WendigoLove
Listened to the version with new Afterward - recommend it.
He tells all the stories so you can see it and feel it.
Navigating and understanding the split cities made more sense than the murder mystery.
Wish the lenses came as a sheet with nose slot. Tiring closing one eye. Images are great - recommend a strong light
Fun adventure set in a world with magic and artillery. Perfect novel for YA and young YA - PG. look forward to the next part of the series.
I will end up keeping this book and force others to read it. Anyone who grew up in the 80's playing video games and watching TV will find many forgotten treasured moments (Monty Python!) These are perfectly set in a game and world very similar to what we have today with Facebook, internet, and rapidly improving immersive gaming. I do not know anyone who hasn't enjoyed this book (though the concept is a bit self-selective.
I usually hate books that may be ‘preachy' and avoid them - so it was a hard choice to pick this one up even though I loved Neal Stephenson's other books. The protagonist is a paranoid with a love of huffing, simple drugs, and whodunit chemistry. A fun read with a villainous company forced to greater and greater dumping to cover their trail. Would recommend to those with a known passion for the environment and those who enjoy Neal Stephenson's way of pulling you into a story without over-explaining, just following the lead character.
This book should be offered with Animal Farm and Brave New World and is not “Young Adult” (why is everything with a teenaged main character automatically young adult?). The book follows a teenager coming of age in a controlled Society and is a believer. As cracks appear in the Society control, she starts to question what is better- a comfortable, long, planned life or one with more tragedy and more excitement with all the associated consequences. A wonderful question and great for late night debates with friends. I would force this book on people and avidly reading the sequel.
Not my favorite. I was looking forward to the Darius/ John story but it was so drawn out it wasn't interesting. The Blay/ Quinn story alternates with the villain Lash highlighting Quinn the cruelest, most self absorbed villain to date. And I think we are supposed to be rooting for HIM and not the kind honest one.
A great Discworld novel that has all of the best parts of Pratchett humor and writing. The characters are novel but still believable. Two of my favorites: a con artist turned Postmaster General of a defunct and rather insane Post Office; a tyrant who rules well and novel ideas of employment. The puns and wordplay are also at their best and often elicit a smile or groan (even better as an audiobook)
Spoilers
Overall, this book is about what defines a family, family relationships, and how far one would go to protect it. Drug addicted father recently out of prison tries to reconnect with his family. The legally brother and sister, but not blood relatives, main characters become engaged. And even the main plot twist with the youngest vs oldest sisters and what lengths the rest of the family would go to protect them.
This book finally deals with the endlessly rehashed family issues from the previous book in a few creative twists. I was actually disappointed this was the last book in the series since it would have to deal with cases (and the ...slightly disturbing but technically okay... relationship between the main characters after being brought up as brother and sister).
Pros:
A nicely complex plot ties Harper's case and her family woes together.
We get to meet the rest of the family and see their interactions with each other and their definition of family. I really enjoyed how the case and the Cameron case intertwined.
Still a fun, light story with novel ideas.
Cons: (Plot issues that really threw me out of the story)
For claiming to be smarter than average, Harper and Toliver make some silly decisions. Toliver and a police officer were both shot by someone trying for Harper. Yet, the next day she insists on going back to the same hotel without waiting for an escort so she can... shower.
In spite of a phone call in the last book (a few weeks/months prior) by a stressed woman resulting in a gun battle, Harper and Toliver fall for the same trick again.
The same trick results in 2 people dead, but our hero and heroine are promptly back in the car looking for a hotel room. Evidently all the police response in the other books is not the norm in Dallas/Texarkana.
Once 2 people are dead and Toliver hospitalized, the shooter inexplicably ignores the vulnerable Harper and stops trying to kill her.
Some of the family stories still include the same ‘cut and paste' descriptions found in the other 3 books. There are at least some new examples and descriptions.
DNF. Made it through 1.5 stories and could see how she was using the body horror to make very pointed and clear observations on women and life. I just couldn't get through it at this point.
Better than 1st - more world building. Main character still brainless, but actual emotional trauma shown which is unfortunately rare (so many just carry on like nothing happened)
Highly recommend the audio book - hearing the music described is basically required for a music based book.
Fun book with fun dialogue. Naz was believable and fun, but I just couldn't see any woman who grew up with her history encouraging such control of thoughts and words behaving like that.
I received this book as a Giveaway and didn't realize it was a true trilogy with the same couple and not successive couples.
Book Trigger warning. Book involves brutal wars based on racism and genocides.
I received this book as a Giveaway and needed to read the Poppy Wars one first. Incredible weaving of history and shamans together in a character driven story. The main character is actually unlikable, but actually grows or hardens like young adults (children) would actually be like. She responds differently and thinks differently as books progress, which is rare to see. Usually only shallow cosmetic changes in other books. Already starting the 3rd!
Definitely hard war descriptions and very rough situations - should have trigger warnings. Very complex and book with probably most realistic and mercurial people in it. Who have actual emotions that change or overwhelm like real people. There is a short interview at the end of the audiobook with the author that helps context.