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alexblackreads
Writing Down the Bones was a decent, somewhat generic writing book. There wasn't much specific advice to be gleaned, but Goldberg is full of positivity and a 'you can do it' vibe to the very end. About halfway through it became clear that she was repeating much of what she'd already said.
It's not the kind of book that lends itself toward reading the whole way through, but if you're looking for something to sit on your desk to read a chapter whenever you're in need of a pep talk, this might be a good book for you.
Goldberg has a wonderful way of phrasing her words that probably comes from being a poet. Read a couple of sections before buying this book because it's just more of the same. If you like those, you'll probably like the rest of the book. If not, there are better writing books out there.
It's not the kind of book that lends itself toward reading the whole way through, but if you're looking for something to sit on your desk to read a chapter whenever you're in need of a pep talk, this might be a good book for you.
Goldberg has a wonderful way of phrasing her words that probably comes from being a poet. Read a couple of sections before buying this book because it's just more of the same. If you like those, you'll probably like the rest of the book. If not, there are better writing books out there.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I expected a dull, quick read, but there was nothing dull about this. The simplicity of the storytelling allowed for raw emotions rather than dragging on. It was woven beautifully and the characters were strong. The ending just broke my heart.
I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's definitely a book I could see myself coming back to in a few months.
I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's definitely a book I could see myself coming back to in a few months.
This book was amazing. It had such a wonderful depiction of EDNOS that wasn't just anorexia at a higher weight. This is the only book I've ever read that truly captured what it feels like.
Etta has a strong personality and carries the book. She's annoying sometimes, but in a way that I really wanted to see her grow and change. The ending was one of the most satisfying I've ever read.
I don't have anything to say about this other than gushing. The only problematic part was the sex worker slurs in one section, but it was honestly so good that I couldn't even justify knocking it down a star for that. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in a bisexual teenage girl with EDNOS. Just a wonderful read.
Etta has a strong personality and carries the book. She's annoying sometimes, but in a way that I really wanted to see her grow and change. The ending was one of the most satisfying I've ever read.
I don't have anything to say about this other than gushing. The only problematic part was the sex worker slurs in one section, but it was honestly so good that I couldn't even justify knocking it down a star for that. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in a bisexual teenage girl with EDNOS. Just a wonderful read.
I couldn't really get into the book, mostly for the stream of conscious writing style. The lack of quotation marks certainly contributed to that, but I got used to it by the end. They made it a little more difficult to keep up with the action for the first half of the story, though.
Other than that it was predictable and pretty much what I expected. I enjoyed the read and would suggest it to others who like YA survivalist/war stories- provided they don't mind the incest. The relationship between Daisy and Edmond was a touch on the weird side for me, but it worked in the book.
All in all, three out of five stars and worth the ride.
Other than that it was predictable and pretty much what I expected. I enjoyed the read and would suggest it to others who like YA survivalist/war stories- provided they don't mind the incest. The relationship between Daisy and Edmond was a touch on the weird side for me, but it worked in the book.
All in all, three out of five stars and worth the ride.
I was enthralled from the first page. I couldn't put down this put and read the whole thing in just a couple of hours, despite its length. Hannah is a Moldovan girl who winds up in America as a slave. Her story is heartbreaking, but she never lost hope.
The writing pulled me in and I didn't want to stop reading this book. It is a touchy subject and deals with rape as well as human trafficking, but I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, particularly from a YA viewpoint.
The writing pulled me in and I didn't want to stop reading this book. It is a touchy subject and deals with rape as well as human trafficking, but I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, particularly from a YA viewpoint.
This book is a great resource for fantasy fans. It has provided me with an extensive list of resources to read in the future as well as a background on some of the most influential authors. I would be interested to reread this book in a few years after I've read some more of the writers they suggested because at times I felt a little lost in my ignorance.
This book is very short, but in just over 200 pages I gained more insight into the genre than I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about fantasy. If it sounds like it'll be of interest to you, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did.
This book is very short, but in just over 200 pages I gained more insight into the genre than I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about fantasy. If it sounds like it'll be of interest to you, you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did.
Victoria (Egg) is a self proclaimed oddball and dislikes everything and everyone around her, except her father and her favorite movie. She dresses as Egg, the heroine from her favorite movie, nearly every day and shuts out the rest of the world. This works in her favor until a Boy shows up.
She was a rather unlikeable character the whole way through and I found it tough to get past her constant whiny, elitist thoughts. There's a thin line between an unlikeable character and a character that's annoying to read, and I felt this crossed the line. Despite dressing as her favorite sci-fi character every day, she abhors the school's science fiction and fantasy club for being full of geeks.
