You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Wow
I may go back and rewrite this later, having just finished the book, but I"m not sure if I want to give it four and a half stars or five. I'm not sure about a lot, having read this book.
Is this a book about nature vs. science? Is this a book about where life leads us? Is this a book about how not to parent? Or is it all these things and none of these things.
The story is about two people. One who is of nature, a witch, and the other who is of science. But there is much more. And both have parents that don't understand them to the point of child abuse.
The story starts with the protagonists in a metaphorical tree, with the author throwing rocks at them, and she continues to throw rocks at them throughout the book.
It starts in their childhood, and continues until they are in their 20s, or so. It is the near future, or an alternative version of the present, hard to say. Global warming has changed things to be sure, evidenced by a warm, sweltering San Francisco.
Other reviews will probably give away more of the plot. I believe it is better to go into this cold. I can't compare this to other writers, but if you have read Charlie on i09, or read her short story, six months, three days, and you like those, I believe you will enjoy using this book.
There are probably deeper meanings that I have not gotten, in the first read, but it was a good book, and worth waiting for.
I may go back and rewrite this later, having just finished the book, but I"m not sure if I want to give it four and a half stars or five. I'm not sure about a lot, having read this book.
Is this a book about nature vs. science? Is this a book about where life leads us? Is this a book about how not to parent? Or is it all these things and none of these things.
The story is about two people. One who is of nature, a witch, and the other who is of science. But there is much more. And both have parents that don't understand them to the point of child abuse.
The story starts with the protagonists in a metaphorical tree, with the author throwing rocks at them, and she continues to throw rocks at them throughout the book.
It starts in their childhood, and continues until they are in their 20s, or so. It is the near future, or an alternative version of the present, hard to say. Global warming has changed things to be sure, evidenced by a warm, sweltering San Francisco.
Other reviews will probably give away more of the plot. I believe it is better to go into this cold. I can't compare this to other writers, but if you have read Charlie on i09, or read her short story, six months, three days, and you like those, I believe you will enjoy using this book.
There are probably deeper meanings that I have not gotten, in the first read, but it was a good book, and worth waiting for.
Magic versus modernity...but also magic becomes modernity (or vice versa?). Weak, flawed characters you want to shake but also can't help but love and root for. This book gives technology personality and magic a role within contemporary society and "advancement."
Very unsure about this one. I enjoyed the beginning but then it lost me a bit and the ending did not sit well with me. Also, death by metaphor.
An enjoyable novel despite being uneven. I kept forgetting who the secondary characters were, since they were quite flimsy and often only acted as plot devices. We had such a tight focus on Laurence and Patricia that it was often hard to relate to how society functions within this magical, quantum mechanical accessible, pre-apocalypse. The exception was Peregrine, but even that character was given short shrift. The idea that when magic and science are at war nobody wins is compelling, but I'm not sure if this story explored it with enough depth.
Never have I read a book that so excellently blended my strange tastes. All the birds in the sky was exactly my cup of tea.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge 2019
Task #18 A novel by a trans or nonbinary author
Task #18 A novel by a trans or nonbinary author
This was a fun mix of science fiction and fantasy: the witch and the scientist. The characters came to life, and the story was compelling and mysterious.
There is a sex scene in the middle that seems out of place with the rest book. I don't normally have a problem with sex scenes but this one was slightly uncomfortable. I was really enjoying the characters until then, but felt like I was intruding on their love-making.
There is a sex scene in the middle that seems out of place with the rest book. I don't normally have a problem with sex scenes but this one was slightly uncomfortable. I was really enjoying the characters until then, but felt like I was intruding on their love-making.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
What an odd but charming little book. I can certainly see why some love and some hate it. I enjoyed the characters, especially that 1/3 of them were animals.
Recommended for people that hate predictable books and also for people who enjoy explicitly unsexy sex scenes.
Recommended for people that hate predictable books and also for people who enjoy explicitly unsexy sex scenes.