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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-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 book was wholly healing for me. I didn't know how badly I needed a queer, self-aware magic school until I was given one with an annoying mc who knows he's annoying.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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:
Complicated
Solidly my new favorite book. Read this NOW.
Read 3 (but actually I think I forgot to log one in 2022and it’s the 4th read), and honestly this book is just one of my favorite things in the world, and I love it just as much every time. I am sick and feeling dreadful and needed the literary equivalent of tea and warm blankets and this is it, except better.
Read 3 (but actually I think I forgot to log one in 2022and it’s the 4th read), and honestly this book is just one of my favorite things in the world, and I love it just as much every time. I am sick and feeling dreadful and needed the literary equivalent of tea and warm blankets and this is it, except better.
4.5 stars.
I read the short story set in this world some time ago, which is an alternate-POV for some of the last scenes in the book. I liked it then, and finally decided to read the book at a friend’s urging. I was astonished and delighted by how different this is to Luke’s short story. I was expecting a romcom with some teenage shenanigans and instead got emotional revelations, introspection, wonderful character growth and a solid deconstruction of fantasy lands.
Honestly, Elliot reminds me of myself. Perhaps that’s tmi given how much we get into his head in this book. But I honestly think this book is one of the only recent books I’ve read that solidly captures what it’s like to grow up, to be a teenager, and to see yourself changing and your friends changing around you and not know whether to try and stop it and keep your childhood or to welcome it and grow into something new (but very, very scary). And how most of the time, no matter where you are, you feel lost.
Just like Elliot, it took me some time when I was younger to realize that others actually took me and my words seriously and put weight on them. Just because I put no real meaning on them doesn’t mean that they didnt. Same as Elliot, my anxiety made me try to mind-read everyone around me, but a)that’s impossible and unhealthy and b) it had a huge blank spot that was my lack of self-worth.
I’ll end with my favorite quote (pardon the paraphrase I don’t have the book on me): “He didn’t know how to say that he met him when he was sad, and he didn’t want him to like him when he was sad.”
I read the short story set in this world some time ago, which is an alternate-POV for some of the last scenes in the book. I liked it then, and finally decided to read the book at a friend’s urging. I was astonished and delighted by how different this is to Luke’s short story. I was expecting a romcom with some teenage shenanigans and instead got emotional revelations, introspection, wonderful character growth and a solid deconstruction of fantasy lands.
Honestly, Elliot reminds me of myself. Perhaps that’s tmi given how much we get into his head in this book. But I honestly think this book is one of the only recent books I’ve read that solidly captures what it’s like to grow up, to be a teenager, and to see yourself changing and your friends changing around you and not know whether to try and stop it and keep your childhood or to welcome it and grow into something new (but very, very scary). And how most of the time, no matter where you are, you feel lost.
Just like Elliot, it took me some time when I was younger to realize that others actually took me and my words seriously and put weight on them. Just because I put no real meaning on them doesn’t mean that they didnt. Same as Elliot, my anxiety made me try to mind-read everyone around me, but a)that’s impossible and unhealthy and b) it had a huge blank spot that was my lack of self-worth.
I’ll end with my favorite quote (pardon the paraphrase I don’t have the book on me): “He didn’t know how to say that he met him when he was sad, and he didn’t want him to like him when he was sad.”
I really really love the start of this bc OT3 BFFs. It's like all the good things of Harry Potter with much better political views. Now i'm going to go look for all the fic kthnx.
This book was bloody brilliant.
As with all these serial stories, lovingly offered a publishing deal, I so wish I had experienced them in blog format! Mostly just to be a part of the community.
This book flipped so many fantasy tropes on the head and ran with it. Elliot is a treasure, but so is everyone in this book. I do so love stories about friendship, and at its heart, that's what this story is about. Unbreakable friendship.
I don't think I have read a book as funny as this one. I highlighted all my favorite parts. I loved it so much.
The romance was secondary until the end, and then it was oh so beautiful!!
