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katykat3's review
4.0
Wow such a fun, quick read. Hmm kind of reminded me of [b:Gods Behaving Badly|1159679|Gods Behaving Badly|Marie Phillips|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387738829s/1159679.jpg|2637508], which I also enjoyed, but I could also see other people not enjoying. Fate/Fabio had a great inner monologue that was compulsively readable. But the ending was kind of rushed, and full of conflicting emotions and wtf-ness so it definitely spoiled things. Great book that really got me excited about reading again. Also loved the shoutout to Rockford, Illinois (aka my hometown) in the book. So funny I laughed out loud. But based on the people who Fate is assigned to...definitely not something to be proud of.
raritavanesita217's review
5.0
That quest that we all have, to give meaning to our existence, that is all in this book. Absolutely amazing.
reanimatedreader's review
3.0
A story about Fate, Destiny, Denis and Jerry. Slightly disappointed by the ending, it could have been so much more after the build up.
mxshvili's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
onehtl1ama's review
1.0
The only reason I kept reading was to see how bad it could get.
The thing about this book is that it was badly written.
The thing about this book is that the character was a misogynistic asshole.
I have so many things to say but I don't want to waste anymore brain space on it and I'm removing the rest of the authors books from my to-read shelf
The thing about this book is that it was badly written.
The thing about this book is that the character was a misogynistic asshole.
I have so many things to say but I don't want to waste anymore brain space on it and I'm removing the rest of the authors books from my to-read shelf
mfeibel's review
4.0
This book was strange. I thought I would dislike it more than I did haha.
For most of the book I felt confused about the plot. Yeah, Fabio falls for Sara and that's a no-no but it never really felt like anything was at stake...until the whole messiah thing.
It ended up being a clever, fun read. And the ending certainly threw me for a loop.
Though I will say, I was starting to get really annoyed by the whole "The thing about ____ is ___" ...but even that paid off.
For most of the book I felt confused about the plot. Yeah, Fabio falls for Sara and that's a no-no but it never really felt like anything was at stake...until the whole messiah thing.
It ended up being a clever, fun read. And the ending certainly threw me for a loop.
Though I will say, I was starting to get really annoyed by the whole "The thing about ____ is ___" ...but even that paid off.
ladymoonlight's review against another edition
2.0
Die Geschichte wird in der Ich-Perspektive aus der Sicht des "Schicksals" erzählt. Zum Inhalt möchte ich wie immer nicht allzu viel schreiben, schließlich soll sich ja jeder seine eigene Meinung bilden. Nach der Leseprobe wollte ich das Buch damals unbedingt lesen. Mein erster Leseeindruck war durchaus sehr positiv. Leider hat sich dieser nicht bewahrheitet.
Durch das Buch "Schicksal!" musste ich mich regelrecht "durchkauen". Anfangs ist die Geschichte sarkastisch, witzig und charmant, später wird sie jedoch mit jedem Kapitel langweiliger. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich dieses Buch zwischendurch für mehrere Tage weglegen musste, da ich es einfach nicht mehr interessant genug fand. Im Mittelteil liest es sich sehr zäh, gegen Ende geht es dann wieder einigermaßen. Sehr störend empfinde ich die ständige Wiederholung eines bestimmten Satzes. Um es auf den Punkt zu bringen: Leider trifft diese Geschichte nicht ganz meinen Geschmack.
Die Idee gefällt mir ausgesprochen gut, die Umsetzung finde ich aber nicht fesselnd genug. Sergios zynische Art mag ich sehr, er bringt mich oft zum Schmunzeln. Leider nimmt der Humor des Buches mit der Zeit stark ab. Die Nebencharaktere werden teilweise wirklich gut beschrieben, haben meiner Meinung nach aber nicht genug Tiefgang. Das Ende des Buches finde ich wirklich furchtbar, leider kann ich nicht näher darauf eingehen, ohne etwas zu verraten. Geschmäcker sind aber zum Glück verschieden - es kann also durchaus sein, dass Andere diese Geschichte sehr gut finden. Ich hoffe, meine Rezension schreckt nicht zu sehr ab, lesenswert ist dieser Roman bestimmt, da er sich sehr von der Masse unterscheidet. Schade, dass mich die Geschichte nicht wirklich überzeugen kann!
Das Buch hat eine sehr schöne Aufmachung, es ist broschiert und hat abgerundete Ecken. Das sieht wirklich gut aus, ist aber leider nicht sehr praktisch, da es etwas größer als ein normales Taschenbuch und daher auch unhantlich ist. Obwohl das Aha-Erlebnis ausbleibt, vergebe ich 2 Sterne, da ich den Grundgedanken der Geschichte dennoch gut finde.
Durch das Buch "Schicksal!" musste ich mich regelrecht "durchkauen". Anfangs ist die Geschichte sarkastisch, witzig und charmant, später wird sie jedoch mit jedem Kapitel langweiliger. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich dieses Buch zwischendurch für mehrere Tage weglegen musste, da ich es einfach nicht mehr interessant genug fand. Im Mittelteil liest es sich sehr zäh, gegen Ende geht es dann wieder einigermaßen. Sehr störend empfinde ich die ständige Wiederholung eines bestimmten Satzes. Um es auf den Punkt zu bringen: Leider trifft diese Geschichte nicht ganz meinen Geschmack.
