The Atlas Six

I lasted 5%. This book is absolutely AWFUL. No, honestly, it's just so bad I'm almost impressed by the lack of skill or good taste. And the thing is, it probably already has about 99.9999% of its flaws ahead of me and I'm already over my breaking point with this absolute TRASH. Give me books about books. I want to find some novel where the characters work at a library or deal with book and knowledge. Why are they all so bad, though? This was pretty much a possibly even worse version of [b:Ink and Bone 20643052 Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) Rachel Caine https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1418350512l/20643052.SX50.jpg 39934787]. The first thing that hit me was the prose. Using random, big words to create the clunkiest sentences ever doesn't make you witty. It makes the book annoying to read and it becomes a chore to find what the actual point is under all the ‘coalesces' and ‘intractables'. There is nothing wrong with a wide vocabulary. There is a lot that's wrong with breaking out your pretentious thesaurus for every. Single. Sentence. A bunch of times it doesn't even make sense! How do you “ravenously avoid each other”? RAVENOUSLY? What? That's the wrong word. It doesn't add anything to the sentence, just a sense of fauxtellectual bullshit. Then again, that plays into this fad of “UWU, soooo dark academia, yaaaas”. It feels like the fans of it think smart people are like those studious cartoon characters. This plays into that idea perfectly; sassy back and forths between overachieving sadcases, everyone's inner monologue sounding the same level of analytical and “witty”. Everyone is Le Depression. I bet my ass they will all fuck each other as well, because UHHHH, nothing matters, “I just want to feel something”. Another funny thing. One of the main characters, exceptionally smart and educated Libby... thinks the Midas touch is a positive thing. I'm not sure what to think anymore. How am I supposed to buy this is a smart book for smart people about smart people by a smart person when we get THIS? HOW???? A book about books, where a part of one of history's most read books is totally misunderstood the way only semi-literate people would do. I think I'm too old for this. Apparently, this is a Tiktok sensation, which explains a lot to me. It is the “lip sync to crappy music” of novels all right. And this is coming from someone who loved [b:The Magicians 6101718 The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) Lev Grossman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1313772941l/6101718.SY75.jpg 6278977].