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bplayfuli 's review for:
Long Live Evil
by Sarah Rees Brennan
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Oh, this book. I've been sitting on my thoughts because the ending broke my brain just a bit. The ending was predictable but the impact it had on me was not.
It took me a bit to get into this book and I almost DNFd it pretty early on. The writing is nothing special and some of the odd turns of phrase, jokes, and narrative choices really threw me. But I kept reading and got completely hooked into the story.
So, the basic premise is that Rae, a 20 year old young woman, is in the hospital dying of the cancer that has slowly consumed her over 3 years. One day a mysterious woman appears in her room and offers her a second chance at life. All she has to do is enter the fictional world of her favorite book series and pick a flower. Sounds easy right? Especially if it's your favorite book and you know what happens. Except for the fact that Rae never actually read the first book and doesn't know the story as well as she thinks she does.
This book is beautiful mayhem and I enjoyed every wicked moment. The twists and turns are largely predictable but the way Brennan writes the story kept me completely invested. I got frustrated at points, wishing Rae would just take a moment to think things through because at a certain point it was apparent that things were not going the way she believed they would. But, Rae is a strong willed, selfish (you're allowed to be selfish when you are dying young and feel abandoned by everyone you thought loved you), and absolutely convinced she is right in the way only young, inexperienced people can convince themselves. So she keeps pushing and trying to bend the narrative to her will. The result is more awful than even I had anticipated.
Now here I am, devastated and desperate for the next book in the series. Well played, Ms Brennan, well played.
This book isn't especially deep but it does raise some interesting questions about reality, free will, and destiny. How do you forge your own identity in a world where your every action is judged based on people's preconceived notions about who you are? Can we ever effect real change in the world or is everything predetermined and our actions only affect the nuances of the story? I don't believe we got any conclusive answers and I am eager to read on and find out if we do.
It took me a bit to get into this book and I almost DNFd it pretty early on. The writing is nothing special and some of the odd turns of phrase, jokes, and narrative choices really threw me. But I kept reading and got completely hooked into the story.
So, the basic premise is that Rae, a 20 year old young woman, is in the hospital dying of the cancer that has slowly consumed her over 3 years. One day a mysterious woman appears in her room and offers her a second chance at life. All she has to do is enter the fictional world of her favorite book series and pick a flower. Sounds easy right? Especially if it's your favorite book and you know what happens. Except for the fact that Rae never actually read the first book and doesn't know the story as well as she thinks she does.
This book is beautiful mayhem and I enjoyed every wicked moment. The twists and turns are largely predictable but the way Brennan writes the story kept me completely invested. I got frustrated at points, wishing Rae would just take a moment to think things through because at a certain point it was apparent that things were not going the way she believed they would. But, Rae is a strong willed, selfish (you're allowed to be selfish when you are dying young and feel abandoned by everyone you thought loved you), and absolutely convinced she is right in the way only young, inexperienced people can convince themselves. So she keeps pushing and trying to bend the narrative to her will. The result is more awful than even I had anticipated.
Now here I am, devastated and desperate for the next book in the series. Well played, Ms Brennan, well played.
This book isn't especially deep but it does raise some interesting questions about reality, free will, and destiny. How do you forge your own identity in a world where your every action is judged based on people's preconceived notions about who you are? Can we ever effect real change in the world or is everything predetermined and our actions only affect the nuances of the story? I don't believe we got any conclusive answers and I am eager to read on and find out if we do.