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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
4.5 stars. This is the fourth book I've read by this author & with each book I become more enamored by her.
She has a way of writing that her world just swallows you whole. Everything else fades, & nothing is as important as the story.
Celeste volunteers for a science project. She will live alone for a predetermined span of time. She will record everything for scientific understanding. Her solar powered house has supplies routinely shipped to them. She's confined to the house and or area by electronic means.
Everything is accounted for except for her behavior/actions. Once day she spots an animal in the woods, takes aim, & shoots a hiker. This is not part of the project, or is it? Is this an hallucination after 3 years alone? Will she sacrifice & help the stranger (Olivia) ?
A well written love story, a must read book.
She has a way of writing that her world just swallows you whole. Everything else fades, & nothing is as important as the story.
Celeste volunteers for a science project. She will live alone for a predetermined span of time. She will record everything for scientific understanding. Her solar powered house has supplies routinely shipped to them. She's confined to the house and or area by electronic means.
Everything is accounted for except for her behavior/actions. Once day she spots an animal in the woods, takes aim, & shoots a hiker. This is not part of the project, or is it? Is this an hallucination after 3 years alone? Will she sacrifice & help the stranger (Olivia) ?
A well written love story, a must read book.
fast-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was very unique and not what I expected at all. I had a hard time putting this down. This is if The Wall by Marlen Haushofer was a science experiment and added romance and lesbian smut.
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
this was a very interesting read and totally unlike anything I’ve ever read before in good ways + some bad ones
what really drags this book down is the fact that it’s a psychological thriller that has decided it wants to be a romance and is going to be a romance no matter what
it’s very passengers (2016) in that the love interest essentially ruins the life of the protagonist and though the protagonist is angry for a while, she eventually just kind of gets over it??
idk maybe the point is that everyone reacts to trauma and fucked up situations differently and the happy ending wasn’t really happy after all and I just didn’t get it
what really drags this book down is the fact that it’s a psychological thriller that has decided it wants to be a romance and is going to be a romance no matter what
it’s very passengers (2016) in that the love interest essentially ruins the life of the protagonist and though the protagonist is angry for a while, she eventually just kind of gets over it??
idk maybe the point is that everyone reacts to trauma and fucked up situations differently and the happy ending wasn’t really happy after all and I just didn’t get it
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun romp, if you can ignore how this experiment would never have passed an ethics board irl. I guess I'm just glad these two freaks found each other <3
Utterly predictable. I guessed every major plot beat from the first 50 pages or so, and the book played out exactly as I thought it would.
I was hoping for more of a look at Celeste's mental state due to being isolated for 3 years, but that was all pretty much handwaved away once Olivia came on the scene.
I was hoping for more of a look at Celeste's mental state due to being isolated for 3 years, but that was all pretty much handwaved away once Olivia came on the scene.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5/5
Alone really resonated with me on a deep emotional level. It was quite a journey, and I have to give credit to E.J. for that. As I've read through the entire ASK, Tell series, I've noticed a pattern. One of her main characters always appears to be this super in-control, stoic type, always composed and dutiful. But beneath that facade, there's always a vulnerable person waiting to discard the "I'm totally unperturbed" act. In Ask, Tell, it was Lt. Col Rebecca Keane, and now it's Olivia Soldano. What she did with Celeste was undeniably harsh. It's cruel to give someone hope and then snatch it away, watching them suffer. However, when I take a step back and look at it objectively, Olivia isn't the monster we'd like to believe. Plus, she's far from composed and indifferent as she seems. She's deeply invested in Celeste, almost jeopardizing the entire experiment. I believe E.J. uses the logs written by Olivia to showcase her constant inner struggle, validating Olivia's redemption; otherwise, this story would have been a complete downer.
This book shares many similarities with Don't Ask, Don't Tell/If I Don't Ask. It also exudes a Kafkaesque vibe. In DADT, Sabine's favorite book was Metamorphosis, and here Celeste is trapped in her own mind, tormented by her family and friends, heading towards total despair. Celeste recognized this, which is why it was crucial for her to accept Olivia in the end.
While I appreciate the concept of slow and fast time, as a reader, it felt the opposite for me. Celeste's fast time seemed incredibly slow and dull, while her slow time felt fast-paced.
E.J.'s storytelling skills are exceptional, and this book clearly demonstrates that. The most impactful moment for me was the tree hugging scene; it brought tears to my eyes. Her ability to articulate emotions that are usually challenging to express is truly remarkable.
Now, about the intimate scenes – in my opinion, E.J. excels in writing them, and this book is no exception. Those love-making scenes were undeniably intense.
However, one aspect I didn't quite connect with was the second half of the story; it felt both rushed and dragged out simultaneously. I can't quite put my finger on it, but that's the impression it left me with.
This story deeply affected me, and I'm still engrossed in it. Perhaps later, I can articulate my thoughts on it with more clarity.
Alone really resonated with me on a deep emotional level. It was quite a journey, and I have to give credit to E.J. for that. As I've read through the entire ASK, Tell series, I've noticed a pattern. One of her main characters always appears to be this super in-control, stoic type, always composed and dutiful. But beneath that facade, there's always a vulnerable person waiting to discard the "I'm totally unperturbed" act. In Ask, Tell, it was Lt. Col Rebecca Keane, and now it's Olivia Soldano. What she did with Celeste was undeniably harsh. It's cruel to give someone hope and then snatch it away, watching them suffer. However, when I take a step back and look at it objectively, Olivia isn't the monster we'd like to believe. Plus, she's far from composed and indifferent as she seems. She's deeply invested in Celeste, almost jeopardizing the entire experiment. I believe E.J. uses the logs written by Olivia to showcase her constant inner struggle, validating Olivia's redemption; otherwise, this story would have been a complete downer.
This book shares many similarities with Don't Ask, Don't Tell/If I Don't Ask. It also exudes a Kafkaesque vibe. In DADT, Sabine's favorite book was Metamorphosis, and here Celeste is trapped in her own mind, tormented by her family and friends, heading towards total despair. Celeste recognized this, which is why it was crucial for her to accept Olivia in the end.
While I appreciate the concept of slow and fast time, as a reader, it felt the opposite for me. Celeste's fast time seemed incredibly slow and dull, while her slow time felt fast-paced.
E.J.'s storytelling skills are exceptional, and this book clearly demonstrates that. The most impactful moment for me was the tree hugging scene; it brought tears to my eyes. Her ability to articulate emotions that are usually challenging to express is truly remarkable.
Now, about the intimate scenes – in my opinion, E.J. excels in writing them, and this book is no exception. Those love-making scenes were undeniably intense.
However, one aspect I didn't quite connect with was the second half of the story; it felt both rushed and dragged out simultaneously. I can't quite put my finger on it, but that's the impression it left me with.
This story deeply affected me, and I'm still engrossed in it. Perhaps later, I can articulate my thoughts on it with more clarity.