Sandro
While acknowledging that certain aspects of this book may not have aged well (as anticipated), it begins on a strong and engaging note. However, as the narrative progresses into later chapters, there seems to be an excessive focus on irony through enumeration and small experiences, which, in my opinion, lacks significant utility.
Moreover, during the time of writing, the incorporation of pragmatism and the use of nature's forms as a reference in the design world were not groundbreaking concepts. Nevertheless, these perspectives remain compelling to read and can serve as a positive influence on the minds of young designers.
For a moment there, this book fooled me. The premise was captivating and I can hardly resist a story which uses video games and their industry as a background.
The writing is often confusing and convoluted especially in some of the transitions. The only time where the text flowed was when the author went on a description rampage. About that...
This is where we can notice the author background working in the video game industry. He really knows how to describe all the scenarios and character equipment. However, they do not appear to contribute much to the overall history of the book. I've often thought of them as notes in a game development document or as side notes in a theater piece where you need to address all the items in the scenario. I love world setting and descriptions but these just felt boring and unnecessary.
Of course, only the writer can know what he was trying to pass along with his story, but I honestly feel that the story conclusion and moral as it is could be easily accomplishable with less 100-150 pages than what the book has.
For example the complete section about Solar Empires is so unnecessary. Did he really need to explain what happened in-ALL-THE-GAMES... Basically, these games were used only as a plot device to, in the end, come back to the Endorian continent again.
In these almost 400 pages, I couldn't find real character development, the introverted genius died as an introverted genius. The charismatic/successful character remained as so. The smart/misunderstood one didn't even made an effort. Finally, the ordinary/”imaginative” one that seems to have a dinner for two with an imaginary character in a restaurant (just, how did this happen? Nobody at the restaurant thought it was weird?), just kept being so.
I kept reading in expectation for a good ending and sadly, in this chapter the book also falls short. It just goes the philosophical route in a paragraph or two offering a cliché and very very anticlimactic ending.
For example, what happened after the game was released? We know that WAFFLE became shareware and Black Arts was shut down, but for a book that gave almost as much focus to Mournblade as it gave to the game release pipeline, it's odd that we don't get any real metrics in the game release.
I guess that what I really take from the book were the parts of the story that reflected more in the day to day job of a video game company and the hacker/do it yourself culture that spawns from the characters since they were kids.
People looking for a Ready Player One experience, won't find it in this book. It riffs many times on nostalgia, but the story and the writing are hardly on par from what we've seen from Ernest Cline.
I must say, this one was far better written than the original books from the trilogy. That made the reading experience much more enjoyable.
On top of that, the characters in this story are also much less irritating/angsty teenagers which I find to be quite difficult to find in a Young Adult book (at least in the ones I've been reading). Well Done Mr. Dashner!
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room – that “magical adrenaline rush” situation. Seriously, these characters go through the wringer – thrown around, shot at, sleep-deprived, virus-ridden, and beaten up every five minutes. And yet, they bounce back like it's nothing, tackling every problem that comes their way in some mind-bogglingly complex manner, defying all odds.
In short, it is a nice story that gives a somewhat needed background for the events in the main trilogy. For readers that already read the three main books, this one is not hard to recommend. If you're planning to start now with the series, do not start with this one. What is told in it is not earth shattering news, but it can definitely diminish some of the events of the following books.
First off, some of the reviews about this book clearly show some prejudice against it.
- Some address that the writer didn't need to talk about other adventurers besides McCandless. The book is called “Into the Wild” not “McCandless Adventures”. Narrating other histories allows the reader to broaden their horizons about every kind of people that exist, and perhaps to better understand McCandless reasoning. The other reports show that McCandless wasn't alone nor was the first one to want to experience nature in such raw manner and using contradicting thoughts/arguments as his motivation.
- Also, just because the main character has his own ways of doing things, (be they right or wrong), doesn't mean he is a bad character or that his story doesn't deserve to be shared. This is based on real people and events. I don't go read Mein Kampf and expect to really like and identify with Adolf Hitler.
