Reviews

Los magos by Lev Grossman

m_rut's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ddaypunk's review against another edition

5.0

I must say I had been wanting to read this book for a while and it became the display picture for my book club composed of family members and friends...however, whenever read this. I had purchased it from a Borders going out of business sale for less than $5 and it sat on my shelf a while. This book is like taking Harry Potter and adding a R rating to it. I love the sarcastic writing style that Grossman uses in the book and how it takes small stabs at other works such as the Harry Potter and LOTR series as if they exist within the world he has created. Overall I loved this book and it has been one of my favorite reads in the last 2 years.

laurenasuzano's review against another edition

unfortunately i am not in the headspace for reading right now but also i strongly dislike being in quentin’s perspective. i can appreciate that he is a teenage boy, but i cannot will myself to care to see through his coming of age maturity IF it comes. not in my interest right now, may return, but i’d rather focus on my physical tbr right now

meginsanity's review against another edition

I really don't want to review a book I didn't manage to finish but I feel like I invested so much into it I really ought to at least let it have a spot on my Goodreads shelves. Unfortunately I got to page 230 or so and just couldn't finish it. I really enjoyed the first part, Book 1. Lev Grossman took the concept of a magical boarding school, like Harry Potter, and really went very in-depth and logically into it and fleshed it into something very different than JK Rowling but still just as excellent. The concept was great, the spooky stuff was really spooky and the characters were good. Maybe a bit one-dimensional and unchanging. But good.

But where I'm at now, where I'm putting down the book - the characters have changed and not in a way that makes them readable. I can't stand... really can't stand... the type of stuff Quentin and his alcoholic buddies are getting into right now. Narcotics and alcohol and cheating on the girl he supposedly loves. It's stupid. And the magic is totally gone.

amanda_abbate's review against another edition

2.0

dnf

laylaloveslimes's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

marja_himmelman's review against another edition

I didn't find Quinton likeable at all. The story didn't feel like it was going anywhere. I felt like I was forcing myself to read.

belindakoboi's review against another edition

4.0

I guess I don't find depression to be very compelling

sagehj22's review against another edition

3.0

Quentin is an asshole and literary and other character would have made a more interesting narrator

anna_valdi's review against another edition

Takes too long to get to the point, wich I couldn't care less cos it seems to go nowhere. Sexualizing girls when it's not needed at all. I like the characters. They are real people making mistakes and doing shit but reading I feel like i'm constantly waiting for something to happen, idk, something to care for, and there is none.
Future me, if you try to read it again: there are too many books out there, fantastic books. Do NOT waste your time with this one. If you want to know what happens, just watch the series.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content