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alicelalicon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
ambient's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
enjoyable for the most part but definitely slow, the first part reads “slice of life but depressed” with the way nothing happens and just follows studying in Brakebills and discovering magic and such, the action starts off very late in the book, the character development was probably the best part imo in the way sometimes Quentin felt like he was getting worse ? and then he got better and then worse again, not a linear bad-to-good, wished we got more from other characters and not just Q though
the writing’s straightforward and blunt with prose here n there, n there was more than one reference to harry pot which made it feel kinda too try-hard to be “the adult harry potter” (the marketing term itself makes me cringe a little) but it stopped before it became way too much
my worst critique was at times the writing felt stereotypically “man writing women”, had some pretty questionable at best remarks sometimes, but ultimately nice read that moved at a turtle’s pace, the end’s kind of a cliffhanger but will i be picking up the sequel ? ehh
the writing’s straightforward and blunt with prose here n there, n there was more than one reference to harry pot which made it feel kinda too try-hard to be “the adult harry potter” (
my worst critique was at times the writing felt stereotypically “man writing women”, had some pretty questionable at best remarks sometimes, but ultimately nice read that moved at a turtle’s pace, the end’s kind of a cliffhanger but will i be picking up the sequel ? ehh
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Cannibalism
jmeier's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I would give this book a five if it weren't for the mild to moderate ableism, racism, and overall attitude of white privileged. The characters are all white. The setting is all white. The narrator and protagonist us multiple disability slurs and is deeply judgemental of neurodiverse coded characters. I love the story, but it reads like something from the 80s at points, not 2009.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Classism
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Biphobia, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
sarah2438's review
1.0
If you put aside the main character, the book is pretty fun. It's very much adult Harry Potter crossed with adult Narnia. Maybe not always the most original, but if you miss those stories then it's fun to read this twist on them. Really my only serious gripe with the book is Quentin, but when that's your first-person narrator, it becomes such a pretty critical issue. (See Quentin rant below.) I would love to know more about Penny, Eliot, and Alice beyond what Quentin saw and thought of them because they all seemed so interesting, but unfortunately, Quentin is a self-absorbed pig, so they ended up feeling a bit underdeveloped for me. With him aside, the twist at the end relating to the final book didn't shock me as much as I think it was intended to. Twists need some sort of clues or buildup to get you invested and making your own guesses about what's gonna happen, and I didn't experience that here.
**Spoilers**
If I wasn't reading this to impress the guy I'm seeing, I would've DNF'd on page 11 when Quentin says "Unpretty women were so much easier to deal with in some ways-- you didn't have to face the pain of their probable unattainability." (For context: he literally just met this paramedic, who is currently working over a corpse.) Quentin is an insufferable misogynist that gives strong incel-vibes. (His hide-a-coin type magic tricks at the beginning did NOT help that image and honestly made me cringe.) All of his thoughts about women are how attractive they are and how they can serve his own needs, whether that's stroking his ego or being a sexual object. It was honestly disgusting and never seemed to improve. When he wasn't around women, Quentin did have funny moments-- I like a sarcastic douche. But he also spent most of the pitying himself, which got tiring. And yeah, he was obviously struggling with things, like disillusionment, depression, and lacking a sense of purpose. But none of those are valid excuses to cheat on your girlfriend with a threesome, and then have the nerve to be upset with her when she dumps your ass and sleeps with someone else. And when you play a stupid prank that results in major trauma to everyone in the school and the murder of a classmate, just own up to it, and don't move on after a week. God I just really hate this man and did not see any redeeming qualities in him.
Might still read the next book if this guy will let me near it after seeing my thoughts on the first one.
**Edit: He dumped me so I'm lowering my review from 2.5 to 1 star cause let's be honest, that's what it deserves. Don't curve your book review for a man, if he's recommending a bad book then take that as the red flag that it is.
**Spoilers**
If I wasn't reading this to impress the guy I'm seeing, I would've DNF'd on page 11 when Quentin says "Unpretty women were so much easier to deal with in some ways-- you didn't have to face the pain of their probable unattainability." (For context: he literally just met this paramedic, who is currently working over a corpse.) Quentin is an insufferable misogynist that gives strong incel-vibes. (His hide-a-coin type magic tricks at the beginning did NOT help that image and honestly made me cringe.) All of his thoughts about women are how attractive they are and how they can serve his own needs, whether that's stroking his ego or being a sexual object. It was honestly disgusting and never seemed to improve. When he wasn't around women, Quentin did have funny moments-- I like a sarcastic douche. But he also spent most of the pitying himself, which got tiring. And yeah, he was obviously struggling with things, like disillusionment, depression, and lacking a sense of purpose. But none of those are valid excuses to cheat on your girlfriend with a threesome, and then have the nerve to be upset with her when she dumps your ass and sleeps with someone else. And when you play a stupid prank that results in major trauma to everyone in the school and the murder of a classmate, just own up to it, and don't move on after a week. God I just really hate this man and did not see any redeeming qualities in him.
Might still read the next book if this guy will let me near it after seeing my thoughts on the first one.
**Edit: He dumped me so I'm lowering my review from 2.5 to 1 star cause let's be honest, that's what it deserves. Don't curve your book review for a man, if he's recommending a bad book then take that as the red flag that it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
doriandelioncourt's review against another edition
The writing is bad and reminds me of a fan fiction with metaphors that are far too forced. Grossman wins the crown for men-writing-women with his unnecessary sexist and even racist descriptions of the character. The gay character is made fun of for his sexuality and slut-shamed (there are rape jokes made on their behalf). The story drags because of the POV. Quentin is a whiny nice-guy protagonist who feels like an author self-insert. None of the characters are likeable, which wouldn't be a problem if their flaws were a focus of the story. All in all this book is a big cringe fest and I would not recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
loochysue's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Dang Quentin, you are so needy and whiny. I watched the show before listening to the book, and I miss the relative diversity of the TV show. I hated how the narrator railed on Josh's size, how much Quentin judged other people's appearances, and how pale everyone was in the book. Despite these, and hoping Quentin and Narrator mature in the following books, I do love the universe of The Magicians.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
laurenleigh's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ugh I didn’t enjoy this. I love me a magical school trope, but this was missing all the fun. The story zips through 5 whole years of school in just the first of four parts. And yet the pacing felt slow? It seemed like three separate novels that were pared way down and smashed together. The last part finally got magical and interesting, but I was over this novel as a whole by then. I almost never DNF, but I almost did a few times with this one. Mainly because of sooo many sexist, ableist, and fatphobic microaggressions. It often felt like a Harry Potter/Narnia rip off, from the perspective of a whiny, horny, privileged white guy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism and Sexism
lauralintunen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexism
loppylolly's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
0.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
archaicgambit's review against another edition
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
IF YOU LOVE THE SYFY SERIES AND ARE DISAPPOINTED IN HOW IT ENDED, do NOT, I repeat, do NOT read this book.
-Quentin is a huge misogynist in book 1. His character is completely straight. His relationship with Eliot is a friendship that’s kind of homoerotic If u squint, rather than a full blown relationship where they raised a son together. He continually bullies Penny for exhibiting autistic traits. His behavior improves slightly in book 2, where the exploration of his depression is also written better, but the character is still not the kind-but struggling person Show fans loved & mourned.
-Quentin is a huge misogynist in book 1. His character is completely straight. His relationship with Eliot is a friendship that’s kind of homoerotic If u squint, rather than a full blown relationship where they raised a son together. He continually bullies Penny for exhibiting autistic traits. His behavior improves slightly in book 2, where the exploration of his depression is also written better, but the character is still not the kind-but struggling person Show fans loved & mourned.
-everyone is white, whereas the show is racially diverse. Kady, Marina, and other fan-favourite female characters essentially do not exist.
-Janet (Margo) gets maybe 5 seconds of screen time where she seduces Q, and Alice belittles her friendship with Eliot, claiming she must want him sexually for them to be that close.
-Alice is the only decently written female character in book one. But the bar is on the floor. She turns into a dragon during the fight with the beast though, so that's fun.
That said, there IS still some good prose and trolling of JKR. There are a lot of moments where I felt like lev was enjoying how he structured it as a writer even though I didn't enjoy it as a reader, I could like, sort of respect it?
Also the commentary on Narnia that forms the basis for the show is pretty solid. The base elements of what makes the show great are there, they just seriously needed to be fixed (and they were for the most part!)
The new The Magicians comics are being written by a trans woman, so I'm glad it seemed like Lev's learned to respect women since then.
-Alice is the only decently written female character in book one. But the bar is on the floor.
That said, there IS still some good prose and trolling of JKR. There are a lot of moments where I felt like lev was enjoying how he structured it as a writer even though I didn't enjoy it as a reader, I could like, sort of respect it?
Also the commentary on Narnia that forms the basis for the show is pretty solid. The base elements of what makes the show great are there, they just seriously needed to be fixed (and they were for the most part!)
The new The Magicians comics are being written by a trans woman, so I'm glad it seemed like Lev's learned to respect women since then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racism and Sexual content
Minor: Gore
deals mainly with themes of mental illness, be careful!