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tshrum's reviews
23 reviews
1984 by George Orwell
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really enjoyed this book. Classic that I’d heard about for years. Fairly short at just under 230 pages, it was a read that I was able to go through at a good pace. I found the world that Orwell created to be very intriguing, enjoying Winston’s descriptions and observations along the way. The book definitely went in a direction that I didn’t expect for the third act. The only part of this book I didn’t enjoy was when Orwell laid out a big chunk of Goldstein’s writings for the reader to follow along as Winston was reading them. It dragged on for around 30 pages, and I felt that to be a bit much.
Other than that, this was a terrific book, that still remains relevant in today’s world with the ever developing technology and it’s encroachment (wether it’s for better or worse, you decide) on our personal and private lives.
Other than that, this was a terrific book, that still remains relevant in today’s world with the ever developing technology and it’s encroachment (wether it’s for better or worse, you decide) on our personal and private lives.
Elevation by Stephen King
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Super quick read. Nice story.
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
adventurous
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
4.25
I’d been hearing about this book for a while, so when Broken Binding put out a special edition, I knew it was my chance to grab a copy.
Seeing this series all over tik tok/book social media, I knew going in that this series was quite the epic. I had also heard that the first book wasn’t the best, but that the series picked up after it. Just want to start the review by saying I did NOT find this to be the case.
It was clear that Ruocchio had a stage to set and he wasted no time in dropping the lore of the universe and letting the reader in on all sorts of political happenings and past events. This was the only real drawback of the book for me, there were times when I felt that it really felt overwhelming to learn and hear some of these names early. I think it’s second nature of a reader to try and commit place names and everything you learn to memory. In this book, I think it was important to try and just read and focus on the big picture, which was Hadrian and his desire to escape the life that he was living with his family.
For me, the book really took off once Hadrian left his home and joined Dimitri and those involved with his escape plan. His life really goes sideways from here, and he’s quickly humbled by the poverty that he loves through. The relationships he forms here, with the street urchin Cat, and his fellow Myrimidons once he joins the Coloss, really build Hadrian up as a character.
I really enjoyed things once Hadrian’s identity was revealed and he became the “tutor” of the count. Hadrian plotting to escape, while juggling his relationships of people around him, plus dealing with the Cielcin, was a lot of fun to read.
Excited for the next instalment! I hear it it only gets better, so I have high hopes
Seeing this series all over tik tok/book social media, I knew going in that this series was quite the epic. I had also heard that the first book wasn’t the best, but that the series picked up after it. Just want to start the review by saying I did NOT find this to be the case.
It was clear that Ruocchio had a stage to set and he wasted no time in dropping the lore of the universe and letting the reader in on all sorts of political happenings and past events. This was the only real drawback of the book for me, there were times when I felt that it really felt overwhelming to learn and hear some of these names early. I think it’s second nature of a reader to try and commit place names and everything you learn to memory. In this book, I think it was important to try and just read and focus on the big picture, which was Hadrian and his desire to escape the life that he was living with his family.
For me, the book really took off once Hadrian left his home and joined Dimitri and those involved with his escape plan. His life really goes sideways from here, and he’s quickly humbled by the poverty that he loves through. The relationships he forms here, with the street urchin Cat, and his fellow Myrimidons once he joins the Coloss, really build Hadrian up as a character.
I really enjoyed things once Hadrian’s identity was revealed and he became the “tutor” of the count. Hadrian plotting to escape, while juggling his relationships of people around him, plus dealing with the Cielcin, was a lot of fun to read.
Excited for the next instalment! I hear it it only gets better, so I have high hopes