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elijahs_bookshelf's Reviews (118)
The dystopian setting of this story is expertly crafted, and the characters are full of depth. I'd heartily recommend this to anyone wanting a story that examines our bleak future through an ultimately hopeful lens!
It's always hard to write reviews for big, well-known authors like this, but... yeah, James Baldwin is famous for a reason. He's a good writer. This certainly isn't the most plot-heavy, exciting book out there, but if you want a deep look into characters and incredibly powerful prose, Baldwin might be for you.
This book reminded me of Ender’s Game. And admittedly, it’s probably been about a decade since I’ve read Ender’s Game and I don’t remember it that well, so that comparison might not ring true to anyone who’s read it more recently, but what I do remember is that I really loved the friendly yet highly competitive team fights/training from Ender’s Game—and that’s an aspect shared by Psion Beta. It’s a very fun structure, providing both fun and solid teambuilding/internal character work as Sammy develops across the book.
This book skews towards a slightly younger audience than my typical wheelhouse, but I absolutely could imagine my younger self reading this and becoming obsessed—it probably would have become a new favorite, given the action and epic superpowers balanced alongside some very compelling themes about the tensions between humility and confidence.
My one big critique of the book, however, is how the author handles romance and gender divides. The entire novel reinforces this idea that girls are foreign and function fundamentally differently than boys in ways that make them impossible to understand, which isn’t a narrative I myself buy into. This theme further comes into fruition in the idea that girls are “nutty” *except* for when one gives you her love and attention, at which point she becomes “amazing” instead of “stupid.” I *am* glad that Sammy came to this realization, but I do not think that the author should have constructed this oh-so-brilliant epiphany to revolve around Sammy earning his crush’s attention: tying respect for women to whether or not they express romantic feelings toward you is not an admirable theme, and one that I wish had been reworked before releasing this book.
This book skews towards a slightly younger audience than my typical wheelhouse, but I absolutely could imagine my younger self reading this and becoming obsessed—it probably would have become a new favorite, given the action and epic superpowers balanced alongside some very compelling themes about the tensions between humility and confidence.
My one big critique of the book, however, is how the author handles romance and gender divides. The entire novel reinforces this idea that girls are foreign and function fundamentally differently than boys in ways that make them impossible to understand, which isn’t a narrative I myself buy into. This theme further comes into fruition in the idea that girls are “nutty” *except* for when one gives you her love and attention, at which point she becomes “amazing” instead of “stupid.” I *am* glad that Sammy came to this realization, but I do not think that the author should have constructed this oh-so-brilliant epiphany to revolve around Sammy earning his crush’s attention: tying respect for women to whether or not they express romantic feelings toward you is not an admirable theme, and one that I wish had been reworked before releasing this book.
"Montego" provides great insight into the origins of the titular character's life in Ossa. I really enjoyed seeing the younger, more naive versions of many of the characters (Montego, Kizzie, Demir)! The storytelling itself was also simple but compelling--I was really able to invest in the character's goals and frustrations. Rooting for Montego is very easy, and although his victories come relatively easily, they never feel unearned.
This has been my favorite Wheel of Time book thus far! The happenings of this book are both weighty and exciting, and character and plot are working together to create a very well balanced, exciting narrative.
I loved this sequel a lot! The character relationships are all so great, and the plot was very well constructed, balancing the supernatural horror elements with the complications thrown in from the more mundane elements of Alex's life. This book is sassy and clever, and I had a great time with it.
This magical realist novel was phenomenal. After taking a class on magical realism a few semesters back, I was delighted to pick up another story within the mode. Since I still have a close working relationship with that professor, I'm certainly going to recommend he read this one; he likes to cap off the class by studying a newly published magical realist book, and The Jaguar Mask feels like one very deserving of study, should he teach the class again in an upcoming semester.
The worldbuilding was lovely on all levels, from the unflinching portrayal of Guatemala City to the charming depiction of Felipe and Christina's supernatural identities. The world felt lived in, and the speculative elements slotted in nicely as a way to make the story feel even more grounded despite its magic.
The prose was also captivating. DeLuca's vocabulary is immaculate, and the way he captures action and emotion and immersive and beautiful. His grasp of the culture and attitudes of those in the story is very evident on the page, and I will certainly be looking to read more of his writing in the future!
If I were to bring in any piece of criticism, it would be that I felt Christina's storyline dragged a bit in the middle of the book. I suspect that my feelings here are more a matter of connecting more personally with Felipe's character and other readers' mileage may vary--so I wouldn't dock the story too harshly over it. Overall, I still deeply enjoyed this read.
I offer massive thanks to Stelliform Press for gifting me a free ebook (an Advanced Reader Copy) in exchange for this honest review!
The worldbuilding was lovely on all levels, from the unflinching portrayal of Guatemala City to the charming depiction of Felipe and Christina's supernatural identities. The world felt lived in, and the speculative elements slotted in nicely as a way to make the story feel even more grounded despite its magic.
The prose was also captivating. DeLuca's vocabulary is immaculate, and the way he captures action and emotion and immersive and beautiful. His grasp of the culture and attitudes of those in the story is very evident on the page, and I will certainly be looking to read more of his writing in the future!
If I were to bring in any piece of criticism, it would be that I felt Christina's storyline dragged a bit in the middle of the book. I suspect that my feelings here are more a matter of connecting more personally with Felipe's character and other readers' mileage may vary--so I wouldn't dock the story too harshly over it. Overall, I still deeply enjoyed this read.
I offer massive thanks to Stelliform Press for gifting me a free ebook (an Advanced Reader Copy) in exchange for this honest review!
This was a fantastic conclusion to the series! I thought Sanderson did a great job of balancing screentime with the whole cast of characters, making it feel like this final book really got back to its roots in Skyward. The broad scope and deep character examination also paired nicely to great high stakes, impactful plot moments, and thrilling twists and reveals. Sanderson is a master at endings, and this book is further proof of that.
If you know me, I'm a sucker for necromancy--and this book delivers on this front solidly, even if the magic didn't feel outstandingly special. The author seems to have spent her time developing the social worldbuilding to be unique, rather than introducing anything particularly special about the magical worldbuilding (apart from the one noteable plot twist/reveal the book seems centered around).
To me, the character relationships were probably the highlight of this book. Wren has such a dynamic personality, so all of her interactions and opinions about the other characters come with a nice kick. This is really a book all about how Wren's developing relationship with Julian, and it's paced and plotted with care.
A final thing I'll mention is that the writing style is simple but effective. I would love to emulate a similar sort of prose in my own writing--something that's enjoyable to read, infused with subtle personality, and straightforward enough to not get in the way of the literal storytelling either.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in picking up a new necromantic read or any fan of Nicki Pau Preto's writing!
To me, the character relationships were probably the highlight of this book. Wren has such a dynamic personality, so all of her interactions and opinions about the other characters come with a nice kick. This is really a book all about how Wren's developing relationship with Julian, and it's paced and plotted with care.
A final thing I'll mention is that the writing style is simple but effective. I would love to emulate a similar sort of prose in my own writing--something that's enjoyable to read, infused with subtle personality, and straightforward enough to not get in the way of the literal storytelling either.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in picking up a new necromantic read or any fan of Nicki Pau Preto's writing!
This is a hard-hitting book, full of compassion and cruelty and hope and despair. It may be a quick read, but it certainly isn't easy--both of which are things that compel me to recognize this as an important book. Anyone wanting to explore sociopolitical themes involving race relations, incarceration, and violence through a (rather light) speculative lens should strongly give this book their consideration.