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thegreatelise's reviews
44 reviews
Qui ment ? by Karen M. McManus
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I must say I enjoyed reading the book and I thought I'd rate it 4 stars, that was until the ending. I expected a part of the twist but the other part of it was, in my opinion, too far stretched.
Another things is : I hatred most of the characters, the only one I liked was Nate and I didn't like him anymore at the end, it was the other way around for Addy, I hatred her the most and liked her at the end, as well as Cooper, but overall throughout the book I did not like them and I don't know what gave me the want to keep reading, maybe the mystery and me trying to solve it.
I felt like the epilogue and the bonus chapter were really not necessary.
It's a shame because I really liked the book but the ending ruined it for me.
SPOILERS FROM NOW ON
So the ending : I was not surprised to learn that Simon killed himself HOWEVER the fact that Jake was involved in it and his attitude at the end was way too cliché and over the top and that is the reason why the book went under the 4 stars rating for me.
The romance between Bronwyn and Nate felt a bit forced, breaking news : you don't Always need romance in a Book, and this situation would never happen if you're convincted of murder, you have other things to deal with.
Another things is : I hatred most of the characters, the only one I liked was Nate and I didn't like him anymore at the end, it was the other way around for Addy, I hatred her the most and liked her at the end, as well as Cooper, but overall throughout the book I did not like them and I don't know what gave me the want to keep reading, maybe the mystery and me trying to solve it.
I felt like the epilogue and the bonus chapter were really not necessary.
It's a shame because I really liked the book but the ending ruined it for me.
SPOILERS FROM NOW ON
So the ending : I was not surprised to learn that Simon killed himself HOWEVER the fact that Jake was involved in it and his attitude at the end was way too cliché and over the top and that is the reason why the book went under the 4 stars rating for me.
The romance between Bronwyn and Nate felt a bit forced, breaking news : you don't Always need romance in a Book, and this situation would never happen if you're convincted of murder, you have other things to deal with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Outing, and Violence
Des fleurs pour Algernon by Daniel Keyes
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Un des meilleurs livres que j'ai pu lire de ma vie, je l'avais lu pour la première fois pendant mes années de collège pour les cours, je ne me souviens pas exactement quelle année c'était mais j'avais autour des 13 ans, et déjà à l'époque, ce livre m'avais énormément touchée, et m'avait fait réfléchir, je ne comprenais évidemment pas toute la profondeur de celui ci.
Aujourd'hui, j'ai 19 ans, et cela fait 2-3 ans que l'envie de le relire trotte dans ma tête, et je l'ai enfin fait.
J'ai adoré de A à Z et encore plus qu'à l'époque je pense, évidemment durant cette seconde lecture j'avais plus de connaissances qui m'ont accompagné dans mes réflexions sur ce récit et sur ce que représente le fait d'acquérir de l'intelligence ou l'ignorance que l'on peut avoir face aux moqueries si on ne comprend pas que ce sont des moqueries.
Il va sans dire que le point fort du livre est l'écriture et l'évolution de l'orthographe ainsi que de la tournure des phrases du personnage que je trouve brillante et que je trouvais déjà brillante à l'époque. Je me souviens encore de mon choque en lisant la première page.
Le personnage est très touchant du début à la fin, même si il parait un peu odieux par moment lorsque son intelligence est à son apogée, je ressentais tout de même de la compassion pour lui.
J'ai, plusieurs fois au cours de ma lecture, eu les larmes aux yeux, dû à la fois au livre lui même mais aussi des souvenirs et de la nostalgie qu'il me fait éprouver.
Cela ne touche plus le récit en lui-même mais j'ai aussi été plutôt émue par la partie sur la vie de l'auteur et l'écriture de la nouvelle puis du roman. J'ai été touchée par ce qu'il a écrit en tant que personne qui rêve également d'écrire, ça m'a donner de l'espoir ainsi que de la motivation à poursuivre mes rêves.
Et enfin lire la nouvelle originale boucle la boucle et m'a aussi apporté son lot d'émotions.
J'aimerais maintenant le lire en anglais, pour avoir la langue d'origine du livre et la réelle écriture de l'auteur.
Je pense sincèrement que c'est le genre de livre que tout le monde devrait lire au moins une fois dans sa vie, et si la personne n'en a pas la motivation, de lire au moins la nouvelle, même si le roman est évidemment bien plus développé et complet.
Aujourd'hui, j'ai 19 ans, et cela fait 2-3 ans que l'envie de le relire trotte dans ma tête, et je l'ai enfin fait.
J'ai adoré de A à Z et encore plus qu'à l'époque je pense, évidemment durant cette seconde lecture j'avais plus de connaissances qui m'ont accompagné dans mes réflexions sur ce récit et sur ce que représente le fait d'acquérir de l'intelligence ou l'ignorance que l'on peut avoir face aux moqueries si on ne comprend pas que ce sont des moqueries.