But enough about the ranting. I actually think the movie portrayed Alex in a fairer light than the book. In the movie, what we get is a young man that is against a materialistic and hypocrite society. In the book we have that, but we also have a person that blindly follows life mottos that he takes from the words of deceased writers that at their core were hypocrites since not even themselves were able to practice the spartan and idealist words they preached.
What I take from Alex is the following:
So he hurt his parents, who've always given him everything for something he believed in. He was also an egotistical person and someone who just could not forgive his father. However, taking into account his ingenuity, stubbornness and strange character, McCandless was able to touch many people everywhere he passed. This is more than the majority of us we'll be able to do.
The better thing to do is just let people live their life and let them believe in what they want. If they go around and help others, are educated and make others happy, so be it. He hurt his parents because he died. Somewhere along the line, we'll also hurt someone when we die.
From the book:
When life presents you with an obstacle that doesn't allow you to cross to the other side of the margin, don't give up. Don't turn around and hope the obstacle disappears. Just try to find another way around.
Into the Wild is an interesting read. The book is somewhat short, so people should be able to read it in one sitting. Many people will not identify with the character and will be infuriated by his arguments/motivations, some will like him and will want to go in a similar adventure but knowing that they'll have to consider better preparation and equipment.
Just for this lesson, and even if only as a cautionary tale, the book is worth reading.
After creating a first impression that resembles a labyrinth Kurald Galain invoked by Anomander Rake, we can somehow transcend the aura of respect imposed by the book and by then, it becomes inevitable to get entangled in this world created by [a:Steven Erikson 31232 Steven Erikson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219169436p2/31232.jpg].I say this because in fact my entry process in this book was difficult, and that feeling lasted for at least the first 100 pages. I found myself reaching for the front and back covers and see if the new characters that were being presented were among the illustrated portraits that this edition has. From the beginning to the end of my reading, there were also many visits to the glossaries.This is essentially due to three situations:1. Although the narrative focuses only on some characters such as Paran, Lorn, Crokus, Baruk, Quick Ben or Kruppe, there are many different characters that the book recurrently refers to. Making it often difficult to understand what their role and importance are in the general plan of the events of this book and the nine other volumes of the saga.Other than the characters in the “earth realm”, we also need to add Gods and Ascendants, who in most situations have a proper name but also have a denomination within the House they represent. We have for example Cotillion which is also known and often called “The Rope” or “Lord of Assassins”.If we consider the various Houses and the hierarchy of the members that each one has, the more than 10 different Magic Labyrinths and the many races that exist in this World, the creativity of [a:Steven Erikson 31232 Steven Erikson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219169436p2/31232.jpg] is really praise-worthy, and I thank god for the good idea that someone had when they decided to include the glossaries I referred to above.2. With so much variety, sometimes we have sentences that in my point of view become confusing by consecutively using so many terms characteristic of this world.3. Throughout the book, we have characters coming out of the real plane and transitioning into dreams, magic labyrinths or alternative realities, and it is common for transitions between these various locations to not even have as their origin the real plan.Sometimes these changes are not perceptible with a first reading and require that you turn back to try to perceive when exactly the jump from one plane to the other happens.I should point out that these points should in no way be a genuine obstacle to reading this book. With a little patience to go back a few lines when necessary and with a marker for quick access to the glossaries, you easily overcome these “hurdles” and as soon as you can get “in the flow” of reading, the pages begin to fly by.