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sunflowerboys's reviews
244 reviews
Romance by Arnaud Cathrine
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
je ne vous cache pas que toutes les références à la pop culture m'ont paru un peu trop abondantes, surfaites, comme si l'auteur avait voulu glisser tout ce qu'il savait sur les ados de nos jours, montrer qu'il était "dans l'air du temps" — et, sérieusement, du yaoi ?
cette volonté de s'afficher "moderne" donnait du coup des trucs bizarres dans l'écriture, des mots "jeunes" (ou qu'il pensait être jeunes) qui se glissaient parfois dans un vocabulaire plus soutenu pour porter des réflexions qui ne me semblaient pas toujours très adolescentes, perdaient un peu de leur caractère ingénu.
et puis, l'histoire n'est pas très originale. un scénario à la departure, que le protagoniste cite d'ailleurs. ou à la moonlight. if you know you know.
pourtant, il y a beaucoup de choses que j'ai aimées.
j'ai aimé l'hybridité du livre, mêlant texte, messages, extraits de journal, posts instagram, photos.
j'ai aimé la sensibilité du personnage, la façon dont il disait les choses de façon crue, sans tabou.
j'ai aimé ses mots qui débordaient de partout, dans la prose, dans les notes en bas de page — comme si tout ne pouvait pas être contenu entre les pages. ça faisait très jean genet, version ado, et qui suis-je pour dire non à ça ?
cette volonté de s'afficher "moderne" donnait du coup des trucs bizarres dans l'écriture, des mots "jeunes" (ou qu'il pensait être jeunes) qui se glissaient parfois dans un vocabulaire plus soutenu pour porter des réflexions qui ne me semblaient pas toujours très adolescentes, perdaient un peu de leur caractère ingénu.
et puis, l'histoire n'est pas très originale. un scénario à la departure, que le protagoniste cite d'ailleurs. ou à la moonlight. if you know you know.
pourtant, il y a beaucoup de choses que j'ai aimées.
j'ai aimé l'hybridité du livre, mêlant texte, messages, extraits de journal, posts instagram, photos.
j'ai aimé la sensibilité du personnage, la façon dont il disait les choses de façon crue, sans tabou.
j'ai aimé ses mots qui débordaient de partout, dans la prose, dans les notes en bas de page — comme si tout ne pouvait pas être contenu entre les pages. ça faisait très jean genet, version ado, et qui suis-je pour dire non à ça ?
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
Nah but this series was such a letdown. Like, I enjoyed reading it but it was overall kinda bad? So many coincidences and unnecessary threads. I think there should have been more hints at the murderer because the reveal seemed to come out of nowhere.
And David. Don't get me started on David. The most annoying character ever lolol.
Also, I truly believe that it could have been a duology, if not a standalone.
And David. Don't get me started on David. The most annoying character ever lolol.
Also, I truly believe that it could have been a duology, if not a standalone.
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
what was good in the first book was still good in the second, and what was bad still was.
the mystery is still good! i mean, the murderer was obvious since the beginning imo and the explanation/motive/course of events disappointed me a little but the clues that lead to their discovery were really cool! and there are still some threads going on, which proves how rich a story it is.
on the other hand, i'm quite sad thatthe truly devious letter was a scam and that the two students were not important at all in the end. i did not really see the point of having them have such an important part in the novel. i understand that it was meant to lead the reader on but it left me wanting more.
as for the bad stuff: the marginalised characters? still marginalised. almost unnecessary. plus, the past events were really repetitive in the way they were told. and what was happening with david, and his relationship with stevie—it was all very corny. i don't have a better word for it lolol. like, the way he's described through stevie's eyes, the way he acts, i don't feel it at all (except for his dressing up as BBC Sherlock. i have to give kudos to that). i hope it was done on purpose and that they'll end it in the third book bc otherwise, huh.
other than that, it's still a page-turner, the author really knows how to leave the reader standing on edge!
the mystery is still good! i mean, the murderer was obvious since the beginning imo and the explanation/motive/course of events disappointed me a little but the clues that lead to their discovery were really cool! and there are still some threads going on, which proves how rich a story it is.
on the other hand, i'm quite sad that
as for the bad stuff: the marginalised characters? still marginalised. almost unnecessary. plus, the past events were really repetitive in the way they were told. and what was happening with david, and his relationship with stevie—it was all very corny. i don't have a better word for it lolol. like, the way he's described through stevie's eyes, the way he acts, i don't feel it at all (except for his dressing up as BBC Sherlock. i have to give kudos to that). i hope it was done on purpose and that they'll end it in the third book bc otherwise, huh.
other than that, it's still a page-turner, the author really knows how to leave the reader standing on edge!
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
so many great images of the scars of war, family ties, americanness and homosexuality, and yet the only line I can think of is: "Note to self: if a guy tells you his favourite poet is Jack Kerouac, / there's a very good chance he's a douchebag"