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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
As a huge fan of this author I can say this book wasn't one of my favorites of hers, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The premise of the book is unique and eerie. There is a constant mysterious atmosphere throughout the story and while it's a slower-paced book, it had its fair share of page-turning moments.
I thought that certain mechanics of the story could have been more fleshed out. I also wish we'd gotten to read more of the secondary character as the main character could be a bit frustrating at times. I've started reading the second book and I'm already liking it more than this so we shall see.
I thought that certain mechanics of the story could have been more fleshed out. I also wish we'd gotten to read more of the secondary character as the main character could be a bit frustrating at times. I've started reading the second book and I'm already liking it more than this so we shall see.
3.5
This book was just ok. I was expecting to love it way more than I did so maybe it was me putting up so many expectatives for it.
But still I overall enjoyed the story and the characters but it didn't make any impact on me and i wasn't that invested in the story. Anyways I'll read the next book in a few months maybe and hopefully i'll like it better
This book was just ok. I was expecting to love it way more than I did so maybe it was me putting up so many expectatives for it.
But still I overall enjoyed the story and the characters but it didn't make any impact on me and i wasn't that invested in the story. Anyways I'll read the next book in a few months maybe and hopefully i'll like it better
Reread on December 2nd, 2016 as part of my 3-day Camping Marathon! LOVED IT EVEN MORE THE SECOND TIME ROUND. I had forgotten so much, but omg omg omg, rereading this after I've read VE SCHWAB'S brilliant Vicious and really lovely A Darker Shade of Magic, I see everything I missed before.
And that is VE SCWAB is a genius.
Since Vicious, she has been one of my favourite authors! But now, she is just even more so :)).
The below review still, and most definitely, applies.
------------------------------------------
ORIGINALLY READ 2014 June 19-30
Omg, how should I say this? This probably has one of the more original ideas I've read in a long time. It's definitely full on fantasy so much that you don't really get much explanations on various aspects of the world, rather that you're thrown into the world and suddenly surround by the terms "keeper-killer", "keeper", "crew", "the Narrows" and so on. It's a little startling, and confusing, but yet, it completely throws you into the story and you just totally understand. It becomes second nature the use of these terms and so on. Good stories do that. And while I had my issues to begin with, by the end, I was pretty much OMG TELL ME WHAT IT IS!
[Plot]
The plot is slow at the beginning, but not really for long. Right from the inception, you feel the sense of the plot hanging there. You know something will happen, so you're patient. I was definitely patient and the patience paid off. Of course, alot of the time, I was confused by the bits of the past, and the terms "da", "dad" and "Ben". It took me ages and a pointer from Samantha for me to figure out that "Da" was referring to Mac's granddad and that she lives with her father and mother, and that Ben is her brother. But once I sorted that out, I'm pretty much sucked into the plot. What I liked about the plot is that, it's gripping. There are characters and villains who you may either guess or not guess as the villain, because their character formulation is done so well, you feel for them. And yet, they are also your classic kind of villain, murderous, deranged, messed up. But mostly, what carries the story through is Mac's voice.
[Characters]
I love Mac. Sure she's got her pros and cons, but she has character. And I came to like her flaws as much as her virtues. I like that she's strong, that she's always been strong. She has this voice which makes me want to be her, feel her pain, and follow her journey. I wasn't irritated by her. I wasn't disappointed either. She had yearning, desire, happiness, sadness, relief, fear. She had all of those. It was great, I love her. Funnily, there were moments where something she did was potentially very stupid, and yet…I didn’t think in my head that was stupid instead, I thought it was all very rational because the feelings were there.
The boys. Oh the boys. They were both the part I disliked, and also liked. Both boys are different. I’m not even going to described them because if I do, it’ll spoil the story. But, of course, there is a slight love triangle there, and I didn’t particularly like it. But yet, it wasn’t as though she was in love with both of them. With one, it was just about the touch and the idea of ‘escaping’, purely physical, whereas with the other, it was friends first – even if there was that magical moment when he revealed his secret to her, there was a lot of detail to that moment, and it was heavily emphasizing the moment they connected. I did sort of think that was unnecessary, but then, at the same time, I think it was necessary for her character. So between Mac and that particular guy, I didn’t think it was so bad. As for the other one (the one with a touchy feely – it’s not that touchy feely, just kissing and whatnot – relationship with Mac) he’s interesting. And I wonder if perhaps he’ll come back in the next book or if he’s gone for good in this one.