— Going back to the characters and trying not to get too much into spoiler territory, some characters die. Others disappear and leave the doubt if they disappeared forever or only until a convenient time in upcoming books.This leads me to talk about how death is treated in this story, and this kind of treatment leaves me somewhat divided.On the one hand, even characters who are considered to be important to perish in an anti-climatic way and thus seeming to reduce their role and power just after being deified by the author's descriptions. On the other hand, this detachment for the characters manages to bring to the narrative a very practical and realistic vision. There are so many events to occur and with so many characters involved, that at the end of the day, no matter how powerful or important, your death becomes just one more among many and the world goes on indifferently with more wars, revolutions and intrigues. However, in my view, this does not excuse the resolution that the conflict with the Tyrant Jaghut has. After having the story revolve around him and the fact that he was practically (and literally) the sleeping terror of this book, his defeat turned out to be too quick. I must admit that I waited with some anticipation for what he could do if he acquired his power altogether.The conclusion given to Raest may be a sign that this World will achieve the prowess of the next books to have characters even more powerful than an ancestral race or many Gods and this promise, fills me with expectation.It is also with renewed curiosity that I hope for a more effective presence of the Empress Laseen in the upcoming books. The mind behind the Malazan Empire and the events reported in this saga, has no more than two brief appearances throughout the book, and everything you know about her personality comes essentially from the references made by the other characters.—Taking into account what has been written in this review so far, the four-star rating I gave the book may be called into question. However, regardless of the complexity of the book and the grandiosity of the world created by [a:Steven Erikson 31232 Steven Erikson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1219169436p2/31232.jpg] sometimes catching me off guard and making me go back a paragraph or two in order to really understand what happened, I found myself quite enjoying this narrative.The characters have a balanced moral balance. There are no characters that are innately good or bad. Their actions derive largely from their goals and beliefs. In all of them, there is at least one argument in their line of thinking with which I can easily identify myself. This makes the characters realistic and, above all, human.This balance in the representation of the characters is also conveyed in the different relationships reported in the story. There are different kinds of romance, friendship, respect, fellowship. All of them are described without exaggeration and without haste, culminating in interactions that we could easily witness in real life.It should also be noted the author never goes out of his way to give the reader a hand. There are no complete explanations of why and how many things happen, but it is refreshing to read a book that does not feel the need to.I strongly recommend this book to lovers of epic fantasy, lovers of well-built worlds and characters.In a saga with ten books, and taking into account the events in this Gardens of the Moon it is difficult not to look at this volume as “just” a prologue which spurs the reader for how much is yet to come.I read somewhere here in Goodreads a book review in which the person claimed that after reading the ten books of the saga, never again could look at fantasy books in the same way, that no other book has managed to offer the complexity and richness of the Malazan Book of the Fallen Saga.If such a thing happens to me, it will be a bad habit that I'll gladly welcome.
Maybe I was simply not feeling it, but the story had one stupid reaction from Zooey after another.
From deciding to just go to poor zones instead of agreeing to go to the Livingston tower, to the constant whining about her dad having everything and his poor taste.
Also come on... 4 very intelligent people, and none figured out that Molech would take her elsewhere the moment she set foot in the building?After the first kidnapping, not one of the brilliant minds could have figured out that Zooey's mother was her weak point and protect her?
The constant reminder of Arthur's terrible taste in decor and all the things he decided to have exposed in his house got old quick.
While I'm not one to jump on the feminist critique bandwagon, the book does lean heavily into sexual content and objectification of women. It's possible this fits the overall vibe of the book, but the exaggeration of these elements, including hints of potential rape used as mere page-turners at the end of chapters, feels unnecessary.
Here and there, the book presents the readers with some clever social critique but it quickly fades away amidst all the exaggeration of the story. I compare the humor in this book to the one from comedians who make jokes about farts. It's fun the first time, not for the 19872367 time.
The end of the conflict also seemed anti-climatic and convenient, considering all the building-up until that moment and the overall tendency to multiply everything by a thousand.
Considering the reviews for the book are generally good, maybe I'm not the target reader for it, but I also can't recommend it to others.
Windhaven is an amazing 35yrs old story/adventure waiting to be discovered.
Divided in 3 parts plus prologue and epilogue, the story advances at a steady pace. The third part being possibly the slower one and my least favorite.
