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bookphile's reviews
982 reviews
Skyhunter by Marie Lu
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Skyhunter is an incredible book which showcases perfectly how far Marie Lu has come as a writer. She has created an incredible world, a futuristic dystopia, where a single country is making it's last, hopeless stand against a tyrant conquering the continent through brutality, murder, and by creating unstoppable monsters out of it's own people and enemies in order to win, no matter the cost.
The cast of characters is interesting and diverse, and you get to fall in love with every single one of them as the story progresses. I can honestly say that I loved every single one of them.
There's a lot of discussion about war, the affects of war on the people, the treatment of refugees - even when they are ready to lay down their life for a country that continually rejects them. The price of peace and the cost of conquest and bloodshed.
It is a dark book, but it's not without glimpses of true heroism, even in the bleakest moments. I highly recommend it and I honestly think it's one of Lu's best.
The cast of characters is interesting and diverse, and you get to fall in love with every single one of them as the story progresses. I can honestly say that I loved every single one of them.
There's a lot of discussion about war, the affects of war on the people, the treatment of refugees - even when they are ready to lay down their life for a country that continually rejects them. The price of peace and the cost of conquest and bloodshed.
It is a dark book, but it's not without glimpses of true heroism, even in the bleakest moments. I highly recommend it and I honestly think it's one of Lu's best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Xenophobia, Murder, Gore, Genocide, Death, and Body horror
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I have finally finished a book after several months of simply not being able to focus long enough to finish one. It felt good to return to reading, without worrying about the page count, or finishing it as quickly as possible so I could on to the next. My goal was simply to read and to finish. What I wanted from the book was to keep my attention. And it did. I know that a lot of other people had expectations of this book and some were justified and others disappointed. Having had zero expectations, I found my self rather enjoying the slow, lulling story and the magical journey that Schwab took us on.
I did like the characters, but the main focus was definitely on Addie. Luc seemed like your typical selfish immortal character and Henry a bland romantic interest. Honestly, I found some of the side characters more interesting than Henry. But I really liked Addie, her fighting spirit, her refusal to give up, her wit, etc.
I did find that the story was incredibly whitewashed, considering in the 300 years Addie had only travels to European countries, and none of the main cast were people of color. Henry is Jewish, and demi-bi ? There was a gay and a lesbian side-characters. But that's about it.
Overall, I did like the story, it kept me engaged, and wanting to come back to it again and again, but also I wanted to draw it out and savor it. The writing is fantastic and Schwab definitely knows how to weave and intricate beautiful plot.
I did like the characters, but the main focus was definitely on Addie. Luc seemed like your typical selfish immortal character and Henry a bland romantic interest. Honestly, I found some of the side characters more interesting than Henry. But I really liked Addie, her fighting spirit, her refusal to give up, her wit, etc.
I did find that the story was incredibly whitewashed, considering in the 300 years Addie had only travels to European countries, and none of the main cast were people of color. Henry is Jewish, and demi-bi ? There was a gay and a lesbian side-characters. But that's about it.
Overall, I did like the story, it kept me engaged, and wanting to come back to it again and again, but also I wanted to draw it out and savor it. The writing is fantastic and Schwab definitely knows how to weave and intricate beautiful plot.
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
3.0
This is a great adaptation. I do think things are a bit too simplified, but I like how everything is not peachy perfect and the Greek gods are just as bad as they really are in mythology.
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
5.0
4.5
This was a great finish to the series.
I think it's awesome how the battle didn't take place in the last couple of chapters, like they usually do, and instead takes place almost the entire novel. So that the battle was epic, glorious, and well resolved.
More later.
This was a great finish to the series.
I think it's awesome how the battle didn't take place in the last couple of chapters, like they usually do, and instead takes place almost the entire novel. So that the battle was epic, glorious, and well resolved.
More later.
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
3.0
This was an interesting read.
Fluffy stockholm syndrome romance.
Grown woman writing from a perspective of a 10 year old boy that likes having sex fantasies and masturbating. That's just awkward.
It was okay.
Fluffy stockholm syndrome romance.
Grown woman writing from a perspective of a 10 year old boy that likes having sex fantasies and masturbating. That's just awkward.
