Lili V
DNF at 60%
The writing style was not for me – it was trying too hard describing everything, trying to include every minute detail and combine these observations with astute or shocking additions that just did not pan out for it's intended effect. Overall, this was boring. I didn't sympathize with the protagonist because I don't feel like the author wanted me to, more like she wanted me to witness the protagonist's bad decisions which was fine at first but mixed with the overindulgent writing, got tedious real fast.
Wintergirls had a message and a story to tell about a small life lesson of strength. While Lia is struggling to find her way into the black abyss of nothingness, she relives multiple points in her life that make the transition that much harder. I would like to say that I knew how this story was going to end, how it was going to show the character's true nature, but really what reader can ever actually say that, even after reading the short description of what the book is supposed to be about? Anderson will make you see the hidden aspects in our everyday lives that we ignore, push into the back of our brains till they become dangerously close to physical beings. You will never, ever get more psychotically-challenged till you read a story that you secretly know is currently happening out there in the world, but you just can't face it yet. Read Wintergirls, listen to, hear, taste, feel and most of all see the story of a girl that painfully learns the smallest things in life are worthwhile, while the other difficult parts can be dealt with. No matter how much you think they can't.
Lia's impending, powerful emotions will feel like you're riding a roller coaster and you never want to get off till you ride it all the way through. Anderson will take you through a wonderfully realistic journey of watching the loss of a friend effect your everyday life, while life continues to struggle through, whether you like it or not. The story of this girl will spread and be heard, and hopefully, be learned.
Recommended to everyone, and I do mean every living being on this earth that can get this book somehow into their pudgy hands.
Wow - I don't think I've ever read a more elaborate way of saying “I love you, and I see you.” than in Zooey.
Franny was a blast as well, but undoubtedly these two stories have to read together to gain their full effect.
It makes me want to reread Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? because it has the same cadence in the writing style. This is my first time reading Salinger (though not my first attempt–I tried Catcher in the Rye a long time ago and still do not want to attempt to try again) and it was good, really good. Made my head hurt but only in so much as stories without breaks and long, descriptive, overly-wrought sentences are wont to do. (Reminds me of Yanigahara. Who's writing style in A Little Life, incidentally, I loved too.)
These were real people to me. I wasn't watching a movie in my head, these people existed. Their monologues were unbearably long but unavoidably captivating and I could not, for the life of me, blink when I was reading them because they were talking so fast.
Re-read 1/13/23
Holy crap I cried so much AGAIN. Damn that ending.
First read 8/25/19
Don't think a book has ever made me cry or laugh (or both) so hard.
In this fast-paced novel of the cosmic world being balanced between light and dark, Madison Avery has become a pawn in the grand scheme of things–and she doesn't know how big a pawn she is. Barnabus, her light-reaper “teacher” skips out for less than forty-eight hours with his boss, and that's all it takes for Madison to get the ball rolling into more trouble than her death and stealing-of-the-amulet originally cost. There is deception around every corner, and the crush and guardian angel that she's come to name are the only she can trust for that time. “Mad Madison” always accused of being the oddball and trouble-maker, finds it no easier to deal with the popular crowd once she's dead. Except, maybe taking some bad shots of Queen B in all her sweat-stained track gear glory.
In Once Dead, Twice Shy, you get a deeper sense of Madison's kind-hearted, wild heart–even if it only tends to beat when she's scared or panicking, and that is fairly often. You also find out the real “meaningful” purpose as to why Kairos–dark-reaper–specifically targeted her in the first place, and then again after death wasn't enough to accomplish the putting-back-together-fate process. Besides the wit and adventrous-battling streak, there is a sark-worthy humor, in which I found some substitutes to my usual profane babbler-mouth. Son of a dead puppy; Oh, for cripe's sake; What the devil; there are a couple others that I cannot remember and equally love. There is also hinting of romance here and there, and a good measure of finding oneself and not trying to be like everyone else to fit in; that I know you won't want to miss...
4.5 stars
This series has really surprised me in the best way. The writing, the characters, the plot and the brilliance that is the authentic dialogue and communication is very well executed.
The authenticity in how the characters interact, the situations that develop and even the adults in the story are incredibly believable and ultimately as realistic as can be imagined. I wholeheartedly appreciate how the author was able to construct the insecurities in the characters without the clear black and white lense that other books with similar storylines tend to use when one or more characters stray from the pack. It lends a sense of credibility because while we all fantasize about how reverse harem relationships can work and thrive, there's also a gray area - “the unknown”, where moments of hesitation, difficulty and instability are warranted. When there are more than two people be in a relationship, there will undoubtedly be times where things aren't going smoothly but what this books highlights (and why I love it so much) is that no matter the situation, COMMUNICATION IS KEY! :) And the author does this beautifully by playing out the situations in which things come to light that, although aren't secrets, could have been better received if they were communicated by the instigator and not a second party. The greatest lessons come when the characters grow from past instances and their actions speak louder than their words, which is just...chef's kiss.
The ending to this book is nothing new in the angsty reverse harem world but I greatly appreciate how the author dealt with the situation and didn't gloss right over the trauma or the treatment/aftermath.
Reread: May 19, 2015
This time reading Dayhunter I was able to detach myself from the characters and comprehensively experience the book. I think one of the major problems I had with the series the first time was that I was too invested in Mira and her tragedy of a life. Now I can appreciate a more well-rounded view of the world without getting hung up on the little details that affect Mira's life.
Saying that I don't think I would give this installment 5 stars now. I didn't enjoy it enough for it to warrant that extra star. It didn't have that extraordinary factor this time.
First read: June 6, 2009
Some authors fast-forward through years, other few months, but Jocelynn Drake only skipped a few recovery hours from the very end of her debut-novel Nightwalker to continue the series in Dayhunter. Just hours after the carnage with the naturi, Mira and Tristan are already hunting and trying to overcome as much of the after-shock of the battle; to confront their next challenge, The Coven. In many ways this sequel canters around Mira's and Danaus's “relationship”; but there are still a bundle of memories that Mira cannot recall from Machu Picchu or from her human times, without a little shove of her past; read Rowe. Now that Rowe has become somewhat of an obstacle in Mira's fight for survival, there is no questioning the connection he bears, with Mira's memories.
In Dayhunter you grasp more of a background of the some of the character's that have a place in The Coven's game, mostly though: Mira, Danaus, and Rowe. Like from the synopsis on the back cover, you get to find out what Danaus truly is besides human; and it's nothing Mira initially anticipated. As I mentioned before, there are events in this novel that mainly center around the hunter and the Fire Starter, and that effects their “relationship” in a way that: if one were to become furious about a certain happening or because of one specific person, the other would sometimes unintentionally put out the “fire” to the other's rage.
I have to say that in this novel of dark pleasure, blood and violence, that there are many sides to deal with, when it comes to being a nightwalker. For example: “the complete lack of remorse” Mira feels after a bloodbath in Venice, the joy she feels of an act “laughing like a madwoman struck by the moon.” How can she compare that to what she thought she knew about what it took to just survive? To having something that would have horrified her to do, now be a constant happening. To not have your conscience there, when you thought it would be there the most, nagging at you. Now it's missing; and it's disappearence is what petrifies you the most, because without having to think about facing the consequences...What exactly is going to tell you when you've crossed the line from sanity to becoming a “madwoman”?
The series does have a sort of double-meaning to it, also. In this particular sequel you get a deeper sense of Mira becoming just a weapon and the ability of not just taking care of her own survival, but also of the creatures she has now sworn to protect with her life. I would say it isn't possible for this book to be stand-alone, because you will need to have a sense of history before going any further into the series.
My review leaves a lot left to desire of the novel but not nearly enough as to what the book has to offer.
Not as enjoyable as the first few books in the series. Too many overly dramatic moments with Nora's siren abilities. I really didn't like how the dark powers were “fixed”/dealt with, it wrapped too neatly in the end when there was potential for character growth by dealing with unfamiliar and dangerous situations.
“Throughout the whole absurd life I'd lived, a dark wind had been rising toward me from somewhere deep in my future, across years that were still to come, and as it passed, this wind leveled whatever was offered to me at the time, in years no more real than the ones I was living. What did other people's deaths matter to me or a mother's love matter to me; what did his God or the lives of people choose or the fate they think they elect matter to me when we're all elected by the same fate, me and billions of privileged people like him who also called themselves my brothers? [...] Everybody was privileged. There were only privileged people.”
This was so good! Devastating but inspiring and absolutely uplifting. I've always been fascinated by the wonders of therapy and psychology, and this satisfies all my interests in it and more. The stories were expertly told and I could see everything behind my eyes as I listened to the audiobook - suffice to say, I cried a few times. Highly recommend but please know this comes with trigger warnings!
3.5 stars.
I keep looking for another version of the Fallen Crest series and I really need to stop.
