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lucybbookstuff's reviews
366 reviews
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn. 😭
Don't ask me what inspired me to pick this up for the first time since 4th grade. I've thought about it over the years - even as an adult, I still enjoy the 2007 movie - and I figured I'd probably revisit it someday. And then a few days ago, I just got the urge and I immediately borrowed it from Libby.
I read the whole thing today (honestly, thank god for middle grade) and I can honestly say it completely holds up. I remember liking it well enough and being sad over it as a 10-year-old. I expected it to at least still be moving and nostalgic, but I didn't know if I'd find it good.
And let me tell you, it is excellent. 😭 I say that both from my adult perspective, and considering its target audience. I get why they hand us this book in 4th grade. We were the same age as the protagonist. It's full of metaphor and vocab to enhance our little minds. It gently teaches some hard truths and unapologetically encourages us to be ourselves, even if we're "different."
All of that is still notable to me now, but I can now also recognize how well Jess is characterized. It's honestly a great character study of this confused and self-conscious kid. It's a really beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age story. I've known how it ends for 20+ years and still had tears falling down my face at this poor kid's very human reactions and processing of this tragedy.
I definitely recommend a reread (or first-time read) to all my fellow adults. Maybe read it with your kids, too. ❤️
(Also the author's note and speech transcription in the back of this edition enhanced the experience even more. Highly recommend.)
Don't ask me what inspired me to pick this up for the first time since 4th grade. I've thought about it over the years - even as an adult, I still enjoy the 2007 movie - and I figured I'd probably revisit it someday. And then a few days ago, I just got the urge and I immediately borrowed it from Libby.
I read the whole thing today (honestly, thank god for middle grade) and I can honestly say it completely holds up. I remember liking it well enough and being sad over it as a 10-year-old. I expected it to at least still be moving and nostalgic, but I didn't know if I'd find it good.
And let me tell you, it is excellent. 😭 I say that both from my adult perspective, and considering its target audience. I get why they hand us this book in 4th grade. We were the same age as the protagonist. It's full of metaphor and vocab to enhance our little minds. It gently teaches some hard truths and unapologetically encourages us to be ourselves, even if we're "different."
All of that is still notable to me now, but I can now also recognize how well Jess is characterized. It's honestly a great character study of this confused and self-conscious kid. It's a really beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age story. I've known how it ends for 20+ years and still had tears falling down my face at this poor kid's very human reactions and processing of this tragedy.
I definitely recommend a reread (or first-time read) to all my fellow adults. Maybe read it with your kids, too. ❤️
(Also the author's note and speech transcription in the back of this edition enhanced the experience even more. Highly recommend.)
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I picked this up before bed and wasn't expecting to read it all in one sitting, but I was so engrossed, I couldn't put it down! This was SO informative about a gender identity that I was aware of, but really couldn't have described before. Loved learning about Maia's journey. Honestly, while I have a generally progressive outlook and open mind... my mind feels more open than before I picked up this book. There is always more to learn and that doesn't have to be scary. ❤️
Also yay for ace rep. 😊
My only complaint is that, while I enjoyed the nonlinear narrative, the transitions between topics were jarring at times.
Also yay for ace rep. 😊
My only complaint is that, while I enjoyed the nonlinear narrative, the transitions between topics were jarring at times.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, it's very unfortunate for this book that I read it straight after the work of art that was The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Both are Irish lit and had some very similar themes. And I just feel that The Bee Sting did them all much better, or at least much more according to my tastes.
Where The Bee Sting's writing and theme work was very subtle and layered, I thought this book was mostly surface-level and heavy-handed. Again, that could work a lot better for a lot of people with different preferences. (And lort knows The Bee Sting is not gonna be for everyone.)
I don't think this book was bad, by any means. It just wasn't especially impressive to me. I feel like it tried to do a bit too much. Airey definitely was trying to weave an intricate generational web here, and I think it got a bit tangled up in itself.The multiple unplanned pregnancies got to a point of eye-rolling. The "it all comes together" moment at the end was a bit too convenient and thus, anticlimactic. The whole video game thing could have been left out entirely (even though I know it was meant to be a commentary about making different choices). There were a few too many POVs and I feel I didn't get to know any of them as well as I wanted. And while I feel like the author had one specific cause in mind to be her central theme... it definitely got somewhat lost in the sauce.
All that said, it's an intriguing story with compelling themes. It just wasn't really written in a way for me to find it as compelling as it could be. Especially after reading The Bee Sting. Sorry to this book lol. (And sorry to you that this review ended up being so compare/contrast.)
I will say, I listened to most of it, and the narration was excellent. Love when a multi-POV story gets different narrators for everyone. That definitely helped the storytelling and kept me engaged.
Where The Bee Sting's writing and theme work was very subtle and layered, I thought this book was mostly surface-level and heavy-handed. Again, that could work a lot better for a lot of people with different preferences. (And lort knows The Bee Sting is not gonna be for everyone.)
I don't think this book was bad, by any means. It just wasn't especially impressive to me. I feel like it tried to do a bit too much. Airey definitely was trying to weave an intricate generational web here, and I think it got a bit tangled up in itself.
All that said, it's an intriguing story with compelling themes. It just wasn't really written in a way for me to find it as compelling as it could be. Especially after reading The Bee Sting. Sorry to this book lol. (And sorry to you that this review ended up being so compare/contrast.)
I will say, I listened to most of it, and the narration was excellent. Love when a multi-POV story gets different narrators for everyone. That definitely helped the storytelling and kept me engaged.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-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:
Yes
What a delight! 🥹
Beautiful art, super cool world, and a touching story. Fun for me as an adult, and I'm sure it's even better and so relatable for young adult readers.
When I looked in the back at the author bio, I realized he used to be one of my favorite tumblr accounts!! Before he ever published Nimona. I loved his fun and silly art. I still say "murry chrsmus" because of him. 😂 Just a fun coincidence!
Beautiful art, super cool world, and a touching story. Fun for me as an adult, and I'm sure it's even better and so relatable for young adult readers.
When I looked in the back at the author bio, I realized he used to be one of my favorite tumblr accounts!! Before he ever published Nimona. I loved his fun and silly art. I still say "murry chrsmus" because of him. 😂 Just a fun coincidence!
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to sleep on this one before writing a review, because my god... It's a very long book, it covers a lot of ground, and it was very stressful, especially by the end.
First thing's first, the writing is excellent.
His character work is incredible. I felt firmly planted in each POV's head, and was definitely biased towards them when it was their turn, as well as completely exasperated with them and begging them to make different choices. But alas, the choices they made were so terribly human.
Also, all of the 4 main characters were very different people, but he wrote them all so well and convincingly. I was especially impressed with his ability to write a teen girl's coming of age. Can't always trust men to do that, but he knocked it out of the park. With her and all of the characters.
Some may complain about the long chapters (I did my fair share of grumbling) or the lack of quotation marks and odd use of grammar and punctuation. But I found, once I sank into the book, I didn't mind any of it at all. His line level writing was both compelling and compulsively readable. His grammar choices were very purposeful, he used humor expertly, and I also found myself highlighting dozens of striking metaphors and similes.
Basically, I feel comfortable saying that Paul Murray is an expert at his craft.
As for the plot, I didn't 100% love it. I don't think the book had to be quite that long. Then at the same time, I wish some things had been explored a bit more.
It definitely unfolded in an interesting way that kept me wanting to find out more. And it all served to build these fascinating characters.
I think that (according to my limited knowledge) it is a very Irish book. It painted a subtle, but somehow also vivid, picture of Irish culture, especially how emotions are expressed/repressed, and attitudes towards things like money, gender, and religion/sin.
Overall... I'm still kind of confused about my feelings regarding this book and how it went. It was just uncomfortable and unresolved, in a way that only Irish literature can be. I love that as much as it frustrates me. But I absolutely enjoyed the experience of reading it and I think that Paul Murray is brilliant. I will definitely be recommending this to lit fic readers and seeking out more of his work myself.
First thing's first, the writing is excellent.
His character work is incredible. I felt firmly planted in each POV's head, and was definitely biased towards them when it was their turn, as well as completely exasperated with them and begging them to make different choices. But alas, the choices they made were so terribly human.
Also, all of the 4 main characters were very different people, but he wrote them all so well and convincingly. I was especially impressed with his ability to write a teen girl's coming of age. Can't always trust men to do that, but he knocked it out of the park. With her and all of the characters.
Some may complain about the long chapters (I did my fair share of grumbling) or the lack of quotation marks and odd use of grammar and punctuation. But I found, once I sank into the book, I didn't mind any of it at all. His line level writing was both compelling and compulsively readable. His grammar choices were very purposeful, he used humor expertly, and I also found myself highlighting dozens of striking metaphors and similes.
Basically, I feel comfortable saying that Paul Murray is an expert at his craft.
As for the plot, I didn't 100% love it. I don't think the book had to be quite that long. Then at the same time, I wish some things had been explored a bit more.
It definitely unfolded in an interesting way that kept me wanting to find out more. And it all served to build these fascinating characters.
I think that (according to my limited knowledge) it is a very Irish book. It painted a subtle, but somehow also vivid, picture of Irish culture, especially how emotions are expressed/repressed, and attitudes towards things like money, gender, and religion/sin.
Overall... I'm still kind of confused about my feelings regarding this book and how it went. It was just uncomfortable and unresolved, in a way that only Irish literature can be. I love that as much as it frustrates me. But I absolutely enjoyed the experience of reading it and I think that Paul Murray is brilliant. I will definitely be recommending this to lit fic readers and seeking out more of his work myself.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked this!! I'm very eager to continue the story!
I could feel that basically this entire book was living in setup territory. It was very captivating - the historical aspect and political intrigue especially kept me turning pages. I definitely learned a lot about Irish history and had fun doing it. The prose was very readaable.
I didn't get a lot out of the characters just yet. I like the two main characters, and I enjoy that they are such good foils for each other. I'm really looking forward to everyone's arcs. But I felt that most of the characters' actions and interactions were quite cliche and predictable. I didn't have any big emotional reactions to anything in this book because nothing particularly surprised me.
Still greatly enjoyed this. This is firmly a setup book, but it did that job perfectly. I am so looking forward to how the plot goes, what arcs are in store for the characters, and how the magic will be woven into it more.
Extremely impressive debut here, and I can't wait to dive in further.
I could feel that basically this entire book was living in setup territory. It was very captivating - the historical aspect and political intrigue especially kept me turning pages. I definitely learned a lot about Irish history and had fun doing it. The prose was very readaable.
I didn't get a lot out of the characters just yet. I like the two main characters, and I enjoy that they are such good foils for each other. I'm really looking forward to everyone's arcs. But I felt that most of the characters' actions and interactions were quite cliche and predictable. I didn't have any big emotional reactions to anything in this book because nothing particularly surprised me.
Still greatly enjoyed this. This is firmly a setup book, but it did that job perfectly. I am so looking forward to how the plot goes, what arcs are in store for the characters, and how the magic will be woven into it more.
Extremely impressive debut here, and I can't wait to dive in further.
funny
lighthearted
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 fun and cute and extremely silly. 😆 A pretty standard contemporary romance, except I'd say the premise/meet-cute is quite unique.
As a Tusconan, I enjoyed reading this book from a local author, taking place in our city. Recognizing some places she mentioned and this hobby/profession that is very prevalent here (even if it's not a hobby of mine). I honestly was expecting more specific Tucson references and love, and felt slightly let down on that front. But it was still fun.
I liked both of our main characters and identified a surprising amount with one of them. Also enjoyed the best friend characters, however tropey. And definitely appreciated the casual diversity throughout(except for the promiscuous bisexual trope, sigh) .
I will say this was QUITE spicy. 💀 At least much more than I expected, and starting much sooner than I expected. And the spice was written well, but I found a lot of it to be pretty goofy. 😅 But hey, whatever gets you going lol.
