Nika
A solid 3.5/5 for me.
This is a perfect example of just not the perfect audience for this book. I do like the themes and the pastiches and the references. However, Moore's work will always rub me the wrong way in how he treats his women characters. How there is always a theme of very underaged girls with older men; rape/threat of rape being a constant source of drama/reveal/torture; etc. etc.
Glad I read it. Glad I read a library copy. Probably won't read it again.
I read this book because a friend was telling me about it. He basically described it asa robot gains sentience and is socially awkward, which is an amazing premise. I expressed interest in borrowing it, he happened to have it on him, and shoved it into my hands. A short 144 pages, it was a quick and easy read that had I had a whole day I could have easily finished it within an hour or two.
I would give this a weak 4.5, solid 4 out of 5.
Now, you are not going to be blown away by prose, but it kind of works since the robot is the narrator and it often states how much it doesn't care and so why would it take these overly wordy observations. It had some moments that made me chuckle out loud.
Basically, if you're into science fiction, if you're into funny premises concerning robots, I do recommend this book.
So. I give this a strong 3/5. I'm rounding up because I do know Bardugo gets better, but I am so glad I read Six of Crows first. Because this book had one of my most hated YA tropes (girl goes on and on about how ugly she is but somehow gets the attention of the two most attractive boys in the series). Not to mention, Alina doesn't really do anything. The plot just kind of happens to her. Even at the end, it's just like “well, I guess we have to go after this MacGuffin” just ‘cuz.
Bardugo definitely comes in more on her own in SoC at least character-wise. And I will continue with this series because I want to know more about this world. But I don't care about Alina. She's not incredibly likable or sympathetic.
This was such a good YA romance. I wish this was around when I had been in high school. The representation is fantastic and not shoe-horned in. Every character is flawed but not to the point of caricaturization. The main character makes hard-to-watch mistakes but never to the point of unbelievability. All in all, excellent.
My only qualm is the amount of modern-day pop culture references that are already a bit dated.
If you have any interest in Wonder Woman (obviously), comics (again, duh), feminism history, the birth control movement, sex and gender politics, women's history... you should read this book. I can't remember the last time I read something that was able to encapsulate such a complex human being, showing both sides without trying to sway the audience who they really are. Marston (the creator of WW) certainly could be easily idealized or villainized depending on who read this book... And there are details and stories that we'll never know that might've filled in the picture.
This is very clearly Sanderson's first book. And he definitely got better. There are hints at what makes Sanderson so great, but it's over shadowed by cliche after cliche, flat character after flat character. (And ugh a not-like-other-girls character that is juuuuuust perfect enough but still needs saving in the end... and another character falling in love with her for no reason except to show how special she is... and how no one thought she was pretty until she met the one... gag)
I wouldn't recommend this book. But if you're curious to see an evolution of what I consider to be one of the best current fantasy authors, start with his better books (Mistborn, Stormlight Archive) and then read this. So at least it won't turn you off of the better stuff.
I guess this was supposed to be some terrifying commentary on our world a'la-A Brave New World. However, like ABNW, The Circle imagines a world to an extreme that makes it seem cartoonish.
Mae is an idiot, an unbelievable character. And the “antagonists” to The Circle (the company that the book is named for) are not likable or are able to make compelling arguments. (Granted, everyone working for The Circle seems braindead, so there's that.)
I prefer my apocalypses more... elegant. I'll stick with Orwell.
(2.5/5) I have been struggling how to describe why this book was consistently falling short for me. I finally settled on the word “sloppy”, as many of the same things that bothered me with A Darker Shade of Magic were present in Viscious as well.
Now, Schwab does succeed in one thing: plot. It's well-paced and you want to know what happens next.
Where Schwab falls short is characters and (in the case of Viscious) rushing through and over simplifying the world building.
First the characters: Neither Eli nor Victor is likable. Worse, they're almost boring in how flatly they're written. There is little to no set up on Eli's character, except for passing comments in the beginning that Victor recognizes that Eli has a dark side which eventually manifests itself into a God-complex? But then that God-complex is never delved into.
It comes across as lazy, since God is only mentioned by name but there is never any scripture mentioned or why Eli is religious. It was like Schwab didn't want to put in the research in the manifestations of God and what are the best motivations for Eli to turn to God as a sign he must kill EOs. (Also, EOs or ExtraOrdinary, is a stupid name for super heroes in otherwise every day world.)
Another note about EOs: Schwab obviously feels the need the need to explain the origin but it's super rushed and (once again) lazy.
As for the other characters, Sydney is not a believable 12 year old and it doesn't make sense why she should be attached to Victor at all. (I'd believe Mitch, but not Victor.)
The only character that was interesting and believable is Sydney's sister, Serena. Who started as probably a spoiled teenager/college student but then gains the ability to control people just by requesting them to do something. And she goes off the rails, gets bored and disillusioned by not being able to trust anyone's true feelings, and exploits her powers. Her psychosis makes sense where Eli's falls short.
Selena would have been a better villain.
Oh and before I forget: they sort-of-kind-of fridge a female character at the beginning. I hesitate to call it a full fridging because even though Eli's girlfriend does die as a result of Victor gaining his powers, it's not really a motivation for either Eli (even though he mentions it every now and then, although it seems more like an after thought) or Victor.
Oh, and Victor... I don't understand why any one finds him sympathetic at all. His entire motivation is revenge from the moment he escapes jail, and possibly even before that. (Also he feels paternal towards Sydney for some reason? And both Sydney and Mitch are compelled to follow Victor even though they have ABSOLUTELY ZERO REASON to?)
The only thing I felt an understanding of is that jealousy of wanting to possess something your friend has that makes them special (Victor when Eli gets powers) or wanting to be the only person in possession of the thing that makes you special (when Eli gets powers before Victor). That nasty feeling was the only true motivation I could identify with in either character.
Schwab just can't sell her characters and motivations and therefore what drives her stories to me. The only reason why I can finish them is because I want to know what happens next, but all of the characters could die and I wouldn't care.
It made me think back a lot on why I didn't like A Darker Shade of Magic and then I realized that I couldn't remember any character's name from ADSoM. Which shows just how memorable they are.
I feel like I can't give this book a fair rating because I am clearly not the audience for this book. But that's probably because I'm dead inside.
I found Henry to be a jerk and Clare to be so-close-yet-so-far-almost manic pixie dream girl. There are some real gross moments that are “okay” because time travel. (i.e. - him kiss her when he's forty-something and she's fifteen, but it's okay because they're going to be married.) The rules the author chose to follow when it came to time travel (everything has already happened therefore you cannot change it) also helps excuse the squickier stuff (him sleeping with her on her 18th birthday).
It was hard not to think of him grooming her.
So... yeah... I just don't buy the whole soulmate deal.
3.5/5 I do love Jane Austen, but I always forget how slow her books can read. This was my second read through of Emma and I while I did enjoy it more this time, I'm afraid she is just not my favorite Austen heroine. Unfortunately there are just some things that date Emma in a ways that doesn't seem to date Pride and Prejudice.
Emma comes across as more rude and spoiled and while she is able to admit her faults, her attitude towards Harriet really never comes across as little more than condescending for most of the book.
I much prefer modern adaptions such as Clueless but more so in the YouTube series Emma Approved. I feel like Emma fits better in a more modern setting and not in 1700's England.
You can absolutely tell this is Valentine's first novel. I picked it up because over a year ago, I read and adored her second (I think) novel ‘The Girls at the Kingfisher Club' (which I highly recommend). I struggled to rate this book because there ARE good ideas here and a compelling story. However, its extremely sloppy and the inconsistent narrator and writing style makes it very difficult to sit a read straight through.
A fitting last book for the master that is/was Pratchett. I picked up Tiffany Aching after reading a review from Patrick Rothfuss, an author who I admire and respect, and she quickly made a home in my heart.
Goodbye, Sir Pratchett. You've created amazing world's. And I hope you have your luggage with you.
Okay, full disclosure, I fully enjoyed this series. It's fun and you really want to root for the characters, especially in their love lives.
That being said... this is definitely the weakest of the series. You can tell Meyer was in a hurry writing this. (Even with it already being pushed back one release (when Fairest was supposed to come out).) And, like my problems with most books that take a focus around action and military plans, it suffered.
I guess my biggest issue is that Levana should have won and only through her (and her henchmen's) stupidity or through just dumb luck did Cinder and her friends win. They should've died or have gotten caught so many times over. And it got to the point where it was clear none of them were going to die because some of them should have died.
((spoilers))
For example, at one point Levana had Cinder in her prison for over 24 hours. Kill her! She's right there! And if you need to film it, film it! Everything you wanted to accomplish, you could have right there.
Or kill Wolf! String up his pelt as a warning. Why would you want something so feral near you? He almost KILLED you!
And all of Cinder's/friends' plans were ridiculous and stupid and anyone with any real military training could have defeated them in minutes.
Because of this, a lot of the pacing and tension was removed since I wasn't worried about anyone dying. I wasn't worried about whether anyone would end up together. So through the action sequences I more or less skimmed through, making sure I know how Cinder won, reading any dialogue, but other than that I read the happy endings and “awww'd” because I did like the relationships.
(Although, I would definitely not send Winter down to Earth without at least some diplomatic training. Or send her with a real diplomat at first. There's more to diplomacy than just smiling.)
Overall, if you enjoyed the series, you'll want the end. And you'll enjoy it to some degree (I did). It's just very clear that this is the weakest link in the series.
This was really cute. I really enjoyed the personal stories. However, I am a little disappointed in the end.
In his search for what went wrong in his relationships, he found that a lot of the time it was his own insecurities or reservations or social cluelessness (the last one can only be cured by making the mistakes he mentions in his books) that was his own downfall and only when he was happy with himself and not actively looking for a girlfriend did he find one.I saw it coming a mile away, because that's the answer, isn't it? Be yourself, do what you love, and you will find someone for you. But as someone who is very frustrated with her love life, I can't help but be a little ‘meh' about it.
I only bought this book for Chamber's short story, which was excellent. But none of the other short stories could hold my attention or felt like they required me to be familiar with/like other authors' works. The only other one I kind of liked was Martin's.