Having to pick one, I would choose the second part as the one I liked most. This section is where all the action occurs and where the most interesting characters are introduced. Where you get the feel of the world and what it means to fly.
One possible criticism for this book may reside in the backstory of how the wings came to be and how it all began. There was so much potential there, but it was all explained in a paragraph or two.
I could not help to recommend this book. So go ahead, One-Wings and conquer your position as Flyers.
Side notes:
I really took the liking for flying. If the urge to fly again becomes too unbearable for me, a previously “stuck to earth”, I'm looking forward to reading Updraft and see what it looks like.
I don't know which author wrote each parts of the book. Yet, characters like “The Crow” assure us that G.R.R. Martin maybe was already tinkering with A Song of Ice and Fire at the time (Or maybe he just likes crows).
I find myself torn about this book. On one hand, it can be truly motivational and resonates with me on a personal level in many aspects.
However, viewing it from a purely utilitarian, non-fiction perspective, it falls a bit short. It reads more like a collection of blog posts on a personal website or Medium rather than a cohesive book. Perhaps this is a reflection of the increasing quality of tech and design writers on the web, which I hope is the case.
I've noticed an overreliance on quotes and callbacks to stories from famous individuals, filling the chapters without the author providing much of his own opinion or additional insights. While some might see this as a clever approach, for me, it reinforces what I can't shake off about this book—it comes off as somewhat lazy. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking or extraordinary here. However, the writer keeps to his roots and beliefs. After all, he did write the book “Steal like an Artist”...
Just like the Hobbit, it seems this book was targeted at children when it was released. By today's standards, both books fit better with an older audience.
It is indeed a magical story and even with a unicorn as a character, it is never too girly or becomes a “My Little Pony” older brother.
For a small book, it somehow manages to give some depth to characters. No one is all bad or all good. Even the most evil creature has ulterior motives. For example, the Unicorn is so proud that is infuriating, becoming a character that makes it difficult for himself for me to like him. Nonetheless, in the last part of the history, it finally shows a glimpse of let's say “humanity”, that shines a completely different light over it.
It's easy to sympathize with Schmendrick burden and goal, even if the path to obtain it isn't always the most righteous.
Molly Grue, I believe, is the character that most people will feel drawn to. She begins strong and on the defensive, later becoming a charming, intelligent, thoughtful and powerful motivator in what was Schmendrick's development. Some may argue that she started somewhat as a warrior to later become someone very skittish and relying a lot on Schmendrick. The gender roles in this story are defined to what maybe were the standards at the time. Every woman is a damsel in distress, and only the men are able to be the heroes. I don't really care about these “issues” in books, and I don't think that was any ill thought on Beagle's head when he wrote the story. It was, and in someways still is, a very captivating trope in fantasy books. It just needs to be done with respect, which I think is the case with The Last Unicorn.
I liked the book and can say that now I understand the praise it receives. It is full of clever conversations and deep meanings. I didn't resist highlighting some of them. Most of the time it portrays with great fidelity human feelings, be it love, fear, boredom, greed and sorrow.
I could not help but recommend that people read this book. After all, old-school fantasy still is the most magical, grand and dreamy.
I have to say that I was really happy that the unicorn didn't remain as Lady Amalthea and married Prince Lir. Stories that ignore the most logical path for the sake of a happy ending, are not to my taste
Sandkings is my first ever book by [a:George R.R. Martin 346732 George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351944410p2/346732.jpg]. Not a Song of Ice and Fire book, not a Wild Cards book, not even something like [b:Windhaven 67957 Windhaven George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388467654s/67957.jpg 2960816].Bearing this in mind, I can't compare the writing style when he wrote Sandkings with the one used on more recent books. What I can say is that I see a lot of ideas and details employed in this short story that no doubt can be easily identified as a “George idea”.For once, there's lots of gratuitous violence, a despicable character and yes, deaths, lots of them (i'm not even counting the poor Sandking's losses).I enjoy the writing style. Even though the world and characters are well described, the sentences are well defined, short and direct.While reading the first pages I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a book from someone that only then was writing it's first story and thus too focused in playing by the rules of what should be a good writing. The thing is, it works.The writing being so simple and structured, the story becomes the main focus offering a pleasant and effortless reading.This is a short book, so, as always when I write a review for one. I have no second thoughts when I recommend people to read it. Being short and addictive, there isn't a reason to not do so. (Plus the ending is really satisfying, even if it was predictable.)My first foray into [a:George R.R. Martin 346732 George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351944410p2/346732.jpg]'s imagination was great. Left me curious about his other books. Maybe [b:Windhaven 67957 Windhaven George R.R. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388467654s/67957.jpg 2960816] will be the next.
