it forgot women can be villains, too. Hera is well-known for her wrath and it was so washed out, here.
The storytelling was also to blame, I feel. It takes all the big stories from Greek mythology and mostly glosses over them all in a sentence or two - as though it was essential to include all these things but the author didn't really want to. I would have preferred less references in lieu of further detail. As a consequence of the sparse detail, it feels like nothing really notable happens - it's just the bland passing of time.
I just wanted so much more story than what I got. It was disappointing to get to the end and feel that I hadn't really felt anything at all.
An ambitious goal, but I do feel it fell flat. Others may appreciate this more sympathetic take on the famous Queen, but it didn't quite meet my expectations.
This was so messed up, and the payoff wasn't totally worth it.
It's revolting, vulgar, and depicts the absolute lowest scum of humanity, with murdBruh.
This was so messed up, and the payoff wasn't totally worth it.
It's revolting, vulgar, and depicts the absolute lowest scum of humanity, with murder, rape, vile language and all kinds of sadistic versions of these things.
The idea is that there's a virus infecting people and turning them all into the lowest form of humanity. No explanation is ever given as to how the virus came about, why it has such an effect, and basically it just seems like an excuse for Ennis to write some more disturbing, f**ked-up things. He seems fascinated with the most depraved acts of humankind. It's so messed up that it's like a horrific car crash you can't look away from.
There are some really clever moments in the writing (the 'salt incident' early on was a favourite) and it raises some really interesting moral questions, but ultimately the series was too short (only 9 issues) to properly explore the themes and ideas. There seemed to be not a lot of purpose to it all, and it's ultimately just a depressing mess.
Characters were done pretty well, though. Some really great moments when we got to know each of them, and I did find myself invested in each of their stories.
I can't say I enjoyed reading it, but I'm glad I did. There are some interesting ideas in amongst it, but not enough exploration of these things to justify the intensity and depravity of the violence. I wanted more of a payoff and the ending was too ambiguous for my tastes.
Fans of The Boys will enjoy the sadistic streak and the similar artwork, but I found the story wasn't quite as solid....more
It's not even 11am and I need a stiff drink or seven.
So. Where to begin?
This was a tough read, to be honest! It amps up Finally finished this monster.
It's not even 11am and I need a stiff drink or seven.
So. Where to begin?
This was a tough read, to be honest! It amps up everything about 110% - more violence, more sex, more carnage, more horror. I found it so heavy around the 240-page mark that I slowed right down and had to read other, happier books as an interlude.
But I do think it was necessary for the story to really convey how high the stakes are.
This is not a pretty world - it is dark and hopeless for mortals, and Gabe and Dior really have their work cut out for them if they're going to save it.
I appreciated the necessity of the darkness, but I was glad to move on from it.
The story went in all kinds of unpredictable directions, and it sure messes with the emotions in terms of casualties. Things were constantly dire and the good guys just seemed to never catch a break. It hurt my heart. But there were really satisfying moments, too - it's a LOT of doom and gloom, but there are rays of sunshine that preserve hope just a little. We get a dual narrative here, too, which was fun for something different.
It's a strong continuation from the first book, but not for the faint of heart. Readers should appreciate that this is more horror than fantasy - be prepared for ugly, and you might be okay with it.
Hopefully surviving this one will make the payoff of the third book even sweeter, but we'll have to wait and see!...more
A fattastic, insightful read that will particularly resonate if you've ever lived in a bigger body.
I really enjoyed this, but at times it was really fA fattastic, insightful read that will particularly resonate if you've ever lived in a bigger body.
I really enjoyed this, but at times it was really f*king depressing and it got to me. I appreciate the frankness, but it also broke me a bit.
It's a memoir, and it winds around with the thread of the story being a self-portrait the author wishes to create.
It explores a love of the water and adventures in diving; it explores art and eventually brings us to the dancing hinted at by the title. As someone who loves dance I wanted more of the latter, and felt a little cheated by the title since there wasn't more.
Still, the approach to each facet of her story with such brutal honesty was something I loved and could relate to in quite a few places.
There are plenty of awful moments here that had me feeling second-hand shame, and it was that feeling that repeatedly had me setting down the book in favour of something cheerier. At the same time, it was addictive to read about experiences similar to my own so I never stayed away long.
