roselaina
This was original and beautifully written, and I'm always a sucker for an epistolary, so...I really don't know what happened. Maybe I should have read it instead of listening? Both of the narrators were excellent, though, especially Blue's.
Whatever happened, I'm a little bummed that I didn't love this, after so much hype. But I would still recommend it if you like epistolary stories and time travel.
Where has this book been all my life?
Probably the best sapphic YA I've read, if I'm being honest.
- basketball player mc!
- POC rep!
- great writing!
- delightfully tropey while still feeling fresh and original!
- wonderful friends!
- a healthy relationship with boundaries and communication! (!!!!!!!!)
And all of this while being cute as hell and making me root for each character every step of the way!
The only thing I didn't like was that I felt that one character was vilified a little more than necessary, and for me, it took away from the story slightly.
But overall, this was still a fantastic book, and I'm so happy I read it! Will be going on the to-reread list, for sure.
2.5 stars. I will start with the good, because I want this review to be fair. There were good things about this book. The best thing for me was the writing itself. Funnily enough, I found it a bit stilted and sparse in the beginning and almost put the book down because of it. But eventually, it became clear just how talented of a writer Yanagihara really is. Her way with words is simply incredible. I will also say that the book is compelling, and I was rarely bored. I did care about the characters, and I felt a lot during the course of the story.
However (and this is a really big “however”), I would not actually recommend this book. It is difficult to go into why without spoilers, so if you want the reasons, look at the top negative reviews. They contain a lot of valid points.
The main thing I want to mention is that the messaging that surrounds this book extremely misleading. It is NOT “the next great gay novel” unless you equate being gay with suffering. It is not, in my opinion, even about the four friends, as we are promised. It's about two of the four friends, with the third contributing occasional drama in the background to further the pair's story, and the fourth basically forgotten after the first few chapters. (He's still mentioned, but he has no story, no relevance, no growth. He's a cardboard cutout that happens to design buildings.)
It is, basically, about a man carrying horrible trauma from his childhood. Even the relationship between Jude and Willem takes a backseat to Jude's trauma. There are occasional peeks into the lives of the others (especially in the beginning, when the author is keeping Jude mysterious by withholding his perspective from us), but this is the main focus.
If you think 750 pages of misery (with very occasional, very minimal bouts of happiness sprinkled within) sounds like a great way to spend your time, go for it! If, however, you're just curious about the hype, I would advise skipping it. Read Song of Achilles if you want to feel lots of emotions and cry over gays.
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If you are considering reading A Little Life, please know that it comes with a long list of very dark trigger warnings, including extremely graphic depictions of self-harm.
Reread notes: 2.5 years later, I've read many more Star Wars books and am much more familiar with the universe. This book only gets better with more knowledge! Moving rating from 4 stars to 4.5.
First read notes: This was my first Star Wars book and my first book by Claudia Gray, but it won't be my last of either!
Um...romantic comedy? Did the publishers actually read this book?
Another good book that suffers from poor marketing. It's no wonder Recipe for Persuasion doesn't have a great star rating. If you go into this book expecting the light, fluffy romcom the blurb promises, you're going to emerge disappointed.
It tackles a lot of heavy issues. There are some lighthearted moments, but I certainly would never call it a comedy. And the romance takes a back seat to the main story about Ashna, her family, and dealing with anxiety and the repercussions of the past. Her mother, Shobi, also becomes an unexpected focus, which I found jarring at first but wound up really enjoying.
This is not a romance novel. It is a novel about family, trauma, societal expectations, and love in many forms. It is loosely inspired by Persuasion - and even includes a cheeky reference - but it is its own story.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
*3.5 STARS
It was good! Honestly would have been better if the author had simply let it be P&P-inspired rather than a retelling. A few of the plotlines - and one scene in particular - were very clearly only there to tie the story back to P&P. It would have been a stronger and more compelling story without them. I still enjoyed it, though! Will be reading more from this author, for sure.
Did...did I read the same book y'all did? Did someone hack into the library database and send me a first draft?
I loved the first book. I devoured it in 24 hours. This one? Took me a month. A MONTH.
I really do love the world and lore Owen created! It was original and fascinating! I loved the last 10% of the book where we actually got to learn more about it. I loved Jas and [redacted for spoilers]. (Can I have a novella that's just them? Pretty please?)
Unfortunately, the majority of the book is taken up by Fie being so utterly, completely, totally, incomprehensibly, mind-numbingly STUPID that I could barely make myself care enough to slog through to the end.
~~ SPOILERS AHEAD ~~
The SECOND Tavin did what he did, I knew exactly why. Not even a doubt in my mind. And Fie not only didn't entertain it as even a remote possibility, but she had a WAY TO FUCKING CHECK ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING, and she just..... didn't?Cue a shit ton of angst that was honestly just really fucking annoying. And it made the book draw out for way too long. I get from the title that the whole Tavin story was supposed to be the main focus (for?? Some reason??), but it fell utterly flat for me. If the author wanted it to come across as a horrible, unjustifiable action and then turn it around with a Huge Reveal later, MAYBE she shouldn't have made it super clear that they desperately needed a spy close to the queen RIGHT before giving Tavin a prime opportunity to do so. I just????Anyway. I don't know, y'all. Betrayal or no, I just wish the story had been focused on the things that were interesting about the world. But it wasn't. And the parts that actually did so felt rather clumsy. The whole Little Witness scene felt very jarring and random, like it didn't fit with the rest of the book. Possibly because the rest of the book was The Fie and Tavin Show. And honestly, their reunion didn't move me very much at the beginning, and I didn't give a single fuck about them by the end. Listen. I'm glad almost everyone else enjoyed it. I am. I wish I could have felt that way. But I didn't. So. There you have it. And to the folks scrolling through the sea of 4 and 5 star reviews with baffled stares...I feel you.
