So I listened to this on audiobook, read by Alex Gino themself, which was a great experience! I always feel that when the author reads their own book So I listened to this on audiobook, read by Alex Gino themself, which was a great experience! I always feel that when the author reads their own book it just comes across in the way they intended. So on my audiobook app this book became available the 24th and my subscription would end the 26th so yes I powered through this audiobook (frankly it was very short). Throughout the whole book I was on different points on what I would rate this book and went from 3 to 3 and a half to 4 back and forth and back and forth again. I settled on 4, not because this book is perfect, I did honestly have some issues with it but have decided to personally not go into that in this review. (Sorry to disappoint I guess.) My issues with the book are not big enough to not recommend it but just read it an create your own opinion I guess. Yes these issues made me want to rate it a little lower a few times but when I got to the end of the book I had so many fuzzy and nice feelings and this was just such a NICE book with the amount of issues often presented in a middle-grade book and it was handled in a great way and honestly I can't believe how many issues were spoken about in just this small book, also really liked hearing about Melissa again, I love books that are stand-alones yet are also connected, very good! Once again a good book that discusses many important topics and while in my opinion some things were handled better than others, Alex really really tried and you can just TELL. Alex tackled topics that are really hard to talk and write about, especially because opinions and language are changing everyday. I am having a hard time writing this review, let alone write a book like this. I do really recommend this. (Also just a special shoutout for covering toxic friendships, thought that fitted in very well with the story and was just very interesting to see unravel.)...more
It was really dark and twisted but extremely good and unexpected. The plot sounds intriguing enough but makes you wonder ho*4.5 stars
I loved this book!
It was really dark and twisted but extremely good and unexpected. The plot sounds intriguing enough but makes you wonder how it's going to stay interesting throughout the whole book. Of course, the start of the book will be interesting, giving an introduction to Butter's life and ofcourse you'll be curious about the ending, working towards that single event. But how are you going to make over 300 pages interesting enough to make people want to keep reading? Well, I'm not sure what it was but I sure kept reading! The way the story unfolded in a way that I honestly just did not expect was so interesting, all the little aspects about Butter's life that intertwine and change and are such a huge part of his decision making. How his life falls apart, comes together, falls apart again and how it stays interesting. The problem with me not enjoying books as much lately is because I feel like I've read every plot over and over again, sometimes done well, sometimes not so much. This book was so intriguing to me because it was something completely new. I'm also only just now realising how this probably falls under the category Young Adult, while it absolutely didn't feel that way. It's no secret that I've really been disliking Young Adult books more and more and this was just a fresh wave. It was interesting, dark, intriguing and in-depth characters that I neither loved nor hated but still really worked for me.
Let me share with you the back of the book what really ought to sele you on this: You think I eat a lot now? That's nothing. Tune in December 31st, when I will stream a live webcast of my last meal. I can't take another year in this fat suit, but I can end this year with a bang. If you can stomach it, you're invited to watch...as I eat myself to death.
- Butter
Edit: Also I stayed up reading this till 1 am wanting to know how it ended even though I had to be at work at 8 am the next day!...more
That was awesome! I knew nothing about Frank and honestly just picked this up because it was written by Jon Ronson and it was at a discount books markeThat was awesome! I knew nothing about Frank and honestly just picked this up because it was written by Jon Ronson and it was at a discount books market esque place. I started reading it right away because it was so short and was very pleasantly surprised! That was a lot of fun!...more
Wowow can you believe it? I read another Dutch book!
This was great though, it discusses many subjects of all the things women have to deal with, all Wowow can you believe it? I read another Dutch book!
This was great though, it discusses many subjects of all the things women have to deal with, all the things we have to live with and all the things we've been integrated to say and think.
This little book is to say we take ourselves back, we take our bodies back, we take our minds back, we do what feels good for us because we are people too.
I really enjoyed the way it was written and I read through it very quickly, I kept being surprised about how quickly I was going through this little book and before I knew it I finished it.
Loved the subjects and chuckled at the very Dutch way of writing.
Though it did remind me how foul the Dutch language is and how it's even worse than English. I don't have a problem saying fuck but I do have a problem with people using cancer as a way to insult someone etc....more
A very famous quote, that apparently has been used the wrong way by many many people seeing the reviews for this book.
