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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
03/02/16 Reviewing the series as a whole based on the first 3 books. Will update this review when I finish the series!
I knew this series is popular and I was on a real YA kick in December, so I decided to pick it up. Also, fairytale retellings are my jam, so I had a feeling I'd get along with this series. About halfway through Cinder, I was enjoying it, but not sure what all the hype was about. Then a lot started to happen in the book and I was finally sucked in. I liked a lot of the twists that Meyer made to the traditional story. Cinder is more of a tomboy in this version and it's awesome to see the way she develops over the series. In fact, I think she is my favorite character of all of them, possibly because she demonstrates the most growth.
I wasn't in love with the setting in the first book. I'm not sure why exactly, but it was lacking something for me. Over the course of the series, I think it's gotten better, I think because we move out of New Beijing and explore other locations.
Meyer's writing is really easy to read and engaging. I think she's also done a really great job
of weaving together these different stories. By the end of book 1, I was excited by Cinder's story line and I was afraid that it would be put on the backburner in book 2. Instead, we alternate between a new character (Scarlet) and Cinder and I'm really happy that Meyer chose to structure the novel that way. I also like the new characters we were introduced to and the overall story of Scarlet, although I do agree with a couple comments that it didn't do much to move the main plot forward. It was still nice to explore the backstory a bit more though.
Now on to Cress. Can we talk about how great Thorne is as a character?! He's sarcastic and rakish and charming, but behind all of the razzle dazzle, he has a heart. I love characters like that. I have to say though that I did not like Cress for most of the novel. Not that I actively disliked her, but she just felt so meh, compared to some of the other characters. Cinder and Scarlet can take care of themselves, but Cress is so helpless most of the time. By the end, she'd grown on me though.
My favorite pairing so far is Cinder and Kai. I really like that they see the best in each other and that understand each other better more than several other people in their lives. I'm looking forward to reading book 4 and finding out how the series wraps up!
I knew this series is popular and I was on a real YA kick in December, so I decided to pick it up. Also, fairytale retellings are my jam, so I had a feeling I'd get along with this series. About halfway through Cinder, I was enjoying it, but not sure what all the hype was about. Then a lot started to happen in the book and I was finally sucked in. I liked a lot of the twists that Meyer made to the traditional story. Cinder is more of a tomboy in this version and it's awesome to see the way she develops over the series. In fact, I think she is my favorite character of all of them, possibly because she demonstrates the most growth.
I wasn't in love with the setting in the first book. I'm not sure why exactly, but it was lacking something for me. Over the course of the series, I think it's gotten better, I think because we move out of New Beijing and explore other locations.
Meyer's writing is really easy to read and engaging. I think she's also done a really great job
of weaving together these different stories. By the end of book 1, I was excited by Cinder's story line and I was afraid that it would be put on the backburner in book 2. Instead, we alternate between a new character (Scarlet) and Cinder and I'm really happy that Meyer chose to structure the novel that way. I also like the new characters we were introduced to and the overall story of Scarlet, although I do agree with a couple comments that it didn't do much to move the main plot forward. It was still nice to explore the backstory a bit more though.
Now on to Cress. Can we talk about how great Thorne is as a character?! He's sarcastic and rakish and charming, but behind all of the razzle dazzle, he has a heart. I love characters like that. I have to say though that I did not like Cress for most of the novel. Not that I actively disliked her, but she just felt so meh, compared to some of the other characters. Cinder and Scarlet can take care of themselves, but Cress is so helpless most of the time. By the end, she'd grown on me though.
My favorite pairing so far is Cinder and Kai. I really like that they see the best in each other and that understand each other better more than several other people in their lives. I'm looking forward to reading book 4 and finding out how the series wraps up!
Third book done! I'm so curious to see how she wraps this up. And that ending!!
Edited 03/02/16
See my review of the series here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1469925113
Edited 03/02/16
See my review of the series here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1469925113
I've seen bits and pieces of the movie and then a friend recommended the book to me, so I decided to pick it up. I'm definitely interested in vampire stories so I was curious about this popular series. I didn't expect it to be so philosophical though. Louis is basically miserable the entire time and grapples with his code of ethics and his purpose in life. Also, the relationship between Louis and Claudia made me uncomfortable, although I suppose it was meant to. They turned down the creepiness in the movie (which I watched in full after finishing the book), although it's still creepy because now you have a mental image. The idea of a child vampire is both titillating/terrifying. When it describes how Claudia would lure in her victims, I thought "Ackk!" but also, that's entertaining stuff. I didn't love this, but it considers some interesting questions and for pop culture reasons, I feel like it's one of the important vampire books to read.
Edited 03/02/16 to add my longer review:
Since I read all three books in this trilogy last month, let's talk about the series as a whole. It was excellent. I didn't really have any expectations when I started it, so I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. First, of all the characters were fantastic. I just want to hug the author for giving us such interesting, well-developed characters. I fell in love with the characters in the first book and became heavily invested in their lives. To see them suffer and grow and fight and survive over the course of the series was really rewarding. Also, the author has created such a fascinating world. I find that I'm more interested in politics when it's fictional. I was able to follow the relationships between the different kingdoms and enjoyed how each kingdom was distinctly described and was it's own separate world.
This is fantasy, so there were some mystical elements in play here. In particular, there are prophecies and curses, and it's interesting to see how they are connected and ultimately explained. This is a strange statement, but one thing I love about a crisis is the way it brings people together. In these novels, unlikely alliances are made and people are willing to risk everything for a better world. I love that! These books also deal with difficult topics so that they are carefully handled, without shying away from the reality of these tragedies.
I think these books are long (I'm not entirely sure how long exactly since I read the eBooks), but I found them relatively fast-paced and entertaining. I was so engrossed while reading this over the holiday break and my family quickly learned to ignore the little sounds of surprise or amusement that I made as I was reading.
I found this series by stalking Max's YA shelves, but I haven't heard anybody speak about them before (although I've been told that Reagan from Peruse Project has mentioned them on her channel). The characters are excellent, the world-building is excellent, and the story is excellent. I'll second Max and say that more people should read this series!
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This might be 4.5 stars. I loved this series!
Since I read all three books in this trilogy last month, let's talk about the series as a whole. It was excellent. I didn't really have any expectations when I started it, so I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. First, of all the characters were fantastic. I just want to hug the author for giving us such interesting, well-developed characters. I fell in love with the characters in the first book and became heavily invested in their lives. To see them suffer and grow and fight and survive over the course of the series was really rewarding. Also, the author has created such a fascinating world. I find that I'm more interested in politics when it's fictional. I was able to follow the relationships between the different kingdoms and enjoyed how each kingdom was distinctly described and was it's own separate world.
This is fantasy, so there were some mystical elements in play here. In particular, there are prophecies and curses, and it's interesting to see how they are connected and ultimately explained. This is a strange statement, but one thing I love about a crisis is the way it brings people together. In these novels, unlikely alliances are made and people are willing to risk everything for a better world. I love that! These books also deal with difficult topics so that they are carefully handled, without shying away from the reality of these tragedies.
I think these books are long (I'm not entirely sure how long exactly since I read the eBooks), but I found them relatively fast-paced and entertaining. I was so engrossed while reading this over the holiday break and my family quickly learned to ignore the little sounds of surprise or amusement that I made as I was reading.
I found this series by stalking Max's YA shelves, but I haven't heard anybody speak about them before (although I've been told that Reagan from Peruse Project has mentioned them on her channel). The characters are excellent, the world-building is excellent, and the story is excellent. I'll second Max and say that more people should read this series!
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This might be 4.5 stars. I loved this series!
Edited 03/02/16:
It'd been a while since I read anything by Flynn (I read all of her novels a few years ago), it this was a nice reminder of how much I enjoy her writing. It was so short though! Still, Flynn managed to tell a lot in a few pages, and I found this both entertaining and creepy. I can't wait for her next full-length novel to come out.
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Entertaining and I have no idea who to believe. I need more Flynn though- a short story is not enough! 3.5 stars
It'd been a while since I read anything by Flynn (I read all of her novels a few years ago), it this was a nice reminder of how much I enjoy her writing. It was so short though! Still, Flynn managed to tell a lot in a few pages, and I found this both entertaining and creepy. I can't wait for her next full-length novel to come out.
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Entertaining and I have no idea who to believe. I need more Flynn though- a short story is not enough! 3.5 stars
This was a reread for me, and as I often find with rereads, I rediscovered how great this book is. I was particularly fascinated by how Dorian's life is changed and influenced by the development of a friendship with Lord Henry. Was he already on the path of self-destruction when he met Lord Henry, or was he placed there? I think many of Wilde's comments and observations on beauty, youth, and society, and the entanglement of these three topics, still hold true today. Also, I tabbed so many of Wilde's aphorisms throughout the book, that I probably should have just started underlining them. I was happy to revisit The Picture of Dorian Gray and check off my classic for the month.
About 30 pages into this book, I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but I decided to accept that feeling and buckle up for the ride. And what a ride it was! Sudden Death describes a fictional tennis match between the Italian painter, Caravaggio, and the Spanish poet, Francisco Quevedo. Interspersed between the games are snippets from historical texts, emails with his editor, and storylines featuring other prominent historical figures, such as Hernán Cortés and Vasco de Quiroga. Like the tennis ball in the match, the reader bounces around wildly from story to story and the result is disorienting and mind-bending (in a good way!).
First of all, this was a lot of fun and I certainly haven't read anything like it before. Enrigue loves to play with reality, so that it's difficult to distinguish between fact, speculation, and pure imagination. The novel is full of violence- beheadings, religious movements, and war. Enrigue breaks up these brutal tales with bits of humor so that one minute you're wincing at a death and the next you're chuckling at the ridiculousness of some of the characters (sometimes the wincing and the chuckling is happening at the same time).
Enrigue explores so many themes in Sudden Death, from language, translation, and the power of words, to art and the responsibility of the artist. The chapters are generally short and move quickly, but I found myself constantly pausing to look up a historical figure, or a movement, or one of Caravaggio's paintings. My history knowledge is rather rusty at the moment, so it would be interesting to reread this at a later point with a better understanding of the historical context.
I was able to attend an event with the author and he said that "the novel is a proposal." It's up to the reader to bring their own interpretations to the table. The author was able to say so much in such a short novel. My review is just scratching the surface- I want more people to read this so that we can discuss!
If you want to hear me talk more about this novel, I discussed it in my February wrap-up: https://youtu.be/_GTUZuEB6h8
First of all, this was a lot of fun and I certainly haven't read anything like it before. Enrigue loves to play with reality, so that it's difficult to distinguish between fact, speculation, and pure imagination. The novel is full of violence- beheadings, religious movements, and war. Enrigue breaks up these brutal tales with bits of humor so that one minute you're wincing at a death and the next you're chuckling at the ridiculousness of some of the characters (sometimes the wincing and the chuckling is happening at the same time).
Enrigue explores so many themes in Sudden Death, from language, translation, and the power of words, to art and the responsibility of the artist. The chapters are generally short and move quickly, but I found myself constantly pausing to look up a historical figure, or a movement, or one of Caravaggio's paintings. My history knowledge is rather rusty at the moment, so it would be interesting to reread this at a later point with a better understanding of the historical context.
I was able to attend an event with the author and he said that "the novel is a proposal." It's up to the reader to bring their own interpretations to the table. The author was able to say so much in such a short novel. My review is just scratching the surface- I want more people to read this so that we can discuss!
If you want to hear me talk more about this novel, I discussed it in my February wrap-up: https://youtu.be/_GTUZuEB6h8
I finally read the last book in The Lunar Chronicles and it confirmed my general thoughts about this series. It’s not perfect, but there are definitely good elements and it’s simply fun to read. My thoughts on each of the main characters were pretty solidified by the first three books and that didn’t change while reading this one. It was good to have the whole gang back together though, and I think I was satisfied enough with the conclusion of the series. I enjoy Marissa Meyer’s books, so I’m looking forward to checking out her new book, Heartless, that will be published this fall.
I'm glad this is being adapted into a movie because this is the kind of light, enjoyable romantic comedy that I'm a total sucker for. Don, a professor of genetics, has developed the perfect solution to his quest for a partner. He's created a tailored questionnaire that will weed out all of the highly unsuitable matches and hopefully lead him to his ideal mate. Then he meets Rosie, who's not at all suitable in most areas. I bet you can guess where this is heading!
Although this is very predictable, it was also a lot of fun. This is a good summer read- breezy, decently written, and fun. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of Don and Rosie's personality traits and certain scenes that I feel will translate well on the big screen.
Rosie's character felt like a bit of a manic pixie dream girl, but from time to time she did call out Don on his sexist behavior, which I liked. Also, there were opinions expressed by certain characters that rubbed me the wrong way, but I reminded myself that the characters's views do not necessarily equal the author's views.
In the end though, I liked this novel, and plan to watch the movie whenever it comes out!
Although this is very predictable, it was also a lot of fun. This is a good summer read- breezy, decently written, and fun. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of Don and Rosie's personality traits and certain scenes that I feel will translate well on the big screen.
Rosie's character felt like a bit of a manic pixie dream girl, but from time to time she did call out Don on his sexist behavior, which I liked. Also, there were opinions expressed by certain characters that rubbed me the wrong way, but I reminded myself that the characters's views do not necessarily equal the author's views.
In the end though, I liked this novel, and plan to watch the movie whenever it comes out!
Before reading this, I was certain that I would love this book, and I was right. Let’s just take a moment to bask in the glory of Adichie’s writing. Reading her words makes me actually want to act out the *raised hands* emoji in real life.
Kambili and her brother Jaja grow up in a strict household, with a father who has strong beliefs about religion and about what is proper. When Kambili and Jaja visit their aunt in Nsukka, they are exposed to a world filled with laughter, love, and endless possibilities.
First of all, there’s so much that I identify with in this book. My parents are also Nigerian and I also felt like I grew up in a strict household (or at least, it was much more strict than most of the other kids I knew, but not nearly at the level that Kambili and Jaja experience in this novel). So I completely understand that feeling of wanting to break free and follow a different path (and who hasn’t experienced that feeling from time to time?).
Kambili is awkward and tongue-tied because she has been raised in a home where silence is much more common than expressing your thoughts or opinions. It’s such a powerful feeling to recognize parts of yourself in a character. There are so many times when Kambili is straining to say or do the right thing, the thing that other people view as “normal,” and I can understand that feeling. At times, Kambili feels inadequate because her view of the world has been limited, and I know that feeling as well.
This is a story about family, about religion, about growing up. Adichie explores the relationships between parents and children, and siblings, and considers how we can still love the people that hurt us the most. We also watch Kambili come of age in this novel, and throughout I was cheering her on and hoping that she would find the freedom she didn’t even know she needed.
There’s so much more I could say about this novel (if you’ve read this book, let’s talk in the comments below!). The writing is absolutely beautiful, the characters are deep and real, and the setting is wonderfully evocative. In short, if you haven’t read any of Adichie’s work yet, what are you waiting for?
Kambili and her brother Jaja grow up in a strict household, with a father who has strong beliefs about religion and about what is proper. When Kambili and Jaja visit their aunt in Nsukka, they are exposed to a world filled with laughter, love, and endless possibilities.
First of all, there’s so much that I identify with in this book. My parents are also Nigerian and I also felt like I grew up in a strict household (or at least, it was much more strict than most of the other kids I knew, but not nearly at the level that Kambili and Jaja experience in this novel). So I completely understand that feeling of wanting to break free and follow a different path (and who hasn’t experienced that feeling from time to time?).
Kambili is awkward and tongue-tied because she has been raised in a home where silence is much more common than expressing your thoughts or opinions. It’s such a powerful feeling to recognize parts of yourself in a character. There are so many times when Kambili is straining to say or do the right thing, the thing that other people view as “normal,” and I can understand that feeling. At times, Kambili feels inadequate because her view of the world has been limited, and I know that feeling as well.
This is a story about family, about religion, about growing up. Adichie explores the relationships between parents and children, and siblings, and considers how we can still love the people that hurt us the most. We also watch Kambili come of age in this novel, and throughout I was cheering her on and hoping that she would find the freedom she didn’t even know she needed.
There’s so much more I could say about this novel (if you’ve read this book, let’s talk in the comments below!). The writing is absolutely beautiful, the characters are deep and real, and the setting is wonderfully evocative. In short, if you haven’t read any of Adichie’s work yet, what are you waiting for?