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hopeloveslit's reviews
309 reviews
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
5.0
"Snow lands on top." ❄️
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was phenomenal! It's a bit slower than the trilogy but I was never bored. Collins delivered such a refreshing angle. I loved seeing Panem from a younger Snow's perspective. I enjoyed the extra insights into The Hunger Games and its evolution. Collins showed how different Panem was in the past so well. It was so gritty and dark. Who knew things were better during Katiness's era?! There were many nods to the trilogy, and I loved every single one.
Coriolanus Snow is a character many HG fans dislike for good reasons. If you don't like Snow, you may not like this prequel. I like Snow and loved being in his messed-up mind. Although he's elitist and controlling. Snow is riveting and keeps you engaged (way more than Katiness's POV did.) He's a master manipulator, and every move he makes is calculated. Collins didn't romanticize Snow. There's no redemption arc, and I appreciated it. It shows how stubborn and power-driven Snow has always been. There's no changing him.
Sejanus Plinth. His storyline is so compelling. I loved him; he's truly an angel! Lucy Gray was okay. I enjoyed her, but I didn't love her. I despised Dr. Gaul. She's ruthless and has no regard for human life. Overall, The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes is an excellent prequel novel. One of the bests I've ever read! I was truly hooked and finished quicker than I anticipated. The ending is haunting me! I need more!!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was phenomenal! It's a bit slower than the trilogy but I was never bored. Collins delivered such a refreshing angle. I loved seeing Panem from a younger Snow's perspective. I enjoyed the extra insights into The Hunger Games and its evolution. Collins showed how different Panem was in the past so well. It was so gritty and dark. Who knew things were better during Katiness's era?! There were many nods to the trilogy, and I loved every single one.
Coriolanus Snow is a character many HG fans dislike for good reasons. If you don't like Snow, you may not like this prequel. I like Snow and loved being in his messed-up mind. Although he's elitist and controlling. Snow is riveting and keeps you engaged (way more than Katiness's POV did.) He's a master manipulator, and every move he makes is calculated. Collins didn't romanticize Snow. There's no redemption arc, and I appreciated it. It shows how stubborn and power-driven Snow has always been. There's no changing him.
Sejanus Plinth. His storyline is so compelling. I loved him; he's truly an angel! Lucy Gray was okay. I enjoyed her, but I didn't love her. I despised Dr. Gaul. She's ruthless and has no regard for human life. Overall, The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes is an excellent prequel novel. One of the bests I've ever read! I was truly hooked and finished quicker than I anticipated. The ending is haunting me! I need more!!
The Guilty One by Kiersten Modglin
2.75
Performance: 3.25 stars
Story: 2.5 stars
I liked this story but towards the middle of the book it became slightly boring and the plot grew increasingly unbelievable. On a positive note, it delivered this line, “I couldn't be any more serious if I was Sirius f*cking Black dude!” 🤭
Story: 2.5 stars
I liked this story but towards the middle of the book it became slightly boring and the plot grew increasingly unbelievable. On a positive note, it delivered this line, “I couldn't be any more serious if I was Sirius f*cking Black dude!” 🤭
Create Dangerously by Albert Camus
4.25
In Create Dangerously, Camus argues that it’s the responsibility of artists to speak up for those who cannot, and I can’t agree with him more. (4/5) Defence of Intelligence is a speech Albert Camus delivered after the Nazi occupation in France. He talks about the scars Hitlerism left on France and how he feels Frenchmen can overcome division and hatred. Camus believed that preserving intelligence would lead to justice for the French. Also, it would solve the rift made by Hitlerism. (5/5) In Bread and Freedom, Camus argues that bread and freedom are interlaced. In other words, one cannot be free from hunger while oppressed. They must be free of their ‘masters’ and hunger as well. (4/5)
My favorite quotes:
‘Create Dangerously’ “Rather, we must know that we can never escape the common misery and that our only justification, if indeed there is a justification, is to speak up, insofar as we can, for those who cannot do so.
‘Defence of Intelligence’ “And perhaps the last and most long-lived victory of Hitlerism is to be found in the shameful scars made on the hearts of those who fought Hitlerism most vigorously.”
‘Bread and Freedom’ “Freedom is the concern of the oppressed, and her natural protectors have always come from the oppressed.—And if freedom is regressing today throughout such a large part of the world, this is probably because the devices for enslavement have never been so cynically chosen or so effective, but also because her real defenders, through fatigue, through despair, or through a false idea of strategy and efficiency, have turned away from her.”
The Last Trip by Kiersten Modglin
3.5
Performance: 4 stars
Story: 3 stars
The Last Trip surprised me! I didn’t expect this story to take the turn that it did. I enjoyed the different twists. However, the last 25% of the book fell flat!
Thank you to libro.fm for the ALC!
Story: 3 stars
The Last Trip surprised me! I didn’t expect this story to take the turn that it did. I enjoyed the different twists. However, the last 25% of the book fell flat!
Thank you to libro.fm for the ALC!
Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob) by Avan Jogia
2.25
Performance: 2.5 stars
Book: 2 stars
I hate to say it but this poetry collection was a hot mess! I liked a few of the poems. Jogia definitely wrote this book from a place of vulnerability. However, most of the pieces lack depth.
Thank you to libro.fm for the ALC!
Book: 2 stars
I hate to say it but this poetry collection was a hot mess! I liked a few of the poems. Jogia definitely wrote this book from a place of vulnerability. However, most of the pieces lack depth.
Thank you to libro.fm for the ALC!
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
3.0
Whew!! Tender is the Flesh is a brutal novel. It was hard to read, and this rarely happens to me (I'm a die-hard Horror fan.) Bazterrica created a dystopian world where animals become inedible due to a virus. As a result, protein becomes scarce, and humans become cannibals. 🍽️Legalized cannibalism.🍽️ Although I enjoyed the themes, I feel they weren't explored enough. I was expecting much more commentary on everything. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this novel. I’d recommend it to all readers, but you may go vegan afterward. At the very least, you'll be tempted!!
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Child death/birth, Human trafficking, Branding (off-page,) Rape (discussed and on-page,) Cannibalism, Torture, Animal cruelty/death (graphic.)
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Child death/birth, Human trafficking, Branding (off-page,) Rape (discussed and on-page,) Cannibalism, Torture, Animal cruelty/death (graphic.)
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
4.0
A Room of One’s Own is an essay written by Virginia Woolf after being asked to give a lecture about Women and fiction. Woolf argues that women must have "a room of one's own" and financial independence to write fiction. In addition, Woolf explores the historical barriers women have faced and the effect those barriers had on women in fiction. I enjoyed listening to Woolf's points. I found her thought process to be fascinating. Her prose is delightful to read! I’m excited to read more of her works since this book was my first.
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
4.0
In under 120 pages, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century delivers pragmatic advice for readers on opposing authoritarianism. Synder draws on 20th-century history to give well-rounded lessons that highlight the importance of defending democracy. This book is a must-read for those unfamiliar with oppressive regimes or for anyone looking to know how to fight them. Knowledge is power.