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sas_lk's Reviews (362)
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This felt like the skeleton of a book that could've been amazing. It almost felt like the first draft so that one could get the idea of what was going to happen and how, before the author completely fleshes the story out. Now, obviously I don't know if this also had to do with the translation.
I just don't understand some of the writing choices, and the ending... I didn't mind the outcome but the way it was written and presented, was just... no.
I just don't understand some of the writing choices, and the ending... I didn't mind the outcome but the way it was written and presented, was just... no.
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
In terms of the atmosphere, the writing, everything that happened, this was so good. I almost felt like I was reading a myth retelling, and like all the characters were real people in this world. The atmosphere was perfect too; an atmosphere similar to that of The Night Circus (atmosphere, not the story). I found the characters great too, most of them at least.
So this has all the ingredients to literally be perfect, to be 5 stars. However, something about it just didn't work 100%. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but sometimes I would find myself reading and then realise after a while that I wasn't paying attention at all, and instead thinking of other stuff. Then, whenever I re-focused, I was enjoying the writing and story, but then I'd stop paying attention again. It was the weirdest thing! I enjoyed it but I kept getting distracted by my thoughts... What does that mean for the book?
So this has all the ingredients to literally be perfect, to be 5 stars. However, something about it just didn't work 100%. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but sometimes I would find myself reading and then realise after a while that I wasn't paying attention at all, and instead thinking of other stuff. Then, whenever I re-focused, I was enjoying the writing and story, but then I'd stop paying attention again. It was the weirdest thing! I enjoyed it but I kept getting distracted by my thoughts... What does that mean for the book?
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my god. Before I say anything, you should know I basically never cry. Tears rarely even start forming in my eyes due to books. Even some of the saddest books don't do it for me.
Now tell me why I literally bawled my eyes out at least 4-5 times? Then I finished the book and I felt alright, and then burst into tears again? And not just cried but literally sobbed?
This is more a contemporary than a romance. If you've ever had a group of really close friends, and start growing up together (or apart), this will hit so hard. It's the story of friendship that feels like family, and that cavity that never quite gets filled up when you feel like you've grown apart a bit. You never truly cope or heal from it.
I feel empty. I'm gonna go stare at a wall for a bit and then go for a drive with no aim. Good night <3.
Now tell me why I literally bawled my eyes out at least 4-5 times? Then I finished the book and I felt alright, and then burst into tears again? And not just cried but literally sobbed?
This is more a contemporary than a romance. If you've ever had a group of really close friends, and start growing up together (or apart), this will hit so hard. It's the story of friendship that feels like family, and that cavity that never quite gets filled up when you feel like you've grown apart a bit. You never truly cope or heal from it.
I feel empty. I'm gonna go stare at a wall for a bit and then go for a drive with no aim. Good night <3.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Woah I never realised how good it would feel to be back in a world that my younger self loved getting transported to. I felt like this awakened all nostalgia and love for who I was when I read The Mortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare really does a good job at hooking you, even though I was face palming sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
This is one of those topics you don't realise you're extremely ignorant of until picking up this book. Excited to see what research Patric Gagne ends up doing and what results she'll find.
More short story collections should have afterwords by the author after every short story. It helped me understand some of these much better.
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay I have tried to come up with negative thoughts on this book, even just objectively, but I can't. I literally can't think of anything that was bad with this book. This is the definition of a masterpiece. It makes me want to drop half of my other 5 stars down to 4 stars because they are not the same quality, the same type of masterpiece that this book is. Even the pacing! I don't think I've ever read a book with such perfect pacing. Not a single word felt wasted and I never felt like more needed to be said.
This is about life, the beauty and the horrors; it's about love, about acceptance.
I-
I keep typing words and deleting them because I literally can't find the words to describe the insane genius that this book is.
This is about life, the beauty and the horrors; it's about love, about acceptance.
I-
I keep typing words and deleting them because I literally can't find the words to describe the insane genius that this book is.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
I can always trust these books to be a good time. Only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I genuinely do not understand whyyyy the romance is necessary? And even more so, whyyyy does it have to be between a 16 year old boy and a 100+ year old woman (even if she is stuck in a kid's body??). No thank you. That doesn't strike you as weird that she dated your grandfather and now she's dating you? I'm sorry but that's not okay.
So overall, really great book, but I just tend to skip over any part that touched on the romance.
So overall, really great book, but I just tend to skip over any part that touched on the romance.
dark
informative
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel like I need to reread this a couple more times with a bit more preparation because I felt like a lot of the historical context was lost on me. Nonetheless Harbart felt like a true fever dream, and I definitely enjoyed reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness