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_michelle_'s reviews
977 reviews
The Dark Army by Joseph Delaney
4.0
3/24/16:
4/15/16:
Jenny's problem stems from thinking Alice's reappearance will alter Tom's willingness to train Jenny; while the reader has the luxery of knowing that Tom still feels the same sense of duty towards Jenny that he always did, his behavior has, indeed, changed with Alice's reappearance. They've made Jenny into a third wheel, and since her training requires her to live with Tom (and Alice, by extension), it's not like Jenny can just punch a time clock and go home for the day after 8 hours of killing monsters and being ignored, and I know what being ignored feels like, so I'm sad for her.
Spoiler
I just ordered this out of England since it's not out in the USA yet (though it is being sold through the US branch of Amazon, so no awkward exchange rates on my end). Really excited!4/15/16:
Spoiler
Jenny annoyed me in the last volume, I was actually annoyed with Alice in this volume, and she has always been a favorite of mine in the past. She's not only strong when it comes to magic, but she's always been very independent and sure of her abilities. This time around, she was constantly telling Tom how to deal with Jenny on her behalf since she and Jenny weren't getting along; it seemed out of character for Alice not to be straightforward with Jenny personally, and it came across as rather manipulative.Jenny's problem stems from thinking Alice's reappearance will alter Tom's willingness to train Jenny; while the reader has the luxery of knowing that Tom still feels the same sense of duty towards Jenny that he always did, his behavior has, indeed, changed with Alice's reappearance. They've made Jenny into a third wheel, and since her training requires her to live with Tom (and Alice, by extension), it's not like Jenny can just punch a time clock and go home for the day after 8 hours of killing monsters and being ignored, and I know what being ignored feels like, so I'm sad for her.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
3.0
Patrick Rothfuss is a talented writer, but I'm just not connecting with the story he's telling. I doubt I'll continue with the series but I'm glad I tried it.
Death Note, Vol. 2: Confluence by Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba
2.0
So, this is a controversial opinion, but I don't like Light. Not even as an anti-hero or antagonist. I just don't like him. I actually dropped the anime twice before I actually finished it, and reading the series makes me remember why. I currently have the whole series out from the library, but I doubt I'll get to the whole thing before it's due back.
City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams
3.0
I liked the mystery and good guy MCs; but I was a bit overwhelmed with all the various threads competing for attention, and the villians' POV chapters failed to hold my interest. I own the whole series and will continue with it at some point. I'm prioritizing Tad Williams fantasy novels first, since I found them astounding.
Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? by Lemony Snicket
5.0
11/13/2013: I'm sad to read this is the final novel in the series, because it means it's already halfway through! :'-(
REVIEW:
The ending of this series is bittersweet one. The world goes on, even when bad things happen; that can be a very happy thought, or a very depressing one. Oftentimes, it's both to every person, at some point in their lives.
The thing I like about Lemony Snicket's books is that they paint people in shades of gray. Heroes don't always save everyone or keep everyone from getting hurt (whether it's physical or emotional pain), and they aren't always liked for doing the right thing, either. Conversely, villans aren't just born bad or psychotic. Sometimes kind people make misguided attempts at making things better, and just make things worse; they don't do bad things "just because," but rather, because they don't know any other way. It doesn't make their bad acts any better, but it gives context to just why people do the things they do.
REVIEW:
The ending of this series is bittersweet one. The world goes on, even when bad things happen; that can be a very happy thought, or a very depressing one. Oftentimes, it's both to every person, at some point in their lives.
The thing I like about Lemony Snicket's books is that they paint people in shades of gray. Heroes don't always save everyone or keep everyone from getting hurt (whether it's physical or emotional pain), and they aren't always liked for doing the right thing, either. Conversely, villans aren't just born bad or psychotic. Sometimes kind people make misguided attempts at making things better, and just make things worse; they don't do bad things "just because," but rather, because they don't know any other way. It doesn't make their bad acts any better, but it gives context to just why people do the things they do.