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frogsarelovely's reviews
299 reviews
The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love by David Elliot Cohen
5.0
This is the true story of one remarkable dog and his journey across America to see his family again. It was funny, heart-breaking, thought provoking, and surprisingly educational.
Going into this book, I didn’t realise it would reveal so much about the obscurities of American road side attractions, and I also didn’t realise I’d be interested in them. They were amusing to say the least. From craters and petrified forests to the Eagles and Elvis Presley. This book was littered with little factual trinkets that make you appreciate the silliness of our predecessors, or the strength and love of others. As with many books I seem to be reading recently, I left feeling like I knew a little more about the craziness that is the US, and with a desire to travel across the country.
Having lost two smashing dogs last year to the ailments of old age, the story of Simba II felt familiar and bitter sweet. Simba’s (possible) resilience and the unconditional love of those around him truly resonated with me, as I’m sure it will with all dog lovers, and reminds you to enjoy the present. The story of Simba also paralleled with the story of the author’s mother. Reading the stories of these two incredibly loyal, headstrong, and utterly loving family members is a wonderful lesson - in appreciating what you have; in remembering the sacrifices of your loved ones, and in the importance of loving unconditionally.
This book will make any dog lover bawl their eyes out (and the lovely family photos at the end of the book won’t help), and remind all its readers of the importance and magnificence of family.
Going into this book, I didn’t realise it would reveal so much about the obscurities of American road side attractions, and I also didn’t realise I’d be interested in them. They were amusing to say the least. From craters and petrified forests to the Eagles and Elvis Presley. This book was littered with little factual trinkets that make you appreciate the silliness of our predecessors, or the strength and love of others. As with many books I seem to be reading recently, I left feeling like I knew a little more about the craziness that is the US, and with a desire to travel across the country.
Having lost two smashing dogs last year to the ailments of old age, the story of Simba II felt familiar and bitter sweet. Simba’s (possible) resilience and the unconditional love of those around him truly resonated with me, as I’m sure it will with all dog lovers, and reminds you to enjoy the present. The story of Simba also paralleled with the story of the author’s mother. Reading the stories of these two incredibly loyal, headstrong, and utterly loving family members is a wonderful lesson - in appreciating what you have; in remembering the sacrifices of your loved ones, and in the importance of loving unconditionally.
This book will make any dog lover bawl their eyes out (and the lovely family photos at the end of the book won’t help), and remind all its readers of the importance and magnificence of family.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
5.0
Books like this are the reason I love reading.
It’s the kind of book that makes you want to go out and look for your own adventure, especially with friends.
The story was exciting and unpredictable, the characters loveable and interesting. I also loved the writing style. It seemed a lot more intricate compared to most YA writing. I’m looking forward to reading more of Stiefvater’s work, I do not doubt that she is highly skilled in her craft and she has potential to become one of my favourite authors (we will see!).
It was a little slow to begin with, though it didn’t particularly feel boring so I didn’t mind. It certainly picked up by the end. The story was also helped along by the fun characters. I liked all four of the raven boys a lot, I was interested in all of their character developments and wanted to protect them all. The main female was a little less exciting though I enjoyed her quirkiness. I enjoyed the scenery, the private school, and the Welsh references of the story. It felt magical yet realistic, like this kind of magic might actually happen to you if you’re lucky enough. I wanted to re-read the book immediately (another part of why the author’s writing is great and intricate) and I will be picking up the next book in the series.
It’s the kind of book that makes you want to go out and look for your own adventure, especially with friends.
The story was exciting and unpredictable, the characters loveable and interesting. I also loved the writing style. It seemed a lot more intricate compared to most YA writing. I’m looking forward to reading more of Stiefvater’s work, I do not doubt that she is highly skilled in her craft and she has potential to become one of my favourite authors (we will see!).
It was a little slow to begin with, though it didn’t particularly feel boring so I didn’t mind. It certainly picked up by the end. The story was also helped along by the fun characters. I liked all four of the raven boys a lot, I was interested in all of their character developments and wanted to protect them all. The main female was a little less exciting though I enjoyed her quirkiness. I enjoyed the scenery, the private school, and the Welsh references of the story. It felt magical yet realistic, like this kind of magic might actually happen to you if you’re lucky enough. I wanted to re-read the book immediately (another part of why the author’s writing is great and intricate) and I will be picking up the next book in the series.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
4.0
3.5 stars. Oh man, reviewing this book. I both disliked it and enjoyed it. The story was good, I enjoyed the plot and the world that the author created. The humour was a complete miss for me though and made the story cringy in many parts. I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters either. They were fine characters but none for me were inspiring or particularly awesome. I couldn’t care less what happened to any of them. I did quite like Bastard the horse though. Because of this I don’t know whether to give it 3 or 4 stars. 3 stars for me personally not fitting well with the story. 4 for recommending it to others, because it is a good fantasy and I think a lot of people will love it. The idea of an assassin school is cool, I’m all for assassins. I also really liked the whole idea of constant daylight and the manipulation of shadows. I do want to read the sequel as the ending was interesting enough for me to want more.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
4.0
Wow what a lovely story! It’s corny… very corny, but I’m a sucker for contemporary romances so, hey-ho! Dimple is a great character. She’s incredibly ambitious which I love to see and firmly retains herself even after meeting a boy she likes. That is one of the things I love most about this book. The author is showing you that relationships don’t have to make you sacrifice anything about your future, but can help you grow as a person and together. Rishi is very Disney prince in the way he acts. I’d say it was unrealistic but to be honest, I know someone who acts just like him in real life (though that person also seems unrealistic to me hah). He is a wonderful character though, creative and strongly passionate about his work. This book has a wonderful message about following your dreams. Cliché, yes, but I still see so many people who are too scared to follow their own dreams, and end up going in a different direction. I think it’s a message we still need in books, and I’m so glad this book included it so well. As well as all of this, it’s wonderful to see an Indian protagonist in YA. It was so great to see all of the cultural aspects of their characters, and particularly fun to google all the Bollywood references and watch the dances on Youtube. In all it’s a very heart-warming book, filled with inspiration and wonderful role models.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
5.0
Hilarious. Oscar Wilde retains his status as one of my favourite authors. Very clever and full of satire. I can't wait to see this play acted out, and to get into more of Wilde's work.
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie
4.0
Nothing is more magical than the writing of Barrie. Another wonderful set of adventures about the beginning of Peter Pan. Wonderful to see all the original lore about fairies that we still see talked about today. Incredibly whimsical and inventive, sure to bring your inner child back out.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
5.0
It’s very close to the original tales, but a lot more condensed. It makes a great introduction to the basics of Norse Mythology. Gaiman picked out the best of the stories from the Eddas so they were all highly entertaining and familiar. Gaiman adds a lot of humour to the stories, especially with Thor who was hilarious in the book. I also loved the foreshadowing with Tyr and that he kept bringing up his unfortunate hand. The author managed to make these myths less bizarre than the originals, but at the same time less believable (if you can imagine). The condensed nature of the stories does make them a lot more whimsical and unexplained, whereas in the Eddas you can vaguely see where their ideas are coming from. It does therefore seem very magical and mythological in Gaiman’s version as opposed to a genuine belief. I like that aspect though, and It was a pleasure to be able to revisit the stories in a much shorter book. It’s basically the highlights of Norse Mythology, and I thoroughly enjoyed every story.