Ywa
Not quite in the same caliber as ‘The Hate U Give,' both in terms of writing and character development. The protagonist was a challenging character to root for. On one hand, you can understand her perspective, but on the other hand, her impulsiveness, immaturity, and lack of growth by the end of the book proved to be detrimental to the overall reading experience. Despite these drawbacks, the book remained quite readable, though.
I can understand why this book is considered a classic. The world-building and the innovative concepts introduced are certainly ahead of their time, making it a groundbreaking read when it was first published. In the story, an envoy is dispatched to an alien planet to assess their interest in joining the interplanetary cooperation he represents. What's truly fascinating is that this planet is inhabited by non-binary/ambisexual humanoids who adopt male or female appearances only during specific times of the month. Their lives exist beyond the confines of gender expression, and it's a unique and captivating aspect to explore. However, the absence of gender-neutral terminology made it somewhat challenging for me to fully immerse myself in this world.
On one hand, I relished the opportunity to accompany the envoy on his journey as he delved into the intricacies of Winter's society. On the other hand, the writing style felt rather dry, akin to an unsalted wholewheat cracker, leaving me with mixed feelings about the book.
No, it certainly wasn't better than the movies.
Liz was an impossible heroine to root for. She was so unlikeable to me. Obsessive and profoundly immature and not-like-other-girls she treats people like chess pieces in her attempt to force her life to be a rom-com movie.
She has no boundaries. She goes after Michael despite knowing nothing about him except she's obsessed with him since she was ten for no apparent reason other than his southern accent and she doesn't even care he likes another girl. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Wes become a collateral victim in this. The dead parent is a cheap plot device to make you feel sorry for her and excuse her appalling behaviour. The way she treats her step-mom, Wes, and Michael is so messed up. Also, remember that poor kid she terrorised and held hostage because she was trying to force him to enact some husband-and-wife fantasy?
When I say characters need therapy, sometimes I say that because I feel their pain and I want them to go get therapy so they can feel better and improve their lives and other times I say that because I feel they are a danger to others and they need therapy to become somewhat bearable humans. When I'm saying Liz needs therapy, it's the latter.
This is also an example of enemies-to-lovers done wrong. Wes wasn't behaving like an ‘enemy' and fighting over a parking space is not a feud. She also mentions his brown eyes in the first couple of chapters. The story hadn't even begun and I already saw how it would turn out.
Overall, it was not an enjoyable book. It was full of tropes that were poorly executed.
It's just another paint-by-numbers paranormal YA.
Tana is a blad protagonist. She's supposedly 19 but sounds 15. She suffers from a bad case of insta-love with the ever-brooding and boring Wolfe. The forbidden romance was supposed to be the pull of this novel but I didn't care enough about these two to be concerned with whether they end up together or not. He basically tells her he hates her and everything she stands for but he also has ‘feelings' for her and her reaction is ‘this is true love'.
The theme of forbidden magic, another pivotal element, didn't receive the detailed treatment I had hoped for. Instead, it was presented as a somewhat vague concept that required unquestioning acceptance.
In sum, my reading experience can best be described as “meh.” While the book had the potential to captivate, it left me feeling indifferent.
Common sense tips about things you find out on your own if you've been in the workforce for a while.
These are not rooted in scientific research but rather reflect common business practices commonly observed in the corporate world. The author even acknowledges that the topic of neuroscience is currently in vogue, suggesting that adding buzzwords like ‘cognitive' can attract attention. I obviously fell for this marketing ploy, which was the primary reason I decided to read the book.
It's probably somewhat useful for people fresh out of school.
It was a quick, enjoyable read, despite describing a depressing episode in the narrator's life. I can't say I could relate that much to our heroine or to the subject matter, but I still found comfort in some familiarity, the characters felt like people I could know. I was also grateful it got me out of one of the worst reading slumps I've had in a good while.
Merged review:
It was a quick, enjoyable read, despite describing a depressing episode in the narrator's life. I can't say I could relate that much to our heroine or to the subject matter, but I still found comfort in some familiarity, the characters felt like people I could know. I was also grateful it got me out of one of the worst reading slumps I've had in a good while.
Two girls walk past in gargantuan heels and dresses so tight that their skin is spilling out, and one of them says to the other, “Wait, who the fuck is Lewis Carroll?” and in my imagination I pull a gun out of my pocket, shoot them both, and then shoot myself.
Charlie is ignored by both his parents and his sister after he leaves the hospital. Everybody ignores that Tori found her brother trying to commit suicide and spends her weekends never getting out of bed but this is also not explored any further.
This is the soft post-apocalyptic book I had been longing for since reading ‘The Singlight Pilgrims'. Rice has skillfully crafted the perfect atmospheric setting. The story takes place in a remote Anishinaabe community in northern Canada, where the sudden vanishing of communication and essential supplies from the outside world thrusts the community into an unsettling state of uncertainty. As they face the harsh realities of survival and navigate the challenges brought on by the rapidly changing circumstances, the characters come to life and I truly felt connected to them as a reader.
I truly enjoyed this novel. The narrative takes us on an intimate journey into the lives of four women in contemporary Seoul. Set against the backdrop of the city's high-pressure beauty industry, Cha delves deep into the complex beauty standards and societal expectations that shape their lives. What makes this book truly special is the author's choice for highlighting the darker sides of Seoul's beauty-obsessed culture, all while showcasing the resilience and inner strength of her characters.
It's an apt memoir. Her account is genuine and it gave me visceral reactions. It's heartbreaking she had to suffer like this due to her mother's abusive and sinister behavior. Few things are more painful than having a mother who obliterates your personhood.
I appreciate her raw honesty and I empathize with everything she went through. Due to the hype and the topic (I can relate to having a tumultuous and strained relationship with family due to abuse), I was expecting this to be my favorite book of the year. However, something about the writing style didn't flow that well for me, at times, so I struggled with wanting to pick this back up between reading sessions. And I know this one's on me, but I felt it ended a bit abruptly. In a way, I was expecting to see more examination of her experience instead of a focus on factual recollection. I'm grateful I read it, nonetheless.
Tiffany, oh Tiffany. She's certainly a character. Not going to lie I skipped the chapter where she talked about her coworker Roscoe, I couldn't listen to her mock this man. What else can I say? Her life's been eventful and I can't say I found much humor in most of it. Not sure this worked as a comedy, it was more of a tragedy. If I think about it, I don't really find her that funny, in general, probably because she's too blunt and quite offensive sometimes. But then again, I don't find most comedians funny, the only notable exception being Trevor Noah and recently this guy Dragos I found on Instagram. Still, there's something endearing about her, I can't dislike her no matter how crude she may be at times.