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sometimesbryce's reviews
597 reviews
This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab
2.0
This was a causality of circumstance more so than a book I stopped reading because I didn't enjoy it. I'm back in school, which means I'm having to make decisions about where my time is spent. Also, I've been on hold on a bunch of library books, that were all released to me at the same time. Little time + lots of books with limited time checked out to me = some books get cut.
I made it about 62% of the way through, so I feel comfortable leaving a review.
I didn't hate this. I just also didn't enjoy it. The beginning had me hooked and I thought Finally! Finally I've found a YA book as an adult reader that I love! Nope. Didn't happen. What started off as a thoroughly original, well written, read, turned into a cliche, boring, (but still well written) read. None of the characters in here are new, and neither are the situations. It might have been more redeemable if the world building and been more concrete and thorough, but there wasn't really anything about this to keep me engaged, expect for the well composed prose. If you like the predictability of YAs, and love the familiar tropes and situations, you may enjoy this, but I don't so I didn't.
I made it about 62% of the way through, so I feel comfortable leaving a review.
I didn't hate this. I just also didn't enjoy it. The beginning had me hooked and I thought Finally! Finally I've found a YA book as an adult reader that I love! Nope. Didn't happen. What started off as a thoroughly original, well written, read, turned into a cliche, boring, (but still well written) read. None of the characters in here are new, and neither are the situations. It might have been more redeemable if the world building and been more concrete and thorough, but there wasn't really anything about this to keep me engaged, expect for the well composed prose. If you like the predictability of YAs, and love the familiar tropes and situations, you may enjoy this, but I don't so I didn't.
Happy Family by Tracy Barone
4.0
Happy Family is full of anything but. Cheri Matzner is the middle-aged version of a child abandoned in an inner city health clinic. Her marriage is in shambles, and, to make matters worse, childless. Her relationship with her parents is, put nicely, complicated, and with little hope of repair as her father has recently passed. Those same parents were the ones who adopted baby Cheri, after suffering a hopeless tragedy that leaves one of them feeling ostracized from the family unit.
There's something special about a novel that doesn't give up, that reveals something small, but crucial in its last seconds, that changes the entire scope and influence of the work. Happy Family is one such treat.
The final novel was very different from what I had anticipated going into it. The work changes directions several times, and I found I enjoyed the end, once Barone seemed to have found a cohesive footing, better than the beginning, though I only disliked the beginning through the cohesive lens of the end. The plot fell into some predictable paths, but was still a gripping and enjoyable ride.
Barone's greatest strength, however, was her characters. Her characters are strong and complex creatures, not unlike the ones we are and know. Only in a well imagined world (or the real one) can a religious and language professor have a past life of an NYC, NRA gun wielding cop, and be the daughter of a doctor and wife to a documentary director. Her characters are so vivid, you'll break down alongside them.
I was surprised at how well crafted this debut was. Generally, I find debuts to be poorly written or constructed, but this novel was neither. Tracy Barone is a talented writer, who offers up lots in her first, and can only grow and improve as she continues on in her career. She has a new, big, fan in me, and I strongly urge everyone who is need of a riveting story, of a chance to cry, forgive, and grow, pick this up immediately.
Plus, the jacket is absolutely stunning.
There's something special about a novel that doesn't give up, that reveals something small, but crucial in its last seconds, that changes the entire scope and influence of the work. Happy Family is one such treat.
The final novel was very different from what I had anticipated going into it. The work changes directions several times, and I found I enjoyed the end, once Barone seemed to have found a cohesive footing, better than the beginning, though I only disliked the beginning through the cohesive lens of the end. The plot fell into some predictable paths, but was still a gripping and enjoyable ride.
Barone's greatest strength, however, was her characters. Her characters are strong and complex creatures, not unlike the ones we are and know. Only in a well imagined world (or the real one) can a religious and language professor have a past life of an NYC, NRA gun wielding cop, and be the daughter of a doctor and wife to a documentary director. Her characters are so vivid, you'll break down alongside them.
I was surprised at how well crafted this debut was. Generally, I find debuts to be poorly written or constructed, but this novel was neither. Tracy Barone is a talented writer, who offers up lots in her first, and can only grow and improve as she continues on in her career. She has a new, big, fan in me, and I strongly urge everyone who is need of a riveting story, of a chance to cry, forgive, and grow, pick this up immediately.
Plus, the jacket is absolutely stunning.
The Girls by Emma Cline
2.0
Rating: 2.5
Emma Cline's debut novel has good bones but rotting meat. Cline gained her footing in the last moments of the novel, but I had been drug around too long before that to truly enjoy it.
This was, more or less, the book of the summer, and I was excited to finally have some time to read it. The concept of a fictionalized retelling of the Manson cult and murders was intriguing and, for me, fresh. However, I quickly lost faith after the first, horrendously overwritten few chapters. The writing style relaxed as the novel went on, but I had a hard time readjusting my attitude to her prose.
But not until the last few chapters did the plot really gain substance and interest. After reading awkward and purposeless sex scene after sex scene, the shock value of the cult, once Evie finally got there, was missing. This book wasn't bad necessarily, it was just boring. All of the action happened at the very end, and it wasn't really worth the wait, in my opinion. It was all over relatively quickly. I almost wished she had focused more on adult Evie rather than teenage Evie. The secondary plot that took place in the guest house was far more compelling than any of the rest of it.
It wasn't all bad though. Cline's summer is a summer I want to be in. Even though snow was falling outside my window as I was reading this, I felt the warmth of the 60's sun on my face and could almost smell the freshly cut grass. Her setting worked for her, and her writing really captured the carefree attitude of the turning decade. I also really enjoyed Cline's perspective on girlhood, and the larger concept of the nature of being a woman. Many have hailed this a great work of feminist literature, and I understand why. I only wish her perspectives hadn't felt so forced, and that there had been some plot to back it up.
This just wasn't a very good read for me. I will say, though, I didn't DNF, and didn't think about doing it all that often, so something about this novel held my attention.
Emma Cline's debut novel has good bones but rotting meat. Cline gained her footing in the last moments of the novel, but I had been drug around too long before that to truly enjoy it.
This was, more or less, the book of the summer, and I was excited to finally have some time to read it. The concept of a fictionalized retelling of the Manson cult and murders was intriguing and, for me, fresh. However, I quickly lost faith after the first, horrendously overwritten few chapters. The writing style relaxed as the novel went on, but I had a hard time readjusting my attitude to her prose.
But not until the last few chapters did the plot really gain substance and interest. After reading awkward and purposeless sex scene after sex scene, the shock value of the cult, once Evie finally got there, was missing. This book wasn't bad necessarily, it was just boring. All of the action happened at the very end, and it wasn't really worth the wait, in my opinion. It was all over relatively quickly. I almost wished she had focused more on adult Evie rather than teenage Evie. The secondary plot that took place in the guest house was far more compelling than any of the rest of it.
It wasn't all bad though. Cline's summer is a summer I want to be in. Even though snow was falling outside my window as I was reading this, I felt the warmth of the 60's sun on my face and could almost smell the freshly cut grass. Her setting worked for her, and her writing really captured the carefree attitude of the turning decade. I also really enjoyed Cline's perspective on girlhood, and the larger concept of the nature of being a woman. Many have hailed this a great work of feminist literature, and I understand why. I only wish her perspectives hadn't felt so forced, and that there had been some plot to back it up.
This just wasn't a very good read for me. I will say, though, I didn't DNF, and didn't think about doing it all that often, so something about this novel held my attention.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
4.0
As the grandchild of someone who has much to be sorry for, this novel hit close to home. I'm not sure that I'm completely objective as a result. Nevertheless...
This was a very different experience than I thought it'd be. I've heard from many who didn't like this as much due to its fantasy influence, but I didn't mind it. It took a while to get used to what belonged in The Land-of-Almost-Awake, what was real, and what was a mix of the two, but once I got more used to it, I really enjoyed this, maybe not as much as [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg|21619954] or [b:And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer|31140489|And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475462110s/31140489.jpg|51766600], but enjoyed it all the same. I thought Backman had a wise (and humorous) opinion on death and grief, and it was exciting to hear his wise words yet again. There were a few issues with the plot, but he tied everything up really nicely in the end.
If you read this and enjoyed it, I'd recommend [b:I Am the Messenger|19057|I Am the Messenger|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398483261s/19057.jpg|2737065]. A lot of this novel reminded of that one. Similarly, if you enjoyed I Am the Messenger, this one's worth a try!
This was a very different experience than I thought it'd be. I've heard from many who didn't like this as much due to its fantasy influence, but I didn't mind it. It took a while to get used to what belonged in The Land-of-Almost-Awake, what was real, and what was a mix of the two, but once I got more used to it, I really enjoyed this, maybe not as much as [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg|21619954] or [b:And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer|31140489|And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475462110s/31140489.jpg|51766600], but enjoyed it all the same. I thought Backman had a wise (and humorous) opinion on death and grief, and it was exciting to hear his wise words yet again. There were a few issues with the plot, but he tied everything up really nicely in the end.
If you read this and enjoyed it, I'd recommend [b:I Am the Messenger|19057|I Am the Messenger|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398483261s/19057.jpg|2737065]. A lot of this novel reminded of that one. Similarly, if you enjoyed I Am the Messenger, this one's worth a try!
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery": The Authorized Graphic Adaptation by Miles Hyman
3.0
Rating: 3.5
Miles Hyman, grandson of literary legend Shirley Jackson, presents a worthy, if stunted, graphic adaption of his grandmother's most famous work. While the adaptation was beautifully illustrated, and masterfully structured, it simply isn't as powerful as the short story. This is unsurprising, however, as short stories and graphic novels are two very different mediums with very different goals. As someone who read The Lottery in elementary, middle, and high school, I really enjoyed this, and I think fans of Jackson will too. Just know it can't quite compete with the original, nor should it have to.
Miles Hyman, grandson of literary legend Shirley Jackson, presents a worthy, if stunted, graphic adaption of his grandmother's most famous work. While the adaptation was beautifully illustrated, and masterfully structured, it simply isn't as powerful as the short story. This is unsurprising, however, as short stories and graphic novels are two very different mediums with very different goals. As someone who read The Lottery in elementary, middle, and high school, I really enjoyed this, and I think fans of Jackson will too. Just know it can't quite compete with the original, nor should it have to.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
2.0
Rating: 2.5
Challenger Deep is an interesting, odd little story. Neal Shusterman paints an incredibly vivid portrait of mental illness in this work, but outside of those suffering from brain illnesses, this novel offers little. While there was a time when my mental illness was parallel to the illnesses of Caden Bosch, I no longer feel the same way that Caden does. So, for me, there was already a bit of a disconnect. Further, while the novel took on an interesting shape to begin with, and was compelling, it quickly stagnated, and fell back into cliches and became repetitive and boring. As a result, I made it out 75% of the way through before abandoning. There just wasn't enough substance to keep me going.
Challenger Deep is an interesting, odd little story. Neal Shusterman paints an incredibly vivid portrait of mental illness in this work, but outside of those suffering from brain illnesses, this novel offers little. While there was a time when my mental illness was parallel to the illnesses of Caden Bosch, I no longer feel the same way that Caden does. So, for me, there was already a bit of a disconnect. Further, while the novel took on an interesting shape to begin with, and was compelling, it quickly stagnated, and fell back into cliches and became repetitive and boring. As a result, I made it out 75% of the way through before abandoning. There just wasn't enough substance to keep me going.
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
3.0
Maybe more of a 3.5?
I enjoyed the end of this book much better than the beginning. The characters seemed to grow into themselves, and become more lifelike with each passing page. The plot was surprising, not so much with twists and turns, although there were a few of those, but rather with the novel's overall trajectory. When I picked this up, I believed the novel would be about the suspense of the couple's guilt. Halfway through, I believed it was ultimately a love story. Towards the end, I realized the scope of this novel was more far reaching than I had initially given it credit.
While I enjoyed the end more, parts of it felt dragged out. I'm not sure we needed to catch up with each individual character as many times as we did, and the effect of the devastation caused by revisiting the same characters quickly wore out.
Then, there was the beginning. Tom and Isabel's relationship doesn't make a ton of sense, and their decision to keep Lucy doesn't sit quite right with consistency. Throughout the novel, the dialogue felt stiff and clunky to the rest of the text, and Stedman relies on it too much for it to be so poorly handled. The Light Between Oceans though, to me, in many ways, wasn't particularly well written.
Though I consistently felt engaged with the story, and surprised by it, it seldom felt great or strikingly special. I enjoyed reading this, and commend the work for taking control of my emotions so powerfully. It was similar to [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|2728527|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351979318s/2728527.jpg|2754161] in that it was good and delightful, but not particularly special or well written. A great, easy beach read, but perhaps not entirely deserving of the warm water-cooler recommendations it's received.
I enjoyed the end of this book much better than the beginning. The characters seemed to grow into themselves, and become more lifelike with each passing page. The plot was surprising, not so much with twists and turns, although there were a few of those, but rather with the novel's overall trajectory. When I picked this up, I believed the novel would be about the suspense of the couple's guilt. Halfway through, I believed it was ultimately a love story. Towards the end, I realized the scope of this novel was more far reaching than I had initially given it credit.
While I enjoyed the end more, parts of it felt dragged out. I'm not sure we needed to catch up with each individual character as many times as we did, and the effect of the devastation caused by revisiting the same characters quickly wore out.
Then, there was the beginning. Tom and Isabel's relationship doesn't make a ton of sense, and their decision to keep Lucy doesn't sit quite right with consistency. Throughout the novel, the dialogue felt stiff and clunky to the rest of the text, and Stedman relies on it too much for it to be so poorly handled. The Light Between Oceans though, to me, in many ways, wasn't particularly well written.
Though I consistently felt engaged with the story, and surprised by it, it seldom felt great or strikingly special. I enjoyed reading this, and commend the work for taking control of my emotions so powerfully. It was similar to [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|2728527|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351979318s/2728527.jpg|2754161] in that it was good and delightful, but not particularly special or well written. A great, easy beach read, but perhaps not entirely deserving of the warm water-cooler recommendations it's received.