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danijoy's reviews
135 reviews
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The perfect rainy day, tea in hand, and snuggled up in a blanket book.
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It took some time for me to realize why this book kept giving me déjà vu, and it hit me: Pretty Little Liars. If you like shows like PLL, you’ll most likely enjoy this book!
I marked this book down because even though I found this book entertaining, I felt like this book read like a YA novel. In my opinion, the best YA books don’t feel like YA books.
I marked this book down because even though I found this book entertaining, I felt like this book read like a YA novel. In my opinion, the best YA books don’t feel like YA books.
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had a difficult time making it through this book. While Card is a decent writer and crafted a compelling enough story, I could not get past the horrible treatment of the children (and especially the protagonist) in this novel. Also, I felt like the book lagged quite a bit in the middle - I was bored until the finale. Speaking of which, the ending caught me off guard. I should’ve seen it coming.
This novel is about human nature and the lengths we will go to in order to survive no matter the cost. This is not a happy story, although there is a silver lining at the end that elevated the book for me. The themes of love, mercy, and forgiveness played small roles as well.
This novel is about human nature and the lengths we will go to in order to survive no matter the cost. This is not a happy story, although there is a silver lining at the end that elevated the book for me. The themes of love, mercy, and forgiveness played small roles as well.
This book was just not my jam. Only the last few chapters had me completely engaged. I also liked the first two chapters. The rest of the book certainly could’ve benefitted from some major cuts or alterations. Could we also have some more insight into the heart and soul of the characters? The main characters (white male) were so incredibly dull and indistinguishable from each other. The book did, however, bring up some interesting questions about humanity and intelligence.
Side note (not considered as part of my rating): I only just now started getting into sci-fi as a genre. But…. misogyny is showing up consistently. For this specific book, the misogyny reached a new level. While I realize the book was written in the 60s, it was hard for me to believe a far future 2001 setting (from Clark’s POV) to be both miraculously advanced in STEM, yet, also horrendously sexist. The “girl assistants” reference in particular made me cringe. Again, I realize this book was written decades ago. However, this is not a book set in the decade it was written in. I think the futuristic sci-fi genre might just be more prone to clashing with a present day lens.
Side note (not considered as part of my rating): I only just now started getting into sci-fi as a genre. But…. misogyny is showing up consistently. For this specific book, the misogyny reached a new level. While I realize the book was written in the 60s, it was hard for me to believe a far future 2001 setting (from Clark’s POV) to be both miraculously advanced in STEM, yet, also horrendously sexist. The “girl assistants” reference in particular made me cringe. Again, I realize this book was written decades ago. However, this is not a book set in the decade it was written in. I think the futuristic sci-fi genre might just be more prone to clashing with a present day lens.
I love this tender novelization of a somewhat goofy episode by Jikiemi-Pearson. It added some much needed depth that didn’t quick hit the mark for me during my initial watch of the episode. I almost shed a tear at the end of the book.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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:
N/A
This prequel is just as heartwarming and cozy as the original novel but with a little more action mingled in. I continue to be impressed with how Baldree evenly blends engaging characters, exciting action, blossoming romances, and unlikely friendships together. I hope Baldree publishes more books in the future.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid 3.75 for me. Loved the action and suspense. Kept me on the edge of my seat. If I hadn’t been reading so much sci-fi recently I would’ve guessed the twist immediately. Good intro to the genre if you’re new to political thrillers like I am.
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I absolutely loved the first book. This sequel…..was not a bad book…..just far less exciting and inspired…among several other issues. For example, the author gave the action-packed third act a time limit that was completely unrealistic. This problem alone took me out of the finale. In addition, I found the characters to be underwhelming in this story.
However, the biggest problem I had with this book, no question, was Wade… While not my favorite protagonist in RP1, I forgave Wade for a lot given his age and rough upbringing. In this book? He is unbearable…which could have worked if he had truly grown and learned from his mistakes by the end. But, sadly, his unethical actions were almost justified by the conclusion of this sequel.
Speaking of ethics….some super big philosophical questions were brought up by Cline and he just bulldozed through them…Instead of having the characters mull over these big changes carefully, the High Five made big world-altering decisions in just a few paragraphs. I wish the author had dedicated some genuine time to these topics…it could have been really interesting.
Overall, I wish I had not read this sequel, but I’ll give it an extra star for the Doctor Who reference.
However, the biggest problem I had with this book, no question, was Wade… While not my favorite protagonist in RP1, I forgave Wade for a lot given his age and rough upbringing. In this book? He is unbearable…which could have worked if he had truly grown and learned from his mistakes by the end. But, sadly, his unethical actions were almost justified by the conclusion of this sequel.
Speaking of ethics….some super big philosophical questions were brought up by Cline and he just bulldozed through them…Instead of having the characters mull over these big changes carefully, the High Five made big world-altering decisions in just a few paragraphs. I wish the author had dedicated some genuine time to these topics…it could have been really interesting.
Overall, I wish I had not read this sequel, but I’ll give it an extra star for the Doctor Who reference.
I really like the topic and Rubin’s writing style. However, I felt like some sections were underdeveloped and the whole book read like an extended diary as opposed to a self-help non-fiction book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading Rubin’s journey and her applicable conclusion chapters alone elevated it to a 3.75 for me.