Caitlin
This one is just very squarely not for me. The main character is Deadpool-esque, but with less clever humor. His flaws also overpower any sense of irreverent charm he might have had and he kind of just reeks of an edgy teenage boy appeal to me. Based upon the marketing, I thought Pochita was going to stink around for longer, but c'est la vie. It is unlikely the case that I'll be continuing this one.
Consider this book solid travel fluff and not much else. The main character's relationship with her mom felt extremely unhealthy from the word go and the romance was messy in a bad, cringe kind of way. The magic elements were also weird and I'm not sure I'm the type of person who likes contemporary fiction diddling around with magic. That said, I do love Italy as a setting and that was the biggest saving grace for me here. I do have to assume this book is basically Eat, Pray, Love, but I've never read that one (and never will).
I read the first one and thought it was fine, maybe a little underwhelming at best. That said, I wanted to see where the rest went. Well, I regret that curiosity now. This one is definitely too YA for me so there's that, but the romance is blah and the plot listlessly plods along to the bitter end when an unearned cliffhanger appears. Maybe it's a case of middle book syndrome, but I'm pass on the Renegades overall.
So I read this after finishing Lord of the Rings and geez it's probably as far as you can possibly get from Tolkien vibe-wise. Don't misunderstand though: I loved every grim, gore-y detail. The writing style, humor and characters are standouts so despite the fact that I think the plot and world-building could do with some fleshing out, I can't wait to continue with Abercrombie's other works.
This one doesn't delve into any one topic or theme super extensively, which is a shame since there's so much to unpack here. Still, it did provide some solid history and analysis of the series that definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for Middle-earth and all that went into its creation. I suppose overall this is a good appetizer if you're looking to dip your toe into the wider Tolkien discourse.
I started reading The Walking Dead at the end of last year. The earlier arcs were chef's kiss investigations into sociology and psychology, but the end felt jarringly rushed. Rick and Carl also became annoyingly self-righteous in my honest opinion. I take issue with presenting any person as having all the answers when it comes to leadership and politics which seemed to be the case with the Grimes's by the end, which is a shame since it seemed to erase a lot of the grey that made the series initially so good.
Okay, what am I going to say about this book that hasn't been said before besides the fact that everything you've heard about it is true? I always had trouble reading through Fellowship, but I think it just wasn't the right time for me to touch Lord of the Rings in general. Plus, as everyone seems to indicate, Fellowship is the building blocks for the journey ahead and is also maybe the weakest link in the series.
Anyhow, that all seems really silly now because the collective whole of Lord of the Rings is absolutely incredible and this ending solidifies that. Tolkien meets every lofty expectation as a master of his craft, creating believable and alive characters that by the end truly feel like friends facing ridiculous odds who you feel stupidly attached to. I especially love the themes of hope and perseverance; they really resonated. It's worth noting that I listened to the Andy Serkis audiobook, too, and boy does that man make everything come all the more alive.
I read this out of a fear of FOMO: the series hit its zenith past my YA prime, but the premise had me interested, especially considering Cassandra Clare has apparently developed her writing over time with her later Shadowhunter books. The start of this one was fun, but Jace is unbearable. What an edgelord - I have no idea what made people think this sort of attitude was ever attractive. I also knew about the “incest” part and still got whiplash. What a weird “twist.” Still, I've heard this is one of the weaker entries for Clare and that the series/universe gets better so I will likely continue in spite of the low rating.
I regret to inform you that this book series was one of my favorites when I was younger. As I revisit these books as an adult, it's become clear that I can accredit this series to many of my longheld quirks, which here means a completely morbid sense of humor and attraction to meta-references. Regardless, it surprised me to re-discover how gory and cynical these books are at heart, and yet what could I expect from a series that labels itself so blatantly as “unfortunate events?” I should have more carefully listened to Lemony Snicket's warnings ...
In all truth, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a pretty genius series and that definitely includes “The Miserable Mill.” The mystery spun through each episode of the Baudelaire orphans' journey is engaging enough, but Lemony Snicket's irreverent and witty writing style elevate these books to classic status for me. It's also impressive that the books successfully explain higher-level vocabulary and literary devices in a subtle way that builds on top of that growing mystery rather than detracting from it. “The Miserable Mill” is also where (in my opinion) the book starts to deviate from the formula established in the first three installments by forcing the Baudelaires to take up each others' strengths rather than just relying on their own. It's dark, it's intriguing, it's ridiculous and you know what? I can't wait to continue to reacquaint myself with this series.