So this is the first short story I read from Philip K. Dick. Having watched the movie a long time ago and don't remember much of it, I came to this book with pretty much a clean slate regarding what to expect. From what I've already read from the author, this one is clearly the most accessible until now. To my knowledge, I would point it as a good entry point to the people out there interested in starting with Philip K. Dick's work.
Without spoiling the thing, it is fast-paced, the story doesn't drag, and I find the final explanation for the story quite logical and without any evident plot-holes.
The story could easily survive a longer format. Perhaps prolonging more the mystery about who framed the chief. And/Or investing a little more in all the character's background and on how the pre-cogs came to be.
Since it is so short, I can't find any reason for the sci-fi readers out there to don't read this book.
By this time, I already consider myself a Neil Gaiman fan and proceeded to get most of his books.
Neverwhere was great. Becoming with Stardust, my favorite Gaiman books.
It is easy to find the Gaiman tropes in this book. Filled with amazing people (or should I say creatures?), great world description (the connection with real places in London is a bonus) and with the usual “pretty average guy, somewhat depressed who surpasses the initial expectations” as the main character.
I enjoyed the ending of the book (a rare thing to happen to me). The easy route was never bring him back to the real world to begin with. Having him back in his previous life and making him realize that what he fought so hard to come back to after all isn't worth it, just added to the credibility of the character. After all, no matter how amazing the adventure was, only a handful of people would be quick to completely dismiss an established and secure life (even if it was a boring one), for an exciting life, but full of dangers and living in the sewers.
Actually, a new thing for me is not enjoying the beginning of a book. It felt rushed, somewhat out of place and the character that lived in that first chapter, in the second chapter already didn't seem the same. For all I know, the story could have started already in London and the result would be the same, if not better.
Finishing thoughts: charming book, the story in itself has been told a thousand times, but it keeps working.
Didn't enjoy this one so much as the first. Taking more than 6 months to finish it is a clear sign of that.
While the first book was religious but tolerable, the second one focus much more on this side of things, rendering all the other themes to the background (even the interesting political situation of Rakhat).
The other issue are the characters, so many on that ship, and you really can't tell them apart. Maybe the issue is that they aren't at all likeable... Hell, I don't even remember their names anymore. There was John, Carlo, the giant guy with a heart of gold, the one with indigenous background...
I won't drag. This one really didn't fit with me. The only part that was enjoyable was before Emilio went against his will to Rakhat again. That was where? At 20% of the book maybe?
Conclusion: Too much religion, too many characters (both human and alien), passable ending.
It's an entertaining book, despite my personal gripes with young adult stories, such as insta-love and occasional angst.
At times, the effects and the lengths the players go to just to stay in the game can be a bit exaggerated. I can't really imagine people doing such things in real life, but then again, stuff like GamerGate exists, so what do I know?
However, due to this ‘exaggeration,' the book sometimes seems like anti-gaming propaganda, even though the writer demonstrates knowledge in the area and appears to be a gamer herself.
The resolution of the mystery didn't blow my mind away, but it was properly wrapped up and explained well enough.
While reading it, the book had the ability to make me want to play Skyrim, Diablo, Fallout, Pillars of Eternity, and so on. This, in my opinion, shows that the way the writer narrated Sarius and the gang's in-game adventures was well-executed and resonated with my interest in games.
