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4.56 AVERAGE
4.56 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It ended. It shouldn't have. I needed to have more than an epilogue with them. I needed... Oh, how I need so much to sit with them and watch them live happily in my presence and not in some land faraway in my imagination where I have created more scenes about their lives afterwards.
It's a really beautiful book. A random read that quickly became a favourite.
It's a really beautiful book. A random read that quickly became a favourite.
dark
emotional
i wouldnt say this is the most perfect book by any means, or even the type of book i would usually speak of highly, or the most technically impressive, but i really enjoyed reading it so hear me out.
oleander is a mature m/m contemporary dark toxic romance between two boys that starts at adolescence and haunts them into adulthood. the writing is crisp, simple, but highly effective with a satisfying flow. jude is a very sympathetic protagonist, and i enjoyed how it was presented as a telling of the past by a narrator who knew every ugly hurt that lingered around the corners but could still evoke deep love on the pages for the boy at the center of his world. and though i typically dont like reading about teenagers - i liked this one for how awkward and true and messy they were allowed to be at that stage in their lives, about just as much as i enjoyed watching them grow and mature later on. i liked how it dealt with its dark unpleasant themes and it always had me wanting to read more. my biggest criticism is that at times it hit the nail far too firmly on the head with some of its messaging, especially near the end, but this is still some of the deepest enjoyment ive gotten out of a book in ages. it scratched the itch of tragic obsessive lovestories i love so dearly while commiting to its complexities and not shying from its darkness and hurt. an absolute solid read.
oleander is a mature m/m contemporary dark toxic romance between two boys that starts at adolescence and haunts them into adulthood. the writing is crisp, simple, but highly effective with a satisfying flow. jude is a very sympathetic protagonist, and i enjoyed how it was presented as a telling of the past by a narrator who knew every ugly hurt that lingered around the corners but could still evoke deep love on the pages for the boy at the center of his world. and though i typically dont like reading about teenagers - i liked this one for how awkward and true and messy they were allowed to be at that stage in their lives, about just as much as i enjoyed watching them grow and mature later on. i liked how it dealt with its dark unpleasant themes and it always had me wanting to read more. my biggest criticism is that at times it hit the nail far too firmly on the head with some of its messaging, especially near the end, but this is still some of the deepest enjoyment ive gotten out of a book in ages. it scratched the itch of tragic obsessive lovestories i love so dearly while commiting to its complexities and not shying from its darkness and hurt. an absolute solid read.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
might be the best thing i have ever read
3⭐ (version FR ci-dessous)
I'll never forget this book. I devoured those 600 pages, the characters, the atmosphere, Jersey, the mansion...
I spent 92% of the book hating Caspien.
This is the first time I've read a romance where I hope the characters don't end up together because the main character would be better off without the other.
I didn't want to read the last 8% or imagine that everything would be explained/pardoned to him. Which of course it done, and yes, it touched me and I may be less angry with him afterwards, but he always had a choice before and could have done better. What an obstacle course to get to this point.
Jude deserved so much better.
His situation touched me personally because I know I could have reacted the way he did.
And is there a Scarlett Drake book without one of the characters cheating? Or even both, as in this case. I really don't like it.
Don't hesitate to read the trigger warnings if you're sensitive to certain topics, because there are some tough ones that come without warning and will turn your stomach if you're personally affected.
The book is very well written, just from Jude's point of view.
It's very difficult for me to rate it because I really didn't like anything until the last few chapters, I was pissed off, saddened by every character's choices. But I devoured it and wanted to know what happened next. Let's just say it's a drama, not a romance. It's addictive. From a literary point of view, it's a very good book. From a romance point of view, it was a hecatomb for my little heart.
It's the kind of book where it's impossible for me to go straight on to another one because I'm still stuck in the universe and it's going to take me a long time to get out.
_____________
Je n'oublierai jamais ce livre. Ces 600 pages que j'ai dévorées, ces personnages, l'ambiance, Jersey, le manoir...
J'ai passé 92% du livre à détester Caspien.
C'est la première fois où je lis une romance et où j'espère que les personnages ne vont pas finir ensemble car le personnage principal serait mieux sans l'autre.
Je n'avais pas envie de lire les 8 derniers % ou j'imaginais que tout lui serait expliqué/pardonné. Ce qui arrive évidemment et oui, ça m'a touché et je lui en veux peut-être moins après, mais il a toujours eu le choix avant et aurait pu mieux faire. Quel parcours du combattant pour en arriver là.
