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clairbear1989 's review for:
The Secret Commonwealth
by Philip Pullman
I’m stuck between a 3.5 and a 4 here. Normally that means I’d stick the extra half star on for luck (and because my own view is that 3 stars = ok but wouldn’t continue the series, and I know that I definitely WILL continue) but...this book disappointed me.
I really really really wanted to love this book: I’m obsessed with the original trilogy and also loved La Belle Sauvage. I even got a HDM tattoo this summer. But this book fell a bit flat for me, especially after a certain point of the plot (to be specific, when Lyra left the U.K). After that, it kind of felt like she was just travelling to random places and talking to random people but none of it really mattered.
I was heartbroken by Pan and Lyra’s relationship, and by their distance (both literal and emotional) but can cope with this if it is a part of a bigger picture. I also know it’s unrealistic to expect a book where everything is perfect etc etc. I know myself and others were so excited for ADULT Lyra and kinda got the opposite to what we expected, but again, I can deal with that if book 3 pulls together the random plot lines and is awesome.
I still thought the writing was great, and I wait anxiously for book 3. But added to the anxiety is the worry that I won’t enjoy the book, and it won’t do the original trilogy credit.
Edited to add, because I’ve read some other reviews and agree with them:
- I feel like Malcom being in love with Lyra is weird, and not what I want to think about when reading the LBS. Doesn’t make him a ‘bad guy’ but why couldn’t he just be a friend to her? Now there’s a weird love triangle thing where no one involved even knows that one person has any kind of emotion for them, other than friendship. Hell, Will and Malcolm don’t even know the other person exists.
- ‘flattened’ is a word I saw used in a comment for another persons review, and I completely agree. The characters we’ve seen in previous stories (Lyra, Malcolm, and to a lesser extent, because he’s the most like his old self, Pan) seem to have had the the things that make them ‘them’ removed. Lyra especially. The plot feels flat too, which is something I’d never say of the original trilogy.
I really really really wanted to love this book: I’m obsessed with the original trilogy and also loved La Belle Sauvage. I even got a HDM tattoo this summer. But this book fell a bit flat for me, especially after a certain point of the plot (to be specific, when Lyra left the U.K). After that, it kind of felt like she was just travelling to random places and talking to random people but none of it really mattered.
I was heartbroken by Pan and Lyra’s relationship, and by their distance (both literal and emotional) but can cope with this if it is a part of a bigger picture. I also know it’s unrealistic to expect a book where everything is perfect etc etc. I know myself and others were so excited for ADULT Lyra and kinda got the opposite to what we expected, but again, I can deal with that if book 3 pulls together the random plot lines and is awesome.
I still thought the writing was great, and I wait anxiously for book 3. But added to the anxiety is the worry that I won’t enjoy the book, and it won’t do the original trilogy credit.
Edited to add, because I’ve read some other reviews and agree with them:
- I feel like Malcom being in love with Lyra is weird, and not what I want to think about when reading the LBS. Doesn’t make him a ‘bad guy’ but why couldn’t he just be a friend to her? Now there’s a weird love triangle thing where no one involved even knows that one person has any kind of emotion for them, other than friendship. Hell, Will and Malcolm don’t even know the other person exists.
- ‘flattened’ is a word I saw used in a comment for another persons review, and I completely agree. The characters we’ve seen in previous stories (Lyra, Malcolm, and to a lesser extent, because he’s the most like his old self, Pan) seem to have had the the things that make them ‘them’ removed. Lyra especially. The plot feels flat too, which is something I’d never say of the original trilogy.