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teaflow's reviews
78 reviews
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
3.0
I think I liked most of these characters in one moment or another but they bored in most. Jo, Amy, and Laurie brought the most energy to the story for me, but even that fell short of truly holding my interest. I was surprised at how much I liked the ending though.
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
3.0
I can’t believe I actually want to read the next book after feeling so frustrated/bored through most of this book.
I felt disconnected from Lyra all through the book until she learned about the black market for daemons and actually seemed like the character that saved her friends from Bolvanger. I immediately realized how much more engaging I would have found the book if we could have gotten to that scene sooner and done a lot less meandering around for the sake of depressing world building.
I thought I loved the concept of daemons but this book really put that to the test and by a quarter of he way into the book I felt like the word separation was grating on me. I didnt fully buy the cause of the rift between Lyra and Pan, even though their fight was very emotional for me, so I feel like it didn’t set the exploration of how adults connect or don’t connect with their daemons off to a strong start. It also became much less interesting with every additional daemonless character.
I also just liked the original trilogy for how fantastical it was. There was so much magic and awe in the worlds. I think I would have preferred to dive back into this world to explore more about the culture of the witches or bears or gyptians, maybe explore the love story between coram and serafina. Even some new cultures of magical entities instead of so much focus on a world so much like ours/Wills.
I didn’t really love Malcolm in LBS, so I probably wasnt primed to love him and Lyra, but ugh. It was so offputting and forced. If they are possibly going to end up together why did we need to solidify that Lyra was weirded out by him? And why did Malcom need to realize he loved her so quickly into them finally talking as adults? And why the eff isnt he traveling with her? Or even working with her more directly? Maybe there is a reason but I just don’t see why any of it needed to be set up in a way that is creepy at worst and boring at best?
Pass on continued instances of sexual assault (also makes me feel semi concerned about how the child of a rapist is going to round out his journey next book and currently pass on this dude as an antagonist). Pass on Lyra’s actions in TAS having literally no effect on anything in her world. Pass on Lyra basically feeling like a different character most of the book. Pass on the secret network of characters that just didn’t do anything for me. Pass on Alice and Pan not being utilized more in this book.
I felt disconnected from Lyra all through the book until she learned about the black market for daemons and actually seemed like the character that saved her friends from Bolvanger. I immediately realized how much more engaging I would have found the book if we could have gotten to that scene sooner and done a lot less meandering around for the sake of depressing world building.
I thought I loved the concept of daemons but this book really put that to the test and by a quarter of he way into the book I felt like the word separation was grating on me. I didnt fully buy the cause of the rift between Lyra and Pan, even though their fight was very emotional for me, so I feel like it didn’t set the exploration of how adults connect or don’t connect with their daemons off to a strong start. It also became much less interesting with every additional daemonless character.
I also just liked the original trilogy for how fantastical it was. There was so much magic and awe in the worlds. I think I would have preferred to dive back into this world to explore more about the culture of the witches or bears or gyptians, maybe explore the love story between coram and serafina. Even some new cultures of magical entities instead of so much focus on a world so much like ours/Wills.
I didn’t really love Malcolm in LBS, so I probably wasnt primed to love him and Lyra, but ugh. It was so offputting and forced. If they are possibly going to end up together why did we need to solidify that Lyra was weirded out by him? And why did Malcom need to realize he loved her so quickly into them finally talking as adults? And why the eff isnt he traveling with her? Or even working with her more directly? Maybe there is a reason but I just don’t see why any of it needed to be set up in a way that is creepy at worst and boring at best?
Pass on continued instances of sexual assault (also makes me feel semi concerned about how the child of a rapist is going to round out his journey next book and currently pass on this dude as an antagonist). Pass on Lyra’s actions in TAS having literally no effect on anything in her world. Pass on Lyra basically feeling like a different character most of the book. Pass on the secret network of characters that just didn’t do anything for me. Pass on Alice and Pan not being utilized more in this book.