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raisingself's reviews
519 reviews
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
4.0
This book is a little bit of Hunger Games, with a dash of Game of Thrones and sprinkled with X-men universe themes. It was, in short, awesome!
Maybe two years ago, I read the first few pages of the Red Queen and, for some hard to recall reason, really hated it. I dismissed it for sub-par YA pseudo-dystopian hype.
This time, I listened to the audiobook, mainly because of bored indecisiveness, and oh my gawd, I was slightly shook. The book is awesome, the narrative strong; the characters very well written. I have read tons of crappy YA novels, kitchy, predictable and cringe worthy; The Red Queen is not one of these. The lead, even when making mistakes, is likable and believable. Her obstacles are not the byproduct of “you can see it coming from a mile away” basic b*tch mistakes, though I had my suspicions, it was the almost unavoidable result of good old fashion plot thickening.
There are some common dystopian sci-fi YA themes: unrequited love triangles, lead female character that finds and unleashes her inner Buffy the Vampire slayer, epic uphill battle to fight oppression and save a marginalized group. I acknowledge that there are some at times over-used genres themes, but Victoria Aveyard’s execution was seamless, enjoyable, and captivating. I finished the book in less than 24 hours and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The book was good, crazy good. I would recommend to anyone looking for a mature sci-fi YA book. Read this sh*t, you likely won’t regret it.
Maybe two years ago, I read the first few pages of the Red Queen and, for some hard to recall reason, really hated it. I dismissed it for sub-par YA pseudo-dystopian hype.
This time, I listened to the audiobook, mainly because of bored indecisiveness, and oh my gawd, I was slightly shook. The book is awesome, the narrative strong; the characters very well written. I have read tons of crappy YA novels, kitchy, predictable and cringe worthy; The Red Queen is not one of these. The lead, even when making mistakes, is likable and believable. Her obstacles are not the byproduct of “you can see it coming from a mile away” basic b*tch mistakes, though I had my suspicions, it was the almost unavoidable result of good old fashion plot thickening.
There are some common dystopian sci-fi YA themes: unrequited love triangles, lead female character that finds and unleashes her inner Buffy the Vampire slayer, epic uphill battle to fight oppression and save a marginalized group. I acknowledge that there are some at times over-used genres themes, but Victoria Aveyard’s execution was seamless, enjoyable, and captivating. I finished the book in less than 24 hours and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The book was good, crazy good. I would recommend to anyone looking for a mature sci-fi YA book. Read this sh*t, you likely won’t regret it.
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
4.0
The Book of Strange New Things is a complex and beautiful novel that crosses multiple genres. Its main protagonist is Peter, a deeply spiritual man of faith who jumps across the universe to evangelize a newly found aliens living in relative harmony outside a small corporate colony on the planet Oasis. These aliens are hungry for the gospel and have demanded a preacher to teach them about The Book of Strange New Things and Jesus. Peter goes on this incredible journey across space and time, leaving his wife behind right before earth is facing multiple natural and man-made catastrophes.
As a person of faith who rarely reads fiction in the genre of religion, as it can, in my singular opinion, lack authenticity and feel forced, I was pleasantly surprised by Faber’s writing. The narrative of faith in written Fiction and other forms of art in general is sorely lacking, this is surprising as faith is a major part of many human narratives, but I think this is because it is incredibly difficult to write without the extremes of cynicism or fluff.
Faber created a character with a profoundly deep and awe inspiring relationship with God. A moral man who is neither sexist or racist or any of the other horrid –isms commonly associated with religion. He tries to love all of God’s created beings even as he is tested and arguably found wanting; even as his mind and grasp of reality seemingly begins to break apart as he is torn between his past and his present.
This book is not just about religion and though technically science-fiction, it beautiful touches on the human condition. It is about love, loss, loneliness, redemption, and so much more.
When I first started this book, I thought I would give it 5 stars, but it took me on such an emotional roller-coaster that, frankly, I wasn’t prepared for that I felt it warranted 3 stars. This book left me emotionally confused and gasping for air and just as it ends you are frustrated because there has to be more. The ending does not wrap everything in a little package for you. With that being said, I had to find some middle ground that honors both the complexity of the writing and my own emotional frustrations, 4 stars it is.
As a person of faith who rarely reads fiction in the genre of religion, as it can, in my singular opinion, lack authenticity and feel forced, I was pleasantly surprised by Faber’s writing. The narrative of faith in written Fiction and other forms of art in general is sorely lacking, this is surprising as faith is a major part of many human narratives, but I think this is because it is incredibly difficult to write without the extremes of cynicism or fluff.
Faber created a character with a profoundly deep and awe inspiring relationship with God. A moral man who is neither sexist or racist or any of the other horrid –isms commonly associated with religion. He tries to love all of God’s created beings even as he is tested and arguably found wanting; even as his mind and grasp of reality seemingly begins to break apart as he is torn between his past and his present.
This book is not just about religion and though technically science-fiction, it beautiful touches on the human condition. It is about love, loss, loneliness, redemption, and so much more.
When I first started this book, I thought I would give it 5 stars, but it took me on such an emotional roller-coaster that, frankly, I wasn’t prepared for that I felt it warranted 3 stars. This book left me emotionally confused and gasping for air and just as it ends you are frustrated because there has to be more. The ending does not wrap everything in a little package for you. With that being said, I had to find some middle ground that honors both the complexity of the writing and my own emotional frustrations, 4 stars it is.
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
1.0
I found this book to be so boring, not as engaging and imagination grabbing as the previous. I found many of the new lead characters to be incredibly irritating. It was a true struggle to finish this book.
Cress by Marissa Meyer
1.0
The dialogue is horrid and it is a legitimately painful to read. Prepare for eye-rolling and an underwhelming continuation to an already week story.
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
3.0
I'm still on the fence about this novel. I love the idea of a character reliving days in their lives to survive. The book is beautifully written. The historical details incredible. But I found myself initially intrigued, at times depressed, discouraged by either the dreariness or redundancy, enthralled more than once & finally confused by the final chapters? With that being said, if you like historical dramas, you should definitely give this book a chance.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
4.0
This book is a walk through the life of young love, loss and mental illness. There aren't any zombies, vampires or dystopian whimsy. This book is real and at times difficult. It may not be to the taste of some, likely due to pacing or the subject matter, but for the reader that makes it to the end, you will likely be left haunted by the characters.
Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
2.0
This book had incredible potential but there were a few plot holes and strange choices that I just could not overcome:
1. The author does not do a great job of convincing the reader of the why and how of this alternate reality where most of the world is held prisoner to a day and night caste system.
2. The main protagonist is annoying as h e l l, she does self destructive senseless crap that is exacerbating to say the least and though perceived as passionate and endearing to the main love interest, it can cause readers like my self to feel frustrated and not want to root for her.
3. Some of the writer's choices are off-putting. For instance, a main character recalling a childhood molestation scene right in the middle of loosing one's virginity with little emotion or pause. I was soooo disturbed. There were a few moments in the book that made me squint, scratch my head, and audibly ask the heavens why.
With all that said, Fama finished the novel so strongly that it piqued my interest in the sequel and raised her rating from 1 to 2 stars.
1. The author does not do a great job of convincing the reader of the why and how of this alternate reality where most of the world is held prisoner to a day and night caste system.
2. The main protagonist is annoying as h e l l, she does self destructive senseless crap that is exacerbating to say the least and though perceived as passionate and endearing to the main love interest, it can cause readers like my self to feel frustrated and not want to root for her.
3. Some of the writer's choices are off-putting. For instance, a main character recalling a childhood molestation scene right in the middle of loosing one's virginity with little emotion or pause. I was soooo disturbed. There were a few moments in the book that made me squint, scratch my head, and audibly ask the heavens why.
With all that said, Fama finished the novel so strongly that it piqued my interest in the sequel and raised her rating from 1 to 2 stars.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
3.0
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is a beautiful, disturbing, and poetic novel that follows a child of abusive and neglectful drug dealers/addicts. The seemingly fragile female protagonist has a fierce strength and intelligence hard earned through much suffering. It's a book filled with brokenness and beautiful prose. There are sections that get under the readers skin and others that pry tears from the readers eyes. It is a book that is not for the faint of heart but if you are willing to challenge yourself, you will enter world that both breaks your heart while filling your mind. No matter how conflicted I feel about some of the content and the near overwhelming sadness of this fascinating and difficult story, in the end, I have to describe it as extraordinary.
****Trigger warning for topics related to child abuse and rape.
I heavily considered giving this book 4 stars but the difficult bits of this novel that got under my skin and made me cry prevented it for reasons that aren't truly rational.
****Trigger warning for topics related to child abuse and rape.
I heavily considered giving this book 4 stars but the difficult bits of this novel that got under my skin and made me cry prevented it for reasons that aren't truly rational.