I enjoyed this standalone (I'm assuming) and the characters were decently written. That being said, there was nothing special about this storyline, it had a lot of repetitive events and ultimately ended predictably. It felt very half-hearted and this is coming from someone who has read the author's other works and her sense of nuance to character relationships is one of my favorite aspects of her writing. Sadly, I did not see any of that here. I don't even want to say there was potential for more because the characters felt very boxed into their roles and character traits that nothing they did would be unpredictable or surprising. It's very easy to see what they would do in each and every one of the situations that arises in the book, to the point that it felt formulaic.
Enjoyed the gothic mirrored version of England after the war, and the methodical layout of the plot while the protagonist descends into magical madness. The overall story felt like it took a longer than the page count suggests. It wasn't necessarily slow-paced but drawn out a bit too much for the somewhat predictable wrap-up at the end.
Decent dark high school hate-to-love but not memorable and employs one my pet peeves - lack of communication.
3 stars
Fairly entertaining, well-written, quirky short stories but I didn't love all of them.
It begins with the nightmares. Trying to decipher what they mean, besides the obvious. That her best friend is going to be killed. Marking off the days with lilies. 4, 3, 2, 1....What eggs Stacey on is her determination and the fact that this has happened once before, three years ago; and she won't let it happen again.
It starts with the mysterious, possessive prank phone calls, made by the stalker himself, only to justify his relationship with Drea, the one only he thinks he has. Being her roommate at their boarding school, Stacey knows from the very beginning that something's amiss in their relationship–Drea and the cryptic caller, and she doesn't need her nightmares or her damp sheets to verify that. This midnight caller does that all himself when the girls–Stacey and Amber–listen in on one of their phone conversations and the starting of the countdown for the big surprise event he's got planned. Stacey, with her grandmother's and past generation's scrapbook of spells, is firmly determined to find out who the mystery stalker is. Before it's too late.
When another girl at school is murdered on school grounds, after allegedly claiming of being stalked then not wanting to help, it is all the confirmation Stacey need to trust her instincts and find Drea before she's next. Without anyone to trust or help, Stacey knows she's on her own and not even the police will come this time....Will Stacey be able to find out who is after Drea, once and for all? Will magic, herbs, candles be enough to lead her in the right direction? All Stacey knows for sure is one thing, she will not let what happened in her past happen again; not if she can help it.
My favorite character is definitely the MC, she can hold her own, and dish out with the truth at the same time. Even with all the witchcraft, going to a prep-bitch school, and the bed-wetting, she can find a little romance but at the same time be there for...people in general, I guess I should say. But, after what happened three years ago, Stacey is in no hurry to open up old wounds left to heal. In this suspenseful novel, Drea, the beautiful at-times-sincere, can-be-bitchy-too best friend, with four initials to her name is the main victim and is being stalked by an oppressive–more aggressive, in the end–lover.
Usually I like some cat fights between enemies, but when those enemies become victims or when you're fighting against your best friend over a guy in the middle of everything else that's going on, things tend to get a little out of focus. With a flirt as a best friend and the main victim, suspects are a bit difficult to differentiate.
I, personally, love witchcraft; mostly the herbs, home remedies, candles. So when Stacey cuts the arch of her foot on a piece of glass and decides to use half of some “Idaho Gold”–yes a potato–to clot the bleeding, a dash of lemon juice and a bandage to wrap, because that's the way her family still does it sometime; all I thought was, hello!
Anyway, in a sense the characters are all connected in Blue is for Nightmares, you have your typical prep school. Typical high school. Throw in a stalker to mix and all you get is more gossip, no spilled beans here, no looking back. I have to say that some characters seemed a bit too vague and nondescript for me (Amber, PJ) because they have no up-bringing and seem to pop out in the plot of the novel. Could have been leaning to more of a thriller instead of a suspenseful romance, with just a bit more details. As for the ending, liked it. Minor spoiler warning for the next sentence! Can't say I loved it because I think that the stalker/killer should have gotten way more jail time than was given as verdict, lol. No doubt recommended if you like reading some fantasy mystery mixed up with real high school dilemmas, especially with a heroine that does not get distracted from her main goal–most of the time, anyway.
One would to describe tithe–the word, not the whole book–sacrifice. From the very beginning, you experience the challenged world of Kaye's life; looking after her mother, keeping a full time job and dropping out of school. When she grew up, she saw faeries that were her day-by-day entertainment. Spike, Gristle, and Lutie-loo. After moving and staying in no-where particular, she hasn't seen her friends–both human and faerie–in years. After one evening out with her old school friend, Janet, an epic change in her daydreams leads to a series of unexplainable actions until Kaye finds out the truth her faerie friends have been hiding for far too long. With these revealing secrets, soon Kaye acquires a new view for the color green, saving a knight from the Unseelie Court from a untimely death becomes more troublesome then she ever thought a favor to be.
