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theidlereader's Reviews (354)
A very interesting topic but I found most of the writing dull. I read the first two parts as a textbook for one of my college courses which made reading it easier since those parts focused more on the people effected then on the dam itself and we had questions and discussions to help focus on certain topics in the chapters.
Trying to finish the final part of the the book on my own I found to be very difficult. Although I was very interested in the topics and issues, and have a background in water science, the writing made it very difficult for me to get engaged. I found myself frequently having to reread sections after finishing a paragraph and realizing I had no idea what it had just covered.
Trying to finish the final part of the the book on my own I found to be very difficult. Although I was very interested in the topics and issues, and have a background in water science, the writing made it very difficult for me to get engaged. I found myself frequently having to reread sections after finishing a paragraph and realizing I had no idea what it had just covered.
What I thought would be a predictable story turned into a mystery that kept me on my toes right up to the last chapter. This book had twists that kept surprising me (even if I had initially guessed what would happen) and created characters with stories that I wanted to delve into. Every time I put the book down I kept thinking about the story until I could come back to it.
I won't say that I had high expectations for this book, but I was excited to see what kind of stories Tom Hanks would give us. Each story is set in an idealized world, where people break up and go back to being friends as if nothing happened, where the small town girl makes it big on Broadway, and an average guy can bowl six perfect games in a row. They're all enjoyable stories to read, but there's no conflict in them and the stories where there could be conflict end before anything develops. That's not to say I didn't have a good time reading this, but halfway through the book, it got boring to read about worlds where everything goes right.
In the end, this book is very easy to read, and just as easy to forget.
In the end, this book is very easy to read, and just as easy to forget.
Some things are better suited for the screen and I think the horror/ thriller genre is one of them. I started reading this because of the Netflix series and, after reading some of the book reviews, I had hoped that I would end up liking this better. The beginning was enjoyable enough and I liked the idea of these four strangers coming together in this haunted house, but I found the actual haunting to be very disappointing. To start with, the first haunting episode didn't begin until nearly halfway through the book but then there's no build up. There are only a couple of moments where things happen and the rest is just the four characters going about their business in the house. In fact, most of the conflict of the book happens inside Nell's head as the house begins to permeate her mind and twist her thoughts.
The characters themselves aren't relatable because we know almost nothing about them. In fact, and much of this is because the story is being told through Nell's eyes, I found there to be few genuine interactions between everyone. When something happens, their fear is almost always written off with jokes. For a group trying to investigate a haunted house, they sure brush off the hauntings quickly. When Mrs. Montegue and Arthur were introduced I found them instantly dislikable, but at least they did something more in their time than just trying to measure a cold spot.
As the story progressed and Nell deteriorated it was sometimes interesting to try and figure out what was true and what was being skewed by Nell's mind but the fluctuations in her relationships with everyone, especially Theodora, became confusing. One moment she's lamenting how little she thinks of Theo and then the next Nell's talking about how she's going to follow her home and live with her.
In the end, I think the first half of the book moved too slowly and the second half too quickly. The characters were tolerable but the actual haunting lackluster.
The characters themselves aren't relatable because we know almost nothing about them. In fact, and much of this is because the story is being told through Nell's eyes, I found there to be few genuine interactions between everyone. When something happens, their fear is almost always written off with jokes. For a group trying to investigate a haunted house, they sure brush off the hauntings quickly. When Mrs. Montegue and Arthur were introduced I found them instantly dislikable, but at least they did something more in their time than just trying to measure a cold spot.
As the story progressed and Nell deteriorated it was sometimes interesting to try and figure out what was true and what was being skewed by Nell's mind but the fluctuations in her relationships with everyone, especially Theodora, became confusing. One moment she's lamenting how little she thinks of Theo and then the next Nell's talking about how she's going to follow her home and live with her.
In the end, I think the first half of the book moved too slowly and the second half too quickly. The characters were tolerable but the actual haunting lackluster.
I have to say, I wasnt a fan of this story. From the description I was given I expected it to be more of a haunted house story and when that turned out to not be the case I got a little turned off.
I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time reading The Classics, but the style of writing made it hard for me to get immersed in the story and i ended up skimming through most of it. It was a nice, short read, and I thought that the end was interesting, but it wasnt really my cup of tea.
I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time reading The Classics, but the style of writing made it hard for me to get immersed in the story and i ended up skimming through most of it. It was a nice, short read, and I thought that the end was interesting, but it wasnt really my cup of tea.
I have to admit, this book kind of snuck up on me. I found the beginning a little uninteresting, and the characters just a little bit annoying but as the story progressed and the characters opened up I found myself getting more and more invested in their story. By the time I was a third of the way through, I found myself hoping that these three broken people would stay and grow together. Ona's story was wrenching in all the right ways and I loved Quinn's growth from absent father to someone that not only Ona, but Belle, and the God Squad can rely on.
The death at the beginning was a bit of a shock and the last chapter from the boys perspective broke my heart but I thought that- and the final page of records- was a beautiful conclusion. My one complaint is that it was very annoying that the child was only ever referred to as "The Boy". I really hate the use of epithets, to begin with, but I found it completely unbelievable that his own parents would never refer to him by his name. Other than that small annoyance, this was a heartfelt story that had me crying and laughing through the end.
The death at the beginning was a bit of a shock and the last chapter from the boys perspective broke my heart but I thought that- and the final page of records- was a beautiful conclusion. My one complaint is that it was very annoying that the child was only ever referred to as "The Boy". I really hate the use of epithets, to begin with, but I found it completely unbelievable that his own parents would never refer to him by his name. Other than that small annoyance, this was a heartfelt story that had me crying and laughing through the end.