This is a candid account of a person in a fat body trying to find acceptance in a world that is not designed for fat bodies. It's raw and upfront and I really enjoyed it....more
This is BEYOND MESSED UP and I don't know how to feel other than disgusted.
How do I even describe how disturbing this was?
Body horror, sexual depravitThis is BEYOND MESSED UP and I don't know how to feel other than disgusted.
How do I even describe how disturbing this was?
Body horror, sexual depravity, mutilations and murder, twisted entities ... the whole collection was batsh*t insane.
Some of the stories were cleverly disturbing, like the one where a girl is obsessed with scratching herself.
Some were hilarious, like the monster-girl whose head pops off every time she orgasms.
Then some were just straight up nonsensical and bizarre, like the one with some god-slug thing sucking the life from buildings.
That's just a small example - honestly, I tried to burn most of these out of my brain immediately after reading.
There is a plethora of naked bodies in all kinds of messy detail; one story even focuses on (view spoiler)[the application of penises with foreskin in new and unconventional settings. (hide spoiler)] There is an abundance of rape and mutilation and everything seems to come with its own depraved sexual angle. There's one panel showing (view spoiler)[a girl being penetrated from behind by a horse (hide spoiler)] which I'm still trying to wrap my head around.
And somehow there's still a dark, purposeful humour to it all.
This is next level Japanese horror. It goes to all kinds of extreme lengths to gross you out and succeeds almost too well. It's bizarre and twisted and will take you in unexpected directions that will more often than not make you want to scream/cry/puke.
I hated reading it, and it made me think longingly of getting into a hot shower fully clothed and sobbing til I had nothing left.
A profoundly moving, heart-wrenching story that will have women nodding their heads as they ache with sadness. I felt this story in the depths of my sA profoundly moving, heart-wrenching story that will have women nodding their heads as they ache with sadness. I felt this story in the depths of my soul.
How do I even begin to explain how brilliantly insightful this novel is?
You know the story: A girl runs away to New York and, not long after, a body turns up. The girl has been raped and murdered and now the cops have to figure out the who, and the why.
But have you ever heard the story told by the dead girl? Or by the jogger who found her? Have you ever stopped asking, 'who did it?' in favour of asking, 'who was she?'
This novel is a lament for all those who have had their futures stolen from them by violence. By getting to know the dead girl, we're forced to confront all that was lost - her hopes and dreams, the connections to others, the impact she would have made on other lives. We get to think - really think - about who she might have become.
It's a powerful exploration of all the things we generally forget to consider in favour of morbid curiosity.
There's also the feminist angle - the stark reality of women all over the world, woven into the narrative. The fragile egos we must carefully manage or risk violent retribution; the unwanted advances that can lead to spiteful words like, 'uptight' or 'tease'; saying yes because the consequence of saying no is terrifying. Walking alone, being out late, wearing specific clothing - all these things and more will have women reading this story nodding along, remembering all the times they, too, have found themselves in similar situations. Just because a situation doesn't end in violence, it doesn't become any less terrifying a situation to experience. This novel explores it all so cleverly, honestly, and with great heart.
There is certainly the mystery associated with who committed the murder and why, but this novel takes great pains to focus instead on the woman whose life was ended, and the woman whose life was altered by finding the body.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and not only do I recommend it, I URGE people to read it. Particularly women, but men also. There is so much here that deserves our attention, and I will be recommending this one to everyone in the hopes that others will be moved as much as I was.
WARNING: You may be a vegetarian by the end of this novel.
What a read, man. I'm still reeling.
This book is set in a super messed up dystopiaOH MY GOD.
WARNING: You may be a vegetarian by the end of this novel.
What a read, man. I'm still reeling.
This book is set in a super messed up dystopian future where animals contracted a disease that made them poisonous to humans and, as such, inedible. So now the main meat on the menu is human.
This brilliantly disturbing novel discusses, quite matter-of-factly, how the process of slaughtering humans for consumption works.
It's not an easy read, but the horror is in how completely un-horrific it makes cannibalism.
I feel comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale would not be unjust, although this goes in a different sort of direction and is far more terrifying a future. Our protagonist, Marcos, shows us the tragic state of the world through visits to the slaughterhouse/processing plant, the butcher, the laboratory, the range, and through several uncomfortable descriptions of meals or displayed 'product'. However, he's not without his own complex feelings - his dying father is in an expensive care facility, and now he's somehow found himself in possession of a specimen he never asked for, and her gaze will start something that cannot be undone.
