Andres
This is not a “love story” and I don't understand why it is held in that regard by word-of-mouth. Or at least from my perspective.
The prose was incredible, which I didn't expect; it had an excellent way of incorporating modern and “classical” eloquence that I found enthralling and kept me hooked. The way the author handled each character's introduction was great as well because by meeting them for the first time we had a general idea of their personality as well as how our expectations about them would be “distorted” or “emphasized” as the story continued. I loved the way Gatsby, in particular, was [formally] introduced because it defied my expectations about him: instead of presenting him with an almost regal light or with an imposing introduction that completely defined him (like the author did with Tom a.k.a Toxic #1), he simply appeared as a guy having a good time conversing with the protagonist in the most casual way possible. When he said “I'm Gatsby” I literally jumped and had to go back and read when he came into the scene (as by this point we were introduced to a bunch of characters in said party that we weren't going to see again, so I thought he was one of them).
One of the aspects I like about Nick, our narrator, is that he really didn't care for whatever lavish things Gatsby did or tried to impress him with: he simply looked and interacted with him just like when he first met him at that party. Thus, their friendship seemed palpable and probably the only honest thing devoid of any hypocrisy to come out of this story. Just the fact that he stayed with Gatsby on that long night until morning and said those words about him, about how he's actually worth more than what they made him out to be, was probably my favorite part of the book.
Having said this, Gatsby is an idiot. A lovable idiot (sometimes, especially towards the end) but an idiot at that. Meanwhile, I personally think Daisy is our Toxic #2, and no wonder she stayed with Tom: they belong with each other as they are, in fact, the same (minus the White Supremacy thing, as far as I know). I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion, but three people died in this book and even Nick pointed out their nature TWICE in the novel.
Oh, and I liked Jordan. She was very “grounded” and had a no bs air to her that made her such a compelling character in a way that I didn't understand how she became friends with Daisy in the first place. She and Nick are probably the best couple in the book and they are not given enough credit or attention by the author.
In the end, I really loved this book and story, and well, it's an “American masterpiece” that's deserving of said acknowledgment. Although, I'm picky about something that didn't come to be: when Nick met Tom for the last time before he left NY for good (and after he parted ways with Jordan, which made me mad because I wanted those two to be together but I guess I was asking for a lot), it was revealed that he pointed Wilson in the direction of Gatsby, and said that he got what he deserved for killing Myrtle. Now, I don't know what this says about me, but I wanted Nick (as he shook his hand saying his goodbyes) to pull him closer and say to his ear “Daisy was driving” and just walk away. It would've been satisfying AF.
This is not a “love story” and I don't understand why it is held in that regard by word-of-mouth. Or at least from my perspective.
The prose was incredible, which I didn't expect; it had an excellent way of incorporating modern and “classical” eloquence that I found enthralling and kept me hooked. The way the author handled each character's introduction was great as well because by meeting them for the first time we had a general idea of their personality as well as how our expectations about them would be “distorted” or “emphasized” as the story continued. I loved the way Gatsby, in particular, was [formally] introduced because it defied my expectations about him: instead of presenting him with an almost regal light or with an imposing introduction that completely defined him (like the author did with Tom a.k.a Toxic #1), he simply appeared as a guy having a good time conversing with the protagonist in the most casual way possible. When he said “I'm Gatsby” I literally jumped and had to go back and read when he came into the scene (as by this point we were introduced to a bunch of characters in said party that we weren't going to see again, so I thought he was one of them).
One of the aspects I like about Nick, our narrator, is that he really didn't care for whatever lavish things Gatsby did or tried to impress him with: he simply looked and interacted with him just like when he first met him at that party. Thus, their friendship seemed palpable and probably the only honest thing devoid of any hypocrisy to come out of this story. Just the fact that he stayed with Gatsby on that long night until morning and said those words about him, about how he's actually worth more than what they made him out to be, was probably my favorite part of the book.
Having said this, Gatsby is an idiot. A lovable idiot (sometimes, especially towards the end) but an idiot at that. Meanwhile, I personally think Daisy is our Toxic #2, and no wonder she stayed with Tom: they belong with each other as they are, in fact, the same (minus the White Supremacy thing, as far as I know). I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion, but three people died in this book and even Nick pointed out their nature TWICE in the novel.
Oh, and I liked Jordan. She was very “grounded” and had a no bs air to her that made her such a compelling character in a way that I didn't understand how she became friends with Daisy in the first place. She and Nick are probably the best couple in the book and they are not given enough credit or attention by the author.
In the end, I really loved this book and story, and well, it's an “American masterpiece” that's deserving of said acknowledgment. Although, I'm picky about something that didn't come to be: when Nick met Tom for the last time before he left NY for good (and after he parted ways with Jordan, which made me mad because I wanted those two to be together but I guess I was asking for a lot), it was revealed that he pointed Wilson in the direction of Gatsby, and said that he got what he deserved for killing Myrtle. Now, I don't know what this says about me, but I wanted Nick (as he shook his hand saying his goodbyes) to pull him closer and say to his ear “Daisy was driving” and just walk away. It would've been satisfying AF.
