I've just finished this book and I'm upset. I don't think that any book after this will be good enough.
After neglecting my responsibilities in order toI've just finished this book and I'm upset. I don't think that any book after this will be good enough.
After neglecting my responsibilities in order to finish this book, let me quote my favourite line, and one I can certainly identify with completely when reading books:
"Stupid humanity, getting in the way of my hobbies!"
Read that a film will be coming out. I cannot wait to see what they will create (๑♡⌓♡๑)...more
I could put this book under the business tag also, for all the tips Evelyn gives in diplomacy and deals.
This was a unique book, it was a much needed I could put this book under the business tag also, for all the tips Evelyn gives in diplomacy and deals.
This was a unique book, it was a much needed contemporary story that fit perfectly in what I needed to read in this era. The genuine aspects of the hidden queerness of 20th century characters represent real-life struggles of the lgbtq+ community. I had heard of this book many months ago, and I picked it up when I saw in a tiktok that listed books that are queer without appearing queer (in the title or cover).
Evelyn's character has a very strong presence. I listened to the audible audiobook and enjoyed the difference in the narrator's tone when impersonating Evelyn, the writer and the newspaper articles.
It is certainly a book I'd like to read again, next time in printed format, so that I can pick up every life lesson that can be extracted from the different characters in this story. It is one of these cases when you have so much to say for a book that end up saying nothing because it would take hours to put your thoughts in order. So I'm going to say that I loved the story since the beginning, it kept me interested till the very end, and enjoyed all the plot twists that took place. Maybe in a future reread I will do a more thorough review....more
Listened to the Greek audiobook version in the app 'Bookvoice'.
The story was narrated in a catchy way and along with the highly adventurous storytelliListened to the Greek audiobook version in the app 'Bookvoice'.
The story was narrated in a catchy way and along with the highly adventurous storytelling of Mr.Stevenson's, the interest was always kept on top.
Listened to the story in one day and a half and I have to say one thing; I dreamt about ships and the sea at night. The description of images and action is vivid and our protagonist is one we can care about and we can believe in. (Also have seen the Disney remake and it has been one of my favourite animation films since a child, and had a curiosity to learn the official story)
(Stevenson's writing had also caught my attention in my Jeckyl and Hyde phase; I also had played the game and got even more excited about the story)
This is a classic story that has strongly moved my thoughts and imagination.
The first time I officially listened to the story was, I believe, around tThis is a classic story that has strongly moved my thoughts and imagination.
The first time I officially listened to the story was, I believe, around two summers ago, when I listened to the English audiobook classic horror stories. Now a group of Greeks has launched an audiobook app called 'Bookvoice' and I bought the translated Frankenstein title in order to remind myself some details of the story I missed, because English is not my mother language.
The narration was exquisite.
It is a story that will forever trouble me because it deals with one's passion to challenge the current borders of medicine and technology and move them one step further; it deals with the endless ambitions of genius minds, minds which hunger for genuine knowledge and achievements; minds that deeply believe they can help humanity progress and take that step to the beyond, a journey to the very unknown.
But, what's more, it deals with the crushing of these same dreams, the unforgiving hand of (call it) fate, the moment then reality cuts on your daydreaming just to remind you that no matter what you do, you with eventually fail miserably.
To me, Frankenstein is more than a classic horror story, a goth historical drama about a scientific experiment gone wrong. Frankenstein is a story of mental resilience, the persistence of one's mind to achieve something bigger than the world one knows. Frankenstein to me is one of the officially written primal cogs that set the wheel of technological thoughts and imaginations back in motion.
There are a million ways one story as such could end; Mary chose the ending that would stun, and make people converse about, for ages to come.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Still, even if it ends in misery and unfulfilled revenge on both sides, it is satisfactory to remember that the problem could be solved with some open-mindedness on the creators behalf. The mistakes the 'monster' made were unforgiving. However considering that he is but a child of barely 1-2 years of existence trapped in a tall and physically powerful monstrous body, rejected by every person he ever tried getting close to, especially by his father, having all that power along with a compressed feeling of injustice, it isn't hard to predict what would follow.
What astonished me the most, was how much of Frankenstein's self was put into this new creation.
His genius, as well as his commitment to his purpose, the incomparable selfishness masked in a shape of questionable selflessness and in the drive to bring the world to its salvation/ help the people by small acts of kindness; these two creatures, creator and creation share many similarities. The creation had every condition to be a highly achieving respectable being, had it simply not a Terror-striking appearance. It isn't hard to assume that, had this story taken place in a more modern setting, this story would have a completely different outcome (a.k.a. Hotel Transylvania animation movie)
(I mentioned before the questionable selflessness. I want to also mention that every selfless action of kindness is either based or produces a very very selfish feeling of achievement; I neither condemn nor congratulate that fact. I want to highlight the similarity that as Frankenstein tries to create a being that will help the world and wants to be remembered as a saviour a hero or a genius, the 'monster', too, helps the people carry their woods and make them chores in the hope they will offer him unquestioning unconditional love.)
