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treehuggeranonymous's reviews
571 reviews
Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson
3.0
I really enjoyed this book when I started, but the second half of the book just starts getting away from itself. I found the conclusion really dissatisfying, but I think that's how your supposed to feel. It just felt to me like things were left unfinished.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
4.0
Actually this is quite good, I think to myself in the early hours of the morning.
The story is gripping that weaves together religion, folk lore, and the occult. The antagonist is spooky as hell - chilling nursery rhymes are good for that. And it's well researched. The cast of characters are diverse and a representation of the melting pot if New York in the early 19th century.
On the negatives: Evie is incredibly annoying. Like if all flappers talk like Evie (with her 'not in your life-skies') I could understand people hating flappers. She's hard-nosed and independent, but she's also incredibly vapid. And that combination is a little painful. But she grows on you and develops as the book progresses. So I guess, just stick with her and it'll pay off.
The one thing that I definitely could not stand is the YA pre-requisite love triangle set-up. Partly because I dislike the side it's leaning towards, but also my general disdain for love triangles. I could have done without the romance element to this novel, but that's probably just me.
The story is gripping that weaves together religion, folk lore, and the occult. The antagonist is spooky as hell - chilling nursery rhymes are good for that. And it's well researched. The cast of characters are diverse and a representation of the melting pot if New York in the early 19th century.
On the negatives: Evie is incredibly annoying. Like if all flappers talk like Evie (with her 'not in your life-skies') I could understand people hating flappers. She's hard-nosed and independent, but she's also incredibly vapid. And that combination is a little painful. But she grows on you and develops as the book progresses. So I guess, just stick with her and it'll pay off.
The one thing that I definitely could not stand is the YA pre-requisite love triangle set-up. Partly because I dislike the side it's leaning towards, but also my general disdain for love triangles. I could have done without the romance element to this novel, but that's probably just me.
The Tsar of Love and Techno: Stories by Anthony Marra
5.0
Let me start by saying that I don't usually enjoy short stories so it's rare that a collection of stories would warrant five stars for me. This book I loved.
Once again the book comes with a fantastic title. The stories are diverse and interwoven. I like how the characters are built in layers from story to story, forcing you to reassess as a new perspective is introduced.
And I love that we got a cameo from Havaa and hospital #6 in the last chapter.
Once again the book comes with a fantastic title. The stories are diverse and interwoven. I like how the characters are built in layers from story to story, forcing you to reassess as a new perspective is introduced.
And I love that we got a cameo from Havaa and hospital #6 in the last chapter.
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
4.0
Evie takes a back seat in this novel to some far less annoying characters. I really love how diverse the characters are in this series.
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
2.0
There's something about this novel that just makes it feel very dated in a way that Sayer's contemporaries don't. The society is just so unfamiliar that it's a little unsettling. And I guess that might be because we are following along with a Lord and not just a common detective or neighbourhood busybody. I'm not sure I like Wimsey, but maybe I'm missing something from earlier books that makes him more likeable.
Not to say that it wasn't well written, though it did drag on for quite awhile before we even got to the dead body.
Not to say that it wasn't well written, though it did drag on for quite awhile before we even got to the dead body.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
5.0
If you are wanting a good and proper cry then this is the book for you. It's incredibly well written - just gorgeous from start to finish - and the concept is used really well without being silly. But if you're the kind of person who gets upset in the middle of a scary movie because the dog just died, then you are going to want to make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.
This book does not ease you into it. As the dust jacket says, the book starts on the eve of Enzo's death (I, unfortunately did not read all the way through the summary before embarking on this book). And the pretty much wrecked me from about the third or fourth paragraph. And the fact that I kept reading and was able to finish this book is a testament to how good this book is.
This book does not ease you into it. As the dust jacket says, the book starts on the eve of Enzo's death (I, unfortunately did not read all the way through the summary before embarking on this book). And the pretty much wrecked me from about the third or fourth paragraph. And the fact that I kept reading and was able to finish this book is a testament to how good this book is.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
4.0
I wasn't sure if I would like this. A really easy read and not too melodramatic for a high school novel.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
5.0
I was kind of reluctant to read this as I found 'I Crawl Through It' kinda meh, but I loved 'Please Ignore Vera Dietz'. I liked Vera's voice and she was a character I could relate to. The story was easy to follow even with the shifts between past and present and the occasional interjections from the pagoda and dead boy. The fantasy elements were finely balanced in this novel, adding to the narrative without overpowering it.
Brutal by Michael Harmon
4.0
Poe has so many Mary-Sue-ish traits that I should hate her and I shouldn't stay up all night reading a book about her. I mean she's a punk with the voice of an angel, someone who could be in the popular crowd if she wants to but choses not to, is practically a mouthpiece for counter culture, and she has a non-traditional first name. I'm pretty sure if you ran her through a Mary-Sue litmus test she'd score fairly high.
That said i really liked this book and I liked Poe. And her actions have consequences and things work against her in a way that kinda takes away from those Mary-Sue qualities. The book is engaging and it drew me in really quickly. I think it raises some important issues around bullying and violence and the role of institutions and it's a book that will make people think about their own role.
That said i really liked this book and I liked Poe. And her actions have consequences and things work against her in a way that kinda takes away from those Mary-Sue qualities. The book is engaging and it drew me in really quickly. I think it raises some important issues around bullying and violence and the role of institutions and it's a book that will make people think about their own role.