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bloop's Reviews (102)
slow-paced
sleepy girlboss slay
honestly kinda boring but still kept my attention. the last chapter was pretty poetic though, i'll give it that.
honestly kinda boring but still kept my attention. the last chapter was pretty poetic though, i'll give it that.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I'm still pretty ambivalent about this book, but I do have to say that most of my thoughts fall on the more positive end. All the characters really pull on your heartstrings, and I think TJ Klune does a great job at giving all of them very distinct personalities. I believe this book is a bit too preachy for my taste, and the allegory is too in-your-face and obvious. Klune abolishes any sense of subtlety in his writing... There is a scene in the book that alludes to this fact, so it may be done purposefully, but that doesn't make it any less banal. Definitely too overhyped on BookTok. For the majority of the time, The House in the Cerulean Sea teeters between corny and... sophisticated (not sure if this is the most correct term?), making it difficult for me to keep a consistent perspective while reading the book. I still think the overall message over the novel is important, and I ended up rooting for all of the characters, but it was hard to escape the stale taste in my mouth that was left after I finished this book.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a book that I have had my eye one for a while because I'm drawn to those feel-good, Fredrick Backmanesque stories. Although it lacks the charm of Backman's books, it brings something unique to the table — a captivating cephalopod character! Like many others have noted, I wish that Marcellus the Octopus had more chapters. His voice was so distinctive, and I absolutely adored him.
Tova was also a great character, although I do wish we got to see more of her backstory, and potentially her story with Ethan. Cameron... I have conflicting feelings about him. He definitely seems like a whiny manchild at times, blaming his circumstances on everyone else but himself. However, he does have some degree of self-awareness, and his personality isn't completely irredeemable. He has his moments. I couldn't help but root for him. Additionally, although he was a minor character, I really liked Terry. He seemed like a kind, warmhearted man who truly loves what he does.
I do have a few complaints about this book. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, but regardless, it was still very good. At times, I felt like Shelby Van Pelt spent too much time on exposition, describing pointless details to us that did nothing to move the story along and just bored me. Also, I wasn't too fond of Tova's friend group, the Knit-Wits. My eyes would just skip over paragraphs if I saw that they were involved. There was a lot of mention of Ethan, and I loved him as a character — I just wish that Van Pelt spent more time fleshing out his character and giving us more context behind who he is.
Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures accomplishes its goal in giving the reader a memorable, uplifting tale of finding community within others who may seem different than you, but are very similar beneath the surface. I cried, I laughed, and everything in between. For her debut novel, Van Pelt exceeds the mark.
Tova was also a great character, although I do wish we got to see more of her backstory, and potentially her story with Ethan. Cameron... I have conflicting feelings about him. He definitely seems like a whiny manchild at times, blaming his circumstances on everyone else but himself. However, he does have some degree of self-awareness, and his personality isn't completely irredeemable. He has his moments. I couldn't help but root for him. Additionally, although he was a minor character, I really liked Terry. He seemed like a kind, warmhearted man who truly loves what he does.
I do have a few complaints about this book. Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, but regardless, it was still very good. At times, I felt like Shelby Van Pelt spent too much time on exposition, describing pointless details to us that did nothing to move the story along and just bored me. Also, I wasn't too fond of Tova's friend group, the Knit-Wits. My eyes would just skip over paragraphs if I saw that they were involved. There was a lot of mention of Ethan, and I loved him as a character — I just wish that Van Pelt spent more time fleshing out his character and giving us more context behind who he is.
Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures accomplishes its goal in giving the reader a memorable, uplifting tale of finding community within others who may seem different than you, but are very similar beneath the surface. I cried, I laughed, and everything in between. For her debut novel, Van Pelt exceeds the mark.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The only reason I read this book was to complete the story that It Ends with Us started, and it was convenient because my roommate already owns the book. I used to like Colleen Hoover books, but after reading other authors, going back to Hoover's writing makes me realize just how lackluster her books truly are. I hope I'm not sounding too pretentious right now, but it's true. And hearing about how she helped her son try to cover up an SA makes me more averse to her works. Anyways, let's get to the actual review. This book was so unnecessary. Like it did not give what it needed to give. I just felt that there was no real plot, and random things were being thrown around just for the sake of it. At least with It Ends with Us, there was an actual story happening.
Once again, the letters that Lily writes to Ellen are so cringy... I just can't with them anymore. Also, any time a character was reading/writing a letter (even Atlas), my eyes would just glaze over. Additionally, the ending vows were so corny and cheesy. Also there were barely any ~spicy~ scenes :/ I will commend Hoover for appropriately conveying the aftermath of domestic abuse, and it's clear that she does not want the reader to sympathize for Ryle at all. (When people say that Hoover glorifies abuse in the first book, I get confused. This is my gripe with Colleen Hoover haters: either have valid reasons to hate on it or not at all. There's lot to hate on but she doesn't glorify abuse at all!! In fact, quite the opposite.)
Anyways, if you're wanting to read this book solely to complete the story, I just think you'd be better off reading something else. Waste of time. (Unless you're super into Atlas and Lily's story.)
