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documentno_is's Reviews (1.28k)
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Melina Marchetta is an incredible character writer who somewhat unfortunately can’t let go of this one cast of characters. Not to say I didn’t like reading up on the continuation of their story but I feel that all of her follow up/sequels of the saving Francesca cast always come in at a cut below her groundbreaking stuff. Even Saving Francesca had an appropriate amount of angst and familiar conflict for an adolescent in high school but when you look at these same characters 8 years later its difficult to feel the same level of sympathy and connection.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is twilight for freaks (jk this is porn.)
Idk it was actually a pretty alright book and then it got to the last two chapters and I decided maybe this shouldn’t have been published and should just live deep in the internet somewhere.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The World/Mythos
I thought the author's way of revealing the myth was effective in providing enough backstory to be engaged but not overwhelming in that I never felt lost in the world or characters. I was able to really immerse myself in this world and was invested in the different aspects of it. None of the nomenclature or character names felt out of place with the greater story the author was trying to tell.
Characters
I found the character writing to be phenomenal, every character had clear motivations and was driven by them throughout. Other than some of the romance elements I was never too confused why a certain character ated a certain way.
Bait & Switch Love Interest
I thought the author's way of revealing the myth was effective in providing enough backstory to be engaged but not overwhelming in that I never felt lost in the world or characters. I was able to really immerse myself in this world and was invested in the different aspects of it. None of the nomenclature or character names felt out of place with the greater story the author was trying to tell.
Characters
I found the character writing to be phenomenal, every character had clear motivations and was driven by them throughout. Other than some of the romance elements I was never too confused why a certain character ated a certain way.
Bait & Switch Love Interest
I loved the dynamic between the characters in terms of how each showed and received love. It was much more similar to a normal relationship than a dramatized romance novel. I was actually surprised by the twist! I really wasn't sure which of them would be her choice and in that veign didn't really know what the author was trying to say by picking one over the other. Seems like the hard personality turn upon the switch rules out any thematic implications.
Plot
I found that the plot had a natural cadence and I appreciated the way the author broke the narrative up in several "books."
In Conclusion
I would recommend Daughter of the Moon Goddess to any reader looking for an immersive fantasy with some romance elements. For readers who enjoy strong willed characters and powerful female heroines I think DotMG will not disappoint. The writing style is simple but not barren and felt like a clear vessel for the story but nothing more. I think there are a few more novels in this series and I can't wait to dive in!
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
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adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It may have been a mistake to start by reading Cool World and then expect the same quality of novel from her first book. I was not super impressed by this novel but I did think it was a fun-ish read. Part of this was likely influenced by the fact that I'm not interested in true crime and found the MC grating. I'm glad I know I have another work to connect with on this author because this was not spectacular to me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is an interesting case, where a well loved and very popular fantasy series fails to connect with me. Honestly, it rarely happens- this genre is one of the ones I’m easiest on. Something of note is that the book series I found this one similar to was the other series that failed to ever really grab me- Game of Thrones. Maybe I’m stymied by my lack of familiarity of the source material as I’ve never read Saint George and the Dragon to need a feminist retelling of it. This novel had all the trappings of a well-loved fantasy universe, good myth, language, religion, geo-politics.
This book is told in alternating perspectives in 4 different simultaneous narratives- within those separate narratives there are also separate focus points and characters depending on the portion of the timeline you’re in. The novel is clearly meant to convey an epic world and history and that is why I hate this method of storytelling-close third, as a method to accomplish that.
You always remain in some way detached from what the characters are truly thinking because in one character’s chapter you can also be privy to another character’s true thoughts on the situation. I think the element of disconnect is better captured when the reader also isn’t aware. Flipping constantly between separate character’s stories is also jarring because just as you get invested in one character’s tale you are switched to the next and lose the connection that was just beginning to form. A lot of the world-building is lost in having so many different character’s stories. Why focus on the minutiae of climbing onto the dragon instead of the real history of why dragon’s are helping these humans in the first place. Some of the character naming never really connected with me- “The Nameless One” being a convenient stand in for “The Dark One” or “He Who Must Not Be Named” or whatever other unspeakable evil with no real motivations an author decides to throw in.
