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A review by eesh25
The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune
4.0
I might've said this before, but I have a rocky relationship with Klune's books. I haven't read many of them, but of the ones I've read, I've liked all but one. But just because I liked them doesn't mean they weren't frustrating to read. And this was kind of a similar experience.
I'd say that, given the way the book is written, humour was the most important aspect of it for the author. And that became a problem after a while, but I'll get to that later.
For now, let's just say that the humour isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some people might find it to be, to quote another review, "crude and crass and gross and cringe-inducing." I didn't know if it would be for me either, but it was (mostly). So unless you know for sure that you have no issue with graphic and detailed jokes about sex, maybe read a sample beforehand?
I found the book to be hilarious. And for the first 60%, I was sure this would be a five-star read. Then it started to feel like it had been going on for too long. And the characters just. Wouldn't. Stop. Talking!
I love Sam, okay. He's absolutely precious, and so is Tiggy. I quite like Gary too. But the three of them seem to go off on a lot of pointless tangents during conversations, even when in mortal danger. It was funny at first, but as we got closer to the climax, I wanted the long-winded and, again, pointless tangents to stop. And they just wouldn't. The number of important discussions that took forever to happen because Sam or Gary refused to shut the fuck up every once in a while...
That's why I said that humour was the most important part for the author. Because at several points, it overtook the plot. Even Ryan and Morgan (Sam's wizard mentor/master) couldn't do anything to stop it. And they were the only sane people in the book.
That was what made the book frustrating for me. That, and a character by the name of Kevin. He was introduced much later in the book. And up until that point, I'd had no issue with the crude jokes—except for one scene which was supposed to be horrifyingly horrible. But yeah, every time Kevin opened his mouth, I just... it was so bad. Kevin should never be allowed to speak. Ever.
Between about the 60% to 80% point, I really struggled with the book. It seemed to be stuck, and nothing was happening. I needed it to end. Things picked back up again, thankfully, and there's a good chance I'll read the sequel, but that portion put a damper on my overall enjoyment.
The last thing I wanna mention is the audio. I think the narrator did a fantastic job. There were a few times when I wished he wouldn't do the lazy/hoarse purr thing he often did for Sam. But overall, the narrator was part of why I loved the book. That said, if I do continue the series, it won't be in audio form because, it turns out, listening to sex scenes makes me uncomfortable. Also, it seems Kevin might be sticking around and... some things should never be said out loud, and everything Kevin says is such a thing.
And that's it for the review. I really enjoyed the book for the most part. And there's a 50-50 chance I'll read the sequel. But not anytime soon.
I'd say that, given the way the book is written, humour was the most important aspect of it for the author. And that became a problem after a while, but I'll get to that later.
For now, let's just say that the humour isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some people might find it to be, to quote another review, "crude and crass and gross and cringe-inducing." I didn't know if it would be for me either, but it was (mostly). So unless you know for sure that you have no issue with graphic and detailed jokes about sex, maybe read a sample beforehand?
I found the book to be hilarious. And for the first 60%, I was sure this would be a five-star read. Then it started to feel like it had been going on for too long. And the characters just. Wouldn't. Stop. Talking!
I love Sam, okay. He's absolutely precious, and so is Tiggy. I quite like Gary too. But the three of them seem to go off on a lot of pointless tangents during conversations, even when in mortal danger. It was funny at first, but as we got closer to the climax, I wanted the long-winded and, again, pointless tangents to stop. And they just wouldn't. The number of important discussions that took forever to happen because Sam or Gary refused to shut the fuck up every once in a while...
That's why I said that humour was the most important part for the author. Because at several points, it overtook the plot. Even Ryan and Morgan (Sam's wizard mentor/master) couldn't do anything to stop it. And they were the only sane people in the book.
That was what made the book frustrating for me. That, and a character by the name of Kevin. He was introduced much later in the book. And up until that point, I'd had no issue with the crude jokes—except for one scene which was supposed to be horrifyingly horrible. But yeah, every time Kevin opened his mouth, I just... it was so bad. Kevin should never be allowed to speak. Ever.
Between about the 60% to 80% point, I really struggled with the book. It seemed to be stuck, and nothing was happening. I needed it to end. Things picked back up again, thankfully, and there's a good chance I'll read the sequel, but that portion put a damper on my overall enjoyment.
The last thing I wanna mention is the audio. I think the narrator did a fantastic job. There were a few times when I wished he wouldn't do the lazy/hoarse purr thing he often did for Sam. But overall, the narrator was part of why I loved the book. That said, if I do continue the series, it won't be in audio form because, it turns out, listening to sex scenes makes me uncomfortable. Also, it seems Kevin might be sticking around and... some things should never be said out loud, and everything Kevin says is such a thing.
And that's it for the review. I really enjoyed the book for the most part. And there's a 50-50 chance I'll read the sequel. But not anytime soon.