The ease of this new world compared to the turmoil of Marcos's mental state makes for a compelling read, and I was absolutely hooked from start to finish. I forced myself to really imagine the things I was reading, so that I could feel the very real terror of a future that looks like this.
There are some moments that are not for the squeamish, but ultimately what really got me about this story was how normal everything seems. There's no tension, no scandal, no horror - it's just another day for this new world.
A haunting read, and one that will stay in your mind for a long time....more
A lot of the information in this book I'm already familiar with, but it honestly didn't hurt to hear it again. It also served as fantastic confirmatioA lot of the information in this book I'm already familiar with, but it honestly didn't hurt to hear it again. It also served as fantastic confirmation that I'm finally on the right path.
Kate James is a psychologist and mindfulness coach and she brings her knowledge and personal experiences to this book to help you re-shape your thoughts in order to re-shape your life. There's a spiritual side to it - with its strong focus on meditation and mindfulness - but it also offers practical methods suggested by other respected experts. The general idea: if you can recognise negative thoughts and where they come from, you can learn to manipulate them so that they have a positive influence on all aspects of your life.
I really enjoyed the multi-faceted approach. This book provides multiple theories and exercises, so that even if some don't resonate there will still be something that does. Personally, I found Internal Family Systems (IFS) to be a little too wacky for me, but I really loved the information on 'fixed mindset' vs 'growth mindset'. There were a lot of things that resonated, and I enjoyed learning about them; and about myself through thinking about them.
I also particularly enjoyed doing the 'Strengths' test HERE and comparing results with my family and friends. If you decide to take it, please feel free to share your results and/or thoughts!
The 'workbook' format bothered me a little as I'm someone who likes to read uninterrupted, but I can definitely see the benefit to it. It does provide lines in the book so that you can jot down your answers and thoughts but it also recommends writing things down in a journal and I personally think that would be more beneficial. This is a book you should take your time with if you want to get the most out of it. Particularly Part One, which covers Connecting With Your True Self. You picked it up for a reason, right? So take your time and maximise the benefits.
I loved the practical element of it, and how there are plenty of questions you can challenge yourself with. A lot of it comes back to meditation, as this helps still the mind and allows you to connect deeper with your thoughts, but I think even if you're not a fan of meditation you can still get a lot out of just taking the time to think about your answers to the questions proposed. The author has done all the leg work in gathering information and strategies from notable experts - all we have to do is apply what works best.
This would be a great starting point for someone wanting to gain a better understanding of how our thoughts shape our lives. It's fairly easy to digest and the exercises are quite practical. At the same time, for those of us to whom this information is familiar, I believe it's still worthwhile having it reiterated. I believe working through the exercises properly will help weed out any lingering difficulties and bring more to the surface that we can work on. I may be familiar with the concept of questioning my thoughts but I'm certainly no expert at it, so it was helpful to go through the processes here and I'll likely go back to it repeatedly.
My advice? Start the year right by treating yourself to a beautiful, new, blank journal, get a copy of this book, and enjoy the process of getting to know yourself and your dreams a little better.
Releasing 27th Jan 2021. With thanks to Macmillan for my ARC...more
When this book released, I was firmly on the fence (see below for original thoughts).
I wasn't at all motivated to read it, but the positive reviews thWhen this book released, I was firmly on the fence (see below for original thoughts).
I wasn't at all motivated to read it, but the positive reviews that started rolling in had me asking you, the GR community, if it was worth taking a chance on.
You said yes.
You were right.
This is a beautiful story.
It's heart-warming and heartbreaking; it's hard and soft; it's funny and sad. There are so many elements to it - it's like articles of clothing coming together to create the perfect outfit. Everything works in harmony, even if some of those things are bad. They're an important part of the overall look.
The blurb gives us Sam and Vic, who meet at opposite ends of a bridge they're both planning to jump from. Wouldn't be much of a story if they got away with it, so instead we get to see their friendship blossom into something that allows them both to learn a little more about themselves, as well as each other. Along the way, we'll encounter friends, enemies, and everything in between.
I definitely went into this one quite sceptical, especially since the old-person-young-person friendship is starting to feel a little overdone to me, so it was a surprise when I became absorbed so quickly.
