Y'ALL THE POPPY WAR WAS WILD. this is the chinese-inspired historical fantasy of my DREAMS. the world!! the characters!! the magic!!! it's SO M4.5/5 —
Y'ALL THE POPPY WAR WAS WILD. this is the chinese-inspired historical fantasy of my DREAMS. the world!! the characters!! the magic!!! it's SO MUCH. but also because of that, it can feel a bit toooo much at times.
i listened to the audiobook and it was fantastic. but maybe because of that, i had some trouble understanding history/remembering names. (also might've been bc i listen at 1.8x speed. opps.) but towards the end, i love how some references made in the beginning of the story come full circle. it was only at first when i was fairly confused, and i feel it would be much more enjoyable to reread.
aside from that, the historical references and writing were FANTASTIC. i can't believe rebecca kuang created this master piece and she's only a year older than me (21!) i cry. i loved how it all came together at the end.
the characters were so complex – especially our MC, rin. she goes through so much trauma and change i scream for her. although at times it does feel reaaaaally intense, i enjoyed it nonetheless. the romance(?) is weird though. i wasn't a huge fan of rin's fascination with alton, as it felt unauthentic and instalove-y. it felt like she was obsessed with him in a fangirl way and, i dunno, it made me feel weird. although in all honesty, the "romance" is non-existent and there's pretty much no romance in the book, which i rather liked.
IDK HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS. at one point, i wanted to rate it two stars and another i wanted to rate it five, if that gives you a sense of what i meanIDK HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS. at one point, i wanted to rate it two stars and another i wanted to rate it five, if that gives you a sense of what i mean. but anyway, a few things:
(1) it took me, like, 200 pages to really get into it. but the weird thing is, i couldn't put it down. the story felt slow, but i didn't want to stop. WEIRD. about 75% in, it got REALLY GOOD and i was excited for all! the! things!! however, it also felt like a lot of the beginning didn't contribute to the main plot -- almost like they were just things that occurred but didn't help the Big Thing. BUT, it helped set up the setting and relationships. (but, really? does it take 200 pages to do that??)
(2) i... couldn't relate with the characters. buuuuuut i don't think they're MEANT to be relatable. our protagonist is extremely ambitious and cruel. in many ways, she feels like an antagonist; it's a little unnerving, but also very interesting. there are also moments that made her seem immature, but there are also times she felt extremely mature. so, i can't get a read on her, but she's cool.
(3) the climax!! is so great!!! at this moment, it felt like things are finally tied together. there are twists, GASPS, and lots of deceit.
(4) the romance?? is REALLY weird??!? i don't even know if it's there??? but it kind of IS there? it takes up enough of the plot to make it seem like it's there, but there's NO CONCLUSION so i'm left like, I NEED MORE. but i don't even know if there even will be more because it's not a big part? but definitely there??? AKA I DON'T KNOW....more
GAH THIS BOOK WAS SO WONDERFUL. to sum it up in two words: superheroes and suspense!! i was a little hesitant because i wasn't quiiite sure what it's GAH THIS BOOK WAS SO WONDERFUL. to sum it up in two words: superheroes and suspense!! i was a little hesitant because i wasn't quiiite sure what it's about (and i was a bit disappointed by Heartless) but this was SO!! GREAT!!
full review to come~~ if i can figure out how to compile my thoughts properly.
I'M SO CONFUSED????? i really regret not rereading the Mara Dyer books before starting this because there were so many references i didn't get. *sigh*I'M SO CONFUSED????? i really regret not rereading the Mara Dyer books before starting this because there were so many references i didn't get. *sigh* even though this is supposed to be a companion series, i definitely wouldn't recommend if you didn't read the original series.
it wasn't that i didn't like this book, but i couldn't understand it. i love the Mara Dyer series for its mystery and intrigue but this was to the point where i was like, "what is going on??" as in: i genuinely didn't understand the plot because i couldn't see one. if you asked me to summarize this novel i wouldn't be able to. most of it was noah and mara having sex, then noah getting suspicious about mara and everything. it all seemed kinda murky – in an unpleasant way.
i just, i didn't know what was going on – in the entire book. :// and characters i originally loved in the Mara Dyer series felt out of touch. maybe it was because we're seeing things from noah's perspective (whom I LOVE, but not as much in this book UGH). there were people i originally remember being so!! wonderful!! and now they're just... duller. could be because i needed a memory refresher or because it was the "first book" of a new series. either way, i'm a little disappointed but still hopeful. i'll probably continue the series, but try not to get my hopes too high for the next novel....more
hi, this is a message or review from my grave. my thoughts are a complete mess but here's what i know for sure:
+ leigh bardugo seriously outdid herselhi, this is a message or review from my grave. my thoughts are a complete mess but here's what i know for sure:
+ leigh bardugo seriously outdid herself with this novel. i liked it 100x more than THE GRISHA TRILOGY, and that's saying a lot since i actually liked that trilogy. + i loved how there was a lot of suspense and intense oozing throughout the plot + it wasn't only focused on romance. but the romance was SO PAINFUL AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH + i fell in love with leigh's beautiful writing. i think she's grown so much as an author since the previous novel (there are so many amazing quotes) + the characters were so complex and dynamic and beautiful and I WEEP + the plot was so epic and had too many twists for my mind to comprehend. but thing is, the plot twists actually MADE SENSE. and i would slap myself for not seeing it coming. + my thoughts were in a constant state of all-caps and shock and confusion and denial for the second half of the book + in some (good) ways, it reminded me of MISTBORN: THE FINAL EMPIRE and THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS series (plot wise) + i could not stop myself from showing my facial expressions and reading this book in public was a struggle. + although it was "dark" (echm murder! heist! betrayals!!) there were lots of hilarious and lighthearted and cute parts + ALL THE FEELINGS
brb shoving this book in your face GO READ IT RIGHT NOW. (sorry this list is a MESS)
i had high expectations for this book, and they weren't quite met.. this book was filled with lots of plot twists and action, but the character8.8/10✩
i had high expectations for this book, and they weren't quite met.. this book was filled with lots of plot twists and action, but the characters weren't as likeable.
read my full review here! the first half is spoiler-free and the second half is a discussion for those who've already read it.
the retribution of mara is the third and final book of the mara dyer trilogy. i feel a bit uncomfortable summarizing these books because everything – the actual summary, the descriptions, the beginning – is very vague. there’s a dark, mysterious aura to the whole thing and i feel like summarizing it would destroy that. it’s better to enter this series knowing (nearly) nothing, except for the fact that it’s good (so good). all i can say is, it’s fairly creepy and borderlining horror. oh, and there’s a really attractive male character here. definitely fangirl worthy.
michelle hodkin is the queen of dialogue. the banter between the characters is the best. i look forward to pages that have nothing but dialogue; and luckily for me, there are tons. there’s no lighter way of saying this: her writing style is spot-on. i just *heart eye emoji*. one moment i’m laughing my head off, next i’m shivering from the creeps. there are so many contrasting elements – murder, love, supernatural powers, and science – that blend together perfectly, and it kinda blows my mind. reading the final book of the series, i fell in love with her sassy, and sometimes poetic, sentences all over again.
if you read unbecoming and evolution, but haven’t started this.. i suggest re-reading the first two before you start. i waited a year for the release of this book and forgot a lot. it’s not that i was lost, but there are a lot of references to both books. i missed all of them, obviously, but i re-read parts of unbecoming and evolution (after i finished retribution) and ohmygoODNESS there were so many references. so please, begin this book with a fresh memory of the past two....more
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