Jude méritait beaucoup mieux.
Sa situation m'a touchée personnellement car je sais que j'aurais pu réagir comme lui.
Et y a t-il un seul livre de Scarlett Drake sans tromperie d'un des personnages ? Voire des deux comme ici. Je n'aime vraiment pas ça.
N'hésitez pas à lire les trigger warnings si vous êtes sensibles à certains sujets parce qu'il y en a des difficiles qui arrivent sans prévenir et vous retourne l'estomac si vous êtes concernées personnellement.
Le livre est très bien écrit du seul point de vue de Jude.
C'est très difficile pour moi de le noter car, vraiment, je n'ai rien aimé jusqu'aux derniers chapitres, j'étais énervée, triste des choix de chaque personnage. Mais je l'ai dévoré et je voulais savoir la suite. On va dire que c'est un drame et non une romance. Il est addictif. Du point de vue littéraire c'est un très bon livre. Du point de vue romance c'était une hécatombe pour mon petit coeur.
C'est ce genre de livre ou il m'est impossible d'enchaîner directement avec un autre car je suis encore coincée dans l'univers et qu'il me faudra du temps pour en sortir.
I'll never forget this book. I devoured those 600 pages, the characters, the atmosphere, Jersey, the mansion...
I spent 92% of the book hating Caspien.
This is the first time I've read a romance where I hope the characters don't end up together because the main character would be better off without the other.
I didn't want to read the last 8% or imagine that everything would be explained/pardoned to him. Which of course it done, and yes, it touched me and I may be less angry with him afterwards, but he always had a choice before and could have done better. What an obstacle course to get to this point.
Jude deserved so much better.
His situation touched me personally because I know I could have reacted the way he did.
And is there a Scarlett Drake book without one of the characters cheating? Or even both, as in this case. I really don't like it.
Don't hesitate to read the trigger warnings if you're sensitive to certain topics, because there are some tough ones that come without warning and will turn your stomach if you're personally affected.
The book is very well written, just from Jude's point of view.
It's very difficult for me to rate it because I really didn't like anything until the last few chapters, I was pissed off, saddened by every character's choices. But I devoured it and wanted to know what happened next. Let's just say it's a drama, not a romance. It's addictive. From a literary point of view, it's a very good book. From a romance point of view, it was a hecatomb for my little heart.
It's the kind of book where it's impossible for me to go straight on to another one because I'm still stuck in the universe and it's going to take me a long time to get out.
_____________
Je n'oublierai jamais ce livre. Ces 600 pages que j'ai dévorées, ces personnages, l'ambiance, Jersey, le manoir...
J'ai passé 92% du livre à détester Caspien.
C'est la première fois où je lis une romance et où j'espère que les personnages ne vont pas finir ensemble car le personnage principal serait mieux sans l'autre.
Je n'avais pas envie de lire les 8 derniers % ou j'imaginais que tout lui serait expliqué/pardonné. Ce qui arrive évidemment et oui, ça m'a touché et je lui en veux peut-être moins après, mais il a toujours eu le choix avant et aurait pu mieux faire. Quel parcours du combattant pour en arriver là.
Jude méritait beaucoup mieux.
Sa situation m'a touchée personnellement car je sais que j'aurais pu réagir comme lui.
Et y a t-il un seul livre de Scarlett Drake sans tromperie d'un des personnages ? Voire des deux comme ici. Je n'aime vraiment pas ça.
N'hésitez pas à lire les trigger warnings si vous êtes sensibles à certains sujets parce qu'il y en a des difficiles qui arrivent sans prévenir et vous retourne l'estomac si vous êtes concernées personnellement.
Le livre est très bien écrit du seul point de vue de Jude.
C'est très difficile pour moi de le noter car, vraiment, je n'ai rien aimé jusqu'aux derniers chapitres, j'étais énervée, triste des choix de chaque personnage. Mais je l'ai dévoré et je voulais savoir la suite. On va dire que c'est un drame et non une romance. Il est addictif. Du point de vue littéraire c'est un très bon livre. Du point de vue romance c'était une hécatombe pour mon petit coeur.
C'est ce genre de livre ou il m'est impossible d'enchaîner directement avec un autre car je suis encore coincée dans l'univers et qu'il me faudra du temps pour en sortir.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Someone ring my therapist because this did me in.
TW FOR IPV/DV.
TW FOR IPV/DV.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes