Reread August 2021. My original review can be seen on another edition of this book.
Lazlo Strange is an orphan who has always been obsessed with the loReread August 2021. My original review can be seen on another edition of this book.
Lazlo Strange is an orphan who has always been obsessed with the lost city of Weep. Two hundred years ago, all contact to and from it disappeared and it has been lost ever since. Fifteen years ago, when he was five, its true name disappeared along with it, leaving only "Weep" in its stead. Now a librarian, he has curated all the knowledge he could possibly gather on the subject, although he is teased for chasing fairy tales. After a two hundred year silence, a convoy from Weep finally appears seeking those to solve a mysterious problem - and Lazlo is determined to join them.
I love these books. I love Laini Taylor's writing endlessly. Her style is steeped in longing and makes the reader feel so viscerally for those in the story. Lazlo and Sarai are such wonderful characters and their wanting for one another is so real. Laini Taylor may be accused of instalove in her books, but she is definitely the only author who can pull it off and make it make sense. She also highlights the importance of and desire behind touch in both her series. The use of dramatic irony makes the ending even more heart-wrenching. The main villain is one of the most sympathetic I have ever read - her chapters are haunting. I wasn't a fan of it for my first read, but this time I really appreciated the floating narration. Basically, this is written in third person limited, but it will switch who the narration is limited to without anything more than paragraph breaks. It's an accomplishment to be able to pull that off. The way Taylor's books make me feel will never leave me. Very glad I gave this a reread and can't wait to discuss it with the others.
Original review:
4.5 stars I can never stress enough how beautiful Laini Taylor's writing style is. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, her previous series, is my favourite trilogy of all time. The world in this book is so unique that I was shocked when I heard that it was only going to be a dualogy. I took off points, however, because it was like a good movie or comic in that not a lot happened, which was only apparent after finishing. I also feel like there could have been better characterization of the non-mcs, because I only care for a select few of them. Despite that, I thought the magic, lore, new words, and atmosphere were perfect....more
So im totally cheating so i can get my reading goal but tbh ill probably just read the no fear for the rest of it. im over halfway done tho so who carSo im totally cheating so i can get my reading goal but tbh ill probably just read the no fear for the rest of it. im over halfway done tho so who cares...more
Read this for our Odyssey of the Mind problem. Short enough to be read in a day, thank God! Surprisingly the same as the Disney movie, which makes it Read this for our Odyssey of the Mind problem. Short enough to be read in a day, thank God! Surprisingly the same as the Disney movie, which makes it easy on me....more
RTC for 2024 Reread. Not touching that star rating at the moment but may later!
Original 2017 review: reasons i loved it: - always love hearing johns voRTC for 2024 Reread. Not touching that star rating at the moment but may later!
Original 2017 review: reasons i loved it: - always love hearing johns voice, hes such a big figure in my life and consistently shapes my worldview - i could feel the truth of johns condition in aza - genuine moments when i had to sit back and think about what i just read - that one time i cried over finding out billions of my exes bacteria are inside of me forever - more shakespeare to quote - also the dads phone
reasons i was meh about it - johns books are always about an idea more than a plot, and this one more than usual. sometimes this is a good thing but sometimes it drags - sometimes i felt very separate from the story like oil on water but maybe that was just me - school got in the way
loved it as always, john. keep being my favorite person...more
Read this for AP3. Mightve liked it more if the teacher actually taught it, but for now I'm not a huge fan.Read this for AP3. Mightve liked it more if the teacher actually taught it, but for now I'm not a huge fan....more
hell yes. everything but the romance was perfect. plus i read it in two sittings so theres that. i didnt but some of the jack stuff but i like4.5 stars
hell yes. everything but the romance was perfect. plus i read it in two sittings so theres that. i didnt but some of the jack stuff but i like the moral ambiguity of it all. alexs character is unforgettable. mcginnis found a way to make her feel very real without john-green-mysterious-girl syndrome. overall, very engrossing with a good message....more
Some parts of this were overwhelming but when I got into the right mood it was just the best. I literally read half of this in a single sitting. Neil Some parts of this were overwhelming but when I got into the right mood it was just the best. I literally read half of this in a single sitting. Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of my favorite people, especially because I want to be a physicist. I learned a lot, and this has encouraged me to read more books on the subject, which I've been afraid of doing....more
This is the only book I've ever bought solely for the cover. I still really love this cover. I knew when I bought it that I wouldn't like it much, butThis is the only book I've ever bought solely for the cover. I still really love this cover. I knew when I bought it that I wouldn't like it much, but hey, it was pretty! So when one of the Booktubeathon challenges was to read a book that you bought bc of the cover, I knew what I needed to do. Pretty much, this wasn't good. It just didnt make a whole lot of sense? People's personalities changed based on the new burdens bc they were already flat, and then someone literally said that they learned from this that they weren't "defined by their burdens". The voice was very Mary Sue and sometimes unnatural, which was terrible just coming off of the surprisingly brilliant one of I'll Give You The Sun. Romances were rushed or forced. The first chapter (which spoils the whole book) took away the suspense. The end got very preachy and tell-not-show-y. Also, their whole week was pretty boring except for the last hour or so. How did their experiences really shape anything?? Frustrating. Idk, at least I wasn't expecting much. Thats not to mention the whole Native American ritual thing? Like... I'm no expert, but this all seems very wrong. Other people have summed it up better, so I won’t go on. That was very problematic.