But WOW "Hell is other people."
A very famous quote, that apparently has been used the wrong way by many many people seeing the reviews for this book.
But WOW was this book/play good! The narrators are amazing and all have such a strong voice of their own. I love how the story slowly builds, you almost hope or expect them to get along even though you know they won't, that's the whole point.
Slowly you see how wicked they all are in their own way and how the love triangle is breaking them apart. I thought I was going to hate the fact that it had a love triangle but it worked in the most absolute, perfect way and this is how I want to see a love triangle! Such a good and intriguing story!...more
I liked this one so much more than the first one! I was a bit conflicted with the first one, feeling like I had let myself get dragged in by *4.5 stars
I liked this one so much more than the first one! I was a bit conflicted with the first one, feeling like I had let myself get dragged in by the hype, but this book absolutely did it for me. It could also very much be because I was in a different mood listening to this one and thus being more into it. But I got so much more excited about this one and I can't even really explain why, I think I was just more focussed on the audiobook, getting more of the jokes etc, really it just feels like I read this with a such a different mood and mindsetting that i was very pleasantly surprised, the tension, the plot, the way the story is told, the voice actors everything really came together. And yes I absolutely adored the anonymous interviewer and his voice in the audiobook, HIS VOICE! I felt like looking up who did his voice and find any other audiobook spoken by him because his voice was 1. so so pleasant!! and 2. so incredibly fitting for the character! (As a friend and I discussed, we imagined him like an american Mycroft and thus this voice is extremely fitting!) I felt so much more emotion listening to this book and cannot wait to start the third one! It does also help a lot that I already knew there was a time jump of 10 years, which threw off many people, just like I know the same is the case for the next book....more
Really enjoyed this! Still a bit on the fence about giving it 4 stars because the plot was a bit confusing at the start and the art style isn't the beReally enjoyed this! Still a bit on the fence about giving it 4 stars because the plot was a bit confusing at the start and the art style isn't the best I've seen in graphic novels but I enjoyed it nonetheless so for now it's a 4 star from me!
Hello, I am a dumbass adn am 'writing a review' for this book half a year after reading is. I'm not going to lie, I cannot remember a lot of this one oHello, I am a dumbass adn am 'writing a review' for this book half a year after reading is. I'm not going to lie, I cannot remember a lot of this one only that I liked it a lot more than the previous one. So I guess that's it, that's the review. I remember really enjoying this one and read it in summer vacaton. ...more
I have to say, while I still loved this book it was the weakest one so far in the series. Book 1 and 2 absolutely blew me away and this book gets the 4I have to say, while I still loved this book it was the weakest one so far in the series. Book 1 and 2 absolutely blew me away and this book gets the 4 stars because I already knew the characters and loved them. Had this book been a first book it wouldn't have gotten more than 3 stars. Buuttt I already have the world building, character building, a love for the stories and characters so this to me is still absolutely 4 stars. I enjoyed the journey they went on and we finally got to see a nonsensical world. I am so excited to read the next book I never ever thought, picking up book one, that I would end up loving it so so much.
(ALSO I LOVE ALL THE REPRESENTATION OKAY ITS SO SO GOOD)...more
Oh wowow, another Wayward children book that I loved! Seanan doesn't disappoint! Every book has such a Maybe even 4.5 stars* but I'm not entirely sure.
