4.5 stars. There’s a few things holding me back from giving this full marks.
First, the negative. This book really likes to hammer home the sexism (and4.5 stars. There’s a few things holding me back from giving this full marks.
First, the negative. This book really likes to hammer home the sexism (and atheism). I prefer my themes to be more subtle, so this didn’t quite work so well for me. There were some aspects of the plot I wasn’t a huge fan of (e.g. the dog perspective didn’t really do much for me), but it wasn’t anything major.
Now the good. It was very easy to read! Love that. It was funny, in a heart wrenching way.
This book reminded me a lot of the tone and style of “A Man Called Ove”. If you ever wanted a feminine slant to Fredrik Backman’s writing, then I think Lessons in Chemistry is the perfect book for you. I really enjoyed the inter-connectedness of the characters and how the plot unfolded through various perspectives. I even teared up at the end. I think this would make a great movie!...more
I just loved this so much. The way it had me laughing my head off one moment and the next tearing up — just so, so good. Rarely do I find a comic thatI just loved this so much. The way it had me laughing my head off one moment and the next tearing up — just so, so good. Rarely do I find a comic that is equal parts amazing to me in art AND story. Lore Olympus absolutely fits that bill.
This book reminded me a lot of the board game Betrayal at House on the Hill, and it made just about as much sense. Meaning, none.
It also reminded me This book reminded me a lot of the board game Betrayal at House on the Hill, and it made just about as much sense. Meaning, none.
It also reminded me of We Were Liars, but with much worse writing, which I didn't know was possible but here we are. Seriously, the writing was painful. I think some version of the word "lies" appeared about 1000 times. Also there was way more telling than showing. It was exhausting.
Final complaint: it was impossible to tell any of the characters apart, and I didn't care for a single one of them. Why I have to keep picking up books with entitled upper class white characters who bitch and moan constantly is a mystery to me....more
I'm bumping up my rating because of the representation and the fact that this book brings up important topics for discussion.
With that being 2.5 stars
I'm bumping up my rating because of the representation and the fact that this book brings up important topics for discussion.
With that being said, overall I just did not enjoy reading this book. I did not know going into this that it would focus so heavily on the teenage romantic relationships. I don't feel like either the cover or blurb indicate that this will be the case. And the romances were so... blah.
What I was lead to believe would be a book about sisters actually barely had the sisters interacting at all, except to fight. It annoyed me an infinite number of times how these characters would not communicate their thoughts or feelings. Lack of communication was a huge problem in the story. The pacing also felt very off. I think there was too much or too little time spent on different aspects of the plot and that really lowered my enjoyment.
I wasn't a fan of how this ended and how it left so many things open-ended. Obviously everything shouldn't be tied up with a neat little bow, but I still would have liked some more closure for certain things.
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't quite on par with the Bayview books, but it was a fun reading experience. I liked the characters and the mysteryI really enjoyed this book. It wasn't quite on par with the Bayview books, but it was a fun reading experience. I liked the characters and the mystery, although it is a tad forgettable. I did like the nods in here to some of McManus's other books. I always find it fun when an author ties their work together, making it so they all take place in the same universe....more
3.5 stars This is a hard one to rate/review. It took me a while to get into. Once I did get into it I flew through it, but I still was never super conn3.5 stars This is a hard one to rate/review. It took me a while to get into. Once I did get into it I flew through it, but I still was never super connected, you know? The world building was interesting but I do think there was too much going on, and so we couldn’t go as in depth into the characters or the main magic system as I would have liked. The ending felt really rushed as well. I personally think this could have been stretched into a duology and it would have been better for it. ...more
Let me just sum it up with what I didn’t like: -poor neurodivergent representation -lack of setting, either time or place. authors PLEASE STOP doing thLet me just sum it up with what I didn’t like: -poor neurodivergent representation -lack of setting, either time or place. authors PLEASE STOP doing this -Molly was terribly naive and, sorry to say it, annoying. -very black and white characters. no gray, no nuance. -this was not a mystery book. this was a slice of life story with a murder happening in the background. -the “twists” in this book sucked and made no sense given the narrator and buildup....more
This book was the most blah, typical thriller. "If you've read one you've read a million" type deal. It followed all the familiar tropes andNo thanks.
This book was the most blah, typical thriller. "If you've read one you've read a million" type deal. It followed all the familiar tropes and plot. The narrator got on my nerves the entire book. She made the most stupid, impulsive decisions constantly. She was suspicious of every man, yet she surrounded herself with men and appeared to not have a single female friend. I don't know how she managed to be a psychologist/therapist when she couldn't even rely on her own mental state. It took me forever to read this short book because I just didn't care.
And I'm sorry but the writing was just so poor. Too many similes, constant jumping around in the narrator's head between memories of the past and the present action, too much repetition! I swear the narrator stated the same things multiple times in slightly different ways constantly. The book could have been at least 50 pages shorter - and I still probably would have had a difficult time finishing it. Too many things in this book just didn't make any sense.
McGinnis did not disappoint. I loved this duology, and the ending was pretty perfect. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, I think mostly becMcGinnis did not disappoint. I loved this duology, and the ending was pretty perfect. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, I think mostly because the Cask of Amontillado is my fave Poe story, and this book was more The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher. Still, this was such a fun story and all the nods to Poe just made my inner teenage goth heart so happy! ...more
In a shocking turn of events.... I ended up really liking this book!
I had seen all the criticisms before I started it, and I definitely agreed with thIn a shocking turn of events.... I ended up really liking this book!
I had seen all the criticisms before I started it, and I definitely agreed with them during the first half of the book. It does read very YA at that point, and there's a lot of repetition across the multiple POV's and it's pretty boring, honestly. Also the characters were either uninteresting or downright annoying. I was fully prepared to give it 3 stars, max.
BUT at around the halfway point things really started to pick up: the repetition went away, the characters and their relationships got a hell of a lot more interesting, and the story started to feel darker and leaned more towards the adult side.
I credit a lot of my increased enjoyment of the book to the introduction of Julian as a POV character. He's the only one who isn't a noble/heir, and honestly it was just such a breath of fresh air reading from his view of things. He's a sweet cinnamon roll who loves his mom but is also a badass with a really cool power and yeah, I just love Julian okay?! And I absolutely ship Julian/Taesia like wow. They have this one particular scene together that was *fans self* levels of hot... I had to listen to it/read it twice to fully appreciate it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
ANYWAY I digress. So while the second half of this book was definitely 5-star level material, I can't discount the 3-star level beginning, hence the 4 star overall rating. There were things in the plot I predicted, but there was enough that I didn't see coming and enough intrigue to keep my interest at the end. Needless to say, I *will* be continuing this series and I'm actually really excited for the sequel... honestly I'm shook.
(side note: I want to put my two cents in on the YA vs. Adult debate. I wouldn't call this book YA necessarily, but it does feel a lot more like New Adult, or a bridge book to Adult, at most. I could definitely see older teens enjoying this, and also those in their 20's or even older. I just feel like it's better to know that going into the book so that your expectations are set appropriately.)...more
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