Other supporting characters. I was a bit wary of half of them because I didn’t know where they stood in the picture, whether they were good or bad or shifty. But maybe I’m just out of practice. Lyndsey who is Mac’s bestie, well, it was nice to actually see her pop up at the end, as a person rather than just a voice over the phone. I don’t think much of her though…it’s hard to when her part right now is so small and insignificant, makes me wonder if she’ll get a bigger part later on. Usually the best friend does. And then, sometimes not.
And then there was Roland, the Librarian. Now, for a while I thought pretty suspiciously of him, not sure whose side he was on much less whether he was helping Mac or not. But his little twist was awesome ;)
[Setting]
The Coronado, a really old building that used to be a hotel. Stocked up with Histories. And the Archive, where Mac visits often and where Histories are stored.
[Terminology]
- Histories – when people die, they become ‘Histories’ with a capital ‘H’. Like ghosts, only, in this world, they are stored away in the Archive, like books, to rest forever.
- Keeper – such as Mac, who carries a key that will allow her to open any dorm and take a History through to the ‘returns’ which if you think about the library, is where they are collected by the Librarian and filed away.
- Archive – a library of Histories run by the Librarians
- Crew – the next level of Keeper, they guard the Outer (which is away from the Narrows and the Archive and essentially reality)
- The Narrows – the space in between the world of the Archive and the Outer where the Histories that have died (not necessarily recently but over time and they pop up needing to be collected) are. It is also where the Keepers take the Histories through to the Returns
[Overall Thoughts]
I really did enjoy this overall, even if it began a little slowly and there was a slight confusion over the terms. The second half is pretty much bam, bam, bam. There’s mystery, there’s action, there’s romance, there’s angst, and there’s Mac who’s just doing her Keeper job. I think for those looking for a fresh approach to ghosts and ghost like stories, this is one of them.
And that is VE SCWAB is a genius.
Since Vicious, she has been one of my favourite authors! But now, she is just even more so :)).
The below review still, and most definitely, applies.
------------------------------------------
ORIGINALLY READ 2014 June 19-30
Omg, how should I say this? This probably has one of the more original ideas I've read in a long time. It's definitely full on fantasy so much that you don't really get much explanations on various aspects of the world, rather that you're thrown into the world and suddenly surround by the terms "keeper-killer", "keeper", "crew", "the Narrows" and so on. It's a little startling, and confusing, but yet, it completely throws you into the story and you just totally understand. It becomes second nature the use of these terms and so on. Good stories do that. And while I had my issues to begin with, by the end, I was pretty much OMG TELL ME WHAT IT IS!
[Plot]
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what she once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.
The plot is slow at the beginning, but not really for long. Right from the inception, you feel the sense of the plot hanging there. You know something will happen, so you're patient. I was definitely patient and the patience paid off. Of course, alot of the time, I was confused by the bits of the past, and the terms "da", "dad" and "Ben". It took me ages and a pointer from Samantha for me to figure out that "Da" was referring to Mac's granddad and that she lives with her father and mother, and that Ben is her brother. But once I sorted that out, I'm pretty much sucked into the plot. What I liked about the plot is that, it's gripping. There are characters and villains who you may either guess or not guess as the villain, because their character formulation is done so well, you feel for them. And yet, they are also your classic kind of villain, murderous, deranged, messed up. But mostly, what carries the story through is Mac's voice.
[Characters]
I love Mac. Sure she's got her pros and cons, but she has character. And I came to like her flaws as much as her virtues. I like that she's strong, that she's always been strong. She has this voice which makes me want to be her, feel her pain, and follow her journey. I wasn't irritated by her. I wasn't disappointed either. She had yearning, desire, happiness, sadness, relief, fear. She had all of those. It was great, I love her. Funnily, there were moments where something she did was potentially very stupid, and yet…I didn’t think in my head that was stupid instead, I thought it was all very rational because the feelings were there.