Please read this book and TREASURE IT!
As with all these serial stories, lovingly offered a publishing deal, I so wish I had experienced them in blog format! Mostly just to be a part of the community.
This book flipped so many fantasy tropes on the head and ran with it. Elliot is a treasure, but so is everyone in this book. I do so love stories about friendship, and at its heart, that's what this story is about. Unbreakable friendship.
I don't think I have read a book as funny as this one. I highlighted all my favorite parts. I loved it so much.
The romance was secondary until the end, and then it was oh so beautiful!!
Please read this book and TREASURE IT!
This book is so unusual, and so clever...
I've read other reviews here, seen what other people thought. What matters most to me in a book is- do I care about the characters and what they're going through? Does the author create empathy in me for these characters? Do I have difficulty putting the story out of my mind?
The answer's for this story (and all of Rees Brennan's books) is a resounding yes. I listened to this on my kindle as I was out walking, and I remember clearly at one point of the story I was walking down the street...suddenly having tears running down my face for the main character. I couldn't help it! I was wiping at my eyes, hoping no one would see. Lol.
I was very sad when this story was over. I *liked* the characters and wanted to be with them longer...to see what they'd do next. I just truly wanted to spend more time in their world, with these characters as they interact.
I have enjoyed ALL of Sarah Reed Brennan's books so far, very much. I hope she has another for us soon.
I can't wait to read/listen to it!!!
I've read other reviews here, seen what other people thought. What matters most to me in a book is- do I care about the characters and what they're going through? Does the author create empathy in me for these characters? Do I have difficulty putting the story out of my mind?
The answer's for this story (and all of Rees Brennan's books) is a resounding yes. I listened to this on my kindle as I was out walking, and I remember clearly at one point of the story I was walking down the street...suddenly having tears running down my face for the main character. I couldn't help it! I was wiping at my eyes, hoping no one would see. Lol.
I was very sad when this story was over. I *liked* the characters and wanted to be with them longer...to see what they'd do next. I just truly wanted to spend more time in their world, with these characters as they interact.
I have enjoyed ALL of Sarah Reed Brennan's books so far, very much. I hope she has another for us soon.
I can't wait to read/listen to it!!!
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very cute, very emotional. Cried a lot for the MC’s pain, especially during the romance angst scenes. For a fantasy story, the world building is clearly not the focus and is quite weak and seems juvenile and unrealistic. Nbd since the focus is on the characters, but I really have to suspend my disbelief
Feb 19
I think this is one of my all-time favorite books, and may I never stop having emotions about it.
--
September 18
I think this might be my favorite read of 2018. Three times through and I still have to pause to cry over Elliot's emotional revelations. "He did not want to be loved enough. He wanted to be loved overwhelmingly...He had never been chosen, so he has never had a chance to know this about himself before now: he wanted to be chosen first."
--
June 18
I did not MEAN to reread this book in one day a mere one month after I had read it for the first time but I was just thinking about how funny it was and how I should try some other SRB and whoops I checked it out and accidentally the whole thing. CONSIDER THAT IF YOU LIKE GOOD THINGS YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.
--
May 18
This is one of those books that I was trying to listen to as an audiobook but liked the plot so much and was so impatient that I had to get the physical version so I could read it faster. And then I did and I cried a whole bunch because it's an incredible book and it's so funny and it just makes the moments when it is sincere about difficult things hit even more because it has you, heart and soul.
to crib my tumblr review:
it’s a delightful riff on a traditional “kid from our world walks into fantasyland,” there are matriarchal elves who both echo (hilariously) and are used to interrogate shitty gender politics, it’s super queer, it is, to show my fandom age, a lot like reading “what if Rodney McKay at age 11 went through a magic portal,” and is clever AND funny AND good at storytelling AND ripping my heart out through my throat
I love it I love it So Much and if the above list includes things you enjoy then I would suggest checking it out ASAP.
I should probably backread SRB, I have immensely enjoyed everything I've ever read by her.