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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Beautiful writing but confusing pacing. The book bounced around so much that I never felt like I knew any of the characters or what was going on with them.
My mental review/stars-to-assign fluctuated a lot while reading this book. I started reading it blindly. I was immediately struck by the incredible writing. And then I learned that it's a fantasy novel, not a genre I really enjoy. But I stuck with it for the writing.
I really like when different characters/plotlines are intertwined. The first few sections seemed totally unrelated, but then when names started coming up a second time and the connections unveiled themselves, I was more hooked. But there are SO many characters and plotlines, and the book is long enough that a lot of time had passed since characters' previous mentions. I recommend a hard copy of this rather than ebook or audiobook since I had to flip back a lot to search for names. The mystery narrator was super confusing.
I also didn't care for the ending. The author was clearly very intentional with the representation in the books and allusions to current events. I LOVED the representation--lots of LGBTQ+ folks, race, relationship structures, etc. And I thought it was going to be a book about racist police practices at first. But then that subplot didn't matter as much. And the end seemed to just be like "here's another terrible thing that really happens!" that was just out of the blue and scary for no reason.
Beautiful writing, but I'm glad to be done and won't read the sequels.
I really like when different characters/plotlines are intertwined. The first few sections seemed totally unrelated, but then when names started coming up a second time and the connections unveiled themselves, I was more hooked. But there are SO many characters and plotlines, and the book is long enough that a lot of time had passed since characters' previous mentions. I recommend a hard copy of this rather than ebook or audiobook since I had to flip back a lot to search for names. The mystery narrator was super confusing.
I also didn't care for the ending. The author was clearly very intentional with the representation in the books and allusions to current events. I LOVED the representation--lots of LGBTQ+ folks, race, relationship structures, etc. And I thought it was going to be a book about racist police practices at first. But then that subplot didn't matter as much. And the end seemed to just be like "here's another terrible thing that really happens!" that was just out of the blue and scary for no reason.
Beautiful writing, but I'm glad to be done and won't read the sequels.
Turnbull has built a fantastic world here - straddles the line perfectly between myths and monsters and our real-world lives. (Some of the metaphors are a little too on-the-nose, but that's forgivable given how well his writing speaks to issues of inclusivity, ostracization and privilege.) Unfortunately, just as things are getting really interesting, the book ends without much of a denouement - no doubt to leave things wide open for The Convergence Saga, #2. So be prepared for that, but as a setup for things to come it gets the job done. (Bonus points for the Boston setting.)
Read this for the local library’s book club and the group had mixed reactions (some loved, others - like me - hated the book). The time jumps and vignette (almost Love Actually style in terms of the connections between characters) made the book difficult to follow and lost me. I trudged through the second half of the book.
A few really strong points for prose, imagination in developing some of the monsters (though we learn so little about the FANTASY in this urban fantasy), and I guess including so much on massachusetts. But I never felt like it NEEDED to all be random Massachusetts suburbs when spreading the story out a bit might have justified the 10,000 characters they introduced.
The book just wasn’t for me — some people in the book club raves about it and said it was one of their favorites so far, but I couldn’t get into it.
A few really strong points for prose, imagination in developing some of the monsters (though we learn so little about the FANTASY in this urban fantasy), and I guess including so much on massachusetts. But I never felt like it NEEDED to all be random Massachusetts suburbs when spreading the story out a bit might have justified the 10,000 characters they introduced.
The book just wasn’t for me — some people in the book club raves about it and said it was one of their favorites so far, but I couldn’t get into it.
"It isn't selfish to protect yourself from abusive people.""
This one wasn't for me. I struggled to get thru it. It's more contemporary. With drug use and ending up on the streets. Crappy Family Ties and all that jazz, but added "werewolves" (shifters) into the mix with a little dragon, a girl who can take her skin off and be invisible and a guy who can walk through and even control time.
The end even has a riot.
But just wasn't my cup of tea.
This one wasn't for me. I struggled to get thru it. It's more contemporary. With drug use and ending up on the streets. Crappy Family Ties and all that jazz, but added "werewolves" (shifters) into the mix with a little dragon, a girl who can take her skin off and be invisible and a guy who can walk through and even control time.
The end even has a riot.
But just wasn't my cup of tea.
Wow!!! This book. It wasn’t until around the middle of this book where I realized I was hooked and really couldn’t put this book down. I don’t know if I followed it as perfect as I could’ve, but to me that was kind of the magic. It felt realistic that I vaguely remembered each character; that I felt like I had seen them before but couldn’t remember when. I think that was part of the magic of this book and what made it feel so realistic. A really awesome social commentary told through a fantastic sci-fi/fantasy.
It reminded me a lot of When Women Were Dragons.
It reminded me a lot of When Women Were Dragons.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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