Booktubeathon 2017 side note: so this year, BTAT coincided not only with my sisters birthday, but a trip to Busch Gardens, and my first week of work. So, really, even if I only finish the three books I have so far (this, Six of Crows, I'll Give You The Sun), I will be perfectly happy....more
I haven't read anything like Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle. Nothing compares to its misty atmosphere and dreamlike prose. This series is a greatI haven't read anything like Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle. Nothing compares to its misty atmosphere and dreamlike prose. This series is a great read for these rainy days. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I felt like not much was added to the series because of the events, unlike the last two installments. It mainly felt like resolution to The Dream Thieves and set up to The Raven King. I have a feeling that I won't get around to The Raven King anytime soon, but I'm still eagerly awaiting it....more
i think that i forgot how much i hate ya romance. like its the actual worst. i just thought that, you know, traditions and coding would be in the forei think that i forgot how much i hate ya romance. like its the actual worst. i just thought that, you know, traditions and coding would be in the foreground. nope. the only surprising thing about this story was how much i disliked it. everything was predictable from start to finish. godddddddddd why did i have to wait two months for such a letdownnnn...more
Rating: 3.5 I loved the prose of this book, but sometimes it got in the way and it also took me a long time to read. yikes i never have time to readdddRating: 3.5 I loved the prose of this book, but sometimes it got in the way and it also took me a long time to read. yikes i never have time to readdddddd...more
3.75??? Something like that When a reviewer gives a synopsis of a book one plans to read, one does not always see the same picture that the author pai3.75??? Something like that When a reviewer gives a synopsis of a book one plans to read, one does not always see the same picture that the author painted. This can have spectacular or disastrous effects on the reading experience. However, my experience with Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven was neither of these. The story I had thought of was only different than that of the one in front of me. I had thought that this was going to be about the importance of the arts, using it as a light in the dark, keeping history alive, etc. For those going into this book, I would like to say that that is not exactly what Mandel wrote. This story was more about the undoing of humanity around the lives of few, and more specifically, one. I really appreciated all that was being said in the story. The way Mandel swept through the years was great, and in the case of the destruction of life as we know it, the ancient meaning of the word. However, if I were to critique it, I would have liked to get to know a few characters better, namely Kirsten. I enjoyed this read, though it wasn't exactly the best fit for me. I know many will love it, though! ...more
I actually wrote notes for the majority if this book before just marathoning the last 125 pages or so. I honestly can't describe the things Homegoing I actually wrote notes for the majority if this book before just marathoning the last 125 pages or so. I honestly can't describe the things Homegoing made me feel. This is an essential novel....more
ive had a hard time getting books to suck me in, but this one succeeded. i love all the characters and their messy lives. the message thomas gives is ive had a hard time getting books to suck me in, but this one succeeded. i love all the characters and their messy lives. the message thomas gives is inspiring....more
I started reading this for my English II class, but because of bad weather and cancellations, we never finished it. I, however, was 15 pages from the I started reading this for my English II class, but because of bad weather and cancellations, we never finished it. I, however, was 15 pages from the end when the teacher threw in the towel, so I finished it.
This is one of the most quote-unquote "real" Holocaust accounts I've ever stumbled upon. There was no sugar coating. There was just brutal honesty. And that broke my heart. There's no way to give a rating to this kind of book.
Since its only 119 pages (in my edition), I highly recommend it. It is important to educate ourselves about the Holocaust, especially because the last survivor will die in our lifetimes....more
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