Once again, the letters that Lily writes to Ellen are so cringy... I just can't with them anymore. Also, any time a character was reading/writing a letter (even Atlas), my eyes would just glaze over. Additionally, the ending vows were so corny and cheesy. Also there were barely any ~spicy~ scenes :/ I will commend Hoover for appropriately conveying the aftermath of domestic abuse, and it's clear that she does not want the reader to sympathize for Ryle at all. (When people say that Hoover glorifies abuse in the first book, I get confused. This is my gripe with Colleen Hoover haters: either have valid reasons to hate on it or not at all. There's lot to hate on but she doesn't glorify abuse at all!! In fact, quite the opposite.)
Anyways, if you're wanting to read this book solely to complete the story, I just think you'd be better off reading something else. Waste of time. (Unless you're super into Atlas and Lily's story.)
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When reading the first few pages of All This Could Be Different, the lack of quotation marks made me nervous that this would be like another pretentious Sally Rooney-esque snoozefest. I'm so glad to share that it was exactly the opposite. Although Sarah Thankam Mathews takes some time to find her footing within the story, when she does, the story really takes off.
This book is a love letter to queer, 20-something year old POC, and it was beautiful. Regardless of the main character's (Sneha) identity, the situations in which she goes through can be applicable to anyone in their twenties. Though the book spends a lot of time on Sneha's romantic relationships, it never feels like they're at the forefront of the story which I like. I feel like a lot of books nowadays focus on the romance while shoving friendships to the wayside. Mathews masterfully balances the two in this book - specifically focusing on the importance of platonic friendships.
Additionally, I have to commend Mathews's command of texting dynamics. Usually when I read text conversations in other books, I physically cringe and want to collapse in on myself because it's just so obviously not how people talk. Mathews does an amazing job of creating realistic text conversations that I didn't want to bash my head into a wall while reading.
Above all else, Sarah Thankam Mathews writes so eloquently and is able to articulate these abstract thoughts very well. Her writing evoked such a visceral reaction in me, especially when Sneha describes herself as stuck between blue and green. The ending also made me tear up so so much. Like truly, this book altered my brain chemistry. MUST READ IF YOU'RE IN YOUR TWENTIES!!
Edit: I CANNOT stop thinking about this book 10 months later. I think that's a pretty good indication of how impactful this book is. Bumping up my 4.5 to a 5 star review :)
This book is a love letter to queer, 20-something year old POC, and it was beautiful. Regardless of the main character's (Sneha) identity, the situations in which she goes through can be applicable to anyone in their twenties. Though the book spends a lot of time on Sneha's romantic relationships, it never feels like they're at the forefront of the story which I like. I feel like a lot of books nowadays focus on the romance while shoving friendships to the wayside. Mathews masterfully balances the two in this book - specifically focusing on the importance of platonic friendships.
Additionally, I have to commend Mathews's command of texting dynamics. Usually when I read text conversations in other books, I physically cringe and want to collapse in on myself because it's just so obviously not how people talk. Mathews does an amazing job of creating realistic text conversations that I didn't want to bash my head into a wall while reading.
Above all else, Sarah Thankam Mathews writes so eloquently and is able to articulate these abstract thoughts very well. Her writing evoked such a visceral reaction in me, especially when Sneha describes herself as stuck between blue and green. The ending also made me tear up so so much. Like truly, this book altered my brain chemistry. MUST READ IF YOU'RE IN YOUR TWENTIES!!
Edit: I CANNOT stop thinking about this book 10 months later. I think that's a pretty good indication of how impactful this book is. Bumping up my 4.5 to a 5 star review :)
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book kept my rapt attention. I am a hugeee fan of the friends to lovers trope — kinda reminds me of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, but 10x better. I think the way Christina Lauren formatted the book was perfect; the time jumps were a necessary addition in order to fully develop the characters and get a glimpse of their relationship over time. It was done tastefully because I normally hate when books jump back and forth. I shed a few tears after reading about how Macy's dad died; Lauren really knows how to frame death in such an emotional and hard-hitting way.
ELLIOT!! FREAKING ELLIOT!! Honestly a dream man. The way he speaks, takes care of Macy, loves Macy — the kind of man that only exists in books methinks.I do believe his story about what happened with Emma. It's clear that he would never do anything like that intentionally given the love that's practically overflowing from his pockets for Macy. Shit happens. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fast-paced palate refresh.
ELLIOT!! FREAKING ELLIOT!! Honestly a dream man. The way he speaks, takes care of Macy, loves Macy — the kind of man that only exists in books methinks.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I liked it! The book gave me "Tenet" vibes, but a little less confusing and with less action. The writing was pretty straightforward and easy to understand without being too simple. My only complaint is that I felt like some characters were not well developed. Gaspery's motivations were unclear to me and if that were fleshed out a bit more I feel like it would have been better.
I think I’m stupid because I didn’t really understand the meaning behind these first few poems, so I felt unmotivated to finish.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I hate to say that I get all my book recommendations from TikTok, but I do. Lol. Anyways, Lonely Castle in the Mirror turned out to be a fun read, although slow at times. I also think the translation was a bit iffy at some points, and I think another copy editor or someone else was necessary to read over the translated version. Didn't really affect the overall takeaway of the book, however. I think the pacing was quite odd, but maybe that has to do with a translation thing? I'm not too sure. The last third of the book had the pacing that I wish the rest of the book had. The big reveal at the end was super heartwarming, and the book built it up really well, so although I typically do not enjoy slow reads, I think the ending was worth it. I do have to note that a lot of times, the small paragraphs confused me and I had trouble keeping up with where we were in the story. I wish it was a bit more organized.