On the positive side, I do love having perspective on the characters that are not seen as “good” and end up on the wrong side of things and understanding Roo’s motivations help curb your disdain for him even in the end- it also ensures I can never really connect with Queen Sabran and I’m not sure if this is the author’s intentions because then why spend this time building her up as a positive character (one of the main character’s love interests at that.)
I came around to the novel a little in its finale, there was a rather gratifying conclusion and I appreciate Shannon’s insistence on not making this an easy love story for our main characters. Honestly the most interesting character story in this novel was Nicolas Roo’s, so I’m glad we received somewhat of a conclusion for his harrowing coward’s tale.
Lastly, I just cannot for the life of me discern why this is isn’t two books when there’s such a clear logical split. Both novels would still be on the long side even cut in half. This book tackled so much and yet felt like it accomplished very little. It's in no way the worst book I've ever read and yet consistently failed to live up to my expectations for it. If I hadn't started the novel on a 10hr plane ride I likely would not have finished it.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-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
This was a fun palette cleanser to read while I tackled a high fantasy book. Nothing special or too interesting but a nice fun read.
The central story was interesting- how does somebody who has trouble perceiving social cues tackle the nuance of dating. She meets her match in somebody who has trouble with everyone's intentions in his work/dating life being disingenuous. It makes perfect sense on paper and the way the author approached the various miscommunications surrounding their attempts to know each other better was endearing.
The "spicy" parts were written kind of ridiculously. It's a difficult art to perfect and Hoang made a valiant attempt despite not exactly making the mark. To some extent, the author might have what I call "porn brain" and didn't really capture the way "real" people speak to each other in these situations. Maybe its on me and I should stick to reading historical romance. I won't count her off for it in this review- but in my opinion these scenes weren't great.
I think I hardly had issues with this book- while it didn't blow away I also feel it accomplished everything it set out to.
The central story was interesting- how does somebody who has trouble perceiving social cues tackle the nuance of dating. She meets her match in somebody who has trouble with everyone's intentions in his work/dating life being disingenuous. It makes perfect sense on paper and the way the author approached the various miscommunications surrounding their attempts to know each other better was endearing.
I think I hardly had issues with this book- while it didn't blow away I also feel it accomplished everything it set out to.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After dnfing the Seven Year Slip I decided to give Poston another shot, people rave about this author so why can't I seem to connect with her? First, I should start with the positives: this book is certainly something you can "curl up" to. I have a feeling that people who like Gilmore Girls, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, and fall hikes with their golden retriever will love this book. It gives a nod to some common academic tropes that hint that Poston might have a more classically trained literary background than this novel would have you believe. It also makes many attempts at "witty banter" and I have to say- this is where the positives end for me.
I think there is always a risk when you choose to write this kind of flowing dialogue that your sense of humor may not connect with your reader's and it certainly did not connect with mine. The novel was cute, fun, and breezy but also felt forced. Honestly, the dialogue aside I couldn't shake the feeling that Poston was batting above her average. The level of emotion never quite clicked with the fluffy story Poston was trying to tell.When the aspect of Asher's dead wife came in (Aston, Aslen, what was his name again? ) I felt a profound disconnect with the quippy and whiny nature of Poston's main character. I mean the romance really did almost seem to glaze over his relationship with this woman who supposedly was the main character's hero!? So strange.. Maybe its on me, if I pass I expect time to stop exactly where I had been before XD
Anyway, I don't think I was quite the audience for this but I'm not sold even the intended one should be able to whole heartedly accept the plot Poston is trying to tell.
I think there is always a risk when you choose to write this kind of flowing dialogue that your sense of humor may not connect with your reader's and it certainly did not connect with mine. The novel was cute, fun, and breezy but also felt forced. Honestly, the dialogue aside I couldn't shake the feeling that Poston was batting above her average. The level of emotion never quite clicked with the fluffy story Poston was trying to tell.