It's a great story filled with great prose, and I feel that fans of «The Kingkiller Chronicles» will like it for what it accomplishes overall. Having said that, I really didn't feel a strong connection to the story as the better half of the book simply follows the day-to-day life of the protagonist since this one was a child until the age of 14-15. He doesn't really display a characteristic personality for the majority of it but there are several instances that his personality does come out in this first half, and by the time he starts learning to be an assassin towards the second half, he manages to be a likable/relatable protagonist.
When he started to engage in the duty imposed on him by the King, the narrative steadily began to gain momentum which culminates in the final “arc” of the book, as he is seemingly driven against a corner with every odd against him. By this point, I devoured every chapter until its conclusion. The righting, the stakes, the plot, and how Fitz figured in all that was so rivetting to read that I was dying to know how the story would end...and even though I liked the ending, its the type of ending that “returns to normality” aside from our protagonist's clear development, if you know what I mean.
It was a great book, but I hope that the sequel improves upon what was established here.
But hey, the trilogy is held in high regard for a reason.
It's a great story filled with great prose, and I feel that fans of «The Kingkiller Chronicles» will like it for what it accomplishes overall. Having said that, I really didn't feel a strong connection to the story as the better half of the book simply follows the day-to-day life of the protagonist since this one was a child until the age of 14-15. He doesn't really display a characteristic personality for the majority of it but there are several instances that his personality does come out in this first half, and by the time he starts learning to be an assassin towards the second half, he manages to be a likable/relatable protagonist.
When he started to engage in the duty imposed on him by the King, the narrative steadily began to gain momentum which culminates in the final “arc” of the book, as he is seemingly driven against a corner with every odd against him. By this point, I devoured every chapter until its conclusion. The righting, the stakes, the plot, and how Fitz figured in all that was so rivetting to read that I was dying to know how the story would end...and even though I liked the ending, its the type of ending that “returns to normality” aside from our protagonist's clear development, if you know what I mean.
It was a great book, but I hope that the sequel improves upon what was established here.
But hey, the trilogy is held in high regard for a reason.
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
Honestly, this was not for me.
Personally, I didn't like the way the book was structured or the writing. That's not to say that all chapters were “bad”, as there were a few that I honestly thought to be great, filled with personal/emotional moments. Nevertheless, I couldn't stand the protagonist for 90% of this. Call me however you want as well as tell me that I couldn't possibly understand her, but from my perspective, she didn't have personal growth until literally the last part, and that's because it's forced on her.
Just take the fact that she put off her engagement for four and a half years and then wanted to marry in a rush just because she finally met the guy she was supposed to hook up with. She went to therapy once, then again after the time skip, and she admits to withholding information about her dream, to then complain that even the therapist didn't help. Then, she doesn't have the courage to break off her engagement, having her boyfriend do so for them; when he said “I can't believe I'm the one that has to do this”, took the words out of my mouth. That's right, you don't have to do this, she's the one whose supposed to. Furthermore, she's rather controlling, but many times not in a positive way, not even when characters try to pass it as a joke.
I think the only thing I liked about her was her taste in wine and how good of a friend she was.
Then, her friend (whom I genuinely liked) becomes cancer-positive literally halfway through the story, and although I didn't like the protagonist, their interactions were actually very touching. Greg is an amazing guy, and I felt the most for him. I found it rather irritating the times when the protagonist constantly antagonized him even during her friend's treatment because...I guess she believes the worst in people?
Overall, as a book that's marketed as the “most heartbreaking novel of the year”, I was rather underwhelmed. Even the time travel aspect feels underwhelming because, even though it makes for a great parallel which I actually enjoyed reading in the penultimate chapter, I didn't understand how it was supposed to affect the overall story. Like, if you take away the time travel, the story plays out exactly as it never happened.
P.D. I didn't even touch on the blatant clichés (dancing to Frank Sinatra when an old couple was already dancing, etc.)
This is the first rom-com book I've read in a long time that I can honestly say is great.
I think what sold this story for me was the fact that we are in a “mature” setting and that we are dealing with legitimate young adults. Therefore, we get to experience their successes/failures in their professional lives while also contrasting it with their personal ones, and the way the characters are handled to contrast one another gave way to a lot of effective humor as well as (putting it in simple words) “Awwww” moments.
Also, the fact that the author is incredibly self-aware of the usual rom-com tropes as well as including inconspicuous pop culture references made this a joy to read.
It feels weird to say, but I actually found the “romance” aspect of the book to be very...healthy. What I mean by this is that, especially in recent books/movies of this kind (looking at you Twilight, 50 Shades, To All The Boys, Kissing Booth and the rest of Pandora's Box Demons), the romantic aspects always thread the line between toxic/abusive/manipulative or you at least could get aspects of a relationship that are really negative but that was “romanticized”.
I don't really like that current trend, which most [YA] authors follow, so I was incredibly surprised that the relationship between the two protagonists was actually healthy, mature, and supportive.
