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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Okay, second time around, yes, this book has it's flaws. But there's just this quality it has that I can't think of a word for, that I just love. So the rating doesn't change.
I'll generously give this book a three. The plot line was well thought out and I liked the mythology, but it was very slow. It took me about three months to read and I didn't retain most of it when most books I can read within a day and remember at least 80% of it.
I love fictional stories based on real people, and "The Alchemyst" did not disappoint. The amount of research that went into the development of these characters is something I truly appreciate and I look forward to seeing what happens with the teen protagonists, Sophie and Josh, as the series unfolds. Though this might fall into the "teens save the world from apocalyptic disaster" genre that is rampant right now, it is at least very well done and enjoyable to read.
this book is kinda boring so far. but i only read like 1 1/2 chapters so yea
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book, and the series in general. The only reason I didn't give it four stars is because I disliked the protagonists. Josh makes a series of obviously bad decisions throughout the series and Sophie is pretty passive. This should have been a deal-breaker, but Scott pulls off the supporting cast of characters and the worldbuilding with true magnificence. In Scott's world, the Elder gods can grant immortality to humans in return for their service. This allows Scott to populate the modern world with these immortal characters from history--Jean of Arc, Macchiavelli, Billy the Kid, to name a few of my favorites. I loved watching them interact and scheme, though if I recall that occurs mainly in the later books.
The only way I could bring myself to get through this book was to notate every single thing that peeved me off. It was just... Bad is not the word? I would be okay with it if this book was simply bad. But it was a tease, is what it was. The plot sounds SO good. And the plot is not at all the problem, I was actually very into the plot. But the writing is dry and repetitive, the characters are literally ALL insufferable, OP'd and wishy washy. It got ... minorly tolerable in the very last chapter, but this is the first book that has convinced me never to pick up the rest of the series.