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kalkn's review against another edition
1.0
DID NOT FINISH
I wanted to live this book but I couldn't. I kept world for something to happen but it never did. It doesn't know what it is with its references to a Narnia clone and Harry Potter it couldn't device if it was fun or serious. Got to the point where they made it to Fillroy and finally quit. Would not suggest to anyone to read.
I wanted to live this book but I couldn't. I kept world for something to happen but it never did. It doesn't know what it is with its references to a Narnia clone and Harry Potter it couldn't device if it was fun or serious. Got to the point where they made it to Fillroy and finally quit. Would not suggest to anyone to read.
sinestrogirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sadieros73's review against another edition
1.0
I read a good chunk of this book before I decided it wasn't something I wanted emblazed in my brain. I skimmed the end to figure out how it ended and instantly regretted the time I spent even doing that much. What bugs me the most is the boring interludes on "Fillory", which is really code for Narnia. The first parts of the book introduce this other land by narrating how a guy had read about it. I would have preferred parrallel chapters with the Chatwins in the fantasy land instead of all the third-hand accounts which do not feel relevant to the story until you hit the third major partition.
My misery level reading this was on par with my experience with Game of Thrones, except none of these characters are redeemable. The characters remind me of a bunch of Paris Hiltons riding a false high (yeah they all turn out to be substance abusers) to fantasy land where, all of the sudden, you have to remember the boring Fillory stuff I skipped over in the beginning. The main character is no Harry Potter unless you put Harry on the road to hell with a fifth of Jack and a bag of coke.
I don't think curiosity will get me reading book two, but if I become one of those self-flagellating monks I'll consider it.
My misery level reading this was on par with my experience with Game of Thrones, except none of these characters are redeemable. The characters remind me of a bunch of Paris Hiltons riding a false high (yeah they all turn out to be substance abusers) to fantasy land where, all of the sudden, you have to remember the boring Fillory stuff I skipped over in the beginning. The main character is no Harry Potter unless you put Harry on the road to hell with a fifth of Jack and a bag of coke.
I don't think curiosity will get me reading book two, but if I become one of those self-flagellating monks I'll consider it.
treniseferreira's review against another edition
1.0
A book that had so much promise but was painfully boring and disappointingly low on plot development. Do not read! You'll regret it, like I did.
erikaq's review against another edition
4.0
The book is very much a coming of age story. It borrows heavily from Narnia and yet twists that into something darker and more interesting. The idea of magic school obviously has some conotations of Harry Potter and all of that is fine because by being aware of that, it informs how the book is read and I can see why it's called the adult Harry Potter. It shines in that it is a realistic take on magic and on the consequences that it can have and it doesn't shy away from showing that just like real life, fantasy can have flaws.
Quentin is depressed and listless and his coping mechanism is the Fillory and More books and when it turns out that he can do magic that changes his world and yet it doesn’t thrust him into a different land or world where he can actually do anything with those powers past learn how to use them which in a way makes the whole thing pointless and yet that's exactly what the book is pointing out. We get to see Quentin have the typical college life and after he’s done with school, he really does nothing except to hang out with his friends and get drunk and high. Until Fillory turns out to be real and that changes things.
But going to Fillory and going on a quest is nothing like what he could have expected and the reality is that he and his friends are not prepared to face that but somehow they do and there are concequences to that.
The book does so well at establishing interesting and relatable and broken characters. It deals with an adult take on what it would be like if a fantasy world were real and what that would actually be like especially taking into account the difficult and often complex relationships that adults have with both friends and lovers.
Overall I enjoyed it and I'll check out the sequels.
Quentin is depressed and listless and his coping mechanism is the Fillory and More books and when it turns out that he can do magic that changes his world and yet it doesn’t thrust him into a different land or world where he can actually do anything with those powers past learn how to use them which in a way makes the whole thing pointless and yet that's exactly what the book is pointing out. We get to see Quentin have the typical college life and after he’s done with school, he really does nothing except to hang out with his friends and get drunk and high. Until Fillory turns out to be real and that changes things.
But going to Fillory and going on a quest is nothing like what he could have expected and the reality is that he and his friends are not prepared to face that but somehow they do and there are concequences to that.
The book does so well at establishing interesting and relatable and broken characters. It deals with an adult take on what it would be like if a fantasy world were real and what that would actually be like especially taking into account the difficult and often complex relationships that adults have with both friends and lovers.
Overall I enjoyed it and I'll check out the sequels.
nrm1123's review against another edition
5.0
Harry Potter but for adults! Absolutely loved it!!! Highly recommend!
noom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
God what a book, I ate it up. It's an odd book for sure, but really engaging. The plot is bonkers but never falls apart. The magic system is interesting and the world building is unique.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Violence
wyvy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cameliaiantuc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25