The boys. Oh the boys. They were both the part I disliked, and also liked. Both boys are different. I’m not even going to described them because if I do, it’ll spoil the story. But, of course, there is a slight love triangle there, and I didn’t particularly like it. But yet, it wasn’t as though she was in love with both of them. With one, it was just about the touch and the idea of ‘escaping’, purely physical, whereas with the other, it was friends first – even if there was that magical moment when he revealed his secret to her, there was a lot of detail to that moment, and it was heavily emphasizing the moment they connected. I did sort of think that was unnecessary, but then, at the same time, I think it was necessary for her character. So between Mac and that particular guy, I didn’t think it was so bad. As for the other one (the one with a touchy feely – it’s not that touchy feely, just kissing and whatnot – relationship with Mac) he’s interesting. And I wonder if perhaps he’ll come back in the next book or if he’s gone for good in this one.
Other supporting characters. I was a bit wary of half of them because I didn’t know where they stood in the picture, whether they were good or bad or shifty. But maybe I’m just out of practice. Lyndsey who is Mac’s bestie, well, it was nice to actually see her pop up at the end, as a person rather than just a voice over the phone. I don’t think much of her though…it’s hard to when her part right now is so small and insignificant, makes me wonder if she’ll get a bigger part later on. Usually the best friend does. And then, sometimes not.
And then there was Roland, the Librarian. Now, for a while I thought pretty suspiciously of him, not sure whose side he was on much less whether he was helping Mac or not. But his little twist was awesome ;)
[Setting]
The Coronado, a really old building that used to be a hotel. Stocked up with Histories. And the Archive, where Mac visits often and where Histories are stored.
[Terminology]
- Histories – when people die, they become ‘Histories’ with a capital ‘H’. Like ghosts, only, in this world, they are stored away in the Archive, like books, to rest forever.
- Keeper – such as Mac, who carries a key that will allow her to open any dorm and take a History through to the ‘returns’ which if you think about the library, is where they are collected by the Librarian and filed away.
- Archive – a library of Histories run by the Librarians
- Crew – the next level of Keeper, they guard the Outer (which is away from the Narrows and the Archive and essentially reality)
- The Narrows – the space in between the world of the Archive and the Outer where the Histories that have died (not necessarily recently but over time and they pop up needing to be collected) are. It is also where the Keepers take the Histories through to the Returns
[Overall Thoughts]
I really did enjoy this overall, even if it began a little slowly and there was a slight confusion over the terms. The second half is pretty much bam, bam, bam. There’s mystery, there’s action, there’s romance, there’s angst, and there’s Mac who’s just doing her Keeper job. I think for those looking for a fresh approach to ghosts and ghost like stories, this is one of them.
Ak, kas par jauku glāzi ar retro YA. :D
Stipra divdimensionālu tēlu nots ar ne-kā-citas-meitenes galvenās varones piegaršu, kombinējumā ar seconhand embarrassment, kas ietver visu Wes tēla veidošanas lēmumu. :D :D
Kāpēc atsevišķa frakcija ar 2011.gadā izprātotajām grāmatām izklausās pēc bariņa ar emo kloniem? (To es vaicāju kā viena šī klona īpašniece :D) Kas valdīja pār rakstnieku prātiem šīs dekādes sākumā?? Tā ir īstā paranormālā mistērija. :D
Ir uzjautrinoši atgriezties pagātnes vēsmās, bet vēl lielāks prieks,ka pēc tam vari kaut izvārtīties pa veselu klājienu ar mūsdienīgāku un superīgu YA, jo uzlabojumi pa šiem 6-7 gadiem ir MILZĪGI.
Stipra divdimensionālu tēlu nots ar ne-kā-citas-meitenes galvenās varones piegaršu, kombinējumā ar seconhand embarrassment, kas ietver visu Wes tēla veidošanas lēmumu. :D :D
Kāpēc atsevišķa frakcija ar 2011.gadā izprātotajām grāmatām izklausās pēc bariņa ar emo kloniem? (To es vaicāju kā viena šī klona īpašniece :D) Kas valdīja pār rakstnieku prātiem šīs dekādes sākumā?? Tā ir īstā paranormālā mistērija. :D
Ir uzjautrinoši atgriezties pagātnes vēsmās, bet vēl lielāks prieks,ka pēc tam vari kaut izvārtīties pa veselu klājienu ar mūsdienīgāku un superīgu YA, jo uzlabojumi pa šiem 6-7 gadiem ir MILZĪGI.
When you read a lot, you often find yourself identifying with characters in one way or another.
but on very rare occasions you end up staring into a mirror. on every page.
leave it to VES to do this to me. #whereisbookthree
but on very rare occasions you end up staring into a mirror. on every page.
leave it to VES to do this to me. #whereisbookthree
It’s confusing, it’s heartstopping. And it’s so unbelieveably Schwab, if you know what I mean.
There’s a reason I’m head over heels in love with her. The closest any author has come to this feeling [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1460918410p2/1330292.jpg], and while I’m more than happy to sell my firstborn for her, she just doesn’t have the magic [a:Victoria Schwab|3099544|Victoria Schwab|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1336685438p2/3099544.jpg] does.
You read any review for this book, it’s impossible to go further than two sentences without a mention of guyliner. I certainly don’t have anything against Wesley Ayers (look, I'm as much in love with him as the next person) but, he’s no reason to read this book.
Mackenzie Bishop is.
The crazy to the point of endearing word building is.
The freakish plot is.
Victoria Schwab’s awe-inspiring writing style is.
It’s been so long since I devoured a book in one sitting, and am I glad this was the book. From chapter one, I was hooked to the core. This isn’t all crazy anti heroes and mindgames, but it isn’t backstabbing and pirates and kisses either. It’s different.
But hey, it’s a well known fact I’m Schwab trash. So really, it can’t come as a surprise that I will, in all probability be thrusting this book out to strangers and friend alike, because everybody needs a little weird in their life.
We are nothing but recorded moments.
There’s a reason I’m head over heels in love with her. The closest any author has come to this feeling [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1460918410p2/1330292.jpg], and while I’m more than happy to sell my firstborn for her, she just doesn’t have the magic [a:Victoria Schwab|3099544|Victoria Schwab|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1336685438p2/3099544.jpg] does.
What if echoes through my head as I hunt.
What if haunts me through the Narrows.
What if follows me home.
You read any review for this book, it’s impossible to go further than two sentences without a mention of guyliner. I certainly don’t have anything against Wesley Ayers (look, I'm as much in love with him as the next person) but, he’s no reason to read this book.
Mackenzie Bishop is.
The crazy to the point of endearing word building is.
The freakish plot is.
Victoria Schwab’s awe-inspiring writing style is.
It’s been so long since I devoured a book in one sitting, and am I glad this was the book. From chapter one, I was hooked to the core. This isn’t all crazy anti heroes and mindgames, but it isn’t backstabbing and pirates and kisses either. It’s different.
But hey, it’s a well known fact I’m Schwab trash. So really, it can’t come as a surprise that I will, in all probability be thrusting this book out to strangers and friend alike, because everybody needs a little weird in their life.
BR #1 with my #1 Yam <3
I never stop wondering about the who and the why. I just learn to stop admitting it.
This book had been on my TBR forever because I really liked the Monsters of Verity duology. Also, I love any kind of twist on the "library" so if you know any good alternate library books, let me know in the comments! To get into my review, I felt like the world was pretty complex and didn't really get explained very well at the beginning, which just left me feeling confused. I was also very confused for the first three chapters because I didn't realize that Da and Dad were not both Mackenzie's father. I liked Mackenzie as a main character, but she made some really questionable decisions. I never really understood her resistance for sharing information with the librarians, but especially Roland. He seemed to obviously be on her side and some things could have been prevented if she had been more transparent. I thought Wesley was a bit much as a character, but I did like watching his relationship with Mackenzie develop. Owen, on the other hand...that relationship seemed to come out of nowhere. In the end, there was a twist that I did NOT see coming and I'm just left with so many questions. Like, what is up with Ms. Angelli? Such a mystery.
