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scriptedsolstice's Reviews (170)
Ok but this was so much fun???
Like the writing itself isn’t great, but the story captivated me so well. I’ve been in a slump for a couple of months, but I sped through this! The romance was great, and I loved reading the royal court scenes and experiencing the general drama of royalty.
I honestly thought this would be darker because of how much it’s dark vibe is talked about? But it is YA so I can understand that. I’ve read a few reviews that said they didn’t believe the MC being as dark as she is when she herself is narrating, but I didn’t find that at all!
Like the writing itself isn’t great, but the story captivated me so well. I’ve been in a slump for a couple of months, but I sped through this! The romance was great, and I loved reading the royal court scenes and experiencing the general drama of royalty.
I honestly thought this would be darker because of how much it’s dark vibe is talked about? But it is YA so I can understand that. I’ve read a few reviews that said they didn’t believe the MC being as dark as she is when she herself is narrating, but I didn’t find that at all!
DNF at 55%
I’m just bored. The dialogue is so childish between Belle and the Beast and it’s as if all the magic has just been stripped of this story! I really liked the first 100 pages or so, and the concept of Belle’s mother cursing the beast was interesting. But I just couldn’t bring myself to keep reading :(
I’m just bored. The dialogue is so childish between Belle and the Beast and it’s as if all the magic has just been stripped of this story! I really liked the first 100 pages or so, and the concept of Belle’s mother cursing the beast was interesting. But I just couldn’t bring myself to keep reading :(
I just didn’t vibe with this book as much as I thought I would! The buzzwords were all up my street, but I think it just wasn’t rooted enough in hard magic? There’s a lot of allegories and magical realism. The writing is beautiful, but it didn’t keep my attention throughout. Great if you’re looking for a slow paced, lyrical book that’s easy to read.
DNF @ 60%
I just didn’t have the patience to finish this! Could be due to the fact I have covid and this just isn’t gripping my attention, but here’s my thoughts:
I’d be lying if I said some of the wording in here wasn’t offensive or problematic. Dahl doesn’t shy away from fatphobic descriptions, misogynistic comments (on many, many occasions) and racism. This is my first time reading the book, but I’ve seen the movie countless times which is such a joy to watch. It has an entirely different tone, and whilst the book was still very enjoyable for me, I prefer the movie as it presents Matilda as a much more likeable character!
Though, if you didn’t look into this book seriously, you’d probably find it’s very charming, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and contains some very important messages (aside the misogyny and the racism of course
I just didn’t have the patience to finish this! Could be due to the fact I have covid and this just isn’t gripping my attention, but here’s my thoughts:
I’d be lying if I said some of the wording in here wasn’t offensive or problematic. Dahl doesn’t shy away from fatphobic descriptions, misogynistic comments (on many, many occasions) and racism. This is my first time reading the book, but I’ve seen the movie countless times which is such a joy to watch. It has an entirely different tone, and whilst the book was still very enjoyable for me, I prefer the movie as it presents Matilda as a much more likeable character!
Though, if you didn’t look into this book seriously, you’d probably find it’s very charming, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and contains some very important messages (aside the misogyny and the racism of course
DNF @ 72%
I started reading this in May, but ended up in a huge reading slump. I can’t say if this is why I’ve lost interest or not, but here are my thoughts:
- There’s a LOT of focus and conversation about race, but it’s done in a way that doesn’t sit well with me.
- Also a weird comment about bodies - mention of middle-aged women having heavy thighs’ and ‘droopy breasts’ and them looking ‘alien’. Pretty careless comments imo
- MC is manipulative and kind of a bitch. She gets turned down twice by a guy, has an internal monologue about how annoyed she is that she got rejected, then manipulated him into allowing her back to his place! (By appealing to his ‘gentlemanly protective instincts’)
- I got a little bit lost in the magical realism + the suggestiveness of the writing. You’re never sure if something is in the characters head, or if it’s really happening. This isn’t a bad thing if you like that, but for me personally I prefer my fantasy to be believable, with a hard magic system.
Rep;
- Korean lead, depression (incl medication), gay
TW;
- Racism (particularly, an East Asian slur and other racist remarks), child abuse, domestic abuse, sexism, misogyny, depression, ageism, Still-born birth, suicide, abortion
I started reading this in May, but ended up in a huge reading slump. I can’t say if this is why I’ve lost interest or not, but here are my thoughts:
- There’s a LOT of focus and conversation about race, but it’s done in a way that doesn’t sit well with me.
- Also a weird comment about bodies - mention of middle-aged women having heavy thighs’ and ‘droopy breasts’ and them looking ‘alien’. Pretty careless comments imo
- MC is manipulative and kind of a bitch. She gets turned down twice by a guy, has an internal monologue about how annoyed she is that she got rejected, then manipulated him into allowing her back to his place! (By appealing to his ‘gentlemanly protective instincts’)
- I got a little bit lost in the magical realism + the suggestiveness of the writing. You’re never sure if something is in the characters head, or if it’s really happening. This isn’t a bad thing if you like that, but for me personally I prefer my fantasy to be believable, with a hard magic system.
Rep;
- Korean lead, depression (incl medication), gay
TW;
- Racism (particularly, an East Asian slur and other racist remarks), child abuse, domestic abuse, sexism, misogyny, depression, ageism, Still-born birth, suicide, abortion
Forgot to post this here! -
I’m giving a Leigh Bardugo book 5 stars??? Is anyone surprised at this point??? Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for this. I had the pleasure of buddy reading this book with one of my favourite people on bookstagram @inkanddynamite
I’m giving a Leigh Bardugo book 5 stars??? Is anyone surprised at this point??? Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for this. I had the pleasure of buddy reading this book with one of my favourite people on bookstagram @inkanddynamite
The Amber Spyglass was...intense. It ventured away from a middle-grade adventure, and became a complex, theological narrative. Though religion is present in the first two, Pullman’s anti-religious opinions come across a lot stronger in the final book. He forces the reader to question the identity of god, and the nature of creation. I’m not personally a follower of a one god religion, so I just wanted to state some readers may find this offensive/problematic.
I thought some parts of this were incredibly interesting, such as the Mulefa, and visiting the land of the dead. There were some complicated ideas thrown around, which made for a compelling story that kept me invested throughout. I think if I didn’t love these characters, this would have gotten a lower rating. I know some people hate the romance that Pullman introduced, however I found it quite sweet. I did think it got a little over the top, considering Lyra is 12, but I thought about how I would feel in her situation and it got me in the feels
I thought some parts of this were incredibly interesting, such as the Mulefa, and visiting the land of the dead. There were some complicated ideas thrown around, which made for a compelling story that kept me invested throughout. I think if I didn’t love these characters, this would have gotten a lower rating. I know some people hate the romance that Pullman introduced, however I found it quite sweet. I did think it got a little over the top, considering Lyra is 12, but I thought about how I would feel in her situation and it got me in the feels