Tithe was set to be a dark, distractingly addictive read that'd consume you within the prologue. The small poems at the beginning of every chapter were a nice touch. I had to stop myself every time I read one, and think how it cooperated perfectly with what was going on in the chapter at that time. Kaye is a powerful character that takes everything that is thrown at her with a fluidity you'd envy in the hardest times. With a very unusually destructive-thinking friend, Kaye sets out to some very fearless adventures to get some answers of her purpose in the Unseelie/Seelie Court debacle.
Black's writing style is one I can admire because unlike many other authors, instead of staying stuck in one scene for endless amount of pages, she moves forward in the story and doesn't linger. From Kaye's point of view, the meetings with both faerie Queens and their courts had an impressive sense of imagery with due to both creatures and scenery alike.
The ending was comfortingly perfect after such a moving plot; just a wrap-up that let's you know there's going to be future stirrings of that faerie world.
Recommended to readers that enjoy dark, engaging novels with cheery and twisted faeries!
Grade: B+
Was there character development with the protagonist? Yes and no. She mentions that she's growing up and has made progress but I don't really think there was any. She does open herself up a smidge more than the last book but that's about it. While I know that Tijan really likes to prolong the process of character development in her main characters, those are my favorite parts of her series and writing.
However, I thought the plot of this was going to be semi-predictable and circular but man, was I in for a surprise. There was a lot! It was complex and completely unpredictable. It wasn't redundant or exhausting though because Tijan's pacing was pretty spot on, constant and almost wave-like in execution. There were dips where we could just enjoy the characters and peaks where scenes got tense/action-packed. Overall, great plotting.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment because that ending is promising some major internal emotional struggle/angst. Can't wait!
I read this in my sophomore year, and even though that's only a couple months ago, I loved analyzing this book with my class and going over almost every little detail of this book. It's like a wake-up call, and a scary one at that.
4.25 stars
This was so good. Felt everything the protagonist was feeling and was startled in a delightful way when the author threw in some humor. Would love to reread the physical book since I read this on audio (which I highly recommend because there were songs and accents that were perfectly executed).
3.5
Really wish we'd been given more backstory of the connection between all six of the main protagonists. It would have made the tension and struggle between their strained relationships a whole lot sweeter to read and the climax scene (no pun intended) a whole lot more deserved and gratifying (again, no pun intended).
The writing was lustrous and vivid, and it brought to life the manor and chapel with great ease. This is a short first installment of the series and could have been fleshed out with more historical context and less secrecy but I understand it fits the tone of the narrative. And I don't mind when the main character(s) has secrets from other characters, but when the secrets being withheld from the reader are so obviously being dangled in front of your face that waiting for anything pertinent to come to light becomes the sole reason you continue reading, then it's no longer giving credit to the story, just a plot device that's pushing the story forward.
I hope we get more of their background in future installments to greater invest in the seemingly unbreakable connection they all have because right now, it's style without substance.
This is definitely more on the average end of Tijan's books. I didn't think the characters provided much chemistry at all, though they were having sex every five pages in the last half of the book. There was a lot of withheld potential relationship communication for the sake of badass-pretense but as life constantly shows us, it's actually REALLY badass if you communicate with your partner and face your feelings directly. Consequently, when we are first introduced to the Bennett mafia, the patriarch and Kai Bennett particularly, in a flashback, I could really think of them as cowards for going to their daughter's/sister's school and telling her tragic news, only to walk away.
(And no, that lingering moment that the protagonist bases Kai's sliver of humanity on does not redeem him in any way for that entire scene. I know he was under his father's control and it's not really his actions I'm critiquing here. The book is based on Kai having this morally gray, nuanced approach to conducting business and the main character excuses a lot his attitude with just that, excuses. I actually would have liked if the author embraced more of Kai's character head-on rather than reading from the timid-dance Riley's mind plays anytime she tries to rationalize any bad attitude or decision from Kai. It would have been much more nuanced had the author confronted the hard decisions Kai made throughout the book with all the planning that led up to the grand "reveal/finale", rather than dissecting while it was happening.)
The rest of the characters were lackluster, which is not to say is a surprise from Tijan, but I wish she'd spent more time on their history and relationship to the protagonist because it would have been great to connect to their personalities and motivations.
I feel like I might be unduly harsh on this one but I'm not a big mafia fan. I'm a Tijan fan. :) I will read anything she publishes to get more of that angst she does so well. This has not dissuaded me from my dedication.
Really thought it would've been better but I liked learning a bit of real history when I looked up Alice Liddel and her history with Prince Leopold and Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll).