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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hooked on every word
the dedication of this book is the most important part
the dedication of this book is the most important part
It is books as completely magnificent as this that make me feel lucky to be alive, to be able to read the written word, to have eyes to read those words, to have hands to lovingly trace over the pages. This is a truly special and wholly personal book and, because of that energized hunger I felt each time I opened this book, I will treasure this dear possession of mine and the words it has printed upon it for the rest of my life.
Every inch, every word of this book is achingly beautiful and completely boneshaking and I loved each and every single moment I was lucky enough to spend with it. It reminded me, in a way, of Johnny Truant's stream of consciousness footnotes in another book I adore, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, and that really isn't even taking into consideration the fact that, in order to experience both The Wicker King and House of Leaves, you must be holding a copy of the printed book in your hands, which is to say: the way they work is not just on the level of prose and words, but also in the way those words are laid out, what the pages look like, and how each moment must be lived in with your eyes, not your ears.
I relished in the seemingly simple yet incredibly effective way the pages slowly darken as you move on, going from crisp, clean white to a grungy grey to pitch black and every shade in between, and I love how this incredibly inspired choice reflects the mental state of not only August, our point of view character, but also of Jack, whose psyche is slowly but surely betraying him. As stated in the note to the readers at the end of the book (which, after I had caught my breath in sobbing over the end of the narrative, moved me back to tears), Jack and August are victims of circumstance, two young men abandoned entirely by their authority, and K. Ancrum did a marvelous job of steeping each word and passage with heartache, longing, and loneliness, effectively plunking me right into these poor, broken boys' sad mud-stained and river-soaked shoes.
I think it is needless to say at this point that I loved this book. It resonated with me, plucking my heartstrings like a harp and playing me like a fiddle until my emotions were wrung out, raw, and aching in the best of ways. I believe it's worth mentioning that August and Jack remind me of the titular boys in The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater in a certain way, especially of Ronan and Adam, who line up easily with Jack and August, respectively, so it certainly brought up some nostalgia in that sense, while also summoning up a different nostalgia by having it set in 2003, a very strange but fitting year to set this particular story. The internet and texting were new things back then and, while they're present, it helps the suspension of disbelief when it comes to the fact that Jack and August often go gallivanting around without having to answer to much of anyone.
Just...wow. I loved this book so much. It was so captivating I spent nearly every waking moment since I began reading it thinking about it and I'm certain it's something I'll continue thinking about for many years to come, just like the other two books I've mentioned here, House of Leaves and The Raven Boys, both of which tend to sneak up on me in a sense, where I haven't thought about them in months and, all of a sudden, I'm a mess just thinking about that one part where that one thing happened or that one page where that one line was said and...well, I don't know if I could be any more excited that another book has so utterly consumed me in the same way.
This is, without a doubt, one of my new all-time favorites and, after I read The Legend of the Golden Raven, a companion novella to this, I'll be waiting anxiously to see what Ms. Ancrum will do next.
Every inch, every word of this book is achingly beautiful and completely boneshaking and I loved each and every single moment I was lucky enough to spend with it. It reminded me, in a way, of Johnny Truant's stream of consciousness footnotes in another book I adore, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, and that really isn't even taking into consideration the fact that, in order to experience both The Wicker King and House of Leaves, you must be holding a copy of the printed book in your hands, which is to say: the way they work is not just on the level of prose and words, but also in the way those words are laid out, what the pages look like, and how each moment must be lived in with your eyes, not your ears.
I relished in the seemingly simple yet incredibly effective way the pages slowly darken as you move on, going from crisp, clean white to a grungy grey to pitch black and every shade in between, and I love how this incredibly inspired choice reflects the mental state of not only August, our point of view character, but also of Jack, whose psyche is slowly but surely betraying him. As stated in the note to the readers at the end of the book (which, after I had caught my breath in sobbing over the end of the narrative, moved me back to tears), Jack and August are victims of circumstance, two young men abandoned entirely by their authority, and K. Ancrum did a marvelous job of steeping each word and passage with heartache, longing, and loneliness, effectively plunking me right into these poor, broken boys' sad mud-stained and river-soaked shoes.
