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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the free book that I won in a giveaway! | You know when you follow someone online and you feel like you know them a little? Well I'm not saying that I know him at all, but I've followed Jones on Twitter for years, and I've always thought he was hilarious and insightful. I was excited to learn that he was writing a memoir and even more excited when I won a copy in a giveaway!
HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES is a memoir about growing up gay, black kid in the South. Let me just start by saying that I thought it was beautifully written. Jones is a poet and he carries that lyricism over into his prose as well. The way he was able to recapture this moments during his childhood and young adulthood was really impressive. He paints such a clear picture of his life that I felt like I was right there in the moment with him. He also writes about his relationship with his mom. I really enjoyed hearing about her- she seems like such a lovely and formidable woman.
He has not lived an easy life and he tackles some difficult topics, including abuse, shame, coming out, and finding yourself. I was heavily invested in learning every detail that he wanted to share. I also appreciated his openness and vulnerability as I imagine it was not an easy story to live and tell and write. It's also not an easy story to read and there were a few parts that had me going "phewwwww" and pausing to gather myself and reflect on what I'd just read.
I just thought this was a really beautiful and touching coming-of-age story. I could see how hard he'd fought and struggled to become the person he is today. If you're a fan of memoirs, I'd highly recommend that you pick this one up.
HOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES is a memoir about growing up gay, black kid in the South. Let me just start by saying that I thought it was beautifully written. Jones is a poet and he carries that lyricism over into his prose as well. The way he was able to recapture this moments during his childhood and young adulthood was really impressive. He paints such a clear picture of his life that I felt like I was right there in the moment with him. He also writes about his relationship with his mom. I really enjoyed hearing about her- she seems like such a lovely and formidable woman.
He has not lived an easy life and he tackles some difficult topics, including abuse, shame, coming out, and finding yourself. I was heavily invested in learning every detail that he wanted to share. I also appreciated his openness and vulnerability as I imagine it was not an easy story to live and tell and write. It's also not an easy story to read and there were a few parts that had me going "phewwwww" and pausing to gather myself and reflect on what I'd just read.
I just thought this was a really beautiful and touching coming-of-age story. I could see how hard he'd fought and struggled to become the person he is today. If you're a fan of memoirs, I'd highly recommend that you pick this one up.
You need to take a look at the hardcover version of this book. Talk about eye-catching/blinding! I was intrigued by this book when it was first published, but honestly I didn’t want that crazy gold cover. I was pleased to find the paperback edition at Housing Works Bookstore Café on Independent Bookstore Day. This is the story of Rachel, who’s getting pretty serious with her boyfriend Nick. Together they decide that it’s time for her to meet his family, so they fly over to Singapore to spend the summer there. Rachel has no idea that Nick’s family is crazy rich and she’s totally unprepared for the extravagant lifestyles led by Singapore’s high society families.
Oh boy, was this book over the top. I believe it’s meant to be that way and in general, I did enjoy reading it, but it was a bit much to stomach at some points. I found myself thinking, “Do people actually live this way?” and apparently the answer is yes. The writing and plot in general was fine- nothing spectacular. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and abrupt, but that could very well be due to the fact that he wrote a sequel, which comes out later this month. This book is light and fun. If you’re a fan of the Real Housewives series, this read might be right up your alley.
Oh boy, was this book over the top. I believe it’s meant to be that way and in general, I did enjoy reading it, but it was a bit much to stomach at some points. I found myself thinking, “Do people actually live this way?” and apparently the answer is yes. The writing and plot in general was fine- nothing spectacular. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and abrupt, but that could very well be due to the fact that he wrote a sequel, which comes out later this month. This book is light and fun. If you’re a fan of the Real Housewives series, this read might be right up your alley.
You've probably heard about this book, or at least seen it around. I really feel like this book was everywhere, for months leading up its publication. Sometimes books that are super hyped make me want to run in the opposite direction, but I was actually really intrigued by the plot of this one. And having finished it now, I have to say that I thought it was excellent. The hype is accurate!
