I struggled connecting with this dystopian novella. At first I felt mostly confused, and it failed to emotionally engage me. The writing didn't particI struggled connecting with this dystopian novella. At first I felt mostly confused, and it failed to emotionally engage me. The writing didn't particularly work for me either, although I did end up getting into the flow of the prose by the end. Overall, too many unanswered questions, and the ones that were answered didn't feel satisfying. I'm left wondering, what's the point of the story?...more
I almost didn't finish The Marriage Act, but the book does offer an incredibly compelling plot, and I decided to stick with it. Unfortunately, it is lI almost didn't finish The Marriage Act, but the book does offer an incredibly compelling plot, and I decided to stick with it. Unfortunately, it is let down by its wooden writing and shallow characters. At one point I wondered if an AI had written some of these chapters.
Considering how important AI is to the plot, I was genuinely pondering if Marrs was imitating an AI's voice on purpose. Maybe? Either way, it made for a terrible reading experience.
I also hated every single character, so that didn't really help (and in the beginning I kept mixing them up.)
The worldbuilding is wholly unbelievable, but as a thought experiment it works. I love Black Mirror, and I love dystopias set five minutes into the future, so this should have been right up my alley. Alas......more
This is a case of a book with an amazing premise, an intriguing beginning, that proceeds to fall apart somewhere in the middle. At least for me.
It stThis is a case of a book with an amazing premise, an intriguing beginning, that proceeds to fall apart somewhere in the middle. At least for me.
It starts with a dystopian society in which women aren't allowed to utter more than a hundred words a day for fear of electrocution thanks to a little counter attached to their wrists. Like a step tracker, only it tracks words and doesn't reward you for reaching a certain number.
But then it dissolves into a thriller and one that I didn't find particularly exciting, and the ending is a bit messy, too quick and too convenient.
It's not a bad book and presents some interesting ideas regarding women's rights and how fragile they are, and how dangerous extreme views can become to civil rights.
The writing feels almost scientific, which isn't a surprise considering the author is a linguist. It's a quick read, quite fast-paced, and plenty of people do seem to like it. This book simply wasn't one for me....more
This is an interesting dystopian concept, but I found the execution somewhat lacking. Overall, a quick read, but nothing we haven’t seen before and doThis is an interesting dystopian concept, but I found the execution somewhat lacking. Overall, a quick read, but nothing we haven’t seen before and doesn’t really offer any new thoughts on the subject. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining read. ...more
I came back to read my review of Dust, curious why I'd only given it 3 stars, and - to my annoyance - this is apparently the only book I haven't revieI came back to read my review of Dust, curious why I'd only given it 3 stars, and - to my annoyance - this is apparently the only book I haven't reviewed in the last decade. Now, I might have to re-read it to find out what bothered me......more
Let me start this review by saying, I loved Oryx and Crake. I know you can sense the big but coming... I almost didn't finish this one. The only reasoLet me start this review by saying, I loved Oryx and Crake. I know you can sense the big but coming... I almost didn't finish this one. The only reason I did finish was because I read it with a book club and the discussion was coming up. I couldn't tell the group, I'd given up, could I? Funnily enough two members of the book club actually didn't finish and the rest didn't particularly like it either and struggled just as much as I did.
Margaret Atwood built a great world in Oryx and Crake and here she wasted it. I couldn't connect with either Toby nor Ren. In fact I kept confusing the two. There is no tension, no goal, no stakes. I was simultaneously bored and lost. It was a chore to read. Unlike Oryx and Crake which I read in almost one sitting, that's how engaging and gripping it was.
The novel does pick up towards the end but it's too late. The language is pretty, Atwood definitely knows how to write and there's a few nice quotes and observations about the state the world is in. But that alone does not make a good book....more
Sadly, I feel rather meh about this one. It has a great premise. I was very excited to dive into the social media dystopia, especially now that we losSadly, I feel rather meh about this one. It has a great premise. I was very excited to dive into the social media dystopia, especially now that we lose more and more of our privacy. Don't worry, it's not all bad. The Circle is a quick and entertaining read and I read it in almost one sitting. It definitely managed to keep my interest and attention.
Dave Eggers is a skilled writer. The pacing is good, the prose very readable and despite all the flaws, I enjoyed myself. I like the idea of a social media company that links our real names, to everything else and just how far it could go. Definitely a great thought experiment and one that is very current.
But the main character... and not just the main one. They are all two-dimensional cardboard cutouts. Almost caricatures. I couldn't get myself to care about any of them. Quite the opposite, in fact. I was so annoyed with most of them, that I was hoping they'd jump off a cliff somewhere in the middle of the book.