(The theory of selfishness-selflessness was mentioned by Joey to Phoebe in the series 'Friends'. It has a strong basis if one considers it)
Frankenstein's creation is searching for his father's love everywhere, but in a close-minded scared and unforgiving world, where security is not granted like in modern ages and every mistake could as well be your last without any phone to contact someone for help, it is reasonable that people see something big and scary and they're afraid. It is the drive of survival.
Closing, I want to say this is a deeply affecting story, it frightens and simultaneously inspires me, it makes me think, and it makes me judge, and it makes me cry. But most importantly it makes me find hope where the characters had none, keeps me wishing I could change things, and this unfulfilled destiny is what gives life, in a bigger perspective, the meaning and the burning motivation to keep trying to succeed where others failed and finally change the course of history or produce technological results, inspiring and never-ending.
Let's raise a glass to evolution; I hope Frankenstein's god complex hasn't rubbed off on me (/¯◡ ‿ ◡)/¯ ~ ┻━┻...more
This is the first ya chinese fantasy book I'm reading and I was enchanted by the xianxia elements, the description of the musiWhat a beautiful story!
This is the first ya chinese fantasy book I'm reading and I was enchanted by the xianxia elements, the description of the music sounds and the battle scenes glorified by the combination of physical and magical abilities.
The protagonist is very likeable from the start and one can easily identify themselves with her need to prove herself and to protect her loved ones.
I'm always very selective and very hard to please on the romance side of these stories, so, I wasn't thrilled with any of the love interests (until the big SPOILER
-revelation of the second love interest, which picked my interest. I like morally grey characters and believe that our protagonist overreacted. She had one purpose from the beginning, to free her mother, and she never sided with the celestial kingdom. I understand that she didn't want to betray her friends (two, including her first love interest) but still, her decision appeared to my eyes as full of vanity. Maybe it's because I feel less righteous than her, and would slytherin my way through the story, that I would probably chose to join the demon realm to fight for my purposes. Her mother would however not approve of this, and maybe that was her No1 motive to reject the idea of 'joining the dark side' completely. I would have loved a story about joining the dark side. But maybe that's a story for the sequel.)
Despite all that, I loved the arc of the love-interest characters, bouncing back to realise their mistakes and try to make them right. What I felt was hypothetical of our protagonist, is that she blamed the second love interest of something she had done before to Liwei. Karma's a bit** I say.
I adored the dragons' scenes.
At some parts I felt like the story was progressing too quickly, however it's always better than to drag on without saying anything of great importance. It feels like the journey was shortened to fit the number of the pages, but without skipping any important parts.
I also hoped SPOILER
that the father would still live. Maybe in the sequel we'll have a plot twist? We shall see.
I can't wait to read the continuation of this story. When I finished it I thought that nothing can be added to the story to make it better and feared that a sequel would ruin it. But then I read many positive reviews of how the second one is even better than the first book and it makes me wonder if it's going to get a five star next time (◠‿◕)
I want to see more of the second love interest, I think he deserves good things and I patiently await for a redemption arc. (Although from his pov, he did what was right to secure his place in the kingdom. Even imprisoning his love was a good precaution for him to advance to his plans. He just shouldn't be surprised that the girl would be shocked and reject him after this ...more
I listened to the audiobook version from audible. I really like this narrator, she brings the characters to life so well, and especially the male onesI listened to the audiobook version from audible. I really like this narrator, she brings the characters to life so well, and especially the male ones. At first I found the story somehow dumb and some traits of the protagonist weren't very likeable (SPOILER
like her reaction to the professor rejecting another student's work and her writing hir in message to fk off),
but later the story progressed in an interesting way. I liked reading the characters' stories unravel in the academy setting, mostly because I'm somewhat familiar with some parts of this environment and would like to learn more about it. I loved Adam as a character. Mostly because it's my idea of what my type in guys is like. He had this mysterious aura which I love. He was hated by the mass for being unapproachable but is actually very kind when he lets you get to know him. He is successful in science ect ect.
Olivia's character was not particularly to my liking, because overly nervous characters make me also feel nervous. However she contrasted well and made a good pair with Adam's character from the beginning of the story. I had to stop myself from facepalming each time she chose to tell a lie instead of the truth, or at least one version of it. I feel uncomfortable about lies, however, they can create plot lines that wouldn't exist in another way, so there's that. Lies is also how this whole fake-dating story begins.
