Meagan
Solid 3.5 stars. A fun read but a bit obvious in places. It often felt unfocused, like the author couldn't decide on a genre so she picked like three. Which totally could have worked, but instead resulted in a strange mix of tones throughout the book.
4.5 stars.
I adored this book. I've been feeling a bit stuck with reading, not really finding anything to really grip me, but this was the perfect palette cleanser.
I often forget how magical children's literature can be, and this book was such a reminder of that.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. Some interesting themes and ideas here but none of it feels grounded. An odd read indeed. Not bad, just odd.
2.5 stars.
Having been a huge fan of The Flatshare, I really, really wanted to like this book. But dear God, there was just no reason to root for these two to get back together, even though they were obviously going to. They make each other utterly miserable as soon as Addie leaves France. We're clearly supposed to feel that the characters have grown and matured between “then” and “now” but I didn't see much evidence of that. This was just a deeply frustrating read.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. I thought some of the clues/details of the twist were good but I did guess early on that Charlie was ‘the bad guy' in some way just because he was presented as being almost too wholesome. I hadn't guessed who Layla was or what had happened to Jamie, though, so points for that. The ending felt off, though, like it was just dropped. Even for a book that's part of a series, that sense of the book just suddenly stopping when you don't expect it to isn't ideal. Still, I'd read a third Pippa novel for sure. Overall I enjoyed it.
A fascinating look at how this era-defining musical came together. I am a huge fan of Hamilton (and Lin) so I pretty much knew I would enjoy this and it didn't let me down. I've read a lot about Hamilton but there was still plenty of new info in this behind-the-scenes exploration.
I listened to the audiobook while leafing through the hardcover. The book itself is a little unwieldy so I found it useful to be able to jump between the two or pick up the book when I wanted to see the accompanying pictures and design. The book itself is a beautiful object well worth owning.
I was kind of hoping Lin would be the main narrator in the audiobook but I see how the structure didn't really allow for that. I did really enjoy the section at the end when he read his annotations, though, as I followed along in the book.
I can't say I understand the hype on this one. The format and style felt off ??? a strange mix of fiction and non-fiction, including footnotes with sources. The shift to the doctor's perspective in the last chapter felt like it came out of nowhere and ended just as briskly. By that point I'd completely forgotten that a doctor was even involved in the story, even though I must have read it in the blurb. Even though we spend the entire book with the main character, I still feel like by the end, her condition hasn't been examined at all, only her role in society. Her taking on the personas of others doesn't feel like a condition or piece of characterisation in its own right but more like something tacked only for the sake of metaphor.