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ale's reviews
319 reviews
The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi
1.0
so this is bad. as in, twelve year old me writing what i thought to be a "deep" story. also, as a brazilian, holy shit. don't. the way she writes about brasil was so weird, as in, very stereotyped and icky.
i mean i knew it probably would be bad from the second i realized this "mythical place" was lost somewhere in the amazon, but i tried to give it a chance and yeah. no. lmao
i mean i knew it probably would be bad from the second i realized this "mythical place" was lost somewhere in the amazon, but i tried to give it a chance and yeah. no. lmao
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
medium-paced
3.75
Ok, so, this was better for me already.
I like that we are getting fragments of the past in little bits, and not all at once like in the show, which honestly kinda overwhelmed me (but I understand why it was done). It's also nice to see how different the novels are in some aspects, and I guess I'm also more used to the pacing and the descriptions, tho I still wish we had more showing in some places, rather than telling.
But I'm enjoying my self a lot. Let's see how it goes from here.
I like that we are getting fragments of the past in little bits, and not all at once like in the show, which honestly kinda overwhelmed me (but I understand why it was done). It's also nice to see how different the novels are in some aspects, and I guess I'm also more used to the pacing and the descriptions, tho I still wish we had more showing in some places, rather than telling.
But I'm enjoying my self a lot. Let's see how it goes from here.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
slow-paced
3.75
I started reading the books because of how much I loved the show "The Untamed".
I initially started reading the book in an English translation, and hated that I was not enjoying it. It was not good. I abandoned the book, then came back when I found a translation in my native language. It seemed almost a different book.
I had a great time reading this. But... if you're reading the English translation. Uh, maybe don't judge the book by it, lol.
Overall, I still think the show is better. Of course, there's the matter of censorship in the queer relationhip in the show, which is garbage, but I've heard that's not a problem in the novels. So, nice. At the same time, the way the show developed the characters was so awesome that anything less might seem weak. I think the book is very descriptive, but it doesn't show enough. Either way, I'm going to continue the series because I'm enjoying myself.
I initially started reading the book in an English translation, and hated that I was not enjoying it. It was not good. I abandoned the book, then came back when I found a translation in my native language. It seemed almost a different book.
I had a great time reading this. But... if you're reading the English translation. Uh, maybe don't judge the book by it, lol.
Overall, I still think the show is better. Of course, there's the matter of censorship in the queer relationhip in the show, which is garbage, but I've heard that's not a problem in the novels. So, nice. At the same time, the way the show developed the characters was so awesome that anything less might seem weak. I think the book is very descriptive, but it doesn't show enough. Either way, I'm going to continue the series because I'm enjoying myself.
É assim que se perde a guerra do tempo by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
3.75
This writing style is not usually up my alley, but I really enjoyed it here, at least up until the end. The twist was easy to catch on, but that doesn't ruin a story for me. However, I think the end wasn't as good as the rest of the story. It felt rushed and a little bit too convenient.
I still had a really good time reading this book - I read it in one sitting - but unfortunatelly the end part wasn't on par with the rest.
I still had a really good time reading this book - I read it in one sitting - but unfortunatelly the end part wasn't on par with the rest.
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This author has a way of bulding characters that makes you root for them at every step, but, at the same time, they really don't hold back on killing characters when it makes sense, and that makes for heartbreaking scenes. More than once did I find myself crying over this book, because of how much I cared about the characters and what was happening to them.
I love character centered books, and it's hard to find good high fantasies that are. This one builds and incredible world with deeply intrincate lore and a great magic system, and still manages to do an amazing job with the characters.
I do think that Takeru's arc at the end should've had more time to delevop, but that doesn't take away from the story for me. (Also, Misaki and Takeru's fight scene? One of my favorite scenes ever.)
If "Blood Over Bright Haven", of the same author, is a favorite of the year, "The Sword of Kaigen" is a forever favorite. Can't wait to reread this book.
I love character centered books, and it's hard to find good high fantasies that are. This one builds and incredible world with deeply intrincate lore and a great magic system, and still manages to do an amazing job with the characters.
I do think that Takeru's arc at the end should've had more time to delevop, but that doesn't take away from the story for me. (Also, Misaki and Takeru's fight scene? One of my favorite scenes ever.)
If "Blood Over Bright Haven", of the same author, is a favorite of the year, "The Sword of Kaigen" is a forever favorite. Can't wait to reread this book.
Lord of the Flies: (International export edition) by William Golding
3.0
- the descriptions were hard to follow, the author used metaphors that are not usual and made me very confused a lot of the time
- comparisons that took a little time to sink in and make sense
- I had a hard time imagining what he was describing on the island
- liked the characters well enough, got invested in them, rooted for some, hated others
- I don't think I fully agree with the author - about civilization being the only thing keeping people from becoming savages; well before Europeans sought to colonizate the Americas and Africa, there were tribes of natives that had created peaceful communities
- I do like the comparison between the boys on the island and the adult world though. it's clear the adults are not "civilized" as the boys imagine them to be, since they are at the very moment fighting a bloody war
- I know the whole book is a metaphor - I just don't think it's quite the right metaphor
- comparisons that took a little time to sink in and make sense
- I had a hard time imagining what he was describing on the island
- liked the characters well enough, got invested in them, rooted for some, hated others
- I don't think I fully agree with the author - about civilization being the only thing keeping people from becoming savages; well before Europeans sought to colonizate the Americas and Africa, there were tribes of natives that had created peaceful communities
- I do like the comparison between the boys on the island and the adult world though. it's clear the adults are not "civilized" as the boys imagine them to be, since they are at the very moment fighting a bloody war
- I know the whole book is a metaphor - I just don't think it's quite the right metaphor
A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson
3.0
I do love the mind/emotion reading trope, and I had fun with this book. The ending was a little underwhelming tho.