Nani
I really debated on what rating to give this book. How do you rate a book where the world building is enchanting, but the plot is flat as can be?! It just doesn't make sense.
The actual circus has to be one of the most enticing places ever described. Honestly, felt like I was there and wanted to visit in reality (that's how well it was described). But that was all I liked about this book.
Everything else just fell flat. The characters - didn't have any love for the main characters at all, couldn't care less what happened to them in the end. The plot - in trying to create this magical world, it just ended overcomplicating a plot, that in the end I still didn't understand (maybe I'm stupid, but what was the whole point of the magical competition?). Also, trying to follow this story with all the time jumping made my head hurt.
All in all, I geuss I'm lucky I fell in love with the actual circus, because there wasn't much else going on of interest.
Took a lot longer to get into this book than I anticipated. But once I was hooked, this became an easy read, although predictable.
This feels like it should've been a series. Too many plot reveals at the end left under-developed.
Started off well, wasn't bad but could've done without the last 100 pages. Slightly too long for such an anticlimactic plot.
Remind me again why this is considered a classic?
Having studied through the British education system, my reference of classic literature were the literary greats: Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontë sisters, the list goes on and on... so I guess I'd always been curious as to what the perceived 'classics' were on the other side of the Atlantic. Thought I'd give it a shot with Catcher in the Rye, knowing this was studied in schools. And maybe that was my problem. I maybe would have given this a higher rating if I'd read this whilst being in my early teens.
Will definitely give other American classics a go, but this was nothing special.
The fact that this short story does more in 30 pages or so than an average book would take in about 10 times as many pages is not to be ignored.
Went into this having no idea where it would go. In the beginning, it seemed to be going in the direction of a social commentary on a blissful utopia, UNTIL the question posed towards the end.
You would like to think you'd be the one person that cannot accept the suffering of 1 citizen in exchange for the happiness of everyone else. But in reality, isn't that exactly what we do? Go through life ignoring the suffering of those select few that don't affect our daily lives. And in return, are we really rewarded with sincere happiness of Omelas? This is a downward spiral I don't think we're prepared to face.
The tension...
Not much happens in this book again, but the buildup, the tension.. I can't wait for the remaining books.
and Cyrus! Enough said.
I know I'm late to this, but somehow I've managed to start this series with no spoilers, and I get it! I really do get it!
This was everything I needed, enough said.
How did I love this book so much when nothing happened? I'm clearly here for the vibes!
Writing was so much better in this than the first book, I'm hooked.
I'm sort of at odds with this book, it had so much potential. fantasy romance set in a persian mythology world... yes please! The execution, slightly lacking.
I have to say the world building and characters, I loved. I just felt like there were many points where it could have gone more in depth, and as a result, most of the story just felt lacking, especially the first half. The plot in the second half was much better, but it just took so long to get there, I'm not sure the payoff was worth it.
The romance sprinkled throughout was great to read, but I think I'm realising the insta love trope is not a favourite of mine. I can still enjoy reading it, enjoy the passion and the one liners (that are inspired), I just feel like there needs to be more substance to a romance, than.. oh I'm now irrevocably, completely in love.. because she's beautiful and I can't live without her - vice versa, for it to be an epic romance. It's a personal preference, but there just needs to be more, before I can believe that you're so madly in love with a character, without actually knowing anything about them.
Also, the way the book was written, made me feel stupid half the time. Felt like the author had grabbed a thesaurus for every other word, tying to make the story feel more mythical, or I don't know what her intention was. It just made for a struggle to read at times, especially with such a slow plot.
Overall, credit where it's due. Even though it was a slow plot and hard to understand at times, this story had characters and a world that definitely piqued my interest, and has tons of potential for future books in this series.
The Markov brothers have a grip on my heart and I have no regrets! This series just got better and better as it went on. Ronan - a mafia man that plays candy crush?! What else do you need in life??
Can't compare this series with other dark or mafia romances, so I feel like I might have shot myself in the foot by starting with this series. But if this is the standard, I have no regrets!
Ehh, don't get me wrong, this was a good book... but there was just something during the whole story that just didn't click for me.
Could have been that the story was mostly told through Theo's persepctive, and I didn't enjoy that, BUT it was easy to read and the plot was intriguing. Just kind of lost it's way in the middle trying to spin off into a lot of little side plots, that in the end meant nothing.
This was my first venture into Dark AND Mafia Romance, and let me just say, this did not dissapoint.
Who would've thought it was a mafia man I needed to read all along... I'm here for it all! Nico Russo, the man that you are, the obsession is real - blowing up a gas station because the owner touched her! I'm sat!!
Slightly better than the previous book, but only slightly. If only because it managed to sum up all the storylines, albeit quite rushed and coincidentally easy to resolve in the end. This series simply wasn't for me.
Didn't think I could come across a worse FMC than America, then along came Eadlyn. What is about this series that I'm not seeing? It's popular, yet I can't stand the main characters.
It's so easy to get back into this series, Wes and Liz are like a cozy blanket. Granted this wasn't as good as the first book. But still a cute, easy read.
America does not deserve to end up with Maxon, there I said it! I don't think I've ever not wanted a FMC to end up with MMC as much as I do with these books. Maxon deserves better!
Remembered reading this in school, and wanted to see if this held up.
Appreciated the unique narrative, but the ending felt a little abrupt.
Surprisingly not as whiny. Is Mia starting to mature a little? Is that too much to hope for?
I mean it is a short story (not much of a chance for Mia to go on and on) but it was an easy read, cute enough storyline. So, no complaints.
Maybe a sign for the longer books? Will the storyline start getting better?
Hey Mia, you want to go to the prom so badly... here's a hint, just ask your bloody boyfriend! Mia was insufferable in this one. Honestly!
Once again, I understand she's a teenager (taking way too long in this series to age her up so she can start wising up to things) but something's gotta give. You can't be that clueless and melodramatic about everything.
Lilly was also terrible in this. I seriously do not understand why Mia is friends with her
This is starting to drag on a bit. It's hard to justify Mia's whining.
I get that we're reading a “diary” where you're allowed to offload your unfiltered, mess of a brain, but at some point, one must realise that if you just communicated just a small percentage of your thoughts, you'd get some answers to the continuous questions she seems to go on and on about.
Find myself wanting to yell at Mia to stop writing and actually speak up!
Commited to finishing this series, as I've started it so many times but never got past the 3rd book, but if the rest of the series is like this, I can already tell it's going to feel like a drag. Which is a shame, as the first few books, although teenagey and silly, felt more like a light, easy read.
Mia really is so oblivious, it can get annoying. Have to constantly remind myself that she is a literal teenager, clueless about love, and that I am not the intended target audience to be reading these books in the first place.... and then it's easier to read.
Once you get over that, it's actually quite a sweet and cute story. Although I am starting to question why Mia is friends with Lilly??!! Honestly!
I honestly hate the way Mia chooses what random situation (in this case comment from Lana) she is going to choose to obsess about until -usually- Michael or someone else in her life, has to get her to chill.
I get it, in this case it's sex, and being a teenager, it's daunting to think about, but all through these books if Mia just communicated, maybe the story could move along a little better.
The books have really lost the essence that made them good in the first few installments. But all Mia does now is whine and complain, and it's becoming unbearable.
Struggling to get through the series at this point, but am commited to finishing this once and for all.
Just getting through these books at this point. Not much has changed, Mia is still whiny and clueless, still question why Lilly is best friend, and Michael is the only saving grace of these books.
Almost nearing the end... Mia has to start wising up, doesn't she?!