I think it is needless to say at this point that I loved this book. It resonated with me, plucking my heartstrings like a harp and playing me like a fiddle until my emotions were wrung out, raw, and aching in the best of ways. I believe it's worth mentioning that August and Jack remind me of the titular boys in The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater in a certain way, especially of Ronan and Adam, who line up easily with Jack and August, respectively, so it certainly brought up some nostalgia in that sense, while also summoning up a different nostalgia by having it set in 2003, a very strange but fitting year to set this particular story. The internet and texting were new things back then and, while they're present, it helps the suspension of disbelief when it comes to the fact that Jack and August often go gallivanting around without having to answer to much of anyone.
Just...wow. I loved this book so much. It was so captivating I spent nearly every waking moment since I began reading it thinking about it and I'm certain it's something I'll continue thinking about for many years to come, just like the other two books I've mentioned here, House of Leaves and The Raven Boys, both of which tend to sneak up on me in a sense, where I haven't thought about them in months and, all of a sudden, I'm a mess just thinking about that one part where that one thing happened or that one page where that one line was said and...well, I don't know if I could be any more excited that another book has so utterly consumed me in the same way.
This is, without a doubt, one of my new all-time favorites and, after I read The Legend of the Golden Raven, a companion novella to this, I'll be waiting anxiously to see what Ms. Ancrum will do next.
Fue un libro difícil.
Me gustó mucho la edición, el hecho que hayan ido un poco más allá del texto y sumarle imágenes. Asimismo me interesó mucho la idea de que las páginas se iban volviendo cada vez May oscuras, a medida que nos sumergíamos en la locura (creo que eso fue lo que me hizo seguir).
Pero en cuanto al argumento... tenía mucho potencial! Esa sinopsis me volvió loca pero el desarrollo me resultó pobre.
Al comienzo confundía a los personajes principales. Todo parecía darse de manera justa, el personaje que tenía una madre psicóloga y una tía que había padecido la enfermedad... Muy poco elaborado.
Luego, tenía capítulos súper cortos pero se me hicieron difíciles. Como que no terminabas de estar en una escena que ya terminaba. Si bien a veces te ayuda con el ritmo, creo que acá se dio todo de manera rápida.
Hacia el final se volvió un poco más interesante. Pero no llegó a compensar lo anterior. ¿Y el final? No estoy de acuerdo.
No lo recomiendo.
Me gustó mucho la edición, el hecho que hayan ido un poco más allá del texto y sumarle imágenes. Asimismo me interesó mucho la idea de que las páginas se iban volviendo cada vez May oscuras, a medida que nos sumergíamos en la locura (creo que eso fue lo que me hizo seguir).
Pero en cuanto al argumento... tenía mucho potencial! Esa sinopsis me volvió loca pero el desarrollo me resultó pobre.
Al comienzo confundía a los personajes principales. Todo parecía darse de manera justa, el personaje que tenía una madre psicóloga y una tía que había padecido la enfermedad... Muy poco elaborado.
Luego, tenía capítulos súper cortos pero se me hicieron difíciles. Como que no terminabas de estar en una escena que ya terminaba. Si bien a veces te ayuda con el ritmo, creo que acá se dio todo de manera rápida.
Hacia el final se volvió un poco más interesante. Pero no llegó a compensar lo anterior. ¿Y el final? No estoy de acuerdo.
No lo recomiendo.
I'm not even going to pretend I'll ever be able to put into words how I feel about this book.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I's beautifully written with well-crafted characters. I felt for both August and Jack and the wretched situation they were in because of the neglect they had been subjected to. Though I don't mind the wicker king part of the story I wish the story had focused more on them without Jack's visions. Maybe I would have liked it better if we got to read more about their relationship instead of the book ending where it did. I think I would have loved to read this book about them coming to terms with their feelings without Jack's visions. I don't mind it for what it is now, I like it and it shows how awful everything around them was for it to escelate the way it did, but I'd still prefered reading just about them and no visions.
this was great -- gripping, well-written, romantic, and strange.