Adam

Three stars because I shed a tear, the concept of this book is genius and it was a nice, easy read.

Not more because... well, nothing much works. The characters are very cliché and they had little to no chemistry. We know they'll end up together because this is a romance book, but really I didn't see why. It all felt very unrealistic and sudden to me.

The plot is great and tension is high until the ending but the prose really has nothing special. The story is meant to be deep and all, except it just repeats that you need to live life to the fullest, making the dialogue feel stilted and unnatural in the same breath.

I was really intrigued by the concept of Death-Cast, which is a genius idea for a dystopia and science-fiction in general, but there was little world-building around it. Who created it? How does it work? What would happen if someone lived alone in a mountain, with no phone? Do they live forever? Is there really no way to avoid death? Is it possible everywhere or is there one set thing that will kill you? We know nothing of it.

One positive aspect was the point of views of side/background characters, which did bring a bit more clarity to the functioning and impact of Death-Cast. Not much, but it was better than nothing. I also really liked the intersections of Mateo and Rufus' stories with these strangers'. I'm a sucker for all the “cameos” in the book.

On another note, Mateo's death was very unexpected, which is really nice, for a change. It would have been better had it been handled in a different way, though. It fell short for me. It was supposed to be this devastating moment, yet I only cried for a second because it was so anticlimatic.

Part of this indifference probably also comes from the fact that I didn't feel very attached to the characters and that Mateo in particular annoyed me. Don't get me wrong, I'm an anxious person as well, and I don't blame him for that, but he made quite selfish demands and decisions for someone who claims to « have lived for everyone ».

I suppose my expectations were too high, considering how popular this book is and how many people found it devastating. Still, this a nice book, quick to read and intriguing.

A woman who progressed from scamming people by begging with her mother to giving, in her own words, “the best hand job in the tristate area”, transfers to the front of the establishment due to carpal tunnel syndrome. That means a new job for this witty con-artist who can read people like a pro : psychic. With her experience and intellect, she does well, telling people what they want to hear and twisting words until they mean both nothing and everything. Then, she meets Susan Burke, who has a psycho stepson and a house where murders happened, and the con-artist realises she's way out of her depth. She's not the only one who can lie...

I have mixed feelings about this book and it's a shame because I really liked the beginning! I thought it was a great setup and I was really invested in what was going to happen next. It's pretty rare for me to be hooked quickly, so you understand why I had high expectations.

Anyways, I was waiting for something creepy and exciting, something that griped me, you know? But it was all a bit underwhelming, which, whatever, I wouldn't have minded that much, had it not been for the ending. Oh gosh, the ending. I understand it was meant to be an ambiguous conclusion and everything, but it doesn't work for a story this short!!! Especially when done this way. This just reads like there is no resolution and I was left very unsatisfied. Although I would have liked the mindfuck if it was in the middle of a book, it really left a sour taste in my mouth.

Still, it's not all bad. I loved the voice of the narrator (though I think it was a bit lost halfway through) and there were some really great lines in there. The plot is good, if nothing crazy. Also, for a 20 minutes read, this will certainly be something I'll think about a lot! (If not for reasons I'm happy with, at least I suppose for reasons the author wanted!)

This story is one of blood and rebellion and love told in the quiet voice you use in libraries to tell tales of another time. It was beautiful and gave me, as a reader, space to think and imagine, which I really loved. There is also an interesting reflection around history and its recording while we read about Chih, the cleric listening to Rabbit telling us about the Empress of Salt and Fortune.

This was such a great read! A queer sci-fi book about two exes searching for a grandma across the Ikea-verse? Sign me up.

I finished this in less than an hour but even in such a short time I was invested in the story and its characters, who are so reliable it's almost painful. Mental health issues and the soul-sucking nature of capitalism were also (more or less) prominent themes, so obviously I was hooked.

This was a little less humourous than I was expecting, though that's not necessarily a bad thing, and the plot is a little bit all over the place, but other than that I have no complaints. I definitely recommend!

This is the only book I have ever read that I could describe as perfect. Every single word belongs and every sentence made my heart break a little bit more. How could a single story hurt so much? How do I begin to recover from it? I don't know if I ever will.

Baldwin's prose is gorgeous and his work terrifyingly thought-provoking. I am not an highlighting man but I would have highlighted this entire book had I been able to put it down long enough or to see through my tears.