Oh wowow, another Wayward children book that I loved! Seanan doesn't disappoint! Every book has such a different feeling, so I keep going into these books expecting one thing and getting a different thing. But so far I have not been disappointed, it's great! This book has me feeling melancholic and I am not 100% sure why, which is pretty interesting. I also don't really know how to write a review for this book. But I definitely loved the book and the goblin market was so interesting, I loved reading and learning about the rules and what a sweetheart Moon was! It was pretty interesting that Seanan decided to skip big periods of time, she often does this in her books and I'm surprised ever time but in the best way possible. It always inspires me to, when I write myself, only write about the interesting and necessary parts and skip a period of time if it's less interesting. But Seanan definitely takes that a step further, she skips very interesting periods of time, she summarises a year where so much exciting things happened that she could either write a whole other book about that year or easily double the length of her book. I think that is one of her strengths. She keeps in mind what kind of story she wants to tell. She wants to write about the people in the Wayward home and talk about their stories and experiences, everything that is important to that story flow she writes and the rest gets summarised and it's such a surprising and interesting way of storytelling and I love it. It absolutely makes sure that not a single thing in the book is boring or stretched out. And leaves a lot open to the imagination while not handing you over loose ends. Everything gets wrapped up nicely while you can also use your own imagination and it's magical. (I am mostly talking about the part with the wasp queen here.)...more
I kind of want to give this book 4.5 stars because it's very well written and the messages are so so important and good! I didn't always like the deliv I kind of want to give this book 4.5 stars because it's very well written and the messages are so so important and good! I didn't always like the delivery as much, that was my only problem and stops me from giving it 4.5 or 5 stars. Otherwise, such an amazing book that really makes you either think or almost yell "YEAH" at the book. Really wanted to include a poem in here but since it's so incredibly long I decided to post it at the end of the review.
"Telling me not all men have bad intentions
doesn't do anything to reassure me.
after I walk away from you, nothing will have changed.
I will still be scared to leave my house after sundown,
I will still find comfort in keys resting between fingers,
I will still question the intentions of every man I know,
This was so so great! what I really liked about this book compared to the first book is that this one dives way more into the two main chara*4.5 stars
This was so so great! what I really liked about this book compared to the first book is that this one dives way more into the two main characters. (This book does not continue what happened in book one and has other main characters you already know as side characters from the first book.)
Knowing what happened in the first book it was super interesting to read this book but also a bit hard at the start (since Jack had Jill's persona and Jill had jack's, that does not make any sense but I think people who read the first book will understand.)
I wanted to give this book 5 stars, especially because I liked the LGBT representation a lot! buttt (view spoiler)[ the sapphic girl dies so like, yay another queer character dying in a book, haven't seen that before!!! I get how it fit in with the story so I'm not mad at because it was actually well done its just that it's another one in a sea of dead LGBT fictional characters) (hide spoiler)]...more
"That fellow strikes me as a god's double, Couched with you face to face, delighting In your warm manner, your amiable Talk and inviting
Laughter - the r "That fellow strikes me as a god's double, Couched with you face to face, delighting In your warm manner, your amiable Talk and inviting
Laughter - the revelation flutters My ventricles, my sternum and stomach. The least glimpse, and my lost voice stutters, Refuses to come back
Because my tongue is shattered. Gauzy Flame runs radiating under My skin; all that I see is hazy, My ears all thunder.
Sweat comes quickly, and I shiver Vibrates my frame. I am more sallow Than grass and suffer such a fever As death should follow.
But I must suffer further, worthless As I am ..."
I kept not writing this review because I didn't have the book on hand to type my I think favourite poem in the book. I definitely love this book and I absolutely love Sappho it was a treat to read this and especially all the information about her life and the explanations with the poems.
There were a few things that I didn't really enjoy, there were a few accusations in the book about Sappho that didn't seem to have a lot to back them up. They were all negatively towards Sappho and it slightly pissed me off.
Also having read the pinguin anniversary short version 'come closer' I was expecting certain poems that I didn't seem to get which was slightly dissapointing.
On a very exciting note: this was the first book I read with my book club!! Exciting stuff! We discussed the book outside in a garden with some ice cream and lovely weather, which was great!...more
So I did really love this! The story is interesting and everything more in the Shades of Magic series I'm totally here for. I had to get used to the artSo I did really love this! The story is interesting and everything more in the Shades of Magic series I'm totally here for. I had to get used to the art style for a bit but did really enjoy it. The only thing was that the art, in my opinion, made the magic bits a bit harder to understand. For some reason I think it's way more clear when reading it in the book and it being described than just seeing it as still images. So that's why I gave this 4 stars and not 5. And uhmmm I fucking love Isra!! More! Of! Her! Please!...more
I have a lot to say about this book and already know 100% I won't be able to put it all into a review.
I read this for a book club which means this is I have a lot to say about this book and already know 100% I won't be able to put it all into a review.
I read this for a book club which means this is the second book I used sticky notes in to get back to certain scenes fast, I went a little overboard. (An understatement.)
I realized because I was pretty much using them on the sentence, that a lot of the sticky notes where negative. (I did really cringe very hard the two times the book used "I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.) There were definitely some tiny plotholes that bothered me the slightest so yes they got a bad sticky note. But it is so much harder to pinpoint all the things you enjoy because you're in this flow of the book that is over 500 pages. This book really was good and to be honest, I have been really disliking a lot of the Young Adult books lately and am trying to read the ones I have still on my shelf so I can move on to the genres I enjoy more at this moment.
While this book definitely does read like a Young Adult book I was still so blown away by it. I really liked the world building and where I thought it lacked some we at least got some foreshadowing as what we were probably going to get in the next book.
The magic is very interesting and definitely has a new twist, which I can always appreciate.
Then we get to the characters and I sure went on a journey with them. Zélie I disliked the first few chapters, but I have a feeling you're almost supposed to dislike her? Since everyone around her dislikes her actions just as much, she is ruthless. After a few chapters she grew on me a lot and thinking about how she was at the end of the book compared to the beginning definitely shows character development, but it was done in such a way that it sneaked up on you and I almost didn't realize until I really thought about it.
Tzain: It's funny that somewhere at I think 65% in the book I realized how fond I was of Tzain, I don't even really know what to say about him, I suppose he is one of the quieter characters but that doesn't mean he isn't his own person, his personality shown through very clear and I could picture him and his actions the best as well which I really enjoyed.
Amari: Look, I really did not care for Amari at first, she seemed like the most basic of characters ever, she definitely needed to be there but she didn't seem to be all too interesting or develop that much which I was disappointed by because I was rooting to like Amari, I was not disappointed when I was quite far in the book and suddenly realized how much I had started to like Amari and from then on she only grew stronger as a character, her character development is way more noticeable but in a good way and not very suddenly.
Inan: Inan is a very complex character and while I definitely saw what the author was doing with him he just switched from an opinion so freaking fast it was just a bit too much for me. I also really did not care for (view spoiler)[ Inan's romance with Zélie, it was ehh to me and I found myself almost skimming over those parts, it didn't convince me at all, let's keep it at that. (hide spoiler)] Then at the end (view spoiler)[ I kept thinking, okay this is where Inan has to die, it felt like the only logical thing and was already preparing myself for him to be spared, the fact that Inan did actually die and let's be honest, such a horrible horrible death, with no one left at the very end was still heartbreaking, something I did not at all expect so I was very impressed with that. (hide spoiler)]
I also want to talk about the ending without talking about the ending haha (it's spoiler-free.) Look all I can say is, is that this ending brought this whole book together for me, where I kept thinking about the right rating for this book, as soon as I read that ending it was a solid 4 stars for me. It was action packed but in a way that doesn't get boring really fast and had some very interesting plot point, it was definitely the most exciting thing about the whole book. (When I put it like that it almost sounds like the rest of the book wasn't good but it really was I was just super impressed by the ending.)
And then to wrap it up I have to talk about the representation because wowowow we finally have a fantasy book revolving around black people! look, if that is the reason the hype for this book was so big who can be blamed for that? No one! I'm very glad that something that was so needed for books also ended up being definitely worth the read and very interesting! Looking forward to the second installment. ...more
I really am not sure how to put my thoughts on this book into words so this is probably going to be a half assed review. I'm also very tired today andI really am not sure how to put my thoughts on this book into words so this is probably going to be a half assed review. I'm also very tired today and don't feel like writing but I also know that RTC is a lie so here we go.
Look, to describe the book in one word is "horrible". this is every woman's worst nightmare pretty much and I like to torture myself. No but really this book was really good in general, it was also really good at showing how the world shouldn't be, so I guess that means it's the perfect dystopian book. In this futuristic world womens rights have been taken away and are only good for making babies. They're named after the commander they serve to (have sex with to hopefully get a baby). So the main characters "name" is offred (of Fred).
