val

I liked that there was time taken to build the story, but it seemed a bit draggy and I found myself skipping just to see what happens in the end.

The writing's beautiful, but the concept is a little more than hard to believe. I think it's another one of those books where the characters' feelings felt like they bloomed in too short a time, but I'll still read Pandemonium. I really wish that they would stop making trilogies though. It feels like every ‘big' book I read this year was part of one. Ugh.

Did not expect to like this as much as I did aaaah.

As a book I picked up in an op shop during my last trip to Australia, this novel already came wrapped in a coat of nostalgia. (Not literally, if that's what you were thinking considering the whole op shop part.) I think I'm just a sucker for interestingly structured books, so that was a plus.

I haven't reread it in a while though, so I may sometime this year.

this book makes me cry every time i read it. saving francesca is just a preface. tom's story is the real punch in the gut.

I read this years ago and now I can't remember what I think of it.

Update: No matter how many times I reread, I keep wanting to return.

Only book that's ever made me end crying. Now I'm wondering how I managed to put myself off it for so long.

Don't judge a book by its cover, they say. I'd say that saying's 100% accurate in this case.

This was one of my absolute favourite books when I was younger, but I sold off my paperback ages ago (along with Holes). Kind of regret it.

I've read it before, but I liked it better this time. Even though it's still unsatisfying, it's still so much better than Delirium and makes me hope that Lauren Oliver will write more contemporary things.

idgi.

And then Deirdre got unbearable.

recently saw an nyt readers' choice list which put this at no. 7 and have mixed feelings about it lol. i'm a huge fan of gabrielle zevin's work and have been ever since memoirs of a teenage amnesiac (still a YA novel close to my heart) and i love game dev stories, so it was really disappointing for me to not be able to get into this one. i feel like it might partially be because it reminds me a lot of the mythic quest episode ‘a dark quiet death' which i felt explored a similar theme in a much better way!

highly recommend any of gabrielle zevin's other works still, though. still happy if this is someone's gateway to the rest of her bibliography.

Haven't picked up this series since primary school. Desperately want to again.

zen cho writes the stories i wish i could write. penang hokkien representation always gets me emotional. ❤️

it's a wonderful life but with extra steps

This was my first Diana Wynne Jones book, and the one that made me crave more of her writing. Sentimental.

started out strong but faltered towards the end

One thing that stuck out to me: Kuala Lumpurish. Ha.

all the stars are for darlington who was probably the most compelling character of the story

4.5 for the prose but 3 for plot

hard to rate. one of those books that stick to your mind and you realise so many of the details are worthy of deeper analysis. but man all the characters are written like high school mean girls

short read, somewhat absurdist.

wtf i've waited for this book forever and following this story never gets old

such a beautiful and quiet post-apocalypse story that i find myself thinking about often. a must-read with everything that's happened in 2020.