Mae is shallow, gullible and easily influenced. I'd even go as far as to call her stupid. The only thing she cares about is being liked. It made me want to bang my head against a wall. Grow a backbone. Stand up for yourself!
Besides the unlikable and boring characters, Dave Eggers doesn't really offer anything new to the conversation. This kind of book has been written before and will be written again. Hopefully better....more
Shatter Me is light entertainment and offers a quick and easy read.
The writing is a bit too flowery (and filled with unnecessary similes and metaphorsShatter Me is light entertainment and offers a quick and easy read.
The writing is a bit too flowery (and filled with unnecessary similes and metaphors), but I didn't mind the stream of consciousness throughout the book.
There's not much of a story to be found in this one though, and unfortunately most of it is dull. It's the same old dystopia (so far there's almost no world building and whatever we get to see isn't very believable) and the same old romance, with the same old triangle.
The main character has unexplained powers, that (again unexplained) don't affect her love interest.
She's just as flat and annoying as other YA heroines, though I did not dislike her.
The ending is wide open and the book doesn't stand on its own. Shatter Me isn't a disaster, but it's far from being good....more
The idea is quite clever and the premise is interesting. However I wasn't enamored with the execution. The writing is a bit clunky and the ending too The idea is quite clever and the premise is interesting. However I wasn't enamored with the execution. The writing is a bit clunky and the ending too abrupt.
It's a quick read though and a lot happens in those pages. I particularly enjoyed the vivid description of futuristic (and very realistic) video games. The book is filled with thoughtful philosophical concepts and a dose of healthy satire. Despite that it never comes across as pretentious and I can definitely see parts of the future Mike Brooks paints already happening.
I thought the ending is too abrupt and leaves too many questions unanswered, so hopefully there will be a second installment with a satisfactory resolution....more
I received this ARC from Netgalley and I must admit I requested it because I thought the premise sounded interesting.
A toxic river splits the genders.I received this ARC from Netgalley and I must admit I requested it because I thought the premise sounded interesting.
A toxic river splits the genders. On one side we have the country of Matrus and on the other side the country of Patrus. In Patrus women have no rights and basically belong to their husbands, however in Matrus women are the ruling class. They loathe violence and aim to be peaceful, but then they go as far as testing young boys for traits such as aggression and send them off to work in mines as slaves? Wow, very peaceful and advanced? I have a lot of questions and not many are answered in this book. How did this split between genders happen? Do these women really think keeping boys as slaves makes them better than the men on the other side of the river who own their women? Are any of these people okay? Where do trans people stand?
Back to the premise. Relations between the two societies aren't all that great. Violet, the protagonist, gets herself into trouble... uhm, how does one person manage to kill two (2!) people by perforating their throats purely by accident? These sorts of accidents never happen to me. Violet is offered a pardon from her crimes on the condition that she serves as an undercover agent to retrieve something Patrus has stolen from Matrus.
And Violet has no choice if she ever wants to see her brother again...
The title has clearly been chosen to remind readers of other books, because so far I haven't really seen a 'game'.
Sadly, the plot is thin. The ending is rushed. There are a lot of loose ends and no real resolution to any of the questions the reader and Violet have. There's not enough romance to consider it a romance and not enough dystopia to consider it dystopian either. A love triangle is set up, sort of (of course, what else?) and overall it feels much more like the first part of a book than the first book in a trilogy (of course it's a trilogy, sigh.)
But there was also a lot I liked. I picked this up because I thought it would be a short and entertaining read, which it was. I was looking for suspense and action, which I got. And I must say I couldn't put it down and just had to find out how it ends.
I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Margaret Atwood is a gifted writer; I enjoy diving into her worlds and words. The protagonist, Jimmy, who calls himself Snowman, finds himself as one Margaret Atwood is a gifted writer; I enjoy diving into her worlds and words. The protagonist, Jimmy, who calls himself Snowman, finds himself as one of the last human beings after an apocalyptic event. He spends his time with the Children of Crake. The reader slowly learns throughout the book who Crake (and Oryx) is and what part Jimmy played in all of it. Oryx and Crake is going back and forth between present tense and past tense, slowly unveiling how this world Atwood paints came to be. It's not a pretty world, but it's well detailed and described and it's so close to our own that it results in a chilling and thought provoking read. ...more
I think this book would have had a much bigger impact if I hadn’t watched the film first. The dynamic between the characters was very interesting and I think this book would have had a much bigger impact if I hadn’t watched the film first. The dynamic between the characters was very interesting and Ishiguro has a lot of insight into human nature. I enjoyed the prose and thought the book well written but the plot lacking.
Never Let Me Go has a fascinating premise but Ishiguro doesn’t explore the world, consequences and ethics enough (or at all) instead he focuses on a simple plot that didn’t pull me in.
