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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
A well written cross-contamination of Harry August and The Circle. Sadly, not quite as good as either. I lost interest at page 180 and had to push to the finish. It wasn't worth it
Edit: this author has absolutely wonderful ideas and then seems to fail to find a plot capable of properly executing them. The synopses are incredible. The actuality of the stories less so
Edit: this author has absolutely wonderful ideas and then seems to fail to find a plot capable of properly executing them. The synopses are incredible. The actuality of the stories less so
Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars. Wow this was so freaking fantastic. So so many messages and so much social commentary and so beautifully written. And just wow.
There's really nothing I can say that would mean more:
"Alone, you can lose yourself, or you may find yourself, and most of the time you do both."
"I look at you, now. I close my eyes, now. I exist only now. Only my thoughts, the thoughts that I have in this present moment, they are the prism through which all else travels, and even the past, even memory, is remembered only now. We exist in the present tense, and even our futures will one day be the past, and the past will be forgotten, and so only now remains. What matters, therefore, is not hope for things to come, nor regret for things passed, but this action in this moment, these deeds, this now."
"Watch the stars and see yourself running in them."
""Tell me, in a world where wealth is power, and power is the only freedom, what would desperate men not do to be heard?”"
Claire North is amazing.
"Alone, you can lose yourself, or you may find yourself, and most of the time you do both."
"I look at you, now. I close my eyes, now. I exist only now. Only my thoughts, the thoughts that I have in this present moment, they are the prism through which all else travels, and even the past, even memory, is remembered only now. We exist in the present tense, and even our futures will one day be the past, and the past will be forgotten, and so only now remains. What matters, therefore, is not hope for things to come, nor regret for things passed, but this action in this moment, these deeds, this now."
"Watch the stars and see yourself running in them."
""Tell me, in a world where wealth is power, and power is the only freedom, what would desperate men not do to be heard?”"
Claire North is amazing.
I loved [b:The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August|18295861|The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August|Claire North|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1379133081s/18295861.jpg|25807847], so I had a lot of expectations with this one but I didn't enjoy it as much. I still think this is a good story, it's original, different, and unique.
We follow Hope's story, she's very unique because as soon as you aren't in contact with her (seeing her or listening to her) you forget her. That idea was super interesting to me. She's struggling to find herself, who she is, what is her role in the world. She's constantly asking herself if her condition is a blessing, because it gives her freedom to do and be whatever she wants to; or if it's a curse because she can't form strong bonds with anyone since everybody forgets her.
Hope is a thief and she gets involved in a robbery that starts an international manhunt against her.
The novel also introduce us to a corporation that has created an app called Perfection. This is a lifestyle apps that everyone is using. It gives you points for every lifestyle change you make that helps you become perfect. This aspect of the novel deals and makes you think about the way society and the media pressure us into being unrealistically perfect. It also, to some extent, critiques the big data analytics, the loss of privacy (Companies knowing everything about you) and how big corporations trade that data for profit and then bombard us with products custom made to meet our needs, creating a cycle of consumerism.
I would've like to know more about Hope's condition, but the novel isn't about that. I also think it's too long, the pacing drags a little and it gets repetitive at times.
Overall, I enjoyed it, it was unique, creative and thought provoking. I recommend it.
We follow Hope's story, she's very unique because as soon as you aren't in contact with her (seeing her or listening to her) you forget her. That idea was super interesting to me. She's struggling to find herself, who she is, what is her role in the world. She's constantly asking herself if her condition is a blessing, because it gives her freedom to do and be whatever she wants to; or if it's a curse because she can't form strong bonds with anyone since everybody forgets her.
Hope is a thief and she gets involved in a robbery that starts an international manhunt against her.
The novel also introduce us to a corporation that has created an app called Perfection. This is a lifestyle apps that everyone is using. It gives you points for every lifestyle change you make that helps you become perfect. This aspect of the novel deals and makes you think about the way society and the media pressure us into being unrealistically perfect. It also, to some extent, critiques the big data analytics, the loss of privacy (Companies knowing everything about you) and how big corporations trade that data for profit and then bombard us with products custom made to meet our needs, creating a cycle of consumerism.
I would've like to know more about Hope's condition, but the novel isn't about that. I also think it's too long, the pacing drags a little and it gets repetitive at times.
Overall, I enjoyed it, it was unique, creative and thought provoking. I recommend it.
2,5 stars
I got this book based on the premise, which sounded really interesting, and the good reviews the book received, in the end however, I didn't like it all that much.
Although I don't really know exactly what I expected of the book, the story that it told was definitely not what I was expecting. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as the story was interesting and intriguing, but in many ways wasn't my cup of tea.
The writing is quite chaotic which took me a while to get used to. the story isn't told chronologically, we skip back and forth between memories and the present. It is written with a first person point of view, and sometimes a feels a little "brain dumpy" (if that makes sense), and for me was a little hard to get into.
Overall, I think the book definitely has an interesting story to tell, and there is a thoughtful message behind it, but it just wasn't the kind of book for me.
I got this book based on the premise, which sounded really interesting, and the good reviews the book received, in the end however, I didn't like it all that much.
Although I don't really know exactly what I expected of the book, the story that it told was definitely not what I was expecting. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as the story was interesting and intriguing, but in many ways wasn't my cup of tea.
The writing is quite chaotic which took me a while to get used to. the story isn't told chronologically, we skip back and forth between memories and the present. It is written with a first person point of view, and sometimes a feels a little "brain dumpy" (if that makes sense), and for me was a little hard to get into.
Overall, I think the book definitely has an interesting story to tell, and there is a thoughtful message behind it, but it just wasn't the kind of book for me.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hope has a face you can always forget. I like the idea and execution of this book. Hope, has been slowly been forgotten since she was 16. Finally the day her parents forget her she leaves home. What would you do if no one remembered you after you were out of sight for 2 minutes at the most? Would you like Hope steal to live and live well (economically)? At least until Hope meets a young woman in Dubai who she starts to like. The young woman commits suicide because of pressure she feels to be perfect like an app called Perfection. She was there to steal jewels but now since the company that is hosting the party made the app she also wants revenge.
The story is pretty interesting, the only thing I didn't like was towards the end, just because it slowed down a lot in my opinion.
The story is pretty interesting, the only thing I didn't like was towards the end, just because it slowed down a lot in my opinion.
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story of Hope Arden has a really interesting premise and Claire North's presence as a writer is everywhere, so I was expecting to really enjoy this book. I'm afraid I just don't get the hype.
The introduction and gentle build of this book seems to happen for about 200-odd pages. In another 100-odd I said to my husband 'I'm finally engaged with the plot!' and then it dwindled out for the rest of the story... I find myself disappointed having invested nearly 500 pages' worth of my time, as the plot feels decidedly lacklustre - not in imagination, but in execution.
While I found the authorial style easy to read, the narrative voice is a little choppy-changey for me; not in terms of time or continuity, but the way Hope thinks and perceives the world around her. I just can't seem to get on with it.
We have a few more Claire Norths on our bookshelves but I can't see myself picking them up.
The introduction and gentle build of this book seems to happen for about 200-odd pages. In another 100-odd I said to my husband 'I'm finally engaged with the plot!' and then it dwindled out for the rest of the story... I find myself disappointed having invested nearly 500 pages' worth of my time, as the plot feels decidedly lacklustre - not in imagination, but in execution.
While I found the authorial style easy to read, the narrative voice is a little choppy-changey for me; not in terms of time or continuity, but the way Hope thinks and perceives the world around her. I just can't seem to get on with it.
We have a few more Claire Norths on our bookshelves but I can't see myself picking them up.