Il va sans dire que le point fort du livre est l'écriture et l'évolution de l'orthographe ainsi que de la tournure des phrases du personnage que je trouve brillante et que je trouvais déjà brillante à l'époque. Je me souviens encore de mon choque en lisant la première page.
Le personnage est très touchant du début à la fin, même si il parait un peu odieux par moment lorsque son intelligence est à son apogée, je ressentais tout de même de la compassion pour lui.
J'ai, plusieurs fois au cours de ma lecture, eu les larmes aux yeux, dû à la fois au livre lui même mais aussi des souvenirs et de la nostalgie qu'il me fait éprouver.
Cela ne touche plus le récit en lui-même mais j'ai aussi été plutôt émue par la partie sur la vie de l'auteur et l'écriture de la nouvelle puis du roman. J'ai été touchée par ce qu'il a écrit en tant que personne qui rêve également d'écrire, ça m'a donner de l'espoir ainsi que de la motivation à poursuivre mes rêves.
Et enfin lire la nouvelle originale boucle la boucle et m'a aussi apporté son lot d'émotions.
J'aimerais maintenant le lire en anglais, pour avoir la langue d'origine du livre et la réelle écriture de l'auteur.
Je pense sincèrement que c'est le genre de livre que tout le monde devrait lire au moins une fois dans sa vie, et si la personne n'en a pas la motivation, de lire au moins la nouvelle, même si le roman est évidemment bien plus développé et complet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Intellectual Will: A Self-Discovery Practice for Intentional Dreaming by Lisa-Marie Pierre
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5
I liked it, it gave me more motivation to achieve my goals and get back on track in my life
A Good Rush of Blood by Matt Phillips
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
This is the worst book I've ever read, everything about it was bad.
There was : sexism, homophobia, racism, slutshaming
The amount of "fuck" "fucking" and "shit", I could barely read a whole page without any of these words and it is so annoying and tiring.
The characters don't make any sense and aren't realistic, they all behave exactly the same, it feels like the author can't write character who have depth.
The sexualization of women is over the top it's sickening.
I could say bonu point for the lesbians but I feel like it was put in the book as a huge fetish instead of genuine want for diversity.
Reading it felt like a chore. The writting was honeslty angering me and I really didn't care about the story anymore.
The plot twist did not touch me neither did the end.
It was a huge loss of time for me.
I've never been so happy to finish a book.
It's really reductive toward women.
There was : sexism, homophobia, racism, slutshaming
The amount of "fuck" "fucking" and "shit", I could barely read a whole page without any of these words and it is so annoying and tiring.
The characters don't make any sense and aren't realistic, they all behave exactly the same, it feels like the author can't write character who have depth.
The sexualization of women is over the top it's sickening.
I could say bonu point for the lesbians but I feel like it was put in the book as a huge fetish instead of genuine want for diversity.
Reading it felt like a chore. The writting was honeslty angering me and I really didn't care about the story anymore.
The plot twist did not touch me neither did the end.
It was a huge loss of time for me.
I've never been so happy to finish a book.
It's really reductive toward women.
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Favorite book of the year potential.
I loved it so much, I really want to buy a physical copy of the book to underline everything now.
It was my first audiobook and it was a wonderful experience, I'm definitely going to listen to more audiobooks now.
It is an incredible prequel in my opinion, it links so well to the other books while still being its own book, it doesn't need the originals to be good and relevant, I'd even say it's my favorite among the 4.
Snow is such an interesting character, I'm very happy this book was written because if I'm being honest, in the other books I didn't really pay attention to him, I almost forgot who he was everytime he was mentioned and I found it to be one of the most disappointing thing because he was supposed to be the villain of the story but he was barely there and I didn't feel like he had a huge impact and I didn't find him scary or unlikable, to me he was just there. But The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes adds a whole other layer to his character, how he turned out this way and the true evil in him, also being able to hear his thoughts hits hard, we're right into his own self conflicts and how his way of seeing life and other people twist slowly. He is a very well written character.
I wasn't expecting this book to have a romance like that but I'm not complaining, it made me giddy, I can even argue that he had the best romance in all of the hunger games.
I have a huge soft spot for Sejanus, I felt bad for him throughout the whole book and really loved his way of thinking and conveying it.
Lucygray is also such an icon, I really liked her.
I don't really know where to stand on the open ending, it adds doubt to the character but at the same time it is a bit frustrating that we don't know what truly happened to Lucygray. I think we can also see this as Snow being in some sort of denial ? Assuming he killed her, maybe he tried to convince himself that she disappeared in order to feel better about himself and keep some hope that he has still some good in him ? Or perhaps he is downright trying to convince others that she disappeared so they don't suspect him but I like my theory of him wanting to keep an ounce of good even if he has to lie to himself for that.