Overall, a fun and bingeable read.
As a Tusconan, I enjoyed reading this book from a local author, taking place in our city. Recognizing some places she mentioned and this hobby/profession that is very prevalent here (even if it's not a hobby of mine). I honestly was expecting more specific Tucson references and love, and felt slightly let down on that front. But it was still fun.
I liked both of our main characters and identified a surprising amount with one of them. Also enjoyed the best friend characters, however tropey. And definitely appreciated the casual diversity throughout
I will say this was QUITE spicy. 💀 At least much more than I expected, and starting much sooner than I expected. And the spice was written well, but I found a lot of it to be pretty goofy. 😅 But hey, whatever gets you going lol.
Overall, a fun and bingeable read.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This book is so important. This should absolutely be required reading for white Americans (if not all).
It wasn't exactly mindblowing for me, because I had no problem believing before that most everything in the US ties back to racism and slavery. But still, having it all laid out so plainly was extremely eye-opening. I can only imagine how much more eye-opening this could be for someone who has more recently opened their mind to deconstructing their prejudices. (That said, I don't want to paint myself as someone who is beyond doing the work. The work never ends.)
I liked the format of the timeline, with essays to explain how the events and ideas presented tie into current times. Personally, I understand the addition of the short stories and poems, but I could have done without them. At least on audio, they sometimes stopped the momentum. It's also just a personal problem because I strongly dislike listening to poetry read aloud. They did add an emotional element, though, and I appreciate it, even if it made for an imperfect reading experience.
I recommend this to all - though I want to say that it should be treated like a textbook of sorts. If you're one to binge-read history and learn well that way, then go for it. But if, like me, you aren't, please give this book enough time for you to understand and absorb it. Don't read this fast for a reading goal. Read this at the pace it demands for your personal growth and learning.
It wasn't exactly mindblowing for me, because I had no problem believing before that most everything in the US ties back to racism and slavery. But still, having it all laid out so plainly was extremely eye-opening. I can only imagine how much more eye-opening this could be for someone who has more recently opened their mind to deconstructing their prejudices. (That said, I don't want to paint myself as someone who is beyond doing the work. The work never ends.)
I liked the format of the timeline, with essays to explain how the events and ideas presented tie into current times. Personally, I understand the addition of the short stories and poems, but I could have done without them. At least on audio, they sometimes stopped the momentum. It's also just a personal problem because I strongly dislike listening to poetry read aloud. They did add an emotional element, though, and I appreciate it, even if it made for an imperfect reading experience.
I recommend this to all - though I want to say that it should be treated like a textbook of sorts. If you're one to binge-read history and learn well that way, then go for it. But if, like me, you aren't, please give this book enough time for you to understand and absorb it. Don't read this fast for a reading goal. Read this at the pace it demands for your personal growth and learning.
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Overall, I really liked this collection. I love Claire Keegan's writing. I typically don't reach for short fiction, but she is just so good at it. She is an expert at creating an atmosphere, and exploring themes through the settings and characters. And she uses words so economically. Her prose is thought-provoking, but very readable and to-the-point.
This collection was her debut, and it shows. Not all of these stories were standouts. Some were just odd and felt more like experiments that didn't quite work. Several of these stories just didn't hit as much; I didn't find them as thought-provoking and had a harder time finding the point / central theme.
I don't want to pigeonhole her, but I do think that Keegan is at her best when she's writing about Ireland / Irish stories. About half of these were set in the US, and most of those felt kind of off.
But generally, I think she's such a talented writer and I will absolutely keep reading her.
This collection was her debut, and it shows. Not all of these stories were standouts. Some were just odd and felt more like experiments that didn't quite work. Several of these stories just didn't hit as much; I didn't find them as thought-provoking and had a harder time finding the point / central theme.
I don't want to pigeonhole her, but I do think that Keegan is at her best when she's writing about Ireland / Irish stories. About half of these were set in the US, and most of those felt kind of off.
But generally, I think she's such a talented writer and I will absolutely keep reading her.