Anyway, I don't think I was quite the audience for this but I'm not sold even the intended one should be able to whole heartedly accept the plot Poston is trying to tell.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I recently received an email in my inbox informing me that one of my new favorite authors (Rachel Kushner) has a new book coming out and that Brooklyn Public Library was organizing an event where she was interviewed by Emma Straub. I was unfortunately unable to attend the event, but interested in the pairing I picked up This Time Tomorrow to familiarize myself with Straub’s work.
Honestly, I really didn’t enjoy this book at first. My lack of enjoyment was, however, in a way that I found interesting. For context, much of my dislike of this book is in regards to the first 3-4 parts. By the end of the novel I was actually quite on board with the tie up- and found sufficient growth in the main character to not be as disgruntled by the read as I initially was.
Usually books I don’t care for fall in three categories:
- I don’t like the writing, in some way or another the writing or editing of the book has managed to not connect with me or lack in some crucial way. For example, I maybe don’t like the way the author writes dialogue. Or most recently, I thought the book had too much filler and could have been edited down.
- The book leaves too many unanswered questions, or somehow fails to deliver on its promises. Sometimes authors tackle too many avenues and end up dropping crucial plot points. Sometimes the ending feels rushed or the writer ends up focusing on a part of the story I didn’t care as much about.
- It’s boring. I’m only human after all, and especially when I tackle denser or more complex literature I can fail to connect with the prose or bail out in the end. Maybe I thought the theme of the novel wasn’t worth 500+ words, time is money get to the point.
This book has created a fourth reason, I really didn’t care for the authors voice. I think from a construction standpoint, this novel is executed very well. It’s written in a way where it is clear that the author is skilled in craft and form. It curves its ambition perfectly. The voice of the characters fits the time period and setting very well.
Yet the thing that lives at the top of my tongue when thinking about this novel is how insufferable it is. I mean, if there was an award for lack of self reflection our main character might have to take the cake. There is something negative to be said in her mind about every single person she encounters and every single person that she interacts with. Even the people she supposedly loves are not free from her ire or criticism (except for some reason her father.) I think my closeness to the setting in the book drove home a very real similarity between the protagonist of this novel and every real completely up their own ass New York that I’ve ever met. This is not to say every New Yorker is like this, not even most, this is obviously a very diverse place that is inhabited by many of all walks of life. There is however that New Yorker that will never fail to correct you on the true boundaries of a neighborhood, or lament some real version of New Yorker that you could never begin to imagine. In doing so this fictive person will refuse to look inward, they’ve already decided you’re the enemy anyway, and overlook the immense and incredible privilege of being born somewhere with opportunity, wealth, and possibility.
Then, of course, a quick Google search illuminated me to the fact that the Alice in this novel is almost certainly a stand in for the author herself (and her famous father author Peter Straub.) I’m rather biased against nepo-babies (as a first generation immigrant how could I not be) and am now wondering if I have some supernatural sense in sniffing them out. Still, this was clearly an extremely personal novel and I can give Straub some benefit of the doubt in regards to a lack of ability to self-crit. I remembered after looking at a few other works that I had actually tried to read The Vacationers a couple years ago and it was one of my rare dnfs of the year. Still, I am interested in Straub’s writing from a skill level and haven’t completely written her off; I do think a lot of this novel is saved in the last 50 pages and I think her incredible sense of plot has to do with that.
Part four of this novel is where the insufferability of Alice’s character start to fall away a little. She is desperately clinging to the past, unable to move forward in her life clearly due to her focus on her father. How could she not focus on her father, the man is larger than life and has a youth and vibrance that jumps off the page. Her connection to Kenji through their shared loss endeared me to this character finally, and a lot of my disdain for her in the beginning started to chip away. The growth shown in the final chapters is not enough to endear me to the author’s voice or themes entirely (I mean she clearly thinks people who have children are in some way beneath her,) but I began to see her perspective.
Ultimately, This Time Tomorrow is an interesting concept but a tough read. I think some personal distance could have served this story (very antithetical to “write what you know”- but I’ve always though cannibalizing our lived experiences for plot was a bad way to live anyway.) Overall, a run-of-the-mill novel with some annoying qualities that are largely salvaged by the finish line.