It was okay.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4.0
I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.
Heavy movie comparison review. Spoilers beware.
I refused to read this book for a long time. It didn't sound like something I would like or anything I'd care about. But when the movie came out, I read a spoiler that Amy was actually the villain... and I was like, I wanna watch that movie because I still don't know if I want to read the book. So I went to watch the movie, and I was like holy mother of cool girls! this is good! I loved the movie. Which is when the guilt over not reading the book set in. So I bought the book.
It's actually pretty amazing just how closely the movie follows the book, up until the third act--which is when the movie actually much better than the book. I like the movie Amy, much better than the book Amy.
Movie Amy is a classic villain. Not only is she a wronged wife, but she is a product of years of neglect, emotional abuse at the hands of her parents (question: how did two child psychologists fail to see that their daughter is a sociopath?) and husband, plus the rape and misogyny culture this country. When I was rewatching the movie, after reading the book, I realized that the one thing I wished they made clearer in the movie was the fact that Amy did this to other people before, her friend from high school and her boyfriend. I think this shows that Amy was fucked up way before Nick and that she didn't just suddenly snap because of him.
Movie Amy is a scarily intelligent, cold, calculating, sociopath who takes revenge on anyone who wrongs her, no matter how petty. The fact that would have been so much more apparent in the movie if they made her history of ruining peoples lives a bit more clear-- I mean they include Desi and the guy she accused of raping her, but I wished they also included the high school friend. Amy fucks shit up royally and she gets away with it. Book Amy laps up Nicks TV apology, decides oh he's learned his lesson and decides to dispatch Desi who's inconveniently holding her hostage, and runs back to Nick. I mean she quickly realizes he wants nothing to do with her, but at the same time she is insistent of fixing their relationship and staying together. What is much much worse, and made me dislike her (even as a villain) is that she is a just as misogynistic and woman hating as Nick. I'm pretty sure she uses the word "slut" to describe just about every woman. I mean she hates everyone equally, but she seems especially antagonistic towards women. A lot of internalized misogyny there.
To be honest I'm not sure I would have liked the book as much if I hadn't watched the movie first and loved it.
Heavy movie comparison review. Spoilers beware.
I refused to read this book for a long time. It didn't sound like something I would like or anything I'd care about. But when the movie came out, I read a spoiler that Amy was actually the villain... and I was like, I wanna watch that movie because I still don't know if I want to read the book. So I went to watch the movie, and I was like holy mother of cool girls! this is good! I loved the movie. Which is when the guilt over not reading the book set in. So I bought the book.
It's actually pretty amazing just how closely the movie follows the book, up until the third act--which is when the movie actually much better than the book. I like the movie Amy, much better than the book Amy.
Movie Amy is a classic villain. Not only is she a wronged wife, but she is a product of years of neglect, emotional abuse at the hands of her parents (question: how did two child psychologists fail to see that their daughter is a sociopath?) and husband, plus the rape and misogyny culture this country. When I was rewatching the movie, after reading the book, I realized that the one thing I wished they made clearer in the movie was the fact that Amy did this to other people before, her friend from high school and her boyfriend. I think this shows that Amy was fucked up way before Nick and that she didn't just suddenly snap because of him.
Movie Amy is a scarily intelligent, cold, calculating, sociopath who takes revenge on anyone who wrongs her, no matter how petty. The fact that would have been so much more apparent in the movie if they made her history of ruining peoples lives a bit more clear-- I mean they include Desi and the guy she accused of raping her, but I wished they also included the high school friend. Amy fucks shit up royally and she gets away with it. Book Amy laps up Nicks TV apology, decides oh he's learned his lesson and decides to dispatch Desi who's inconveniently holding her hostage, and runs back to Nick. I mean she quickly realizes he wants nothing to do with her, but at the same time she is insistent of fixing their relationship and staying together. What is much much worse, and made me dislike her (even as a villain) is that she is a just as misogynistic and woman hating as Nick. I'm pretty sure she uses the word "slut" to describe just about every woman. I mean she hates everyone equally, but she seems especially antagonistic towards women. A lot of internalized misogyny there.
To be honest I'm not sure I would have liked the book as much if I hadn't watched the movie first and loved it.