Overall I enjoyed this read, and the lgbtq representation, and the justice received for the harassment that took place. It ended satisfyingly and it was a funny and smooth ride....more
**spoiler alert** It had the same feel as the first two books of the trilogy, but it being the finale, what I expected and what I got wasn't very clos**spoiler alert** It had the same feel as the first two books of the trilogy, but it being the finale, what I expected and what I got wasn't very close to start with. The deaths that happen weren't expected at all and the way they were presented didn't touch me as I believe they should have, with an exception for Nesa (I don't know if it's written like that, I listened to the audiobook). Maybe it should have been a duology as many reviews say, but overall it is a good book series and I would recommend it, as a secondary read ...more
WHAT IS HAPPENING I need to read the next one right now!!
There was a point somewhere in the middle of this book that I started to lose focus and I doWHAT IS HAPPENING I need to read the next one right now!!
There was a point somewhere in the middle of this book that I started to lose focus and I don't know if it was the audiobook's fault (because English isn't my first language) or the plot's fault, but at the last 1/4 of the book I was always on the edge of my seat and wondering how many more plot twists would happen...(I hope this doesn't count as a spoiler, maybe more of a teaser) but oh well, Sara sure knows how to develop a character and a book with good characters is everything to me ...more
**spoiler alert** I loved the audiobook!! 4 hours full of action, mystery and amazing voice actors (especially Omar's!!). The smartest aspect of this **spoiler alert** I loved the audiobook!! 4 hours full of action, mystery and amazing voice actors (especially Omar's!!). The smartest aspect of this story is that the ancestor is blind, so we, as listeners, "see" whatever Omar "sees", aka nothing. We see with the other senses, just like him, for we listen to conversations and we hear the descriptions of smells and feelings of night vision. Another interesting point of the plot is that our protagonist is claustrophobic, so when she enters the animus and synchronises to her blind ancestor, her pulse is abruptly quickened. These two main elements, along with the plot twists, the small romance scenes and Omar's character, made the book so fun to listen to, as it also contains elements more similar to a radio story than an actual book (eg instead of listening "the water fell quickly" you hear the water fall with an effect). So fun and amazing, totally recommend it (but it is for an older audience since it contains some bad language)....more
I really liked the stories, as they solidify the Harry Potter universe and they create a background in which the ideology of muggle-wizard relationshiI really liked the stories, as they solidify the Harry Potter universe and they create a background in which the ideology of muggle-wizard relationship can stand and be partially explained. I already knew the tale of the three brothers by the original books and I met for the first time the remaining four stories. My favourite one was the warlock's hairy heart because it was unique enough to catch my full attention while I was listening to it. The story of babbity rabbity was a fairytale very similar to one we have in greek culture, but it had the necessary differences which shape the wizarding culture. It was a book really fun and relaxing to hear, as it was a short one (one and a half hour) and the soothing voice of the woman reading the fairytale as well as the male voice which interpreted the dumbledore's comments were both satisfying to the ear. I totally recommend listening this audiobook....more
**spoiler alert** From one obstacle to another, I never expected this story to have a happy ending, but is surprised me as it had been doing from the **spoiler alert** From one obstacle to another, I never expected this story to have a happy ending, but is surprised me as it had been doing from the beginning. A beautiful story and a satisfying ending that makes me want to read again and again and remember moments from it. This story can expand into many spinoffs (perhaps the story of the ghost and the twin sister and her baby, or the roach and the bomb ♥️, or maybe vivi and heather- I may be spelling the names wrong, since I listened the audiobook version) or sequels (oak's story, or the high king's and queen's future) and even Prequels (perhaps the story of Jude's father and mother or Cardan's childhood). This was a phenomenal story that I binged in less than a week and can't wait to see what the fandom has to say for it and witness the fanarts and the fanfictions. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes young adult fiction or fiction generally....more
It was interesting to see the sister's point of view, I gained an insight about what she was going through and learned some aspects of the other charaIt was interesting to see the sister's point of view, I gained an insight about what she was going through and learned some aspects of the other characters (eg her lover) but being honest, I think what our protagonist in the first book was going through cannot even compare to her sister. June is a fighter and will not hold back her impulses. That makes her arrogant and less careful or docile, and that's what makes me love her perspective more, because as the boy says: "She is a good story"....more
I listened the audiobook and it was 12 hours well worth it! Romance, action, mystery and characters one can sympathize and identify with. Some scenes I listened the audiobook and it was 12 hours well worth it! Romance, action, mystery and characters one can sympathize and identify with. Some scenes reminded me of game of thrones' universe, with the ruthless queens and all the murders and the kingdom plots and it somehow disturbed me, but nonetheless, it is an entertaining and beautiful story and I'm planning to keep on reading the series!...more
I had seen the movies and now decided to listen to the audiobook. So far it's a very good book, with a solid story and although I pretty much know theI had seen the movies and now decided to listen to the audiobook. So far it's a very good book, with a solid story and although I pretty much know the plot, it's always entertaining and interesting to dive deeper into the details of the story....more