I think the biggest turning point in his character was when he recorded Sejanus and sent it to the capitol, even if he seemed conflicted about it, there was no doubt that he wouldn't go back and he was determined to send it, I believe that this moment show the point or no return for him when all good has left him. He wasn't all white and pure even at the beginning of the book there are some clear flaws about his character but we can see it take over him more and more through the whole book and I loved seeing this evolution.
I don't really think he could have ever been good because everything he does, he does it in his own interest, never truly out of love even if he tried to depict it as that. At first he wanted Lucygray to survive to get his prize, then he wanted her to survive because he loved her, but he wanted her to survive not for her to live but for him to appear like her hero and to see and have her again. When he planned on running away with her it was mainly to save himself because he had killed the daughter of the major and he was afraid of it being discovered and as soon as he was sure they would never found out when he threw the guns in the water he immediately thought of leaving Lucygray and going back to his old better life.
I loved it so much, I really want to buy a physical copy of the book to underline everything now.
It was my first audiobook and it was a wonderful experience, I'm definitely going to listen to more audiobooks now.
It is an incredible prequel in my opinion, it links so well to the other books while still being its own book, it doesn't need the originals to be good and relevant, I'd even say it's my favorite among the 4.
Snow is such an interesting character, I'm very happy this book was written because if I'm being honest, in the other books I didn't really pay attention to him, I almost forgot who he was everytime he was mentioned and I found it to be one of the most disappointing thing because he was supposed to be the villain of the story but he was barely there and I didn't feel like he had a huge impact and I didn't find him scary or unlikable, to me he was just there. But The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes adds a whole other layer to his character, how he turned out this way and the true evil in him, also being able to hear his thoughts hits hard, we're right into his own self conflicts and how his way of seeing life and other people twist slowly. He is a very well written character.
I wasn't expecting this book to have a romance like that but I'm not complaining, it made me giddy, I can even argue that he had the best romance in all of the hunger games.
I have a huge soft spot for Sejanus, I felt bad for him throughout the whole book and really loved his way of thinking and conveying it.
Lucygray is also such an icon, I really liked her.
I don't really know where to stand on the open ending, it adds doubt to the character but at the same time it is a bit frustrating that we don't know what truly happened to Lucygray. I think we can also see this as Snow being in some sort of denial ? Assuming he killed her, maybe he tried to convince himself that she disappeared in order to feel better about himself and keep some hope that he has still some good in him ? Or perhaps he is downright trying to convince others that she disappeared so they don't suspect him but I like my theory of him wanting to keep an ounce of good even if he has to lie to himself for that.
I think the biggest turning point in his character was when he recorded Sejanus and sent it to the capitol, even if he seemed conflicted about it, there was no doubt that he wouldn't go back and he was determined to send it, I believe that this moment show the point or no return for him when all good has left him. He wasn't all white and pure even at the beginning of the book there are some clear flaws about his character but we can see it take over him more and more through the whole book and I loved seeing this evolution.
I don't really think he could have ever been good because everything he does, he does it in his own interest, never truly out of love even if he tried to depict it as that. At first he wanted Lucygray to survive to get his prize, then he wanted her to survive because he loved her, but he wanted her to survive not for her to live but for him to appear like her hero and to see and have her again. When he planned on running away with her it was mainly to save himself because he had killed the daughter of the major and he was afraid of it being discovered and as soon as he was sure they would never found out when he threw the guns in the water he immediately thought of leaving Lucygray and going back to his old better life.
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare: Tragedy and Love Story of All Time - Publishing House: B-L Power by B-L Power
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I finally read this play, one of the greatest piece of literature to ever be written and the most well known love story.
I'm quite proud of myself since I understood everything in it despite being French, English is not my native language and it is Shakespeare's English which makes it harder to understand, also since I already knew the story it made it easier, if I went into it without knowing anything I probably would have been a bit more lost.
The reason I did not rate it 5 stars is because I still feel like everything happens too quickly, which is quite normal for a play, it cannot last for too long but it was a bit unsettling for me.
I'm quite proud of myself since I understood everything in it despite being French, English is not my native language and it is Shakespeare's English which makes it harder to understand, also since I already knew the story it made it easier, if I went into it without knowing anything I probably would have been a bit more lost.
The reason I did not rate it 5 stars is because I still feel like everything happens too quickly, which is quite normal for a play, it cannot last for too long but it was a bit unsettling for me.
Frankenstein - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley [Penguin Popular Classics] by Mary Shelley
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I had to read this book for a college assignment and I actually quite liked it, it took me a long time to get through, probably because it's harder for me to read a book that I have to read and that I didn't pick up on my own will.
But that put aside it was a really good book, some passages were a bit hard to understand to me, especially the end, I was a bit lost and couldn't understand what was happening and I find the end a bit rushed as well.
The narrative and exchange between Frankenstein and his monster were very interesting to me.
But that put aside it was a really good book, some passages were a bit hard to understand to me, especially the end, I was a bit lost and couldn't understand what was happening and I find the end a bit rushed as well.
The narrative and exchange between Frankenstein and his monster were very interesting to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death