You know, a “normal” relationship.
Also, since we're being adults here, the sex scenes are done better than the average standard or “frame of reference” a.k.a they are displayed in a positive and realistic light that is not often seen in similar books a.k.a hot shit.
Overall, I really liked this book and it definitely set a positive bar for romance novels in my regard. If it gets adapted to a movie, I hope it'll be done by a director and writer that actually values the essence of the story (weird opinion, but this would be an amazing 13-ep anime given the right animation studio).
This is the first rom-com book I've read in a long time that I can honestly say is great.
I think what sold this story for me was the fact that we are in a “mature” setting and that we are dealing with legitimate young adults. Therefore, we get to experience their successes/failures in their professional lives while also contrasting it with their personal ones, and the way the characters are handled to contrast one another gave way to a lot of effective humor as well as (putting it in simple words) “Awwww” moments.
Also, the fact that the author is incredibly self-aware of the usual rom-com tropes as well as including inconspicuous pop culture references made this a joy to read.
It feels weird to say, but I actually found the “romance” aspect of the book to be very...healthy. What I mean by this is that, especially in recent books/movies of this kind (looking at you Twilight, 50 Shades, To All The Boys, Kissing Booth and the rest of Pandora's Box Demons), the romantic aspects always thread the line between toxic/abusive/manipulative or you at least could get aspects of a relationship that are really negative but that was “romanticized”.
I don't really like that current trend, which most [YA] authors follow, so I was incredibly surprised that the relationship between the two protagonists was actually healthy, mature, and supportive.
You know, a “normal” relationship.
Also, since we're being adults here, the sex scenes are done better than the average standard or “frame of reference” a.k.a they are displayed in a positive and realistic light that is not often seen in similar books a.k.a hot shit.
Overall, I really liked this book and it definitely set a positive bar for romance novels in my regard. If it gets adapted to a movie, I hope it'll be done by a director and writer that actually values the essence of the story (weird opinion, but this would be an amazing 13-ep anime given the right animation studio).
This is the first rom-com book I've read in a long time that I can honestly say is great.
I think what sold this story for me was the fact that we are in a “mature” setting and that we are dealing with legitimate young adults. Therefore, we get to experience their successes/failures in their professional lives while also contrasting it with their personal ones, and the way the characters are handled to contrast one another gave way to a lot of effective humor as well as (putting it in simple words) “Awwww” moments.
Also, the fact that the author is incredibly self-aware of the usual rom-com tropes as well as including inconspicuous pop culture references made this a joy to read.
It feels weird to say, but I actually found the “romance” aspect of the book to be very...healthy. What I mean by this is that, especially in recent books/movies of this kind (looking at you Twilight, 50 Shades, To All The Boys, Kissing Booth and the rest of Pandora's Box Demons), the romantic aspects always thread the line between toxic/abusive/manipulative or you at least could get aspects of a relationship that are really negative but that was “romanticized”.
I don't really like that current trend, which most [YA] authors follow, so I was incredibly surprised that the relationship between the two protagonists was actually healthy, mature, and supportive.
You know, a “normal” relationship.
Also, since we're being adults here, the sex scenes are done better than the average standard or “frame of reference” a.k.a they are displayed in a positive and realistic light that is not often seen in similar books a.k.a hot shit.
Overall, I really liked this book and it definitely set a positive bar for romance novels in my regard. If it gets adapted to a movie, I hope it'll be done by a director and writer that actually values the essence of the story (weird opinion, but this would be an amazing 13-ep anime given the right animation studio).
This is the first rom-com book I've read in a long time that I can honestly say is great.
I think what sold this story for me was the fact that we are in a “mature” setting and that we are dealing with legitimate young adults. Therefore, we get to experience their successes/failures in their professional lives while also contrasting it with their personal ones, and the way the characters are handled to contrast one another gave way to a lot of effective humor as well as (putting it in simple words) “Awwww” moments.
Also, the fact that the author is incredibly self-aware of the usual rom-com tropes as well as including inconspicuous pop culture references made this a joy to read.
It feels weird to say, but I actually found the “romance” aspect of the book to be very...healthy. What I mean by this is that, especially in recent books/movies of this kind (looking at you Twilight, 50 Shades, To All The Boys, Kissing Booth and the rest of Pandora's Box Demons), the romantic aspects always thread the line between toxic/abusive/manipulative or you at least could get aspects of a relationship that are really negative but that was “romanticized”.
I don't really like that current trend, which most [YA] authors follow, so I was incredibly surprised that the relationship between the two protagonists was actually healthy, mature, and supportive.
You know, a “normal” relationship.
Also, since we're being adults here, the sex scenes are done better than the average standard or “frame of reference” a.k.a they are displayed in a positive and realistic light that is not often seen in similar books a.k.a hot shit.
Overall, I really liked this book and it definitely set a positive bar for romance novels in my regard. If it gets adapted to a movie, I hope it'll be done by a director and writer that actually values the essence of the story (weird opinion, but this would be an amazing 13-ep anime given the right animation studio).