Hence, my final rating for this one is 4.0.
“First and foremost, my appreciation for Philip K. Dick's writing style remains unscathed after reading this book.
Upon finishing, I found myself yearning for something more. With such a strong premise, I had hoped for a different outcome. Admittedly, the book may have disappointed me due to my somewhat limited knowledge of the way society reconstructed after WWII and its general sentiments towards Germans and Japanese.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be missing some great metaphor or hidden meaning throughout the book. Regardless of admitting that the fault may lie with me, this book was a 2.5 for me.”
“Too much ‘young-adult' for my taste; most of the time, it felt even child-like given the simplicity of the writing and story.
The setting and nostalgia trip are right up Ernest Cline's alley, but this time, he may have overdone it without tangible results at the ending.
Also, the inclusion of angsty teenagers and insta-love (I rest my case here).
In conclusion about the book:
- It's a so-so book, perhaps hyped by the success of Ready Player One.
- My recommendation: Go read Ready Player One (again if that's the case) instead of Armada.
- Consider subscribing and listening to the ‘Raid the Arcade' playlist on Spotify (or create your own based on the cassette tape image at the end of the book).”
I'm continuing my quest to read the ‘NPR - Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books,' and my next pick was War of the Worlds.
Despite its brevity, I must admit it took me longer than expected to finish, as it unfortunately became quickly ‘boring.' I believe much of the book's success stems from Wells' vision and courage in 1898 when he wrote a book of this nature. However, I can't say it has aged well.
While I haven't read other books by Wells, I can't help but feel that his writing is somewhat ‘basic.' There were numerous repetitions, like the absurd use of the pronoun ‘I' and expressions like ‘to and fro.'
It's not all bad, though. The story is infused with philosophical meanings and morals. At times, the book can be quite beautiful, offering moments for deep reflection. Also, being told in the first person, much of the book feels like we are sitting by a bonfire, listening to Wells tell a ‘scary' story.
However, there are some notable omissions, such as what happened to his cousin and how he was able to find the narrator's wife, but the narrator clearly wanted a happy ending, so there's that.
I feel conflicted about recommending this book. On one hand, it's a classic that must be respected for its achievements and the story it tells. On the other, the writing style and the narrator's way of over describing certain details can easily become old and boring.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a strange book indeed, but in a good way. The humor and strangeness of it were addictive. I always find it quite interesting that sci-fi books written somewhat in the middle of the XX century have some kind of greater meaning that allows it to fit almost perfectly in present days.
The writing style was very interesting and direct. The characters are unusual, but it is easy to feel empathy towards them (reader's private joke).
Well, I can't really give a greater review or say anything that hasn't already been said about this book.
I've become a fan of Philip K. Dick. Minority Report, Man in the High Castle, here I come.
Read as a Sword&Laser Monthly book pick.
A few quick spoiler notes:
- Jeevan get's somehow forgotten and becames less important in comparison with the other main characters. - For all the talk and fear instilled, the prophet's death was somehow anti-climatic.- I get the end of the book, leaving all things open and a possible new start of civilization (electricity grid) yet I would like to see some more development after the symphony had left the airport.
Nonetheless, besides some great chapters and thoughts about life and being human, the book does great in creating a believable post-apocalyptic world and the people living in it.
I specially like the childlessness of many conversations. By today's standards, they may even be seen as irritating. But one must bear in mind what these men and women went through and the fact they are dealing with the same people everyday. There are only so many different conversations that people can have. Maybe they've reached a point where everything that could be said was already spoken but they force themselves to talk, to maintain a sense that they're still human.
Enjoyed it. Recommend it. Can see why it won or is nominated for so many awards.
This story just like Scott Pilgrim has quirky characters and a sense of light-heartness and sincerity. These come mostly in the form of dialogues and how Brian Lee O'Malley draws his characters. Many times the scenes look only like a colored draft. Yet, this doesn't stop the characters' expressions and reactions to instantly put a smile on my face.
