Lindsey
This was such a difficult read, and I had to take it slowly to fully understand it. The book spanned across many generations, races, and languages so there was a lot to keep up with. The rating is on the lower side for me due to the two mentions of incest which I was not a fan of. Otherwise it was an interesting story of how Middle-earth came to be.
This book is a great way for beginingers to start tapping into the water element. Many topics involving water magick are briefly touched on, even unexpected ones. It is an excellent jumping-off point to find areas you may be interested in. I highly recommend this to those who are beginning elemental magick, and even for those who are intermediate and looking for new and unexpected ways to expand their practice.
A book that every woman-identifying-person and feminist must-read. There are many trigger warnings, so take that into consideration. However, this fictional account of a womens life in Korea and the sacrifices she has to make is based in reality. The facts were given by the author that supports the situations the main character finds herself in are both appalling yet unsurprising.
3.5 stars.
This was such a trippy fever dream. It was good though, very weird, and thought provoking.
The perfect light, quick, and cute read to get you feeling all of the fall vibes. I can definitely see myself reading this every fall from now on.
I love how this started almost like a romantic comedy, then became sinister. Also, it really used the fact that it is an audiobook to its advantage - more audiobooks should be like this. I don't think reading this on paper would have done the story justice.
This story was nothing like I thought it would be based on the synopsis. I thought the whole point of the book was to see how the main character handles an unsavory video being published online about her. You know, like really take a look at the effects of social media on someone's life and how quickly it can ruin someone. As well as how race adds another layer to the situation, and how someone can bounce back from it. (something similar to this does happen but not until the last 10% of the book). However, this was not that at all. It was still good for what it was and got into some other interesting topics, just not what it lead on to be.
Now there is A LOT going on in this book, and it is definitely one that needs to be read at least a second time in order to understand everything completely. Unfortunately, I read it on audio, and the version I had although marketed as “unabridged” was missing parts of the book. I don't feel like I can rate it properly because of that but as of now, it is a 4-star book for me. I'm not one who likes a lot of political intrigue and that is the main plot of the story, but other than that it was exactly what I was hoping from an epic sci-fi. In 2022 I plan on re-reading it physically to understand it better and read the missing parts from the audio version.
This of course suffers from the same pitfalls as other modern-day twitter-Esque poetry does. I enjoyed and appreciated the added artistic elements which made it feel more substantial than other poetry in this category.
Initially rated a 4, the rating changed to 3.5 on re-read.
SPOILERS
The ending felt out of left field. There was no prior indication Jack was interested in Eric like that. Maybe some barely noticeable facial expressions, but I wish there was more build-up to see Jack's feelings for Eric evolve over time.
Adding to my Favorites List
I have not read many thrillers lately, but this is definitely the best thriller I have EVER read. Every time I thought the action was finally done, another twist would happen. The best part was how many times my expectations were subverted. Also, who doesn't love a strong female protagonist?
I am so excited for the movie adaptation to come out later this year on Hulu.
This was so surreal and left me with an unsettling feeling, which is perfect for the spooky month. I loved the dark comedy and retro comic style this graphic novel had. I want to re-read it soon to see if I can make more sense of it the second time around.
This is my new favorite book, it was pure serotonin from start to finish. I think I put off reading Tolkien for so long because I was afraid it would ruin the movies. But I was so so so wrong!
This was an amazing look into the life of Miyazaki and his films. If you are a Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli fan I highly recommend this!
This WOULD have been a 4 star read for me if it wasn't for the fact that it romanticized cheating. Like seriously? It is possible to have a love triangle without having them straight up cheat. Other than that, I loved the multiple missed chances trope and the fact that it spanned over many years. Also, I always love books told from multiple perspectives.
This may be too soon for some as it centers around a post-pandemic apocalyptic world. This story was so gripping and gives the reader a lot to think about when it comes to society and humanity.
First time reading
I can't believe I waited this long to finally read this books. It was a interesting expansion on the wizarding world. I hope the next Fantastic Beasts movie actually shows more of the beasts that were in this book. (I know Rowling is super problematic, but I have chosen to separate the art from the artist)
This is going on my favorites shelf, for sure! I got everything I was expecting in terms of creepiness, and then I got more than I was expecting with the amazing characters.
This story would make an awesome limited series on Netflix, I can only imagine the things they could do with the special effects.
Although there is technically a book released before this in the “series”, I would say that is really a prequel to this one. Readers would get more out of both books if they read this one first and then Rolling in the Deep second. This is because Rolling in the Deep spoils the main mystery presented in this book.
I mean, its Harry Potter.
Need I say more? But I guess I have too because 16 words are required to write an offical review.
To be honest, this really does not need to exist. “Into the Drowning Deep” is perfectly fine on its own, and is a fully fleshed-out version of this. Also reading this first would spoil the mystery that makes ITDD so suspenseful in the beginning. With that being said, if you loved ITDD like I did and wanted more like I did, this novella was perfect. I wish there was an edition of ITDD that had this novella combined into it as flashback sequences - that would be the best way to present this story imo.
It did what I was hoping it would do - get me in the Christmas mood. Nothing mind-blowingly special, just a short and sweet Christmas story. The full-cast performance was a 5/5.