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omnomicons's Reviews (139)
I’m not usually a non-fiction reader, but I couldn’t put this down. Admittedly, when Educated was all over every bestseller list I felt it HAD to be overhyped, but I started it for lack of better option on a Ryanair flight and was HOOKED. i thought there’d be all the usual fascination with Mormon survivalists and their way of life, in a very zoo-like and gawking way, but Westover conveys the absurdity of her family life in a way that makes the reader understand and almost experience how normal it must have all felt to her. Her family aren’t one-dimensional villains ruining her life; they’re flawed people doing the only things they thought they could do. At the same time, I was appreciative of how Westover makes no excuses for the behavior described, either from her family or herself. She’s upfront about her formerly hateful viewpoints and actions and offers explanations without asking for forgiveness. This took me a long way in building a rapport with her as the narrator. I really really liked this memoir.
I don’t know how to feel about Either/Or. I LOVED The Idiot so much and felt like it really spoke to me, especially at the stage of my life that I was in at the time that I read it. Nearly a year later, I read this, the sequel. Either/Or is significantly more philosophical and significantly less plot-driven than The Idiot. The book is riddled with questions that it was unclear whether Selin was asking herself, or if Batuman was asking me. These questions create a deeply anxious tone that certainly suits the main character, but that I found less enjoyable to read than The Idiot. Though Batuman is undoubtedly a good writer, Either/Or has the tendency to wander into arcane and philosophical ramblings and saves all its plot for the last 50 pages. I think I’ll stick to The Idiot.
Truly incredible book. Obviously well-researched, the characters are so deeply believable and fleshed out, and as a linguistics nerd, right up my alley. I don’t have enough good things to say here.
I was a big fan of this! I LOVED Babel, so my expectations for my next RF Kuang novel were pretty high. To preface: this is no Babel. However, I thought the plot basis was super interesting and clearly inspired by that interesting Asian-fishing poet that became infamous a few years ago. RF Kuang writes form the point of view of the white woman excellently, deftly revealing the depths to which white people are unconsciously threatened by social justice and diversity movements. I was equal parts disgusted and fascinated with the main characters behavior. The plot was a wee bit over the top at a few points in the novel but overall an excellent read!
EMILY HENRY WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? every subsequent book of hers I’ve read since Beach Read has disappointed me more and more. This is some Ali Hazelwood shit for real. The plot feels aimless at times and melodramatic at others. The conflict between the two main characters was utterly unbelievable to me, as was the resolution. Worst of all, the dialogue is downright CRINGE. I was really disappointed by this because even Book Lovers and People We Meet On Vacation were FAR better (of course nothing can touch my beloved Beach Read). The side characters were more interesting and I’d prefer to read about them, to be honest. Don’t waste your time with this one.
As a linguistics nerd I LOVED the concept here. There was the right balance of nerdiness, melodrama, and thriller. I was hooked! I can also say I did not see the twist coming (though to be fair, I rarely do) and I really thought this was quite an impressive debut novel. It loses points for the ending because you’re telling me she uncovers this giant plot and then… nothing happens. There’s literally NO RESOLUTION to that. I have to believe there’s a sequel planned or something because otherwise it’s just a shitty ending.
You’re telling me she lives through hella eras and never meets a SINGLE person of color??? Also the Lucifer stuff was weird ngl
I liked this book! It was philosophically interesting and brought up some interesting points. Ultimately though, I can’t say it left a significant mark on me or my way of thinking.
It did the job it was meant to do, i.e. make my flight pass faster, but I can’t in conscience say it was good. The writing is pretty well-done and I like the plot ideas and it’s parallels to Amanda Knox (that was what initially drew me in) but I found the resolution and plot twist deeply disappointing. As far as thrillers go, I wasn’t really on the edge of my seat either.