I think I was most impressed by the structure of this novel and the characters. It's told interview style, and we hear accounts from the band members, as well as other people that were in their orbit. Felt like it made for a very rich, nuanced view of the history of the band. I'm not sure I've read another book written like this, so it felt refreshing to read such a different style. And I can picture this working SO well as an adaption, which is probably why the TV rights have already been snapped up by Amazon.
At first it felt like a lot of different characters to keep track of, but soon it became easy to remember who was who. I thought Reid did an excellent job of creating unique voices for each character. I felt like I was really able to understand and picture each character, particularly the members of the band.
This book was so engaging! I wanted to know everything about this fictional band, and Daisy Jones in particular. It was fascinating to see the way that memory and perspective played into the story. These characters are looking back on their lives and the decisions they made, so of course there were a lot of things realized in hindsight.
I thought Daisy Jones was such a compelling character. She's this strong woman who's made a lot of mistakes in her life, but at the same time, she's accomplished things with her music that people can only dream of.
I loved the music aspect of it as well. I think music can be so powerful and it was cool to read about them creating these songs and all the meaning behind them and how their lives and feelings and struggles bled so much into the music.
I sometimes imagine what it would be like to be an artist and to have pieces of your soul out in the world for people to love or hate. This book portrays the artist life and what it's like to be on top of the world, and also the toll it takes on you as a person. I think when yo
You can fail over and over and over again, and it could still be possible for you to turn your life around.
The rock and roll life seems like such a glamorous life, but there are currents running beneath the surface that most people don't see. It was also interesting to see the power dynamics between the band members, and how each person felt about their role in the band and the band as a whole.
The writing was so visceral. I could see everything so clearly in my head and I felt the emotions they were feeling. If you can't tell by now, I really I loved this book and I can't wait to read more books by TJR.
//
Loved it. Review to come!
I think I was most impressed by the structure of this novel and the characters. It's told interview style, and we hear accounts from the band members, as well as other people that were in their orbit. Felt like it made for a very rich, nuanced view of the history of the band. I'm not sure I've read another book written like this, so it felt refreshing to read such a different style. And I can picture this working SO well as an adaption, which is probably why the TV rights have already been snapped up by Amazon.
At first it felt like a lot of different characters to keep track of, but soon it became easy to remember who was who. I thought Reid did an excellent job of creating unique voices for each character. I felt like I was really able to understand and picture each character, particularly the members of the band.
This book was so engaging! I wanted to know everything about this fictional band, and Daisy Jones in particular. It was fascinating to see the way that memory and perspective played into the story. These characters are looking back on their lives and the decisions they made, so of course there were a lot of things realized in hindsight.
I thought Daisy Jones was such a compelling character. She's this strong woman who's made a lot of mistakes in her life, but at the same time, she's accomplished things with her music that people can only dream of.
I loved the music aspect of it as well. I think music can be so powerful and it was cool to read about them creating these songs and all the meaning behind them and how their lives and feelings and struggles bled so much into the music.
I sometimes imagine what it would be like to be an artist and to have pieces of your soul out in the world for people to love or hate. This book portrays the artist life and what it's like to be on top of the world, and also the toll it takes on you as a person. I think when yo
You can fail over and over and over again, and it could still be possible for you to turn your life around.
The rock and roll life seems like such a glamorous life, but there are currents running beneath the surface that most people don't see. It was also interesting to see the power dynamics between the band members, and how each person felt about their role in the band and the band as a whole.
The writing was so visceral. I could see everything so clearly in my head and I felt the emotions they were feeling. If you can't tell by now, I really I loved this book and I can't wait to read more books by TJR.
//
Loved it. Review to come!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book!
"This is why he keeps the truth to himself, because other people don't know what to do with your shit, with the reality of other people's feelings. They don't know what to do when they've heard something that does not align with their own perception of things."
REAL LIFE is an excellently written novel that follows a queer Black man named Wallace, who's at graduate school in the Midwest. I will say that it was a slow starter for me. Wallace is studying biochemistry and the science jargon in the first chunk of the book had me struggling a bit to get into the story. Once I accepted that though, I was drawn into Wallace's life.
This is a very quiet, introspective book. As the reader, we are really in Wallace's head and get a first hand look at what he's thinking and feeling. We see his experiences with racism, both at the lab where he works and amongst his so-called "friends." We learn about the trauma of his childhood, and how that shapes the way he interacts with people as an adult.
Wallace often thinks about the scale of the world and the specificity of his life in the grand scheme of things. That notion is reflected in the time frame of this novel, which takes place over the course of a weekend, and shows just a snippet of the things that Wallace has experienced throughout his life. The quote above really struck me because a lot of Wallace's interactions seem to be him performing what he thinks people want to see and hear. He feels like he cannot reveal his true self because it is too raw and unwieldy.
Taylor explores themes of grief, purpose, friendship, identity, and self-worth, with writing that is so well-crafted and cuts to the core. There is an openness and vulnerability that made some passages difficult to read. My heart broke for Wallace, who deserved to be treated so much better than he was. This is a novel that gets under your skin, and I feel like I won't stop thinking about it anytime soon.
"This is why he keeps the truth to himself, because other people don't know what to do with your shit, with the reality of other people's feelings. They don't know what to do when they've heard something that does not align with their own perception of things."
REAL LIFE is an excellently written novel that follows a queer Black man named Wallace, who's at graduate school in the Midwest. I will say that it was a slow starter for me. Wallace is studying biochemistry and the science jargon in the first chunk of the book had me struggling a bit to get into the story. Once I accepted that though, I was drawn into Wallace's life.
This is a very quiet, introspective book. As the reader, we are really in Wallace's head and get a first hand look at what he's thinking and feeling. We see his experiences with racism, both at the lab where he works and amongst his so-called "friends." We learn about the trauma of his childhood, and how that shapes the way he interacts with people as an adult.
Wallace often thinks about the scale of the world and the specificity of his life in the grand scheme of things. That notion is reflected in the time frame of this novel, which takes place over the course of a weekend, and shows just a snippet of the things that Wallace has experienced throughout his life. The quote above really struck me because a lot of Wallace's interactions seem to be him performing what he thinks people want to see and hear. He feels like he cannot reveal his true self because it is too raw and unwieldy.
Taylor explores themes of grief, purpose, friendship, identity, and self-worth, with writing that is so well-crafted and cuts to the core. There is an openness and vulnerability that made some passages difficult to read. My heart broke for Wallace, who deserved to be treated so much better than he was. This is a novel that gets under your skin, and I feel like I won't stop thinking about it anytime soon.
Oh, Queenie!
First of all, can we just talk about how great this cover is? It feels like a celebration of black hair, which I love. And honestly, this cover and a recent conversation with my hair stylist is making me want to get box braids again.
This book was one of my two BOTM picks for March (the other one was Daisy Jones, which I loved). It follows a young Jamaican-British woman living in London, who doesn't really have her life together, but she's trying.
It was great to read a book centered around a young black female protagonist in a contemporary setting. I loved all the British lingo as well, since it reminded me of my cousins, who live in the UK and are some of the coolest people I know.
While I thought many of Queenie's decisions were questionable, I was rooting really hard for her success. I definitely found some of her experiences relatable, and cringed at both the overt and subtle racism she had to deal with in her everyday life. I also like that the author didn't shy away from Queenie's mental health struggles, as I feel like there's still such a stigma around mental health and seeking help, particularly in black communities.
I also enjoyed the way the book incorporated emails and texts in the story; I've always had a thing for epistolary novels. The tone is very relatable and humorous, even though she's dealing with a lot. I feel like there's a lot to identify with in this book, even if you haven't had the exact same experiences as Queenie. She's young, she's struggling, and she's just trying to figure out her life. I think a lot of us have been there. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a read that's both amusing and a bit heartbreaking.
First of all, can we just talk about how great this cover is? It feels like a celebration of black hair, which I love. And honestly, this cover and a recent conversation with my hair stylist is making me want to get box braids again.
This book was one of my two BOTM picks for March (the other one was Daisy Jones, which I loved). It follows a young Jamaican-British woman living in London, who doesn't really have her life together, but she's trying.
It was great to read a book centered around a young black female protagonist in a contemporary setting. I loved all the British lingo as well, since it reminded me of my cousins, who live in the UK and are some of the coolest people I know.
While I thought many of Queenie's decisions were questionable, I was rooting really hard for her success. I definitely found some of her experiences relatable, and cringed at both the overt and subtle racism she had to deal with in her everyday life. I also like that the author didn't shy away from Queenie's mental health struggles, as I feel like there's still such a stigma around mental health and seeking help, particularly in black communities.
I also enjoyed the way the book incorporated emails and texts in the story; I've always had a thing for epistolary novels. The tone is very relatable and humorous, even though she's dealing with a lot. I feel like there's a lot to identify with in this book, even if you haven't had the exact same experiences as Queenie. She's young, she's struggling, and she's just trying to figure out her life. I think a lot of us have been there. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a read that's both amusing and a bit heartbreaking.
This novel explores how a split-second decision can impact the rest of your life. It’s set in Italy during World War II. The year is 1943 and the main character, Chiara, decides to flee Rome for safer territory. On the morning that she plans to leave, she’s passing through the Jewish ghetto and sees some people being rounded up. She makes eye contact with one of the women in line, who has a young son. In an instant, the woman pushes her son towards Chiara and Chiara pretends that the boy is her nephew. In doing so, she saves the boy from being taken to a camp with the rest of his family.
The story takes place in both the present and the past, in the moments following Chiara’s decision to save the boy, and years later when she’s much older. The first two chapters are clearly labeled to let you know what year it is, but the remaining chapters aren’t. I don’t mind a nonlinear plot, but I found this one a bit confusing at points.
Another element I wanted was more of Daniele, the little boy in the story. The book is written from Chiara’s perspective, and also Maria’s perspective, a young woman we’re introduced to a little ways into the story. Daniele plays such a huge role in Chiara’s life, but I felt that I didn’t really know much about him as a person. As a young boy, he’s quiet, stubborn, and understandably devastated by the loss of his family. As he grows up, he continues to have problems, but all the details we know about him are one-sided. I think it would have been great to have even a couple chapters from Daniele’s perspective, or allow the reader to get to know him better in some other way.
I would have also liked further insight into why Chiara decided to take the boy in the that moment. Chiara has a younger sister with epilepsy that she’s taken care of since she was diagnosed, so perhaps the reason is that Chiara likes to take care of people? I don’t know. It wasn’t clear to me and it kept pestering my thoughts as I was reading.
I loved the setting and thought the author did a great job evoking daily life in Rome. It made me want to hop on a plane to Italy ASAP. When I visited Rome briefly several years ago, I remember thinking there’s so much history and a rich culture, and I had a similar feeling while reading this book. There were some points that I’d like to change about the novel, but in the end I did like it and was interested enough to keep reading.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending me a copy for review.
The story takes place in both the present and the past, in the moments following Chiara’s decision to save the boy, and years later when she’s much older. The first two chapters are clearly labeled to let you know what year it is, but the remaining chapters aren’t. I don’t mind a nonlinear plot, but I found this one a bit confusing at points.
Another element I wanted was more of Daniele, the little boy in the story. The book is written from Chiara’s perspective, and also Maria’s perspective, a young woman we’re introduced to a little ways into the story. Daniele plays such a huge role in Chiara’s life, but I felt that I didn’t really know much about him as a person. As a young boy, he’s quiet, stubborn, and understandably devastated by the loss of his family. As he grows up, he continues to have problems, but all the details we know about him are one-sided. I think it would have been great to have even a couple chapters from Daniele’s perspective, or allow the reader to get to know him better in some other way.
I would have also liked further insight into why Chiara decided to take the boy in the that moment. Chiara has a younger sister with epilepsy that she’s taken care of since she was diagnosed, so perhaps the reason is that Chiara likes to take care of people? I don’t know. It wasn’t clear to me and it kept pestering my thoughts as I was reading.
I loved the setting and thought the author did a great job evoking daily life in Rome. It made me want to hop on a plane to Italy ASAP. When I visited Rome briefly several years ago, I remember thinking there’s so much history and a rich culture, and I had a similar feeling while reading this book. There were some points that I’d like to change about the novel, but in the end I did like it and was interested enough to keep reading.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending me a copy for review.
Thank you to this book for reminding me that I really enjoy historical fiction! Bringing Down the Duke follows a young woman named Annabelle who qualifies for a place in the first group of female students at Oxford at the beginning of the book. It's set in 1879 at a time when women didn't have many rights, but Annabelle stands out because she's very well educated and intelligent. Part of her scholarship involves campaigning for the women's suffragette movement and one of the targets is the the extremely influential Duke of Montgomery. I think you can see where this is headed, right? *waggles eyebrows*
I have to confess, I feel rather torn about this book. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the setting and the plot line of these women fighting for their rights and challenging societal rules. On the other hand, there was something that kept me from fully supporting the romance between Annabelle and the Duke. I wanted them to end up together, but their relationship also made me uneasy? I think what threw me is that it didn't feel like the power dynamic was equal. It seemed a lot of things were on his terms and yes, Annabelle was able to maker her own decisions, but she was also rather limited for choice.
I did love the focus on Annabelle's intelligence and how she was able to navigate difficult social situations using her wits. She had strong opinions and she refused to back down on her principles, which was admirable. But again, I wondered how to feel about the dynamic between them. Was the Duke too forceful and possessive? Did Annabelle seem like a damsel in distress that had to be rescued a few times? Or was the author just making it clear that it was very much a man's world at the time and Annabelle wouldn't have been able to get out of certain situations without the Duke's help?
Going back to the positives though, I thought this was entertaining and steamy at times and generally a fun read. I throughly enjoyed the setting in this time period and I want to make it a goal to read more historical fiction next year.
I have to confess, I feel rather torn about this book. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the setting and the plot line of these women fighting for their rights and challenging societal rules. On the other hand, there was something that kept me from fully supporting the romance between Annabelle and the Duke. I wanted them to end up together, but their relationship also made me uneasy? I think what threw me is that it didn't feel like the power dynamic was equal. It seemed a lot of things were on his terms and yes, Annabelle was able to maker her own decisions, but she was also rather limited for choice.
I did love the focus on Annabelle's intelligence and how she was able to navigate difficult social situations using her wits. She had strong opinions and she refused to back down on her principles, which was admirable. But again, I wondered how to feel about the dynamic between them. Was the Duke too forceful and possessive? Did Annabelle seem like a damsel in distress that had to be rescued a few times? Or was the author just making it clear that it was very much a man's world at the time and Annabelle wouldn't have been able to get out of certain situations without the Duke's help?
Going back to the positives though, I thought this was entertaining and steamy at times and generally a fun read. I throughly enjoyed the setting in this time period and I want to make it a goal to read more historical fiction next year.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free book! | Long story short, I loved FRANKLY IN LOVE. In the vein of THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas, this is another amazing YA book that I think everyone should read.
The first thing that grabbed me was Frank's voice. He's funny, smart, nerdy, and a bit self-deprecating. His voice is so strong that within a couple pages, I had a clear mental picture of who Frank was as a character.
Frank is Korean-American (it's always hyphenated when you're a minority) and he wants to date one of the girls at his high school, Brit. There's just one little problem though... Brit is white and Frank's parents definitely want him to date a Korean girl.
Frank says it openly- his parents are racist. They make offensive comments about African and Mexican Americans, among other things. He's tried to talk to them about it, but he feels helpless about changing their minds. There's one particular conversation between Frank and his best friend, Q, that I thought was so good! It's amazing to see that kind of open and necessary dialogue in this book.
As a child of immigrants, I could definitely relate to some of Frank's struggles. He's trying to forge his own path, even though his parents have certain expectations for him. In some ways, kids are the achievement of their parents and Frank's parents definitely have ideas about what they want him to achieve. I feel for Frank because it's difficult to be yourself when you think that might mean disappointing your parents. Frank is also stuck between two worlds- he's not American (read: "white") enough because of his Korean heritage, and he's not Korean enough because he was born and raised in America.
Wow, as I was writing out that sentence, I realized just how much I can relate to those feelings. When I was younger, I didn't always appreciate my family's differences from the other families I saw around me. I wished I could be more "normal," whatever that really means. It's so fulfilling to read about a character like Frank that's having similar struggles, and feel a bit less alone.
This book also explores the importance of family and how your parents shape you. Remember when you realized that your parents are people too and just because they're your parents, doesn't mean they're always right? It's such a mental adjustment and it's part of what Frank deals with in this story.
I loved Frank and Q as characters and I thought Yoon's writing style was so engaging. Someone please tell me that this is being adapted into a movie (I'm thinking something in the style of To All the Boys I've Loved Before)! I also enjoyed learning some things about Korean culture as I was reading. It's such an important read that talks about race, identity, and class, mixed in with a story about growing up and trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be.
The first thing that grabbed me was Frank's voice. He's funny, smart, nerdy, and a bit self-deprecating. His voice is so strong that within a couple pages, I had a clear mental picture of who Frank was as a character.
Frank is Korean-American (it's always hyphenated when you're a minority) and he wants to date one of the girls at his high school, Brit. There's just one little problem though... Brit is white and Frank's parents definitely want him to date a Korean girl.
Frank says it openly- his parents are racist. They make offensive comments about African and Mexican Americans, among other things. He's tried to talk to them about it, but he feels helpless about changing their minds. There's one particular conversation between Frank and his best friend, Q, that I thought was so good! It's amazing to see that kind of open and necessary dialogue in this book.
As a child of immigrants, I could definitely relate to some of Frank's struggles. He's trying to forge his own path, even though his parents have certain expectations for him. In some ways, kids are the achievement of their parents and Frank's parents definitely have ideas about what they want him to achieve. I feel for Frank because it's difficult to be yourself when you think that might mean disappointing your parents. Frank is also stuck between two worlds- he's not American (read: "white") enough because of his Korean heritage, and he's not Korean enough because he was born and raised in America.
Wow, as I was writing out that sentence, I realized just how much I can relate to those feelings. When I was younger, I didn't always appreciate my family's differences from the other families I saw around me. I wished I could be more "normal," whatever that really means. It's so fulfilling to read about a character like Frank that's having similar struggles, and feel a bit less alone.
This book also explores the importance of family and how your parents shape you. Remember when you realized that your parents are people too and just because they're your parents, doesn't mean they're always right? It's such a mental adjustment and it's part of what Frank deals with in this story.
I loved Frank and Q as characters and I thought Yoon's writing style was so engaging. Someone please tell me that this is being adapted into a movie (I'm thinking something in the style of To All the Boys I've Loved Before)! I also enjoyed learning some things about Korean culture as I was reading. It's such an important read that talks about race, identity, and class, mixed in with a story about growing up and trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be.
I finished this over the weekend and I loved it. I loved the representation of having an autistic main character (and a romance between two Asian characters), as well as the opportunity to learn more about Asperger's. Also, I had no idea it was going to be so steamy!
Stella was such a great character. I appreciated that she was unapologetically smart and confident in her career. Also, I could relate to Stella's social anxiety. I understand the feeling of being in a social situation and feeling completely out of your depth. Due to her diagnosis, Stella has a hard time believing that Michael could fall in love with her. It's difficult and scary to open yourself up to love and the possibility of having your heart broken, but sometimes, it's truly worth it.
This did feel a little repetitive at times when either Stella or Michael reiterated the reasons why they thought they couldn't be together. Also, at a certain point in the story, all of their problems could have been solved if they just talked to each other! But those are very minor complaints on my end. I really enjoyed this sweet love story. Consider me Helen Hoang's newest fan!
Stella was such a great character. I appreciated that she was unapologetically smart and confident in her career. Also, I could relate to Stella's social anxiety. I understand the feeling of being in a social situation and feeling completely out of your depth. Due to her diagnosis, Stella has a hard time believing that Michael could fall in love with her. It's difficult and scary to open yourself up to love and the possibility of having your heart broken, but sometimes, it's truly worth it.
This did feel a little repetitive at times when either Stella or Michael reiterated the reasons why they thought they couldn't be together. Also, at a certain point in the story, all of their problems could have been solved if they just talked to each other! But those are very minor complaints on my end. I really enjoyed this sweet love story. Consider me Helen Hoang's newest fan!
This was such a disappointment for me! I've been a fan of Rainbow Rowell ever since I first read one of her books (it was Eleanor and Park, which is still my favorite book by her). I've had this one on my shelves for a while and was excited to finally pick it up last month.
This story originated as Harry Potter-inspired fan faction that appeared in a different Rowell novel, Fangirl. People loved the fan fiction so much that Rowell ended up writing a whole novel based on it! As I was reflecting on this after I finished reading, I started to remember that I didn't enjoy the fan fiction bits of Fangirl that much, which perhaps should have tipped me off about this book.
I strongly considered DNFing this around 30%-40%, but I am absolutely terrible at DNFing, so I finished it. To be honest, I found it boring and repetitive. Barely anything happens in the first part of the book, but several points about the characters just kept being mentioned over and over again. It did pick up a bit in the second half as the plot finally started to move forward.
It's told from multiple perspectives, which I generally don't mind. But in this case, we had chapters from characters that seemed kind of irrelevant, which left me wondering why those characters and chapters were included. Also, in the beginning, the characters kept referencing events that had already happened as if we'd already read about them. I found that very confusing and a bit irritating!
One thing that I did appreciate about the book was that it featured a romance between two male characters. However, I'm not sure how well executed it was. I would definitely be curious to hear from the perspective of a LGBTQ reader on this aspect. Also, I thought the magical elements had potential, but they sometimes took a backseat to other things that were happening in the story.
Ok, I'm done ranting about this book now! It was such a letdown because I've either loved or liked all of the books I've read by her, but this one just wasn't for me.
This story originated as Harry Potter-inspired fan faction that appeared in a different Rowell novel, Fangirl. People loved the fan fiction so much that Rowell ended up writing a whole novel based on it! As I was reflecting on this after I finished reading, I started to remember that I didn't enjoy the fan fiction bits of Fangirl that much, which perhaps should have tipped me off about this book.
I strongly considered DNFing this around 30%-40%, but I am absolutely terrible at DNFing, so I finished it. To be honest, I found it boring and repetitive. Barely anything happens in the first part of the book, but several points about the characters just kept being mentioned over and over again. It did pick up a bit in the second half as the plot finally started to move forward.
It's told from multiple perspectives, which I generally don't mind. But in this case, we had chapters from characters that seemed kind of irrelevant, which left me wondering why those characters and chapters were included. Also, in the beginning, the characters kept referencing events that had already happened as if we'd already read about them. I found that very confusing and a bit irritating!
One thing that I did appreciate about the book was that it featured a romance between two male characters. However, I'm not sure how well executed it was. I would definitely be curious to hear from the perspective of a LGBTQ reader on this aspect. Also, I thought the magical elements had potential, but they sometimes took a backseat to other things that were happening in the story.
Ok, I'm done ranting about this book now! It was such a letdown because I've either loved or liked all of the books I've read by her, but this one just wasn't for me.