What to me makes this book even more horrible than it already is, is that it follows a woman who had to go through the change. With that I mean she already lived a life like all us women do right now. And then everything changes, her bank account is frozen and all too soon she lives in a world that is this book. Later in the book a man says: "Women can't add," he said once, jokingly. When i asked him what he meant he said. "to them 1+1+1+1 dont make 4." "What do they make?" I said, expecting 5 or 3. "Just 1+1+1+1." He said.
This is so bizarre to me because this man has seen a few years ago what these women could do and now he already believes that women are incapable of anything. I don't think it needs further explanation why it so baffles me.
I listened to the audiobook which I thought was great and highly recommend....more
I love Sarah's work, my brother and I always let each other know when another one has been put on the internets and always enjoy them and la*4.5 stars
I love Sarah's work, my brother and I always let each other know when another one has been put on the internets and always enjoy them and laugh at them.
This book, like the other ones, has lots of the comics in them that are already on the internet but I really did like to go over them again and reading the new ones that are definitely there too.
I feel like this installment was even more focussed on responsibilities and the crippling anxiety that can come with life. It's good to sometimes laugh at shitty things that happen in life and to know that you're not alone, far from it really, seeing so many people agree and thinking it's relatable.
[image]
Definitely recommend!
I received a digital copy from NetGally to give an honest review ...more
I just can't quite give it four stars, but the reason I decided to go from a 3.5 to a 3.75 is absolutely because of the format. I listened to this*3.75
I just can't quite give it four stars, but the reason I decided to go from a 3.5 to a 3.75 is absolutely because of the format. I listened to this book so I don't know if it looked in any way special in the book itself but I loved how it had the feel of a less complicated 'illuminae'. (Yes this is a very bad example because illuminae is so much more visual and so very different but hear me out.) I loved how the whole book was basically recordings. (which made it even better in audiobook form) It's all interviews, random recordings and the occasional recorded diary. The audiobook had different voices for every character and it was just incredibly well worked out. It was interesting and intriguing.
The only thing I wasn't very impressed about was the ending, it felt a bit flat for me but that may be because of how there are more books in this series. I will probably read the other ones too but it's not a high priority right now.
I did have a very different idea of what the book would be when I started reading since I thought it would be more focussed on the moment when the hand would be found (thus when the person who found it was still a child) and growing up with things happening with it, this was not the case but absolutely interesting....more
So I had a completely different view of what I was going to read, I had heard a vague description I had already forgotten by the time I picked it up aSo I had a completely different view of what I was going to read, I had heard a vague description I had already forgotten by the time I picked it up and had created a certain image of the book in my head. first of, I did not know this was young adult, a thing I struggled with at the start because I have not been reading too much young adult lately because it seems to not really be for me anymore. I did not really enjoy the first part of the book and I really had to get into it, this is mostly because of my misunderstanding, but oh boy was I glad I did pick it up! after some time this book really started to take off and I actually got invested in all of the characters, I was rooting for them all. Most of them had their own flaws which made them all the more real.
It's kind of funny how I'm not even in school anymore and I wanted to drop out of school as soon as I finished the book. this book really wants to make you *follow your dreams*. And to be honest, I'm a sucker for those kinds of books.
I loved this book a lot, just in a very different way than expected.
I started typing what the book is about, but really I can't, I feel like everything I say will have spoilers so I'm just gonna leave at that. I do highly recommend this one.
(Also POC main character, bisexual rep, gay rep, asexual rep so like !!!!!!!!! go read)...more
I read and enjoyed this book and then when I put it down I couldn’t figure out what to think of the book, I decided to let it be for a while, think abI read and enjoyed this book and then when I put it down I couldn’t figure out what to think of the book, I decided to let it be for a while, think about it and see what my feelings on it were after a while. I finished this either late July or early August. I still absolutely do not know what to think of this book. What I do know is that I enjoyed it and that I liked how it felt unique. But also it was a bit confusing at times and I’m still not 100% sure what the plot was and honestly that’s kind of making me feel dumb because I feel like I’m missing the whole point of the book. Still, that did thankfully not take away too much from enjoying this book, so no lengthy review for this one, just a solid ‘I liked it!’ from me! ...more