Finally got my hands on this and The Unbound while in the UK, the last two Schwab books I have to read and then I’ve done them all.
I had a really good time with this, specifically the settings and concept really stood out to me. I loved all the time we spent in the Narrows, it was such a unique take on a purgatory styled location, quite literally existing between a place of life and death.
Mackenzie is a good protagonist but is definitely one of Schwabs more generation stock protagonists I’ve read. I’ve noticed in their earlier works the characters tend to be this way. Similarly, the writing is very much Schwab’s style but still feels like the early days before she really found her niche and voice.
Overall, I had a great time with this book, it’s Schwab, I’m bound to love it. While it may be a little more simple plotted and characterized than some of her later works, it still manages to have a great atmosphere that kept me turning pages all day long.
I had a really good time with this, specifically the settings and concept really stood out to me. I loved all the time we spent in the Narrows, it was such a unique take on a purgatory styled location, quite literally existing between a place of life and death.
Mackenzie is a good protagonist but is definitely one of Schwabs more generation stock protagonists I’ve read. I’ve noticed in their earlier works the characters tend to be this way. Similarly, the writing is very much Schwab’s style but still feels like the early days before she really found her niche and voice.
Overall, I had a great time with this book, it’s Schwab, I’m bound to love it. While it may be a little more simple plotted and characterized than some of her later works, it still manages to have a great atmosphere that kept me turning pages all day long.
Took a bit to get into, but then I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to start book 2!
Me lo esperaba mejor
Esta no ha sido una lectura muy rápida que se diga, creo que esto se debe a que la autora no le ha sabido sacar completamente todo el potencial que se le puede sacar a esta historia, creo que esta es una historia con muchos temas muy interesantes y que si los hubiera tratado algo mejor hubiera podido convertirse en una muy buena lectura.
He de decir que aunque la lectura sí que se me haya hecho pesada en algunos momentos, hay en otros en los que enganchaba mucho, por una de las primeras veces en mis reseñas confirmo que este al menos sí me ha parecido un final digno, con posiblidad de una segunda parte pero no viéndote obligado a leerla para saber el final de la historia, me parece que efectivamente este final sí que ha sido bastante bueno.
También este libro me ha sorprendido mucho en el aspecto de creatividad ya que aunque algunos momentos eran muy cliché, en otros momentos su creatividad me ha encantado.
Ya llevaba bastante tiempo queriendo leer a V.E. Schwab y no creeo que haya sido un mal comienzo de lectura de esta escritora, no tengo claro cuando lo haré hueco, pero estoy seguro de que una de mis próximas lecturas será la segunda parte de esta novela.
Esta no ha sido una lectura muy rápida que se diga, creo que esto se debe a que la autora no le ha sabido sacar completamente todo el potencial que se le puede sacar a esta historia, creo que esta es una historia con muchos temas muy interesantes y que si los hubiera tratado algo mejor hubiera podido convertirse en una muy buena lectura.
He de decir que aunque la lectura sí que se me haya hecho pesada en algunos momentos, hay en otros en los que enganchaba mucho, por una de las primeras veces en mis reseñas confirmo que este al menos sí me ha parecido un final digno, con posiblidad de una segunda parte pero no viéndote obligado a leerla para saber el final de la historia, me parece que efectivamente este final sí que ha sido bastante bueno.
También este libro me ha sorprendido mucho en el aspecto de creatividad ya que aunque algunos momentos eran muy cliché, en otros momentos su creatividad me ha encantado.
Ya llevaba bastante tiempo queriendo leer a V.E. Schwab y no creeo que haya sido un mal comienzo de lectura de esta escritora, no tengo claro cuando lo haré hueco, pero estoy seguro de que una de mis próximas lecturas será la segunda parte de esta novela.