Die Idee gefällt mir ausgesprochen gut, die Umsetzung finde ich aber nicht fesselnd genug. Sergios zynische Art mag ich sehr, er bringt mich oft zum Schmunzeln. Leider nimmt der Humor des Buches mit der Zeit stark ab. Die Nebencharaktere werden teilweise wirklich gut beschrieben, haben meiner Meinung nach aber nicht genug Tiefgang. Das Ende des Buches finde ich wirklich furchtbar, leider kann ich nicht näher darauf eingehen, ohne etwas zu verraten. Geschmäcker sind aber zum Glück verschieden - es kann also durchaus sein, dass Andere diese Geschichte sehr gut finden. Ich hoffe, meine Rezension schreckt nicht zu sehr ab, lesenswert ist dieser Roman bestimmt, da er sich sehr von der Masse unterscheidet. Schade, dass mich die Geschichte nicht wirklich überzeugen kann!
Das Buch hat eine sehr schöne Aufmachung, es ist broschiert und hat abgerundete Ecken. Das sieht wirklich gut aus, ist aber leider nicht sehr praktisch, da es etwas größer als ein normales Taschenbuch und daher auch unhantlich ist. Obwohl das Aha-Erlebnis ausbleibt, vergebe ich 2 Sterne, da ich den Grundgedanken der Geschichte dennoch gut finde.
titania86's review
5.0
Fabio Delucci is Fate. He is entrusted with the task to stand by and watch as most of the population ruins their lives. Destiny has the much better job of guiding those in a more positive direction, but Fate has the child molesters, drunks, and general ne'er-do-wells. Not exactly a laugh fest. His life, after about 250,000 years, has become routine and dull. He hates his job; his no-contact affair with Destiny is empty and unsatisfying; and he doesn't really have much else going for him. Until he runs into his neighbor Sara Griffen by chance. He stalks her for a bit and comes to the realization that he's in love. They finally meet, hit it off famously, and fall head over heels for each other. He has to hide it from Jerry (AKA Jehovah) and all the other personifications, like Gluttony, Vanity, Hope, but especially Destiny because interfering and falling in love with humans is forbidden. This new found love inspires him to help the sad, pathetic people on the path of Fate to achieve happiness and sometimes put them on the path of Destiny. Everything starts to fall apart when the fated people he helped start dying. Was it really because of his interference or is someone trying to sabotage him? How long can he keep is relationship secret in the face of these deaths?
I didn't really know what to expect before I read Fated, but I thought it would be something like Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. Although there are some similarities, Fated is much more light hearted and ironic. Fate is an engaging and relatable narrator, despite being an ancient anthropomorphic concept. His voice is really what got me into the book because of its conversational and humorous quality. I think everyone can relate to someone with an unsatisfying job trying to make a few people's lives a little bit better. I laughed pretty much through the whole thing. I truly couldn't put it down in finished it in only a couple of days. Although the immortal falling in love with a mortal has been done throughout history just about to death, Browne has managed to breathe new life into this concept. The romance between Sara and Fabio is so adorable and quirky, they just complement each other very well. When things start to go badly for him, I sympathized with him and I was even moved to tears by the end. Even though most of the book is light and funny, there is still a core of true heart and prompts the reader to scrutinize their own lives to see which path we are on: Destiny or Fate.
Fabio is backed by a cast of memorable personifications, including, Gluttony, Vanity, Dennis, Hope, Secrecy, Honesty, and Lady Luck. They all have their little personality quirks and aren't the perfect celestial beings that we may have imagined. I liked learning about the ins and outs of their daily lives, such as their man suits that contain their true selves and the quotas they have to fill. Most of their lives aren't much better than any given human's, except for the perks, like the spa in Eden, a universal credit card, and the ability to transport anywhere instantaneously.
The thing about Fated is, it's a great novel. The ending is pretty unexpected and comes out of nowhere, but it's very satisfying. I would love to read another book starring Fabio and I look forward to what S.G. Browne will do next. I would recommend this to fans of Breathers, Browne's debut novel, and people who enjoy Christopher Moore's novels.
I didn't really know what to expect before I read Fated, but I thought it would be something like Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. Although there are some similarities, Fated is much more light hearted and ironic. Fate is an engaging and relatable narrator, despite being an ancient anthropomorphic concept. His voice is really what got me into the book because of its conversational and humorous quality. I think everyone can relate to someone with an unsatisfying job trying to make a few people's lives a little bit better. I laughed pretty much through the whole thing. I truly couldn't put it down in finished it in only a couple of days. Although the immortal falling in love with a mortal has been done throughout history just about to death, Browne has managed to breathe new life into this concept. The romance between Sara and Fabio is so adorable and quirky, they just complement each other very well. When things start to go badly for him, I sympathized with him and I was even moved to tears by the end. Even though most of the book is light and funny, there is still a core of true heart and prompts the reader to scrutinize their own lives to see which path we are on: Destiny or Fate.
Fabio is backed by a cast of memorable personifications, including, Gluttony, Vanity, Dennis, Hope, Secrecy, Honesty, and Lady Luck. They all have their little personality quirks and aren't the perfect celestial beings that we may have imagined. I liked learning about the ins and outs of their daily lives, such as their man suits that contain their true selves and the quotas they have to fill. Most of their lives aren't much better than any given human's, except for the perks, like the spa in Eden, a universal credit card, and the ability to transport anywhere instantaneously.
The thing about Fated is, it's a great novel. The ending is pretty unexpected and comes out of nowhere, but it's very satisfying. I would love to read another book starring Fabio and I look forward to what S.G. Browne will do next. I would recommend this to fans of Breathers, Browne's debut novel, and people who enjoy Christopher Moore's novels.
vaikeliblikas's review
medium-paced
0.5
When Destiny got introduced and slutshame basically at once, I knew it was gonna be bad. When Pride was a homophobic caricature, I should have stopped reading. Alas, I did not. I finished all 400something pages of this (German translation) and it is without a doubt the worst book I've ever read. Would not recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Stalking
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Colonisation and Homophobia