However, I do think I would have enjoyed it more going in blind. ...more
I've loved the first two books. The story was intriguing and the characters compelling. But the third book utterly disappointed me. No answers. Deus eI've loved the first two books. The story was intriguing and the characters compelling. But the third book utterly disappointed me. No answers. Deus ex machina. Characters acting in ways that make no sense. It just reads like the author didn't know what to do with the story, didn't know how to end it and didn't know what backstory to provide. So, he provided this.... and it's a mess....more
This book isn't really finished, that's the only beef I have with it. It just stops right in the middle without answering a single question. OtherwiseThis book isn't really finished, that's the only beef I have with it. It just stops right in the middle without answering a single question. Otherwise it was tense, fast paced and entertaining. Probably not the best written book in the world, but that's not what I'm looking for when I pick up dystopian YA. I care about the characters and what happens to them and can't wait to pick up the next book....more
I'm feeling slightly ambivalent about this book. I liked it, but it was a weaker ending than expected. There were a few problems with the book. Other I'm feeling slightly ambivalent about this book. I liked it, but it was a weaker ending than expected. There were a few problems with the book. Other people pointed out that some decisions that were made didn't make sense upon further evaluation. Plus parts of the story were drawn out. Especially when Cia was trying to decide who to trust, it sometimes was page upon page of her thinking a problem through with no action. I like how Cia admits that she can't do it alone and that she has weaknesses and relies on other people. Just like the first two it's a fast paced read and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. ...more
This is a solid second book in the trilogy. As usual it's mostly a set up for the third book and it does not works on its own. It answers a lot of queThis is a solid second book in the trilogy. As usual it's mostly a set up for the third book and it does not works on its own. It answers a lot of questions and raises new ones. No, there is not much of a plot going on in this 2nd instalment and I would only recommend to pick it up if you have the third one ready. But it raises thought-provoking and powerful questions this book with an ease. The stakes are raised immediately and I was engaged from the very beginning until the end. Cia is starting to be a bit too clever in this one, but she's far from being a Mary Sue. She offers a lot of empathy and trust and kindness, something I appreciate reading about. ...more
I've honestly thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't too much like other dystopian novels, neither did it remind me too much of the Hunger Games (eveI've honestly thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't too much like other dystopian novels, neither did it remind me too much of the Hunger Games (even though many people are saying they're too similar, but I think The Testing has a different context and is very different in its approach) nor of any other series. The writing was fast paced, tense and crisp. The main character thoroughly likeable. Cia, the main character, is intelligent, clever and has generally a lot going for her but it doesn't come across as too much. The love story is there but not overwhelming. Sadly enough there's a triangle looming, and I hope I'm wrong about that, because I really started to dislike the love triangles in many YA books. ...more
Everything in the last book was "bubbly" now in this book everything is "icy". Disappointing ending to a disappointing series. It was a fast read and Everything in the last book was "bubbly" now in this book everything is "icy". Disappointing ending to a disappointing series. It was a fast read and I did enjoy myself but after the excellent first book the sequels were not as good. Tally becomes quite unlikeable, which makes me sad, since I was so excited to finally find a YA heroine that I did not want to punch. Scott Westerfeld's prose and dialogue is still thrilling and the pace is fast. Another thing that bugged me was the whole "cutting" aspect. They used to cut to make themselves feel "icy" and they called themselves "Cutters". The author, however, fails to discuss the dangers of cutting. At least it tied up all the loose ends. ...more
It's rare that I'm utterly disappointed in a book but so many people have told me to read this one and I really love dystopian settings and I admire MIt's rare that I'm utterly disappointed in a book but so many people have told me to read this one and I really love dystopian settings and I admire M. Atwood, my expectations were probably simply too high. I wasn't enamoured by the writing style choices like dropping quotation marks. For the first half of the book she seems to dangle the plot in front of you without really telling you what it is about. What happened? How did the world change? Why? We know the main character has lived both in the world we know and in the future dystopian world. I knew from nearly any description or summary of this book that in this new, changed world women exist to breed children and have (nearly) no other rights. But that plot point doesn't get revealed until halfway through the story. It was intriguing, I kept reading, I was curious to find out more but the author never delivers. ...more
This book has everything I like about dystopian YA, a mystery, an interesting main character, fast pacing and a clever premise. The made up slang was This book has everything I like about dystopian YA, a mystery, an interesting main character, fast pacing and a clever premise. The made up slang was somewhat grating, but wasn't a big problem for me. I didn't get emotionally attached to the characters, wasn't scared for them, but still I couldn't set this book down and read it in two days. I wanted to solve the mystery. The story actually had me guessing and that's something I really appreciate. Now onto the sequel. ...more
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