You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
books_with_mana's Reviews (414)
This is a book that should not be read alone. It is something to be read with a class (who's willing to read, so not a high school level class) or in an adventurous book club.
I initially rated this as 3 stars because a lot of the novel was frustrating until I had a discussion about the themes, particularly how humans are multifaceted. After participating in the discussion I was able to appreciate the complexity and unreliability of our narrators. It was a smart read that definitely needs to be read more than once and discussed with others in order to appreciate the novel in its entirety.
I initially rated this as 3 stars because a lot of the novel was frustrating until I had a discussion about the themes, particularly how humans are multifaceted. After participating in the discussion I was able to appreciate the complexity and unreliability of our narrators. It was a smart read that definitely needs to be read more than once and discussed with others in order to appreciate the novel in its entirety.
I enjoyed this novel as a writer, reader, and student of fiction/language. It flexed my brain with its unique structure. I did not realize how much I needed a break from the norm.
The expertise and flexibility in Mitchell's writing is enviable. He successfully wrote six different genres in one piece of fiction. Each of the different sections that contained different narrators with unique stylistic voices that furthered our understanding of the character. For example, Luisa Rey is a journalist and her section reflects as such. It is analytic, short, precise, witty, factual, and thrilling. It is all the makings of a typical noir novel and even reminiscent of some of today's thriller novels. The style Mitchell chose to write for Luisa Rey's part emphasized her character which gave us a better understanding of her. This was a fun tidbit that added to the journey.
Then, what sold me on the novel were its overlying messages about the human condition. The book tackled what human nature truly means and whether or not it should be changed. Arguably, as the novel progressed you could see the world we are familiar with get progressively worse with plenty of signs indicating the horrors to come. It takes an incredible turn when you begin to work your way backwards to the end of the novel, which is also the beginning, to leave one with a positive message that transcends time. Along side it's critique of Catholicism, aging, resurrection, corporate power, & the weak vs. the powerful it's no wonder why this book is going to be one of my treasured favorites that I reread until the day I die.
This is a book I recommend everyone should read because of its acute societal observations and predictions, but I would plead them to stick through it and everything will make sense in the end. There's something in here for everyone--the Sci-Fi nerds (like myself), sexual deviancy, literary references, action, theology, and more. Once you get past the anxiety of trying to figure out the structure of this book and how it is going to work, it becomes a fun, intellectual read. And as it progresses, how the different sections tie-in together becomes more and more clear. This book is definitely one worth giving a shot.
The expertise and flexibility in Mitchell's writing is enviable. He successfully wrote six different genres in one piece of fiction. Each of the different sections that contained different narrators with unique stylistic voices that furthered our understanding of the character. For example, Luisa Rey is a journalist and her section reflects as such. It is analytic, short, precise, witty, factual, and thrilling. It is all the makings of a typical noir novel and even reminiscent of some of today's thriller novels. The style Mitchell chose to write for Luisa Rey's part emphasized her character which gave us a better understanding of her. This was a fun tidbit that added to the journey.
Then, what sold me on the novel were its overlying messages about the human condition. The book tackled what human nature truly means and whether or not it should be changed. Arguably, as the novel progressed you could see the world we are familiar with get progressively worse with plenty of signs indicating the horrors to come. It takes an incredible turn when you begin to work your way backwards to the end of the novel, which is also the beginning, to leave one with a positive message that transcends time. Along side it's critique of Catholicism, aging, resurrection, corporate power, & the weak vs. the powerful it's no wonder why this book is going to be one of my treasured favorites that I reread until the day I die.
This is a book I recommend everyone should read because of its acute societal observations and predictions, but I would plead them to stick through it and everything will make sense in the end. There's something in here for everyone--the Sci-Fi nerds (like myself), sexual deviancy, literary references, action, theology, and more. Once you get past the anxiety of trying to figure out the structure of this book and how it is going to work, it becomes a fun, intellectual read. And as it progresses, how the different sections tie-in together becomes more and more clear. This book is definitely one worth giving a shot.
This novel combines two of my favorite things: paranormal romances and meta fiction. Here, Aimee Roseland has her protagonist experience her biggest literary letdown. Those who are avid readers know what it's like to be dedicated to a series to the point of fangirl-dom. However, the worst nightmare of any fan is that the creator of their favorite medium passed which is exactly what happens to Chloe. This is something a lot of Game of Thrones fans are severely worried about which grounds this book in reality. Well, sort of. Because Chloe doesn't just mourn the ending of her favorite book series that gets incomplete because a jackweed pedantic author ruined the series by cutting it short and veering the plotline off course.
But it doesn't end there. Chloe gets transported into her favorite fictional universe. She thinks it's a dream, until she finds out that all of her favorite characters hate her. It's both a dream and nightmare for every book lover. Especially since she gets to meet the fictional man of her dreams, Lucien.
This is a must read for anyone who is in love with the paranormal genre even if it has some of it's shortcomings. It pokes fun of itself while maintaining its own plot. The best part of the novel is the meta commentary about the paranormal romance genre a lot of the readers experience. We all get tired of the cliches, lack of ethnic diversity, and the rehashing of old plots. This book breaks the barriers by playing with cliches and commenting on them, while having the romantic lead be of Chinese descent, and introducing a plot that is typically used in fanfiction. It broke out of the typical paranormal romance genre. It's full of action, romance, and intrigue as you take this journey with the protagonist with several twists and turns as we try to figure out how it's possible that Chloe was able to enter the book world.
But it doesn't end there. Chloe gets transported into her favorite fictional universe. She thinks it's a dream, until she finds out that all of her favorite characters hate her. It's both a dream and nightmare for every book lover. Especially since she gets to meet the fictional man of her dreams, Lucien.
This is a must read for anyone who is in love with the paranormal genre even if it has some of it's shortcomings. It pokes fun of itself while maintaining its own plot. The best part of the novel is the meta commentary about the paranormal romance genre a lot of the readers experience. We all get tired of the cliches, lack of ethnic diversity, and the rehashing of old plots. This book breaks the barriers by playing with cliches and commenting on them, while having the romantic lead be of Chinese descent, and introducing a plot that is typically used in fanfiction. It broke out of the typical paranormal romance genre. It's full of action, romance, and intrigue as you take this journey with the protagonist with several twists and turns as we try to figure out how it's possible that Chloe was able to enter the book world.