Me: Ehhh, I don't know if I want to read it. It's probably terrible. Also me: *reads entire book in a day*
Sam's story just fascinated me so completely. I was wary of getting my heart broken because - let's be honest - it's a bit of a rough start. But then it gave me Aggie, and the The Boy Who Steals Houses vibes were so strong I felt instantly happier. It felt like, yes, we were probably in for some tough times, but everything would work out okay in the end. I'm certain Aggie must have some De Lainey blood in her.
It did end up feeling a little simplistic, which is why it didn't quite make the 5-stars for me. If I may elaborate: (view spoiler)[I felt it was all a little too neat and tidy - Sam suffered some truly horrible stuff but then, lucky him, he just happens to meet the right people so he somehow ends up with his own house and 130K+ to boot, PLUS someone pays for his schooling, PLUS he's so amazingly GIFTED that he gets to study under some master chef dude. That's a lot of things magically turning out well for Sam. It cheapened the story for me. I appreciated that the story included the therapy sessions, so that we can see Sam is still pretty damaged, even with all that money and luck tumbling in his direction, but I'm still a little disappointed that it went the PG route. I feel like a bit more darkness and/or uncertainty would have wrung my emotions out a little more thoroughly. (hide spoiler)] It was a light story in spite of some of its darker moments, and while I'm glad it wasn't 400-odd pages of depressing, it did somehow leave me feeling a little off-balance. It has some humourous episodes, but because the tone is quite heavy they're tougher to laugh at.
All the same, it was a really heart-felt story that had me fully immersed in Sam's life.
It's a contemporary story that mulls over the importance of identity, family and self-acceptance. It's also, refreshingly, nothing like Jasper Jones. So that was a solid bonus for me.
Thank you to everyone who convinced me to read it. Now it's my turn to pass on the love.
***
UPDATE 30/10/20: I have now purchased this book. Thanks for the peer pressure, friends! Now let's see how long it takes me to get to it lol.
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Wow this is getting some amazing reviews!
Only I have two problems:
1. I didn't like Jasper Jones as much as everyone else (overrated) 2. I am someone who definitely judges books by their covers and I cannot support that mullet.
But maaaaaybe I'll be peer pressured into it. Maybe.
If you've read it, please feel free to leave your argument For or Against in the comments! Thanks!...more
From what I understand, JK hates the trans activist movement because her past trauma has led her to the assumption that all trans women are actually pFrom what I understand, JK hates the trans activist movement because her past trauma has led her to the assumption that all trans women are actually predators in disguise trying to get closer to their victims. (???) (I know trauma does some weird sh*t, but this seems like a leap to me)
Clearly this is a woman completely blinded by fear.
So naturally she wrote a book about a predator who dresses as a woman to get closer to his victims.
Sorry, he.
I mean WOW.
This series was already terrible, but now it's just become an extra unstable soap box. I'm predicting a lot of fear and hate.
This story is both deeply disturbing and absolutely brilliant.
It's very much a gruesome slasher flick, which begins with a horrific massacre and doesnThis story is both deeply disturbing and absolutely brilliant.
It's very much a gruesome slasher flick, which begins with a horrific massacre and doesn't get any prettier, but there's also an intelligence to it that contrasts the violence with very real character depth.
This is not horror for horror's sake.
This is horror that allows for a fascinating examination of trauma.
One of the most incredible horror stories I've read in a long time.
I have this rule about only giving 5-star ratings to books I would definitely read again, but I might just be breaking it for this one. Because I don't know that I'd want to re-live this nightmare, but the initial 4-star rating I gave it just wasn't sitting right. It's worthy of 5.
Here's why:
It's unpredictable You think you know the formula, you think you can guess what's coming ... you are wrong.
It doesn't pull punches It gets straight into the nastiness, and it does not hold back. There is plenty of suffering to go around and this book is creative with it.
It's intelligent The violence is not the main feature, it's just another part that comprises the whole. The story takes the titular theme and explores several manifestations of it, all while holding the tension and probing the depths of trauma.
The writing is addictive From the very first page it's almost impossible to resist the compulsion to read. There are certainly moments that will make you want to pause but it draws you back in soon enough. There's just something about the way it plays out that makes you want to see it through to the end.
A fantastic horror story with fascinating themes, some epic scenes and memorable characters. Cannot recommend it highly enough....more