The story itself is darker than Scott Pilgrim. Featuring the usual dilemmas of time traveling and messing with choices and timelines.
Nonetheless, just like Scott Pilgrim, I felt that the end of the story fell short and somewhat rushed. We got some sort of “epilogue” and “what happened after”, the problem however, was how fast the story's conflict resolved itself.
It's a pretty book and I'm happy to have it displayed in my bookshelf. I don't deny that I may come to it from time to time, only if just to remember to:
“Have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.
Picked as the book of the month from Sword&Laser book club. There's not really much to say about this book. It was a quick read, fast-paced, and overall fun.
It's old-school Sci-fi, with a man with a destiny bigger than him, a damsel somewhat in distress/that wants to be saved (even if she doesn't know that), and a villain(?) that everyone is happy to hate and fear.
Like it was stated in the podcast for the book club, it is a great book to read on an afternoon at the beach.
Your review is well-structured, but here are a few tweaks for clarity:
The Maze Runner story has a lazy and predictable ending: "Let everyone die, and only leave the ones who can't be infected by the disease in this world." By coincidence, this renders the entire story and everything that happened completely useless. Now that this is out of the way, let's talk about the other problems.Repetitiveness:The issue with repetitive expressions continues in this book. Thomas is such an angsty character... Also, how many explosions of energy or adrenaline can a human body have in such small periods of time, especially having been beaten up like these teenagers' bodies were?Memory Loss:So Thomas, for no logical reason at all, decides he doesn't want to have his memory back... Isn't it great that the writer has since released books that deal with Thomas's past?Teresa, where are thou?She went from a major character in the first book to a target of all the angst in the second, to a completely ignored character in this last book. Even her death was like what, one or two paragraphs? A little anti-climactic. Dying for saving Thomas, yeah, predictable.Seeing it the other way around, it was a good if unimaginative way of resolving the catfight between Teresa and Brenda?The return:The return to the labyrinth and revisiting its perils was an attempt to instill nostalgic feelings in the readers. This came to me as an ineffective way of trying to cater to long-time fans and squeezing the last drop of juice from an already dry fruit.Thomas, The Chosen One:After reading the three books, it catches me by surprise that Thomas is the chosen one. He ain't that smart, and he really isn't good at reading people's intentions. Something that came as odd to me was that he never fully forgave Teresa for her "betrayal" that saved him in the second book.Brenda, on the other hand, also lied to him, kept many secrets, had personality issues (from completely throwing herself into his arms after just knowing him, to being a doctor (?) for CRUEL, to finally being a relatively normal girl) and, for working hand-in-hand since the beginning with Paige.Even at the end of the book and after she almost spills the beans, he couldn't figure it out.For the record, I found the Brenda character much better than Teresa; I just think it's odd the loss of importance in the story and the different treatment. After all, Thomas has known Teresa for many years. With Brenda, it was a matter of weeks. Well, it must be the hormones changing his love interest all of a sudden and stuff...
Final Thoughts:
On a fundamental level, it's a fast-paced and quick read book and trilogy with some nice moments here and there. If you read it carefully and try to think a little more about what you've just read, the story really lays out its many flaws and a so-so writing style.
(The fitting rating would be 2.5)
Just to be sure... What is Gally's role in this last book? Another blast from the past, I'm guessing...
Not as good as “Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore,” but quite fun nonetheless. The core ideas are there but aren't as developed as in the “main” book.
It is a quick read that somewhat lays the groundwork for the story and characters we come to know in the later book.
If you've heard about “Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore” and haven't read it yet, I believe that reading this one first will enhance the experience and set the scene for the main book. Since it is around 70 pages, it's a fast-paced read, and you have literally nothing to lose.
I hope that Sloan, in the future, may write more stories in this setting. However, if I'm being sincere, I would prefer something more developed like “24-hour bookstore” than a “short story” like this one.