I originally found this on a list of YA characters who are asexual, could be read as asexual, or books that mention asexuality, but there is no mention or confirmation of this in the book. Adding it to that list seems like desperation.
It was a short read and tough to get through, but I couldn't stand her or Max (the Boy) at any point, even at the end. The only thing that made their relationship work was that he was the only person in the book as insufferable as she was. (Let's make fun of this girl for getting a callback for a commercial. Don't you know advertising is destroying all the truth and beauty in the world?)
The writing was good and probably the only thing that kept me through to the end. I'd definitely suggest checking out more books by this author, just not this one in particular.
She was a rather unlikeable character the whole way through and I found it tough to get past her constant whiny, elitist thoughts. There's a thin line between an unlikeable character and a character that's annoying to read, and I felt this crossed the line. Despite dressing as her favorite sci-fi character every day, she abhors the school's science fiction and fantasy club for being full of geeks.
I originally found this on a list of YA characters who are asexual, could be read as asexual, or books that mention asexuality, but there is no mention or confirmation of this in the book. Adding it to that list seems like desperation.
It was a short read and tough to get through, but I couldn't stand her or Max (the Boy) at any point, even at the end. The only thing that made their relationship work was that he was the only person in the book as insufferable as she was. (Let's make fun of this girl for getting a callback for a commercial. Don't you know advertising is destroying all the truth and beauty in the world?)
The writing was good and probably the only thing that kept me through to the end. I'd definitely suggest checking out more books by this author, just not this one in particular.
Reread July 2023
I'm going in for a full read of this series, which required rereading this even though I kind of hated it the first time. The characters are shallow, the story isn't great. I'm very much not a fan. But it seems like this is the worst of the series (at least so far), so don't let this book turn you off too much.
***
I'd been looking forward to reading this book for a long time after watching the movie because it felt like one of those movies that would be far surpassed by the source material. I was rather disappointed. The book was written in journal style by Ellie, the main character, in what felt like a very stream of conscious style. I found the first chapter incredibly off-putting just by the number of times she said things like 'anyway' and 'well getting back to the point now'. It drew me out of the story.
Most of the action seemed to be taking place off screen. Even when it was on screen, the characters would often regroup after and talk about what had just transpired for pages and pages. I want to read that as it happens, not when they're talking about it. At times it seemed like Ellie was the wrong character to choose as the narrator and perhaps one of the others would have witnessed and experienced more.
There also seemed to be more exposition that was necessary in setting up the characters and more time spent pairing them off into romantic relationships than I was interested in.
Still, the premise is really interesting and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. This one wasn't for me, but I can see how it would be enjoyable. I would like to see more of Marsden's ideas and perhaps the later books in the series will get more into the meat of the plot now that the premise and characters have been introduced.
I'm going in for a full read of this series, which required rereading this even though I kind of hated it the first time. The characters are shallow, the story isn't great. I'm very much not a fan. But it seems like this is the worst of the series (at least so far), so don't let this book turn you off too much.
***
I'd been looking forward to reading this book for a long time after watching the movie because it felt like one of those movies that would be far surpassed by the source material. I was rather disappointed. The book was written in journal style by Ellie, the main character, in what felt like a very stream of conscious style. I found the first chapter incredibly off-putting just by the number of times she said things like 'anyway' and 'well getting back to the point now'. It drew me out of the story.
Most of the action seemed to be taking place off screen. Even when it was on screen, the characters would often regroup after and talk about what had just transpired for pages and pages. I want to read that as it happens, not when they're talking about it. At times it seemed like Ellie was the wrong character to choose as the narrator and perhaps one of the others would have witnessed and experienced more.
There also seemed to be more exposition that was necessary in setting up the characters and more time spent pairing them off into romantic relationships than I was interested in.
Still, the premise is really interesting and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. This one wasn't for me, but I can see how it would be enjoyable. I would like to see more of Marsden's ideas and perhaps the later books in the series will get more into the meat of the plot now that the premise and characters have been introduced.
I couldn't get past the blatant victim blaming and that happened to Jenna's character. I had high hopes for this book because I loved some of Ellen Hopkins's other works, but how Jenna's character was treated made me physically ill. I had to pause for several minutes after Andre visited her in the hospital because it was too much. I couldn't believe how everyone just shrugged it off as she got what was coming to her, especially considering how much of an activist Ellen Hopkins is. Not a book I would recommend to anyone.
A lot of people I know loved this book, but I had difficulty getting into it. While Bragg is at times a wonderful storyteller, I got bogged down in his prose. I felt it was quite often overwritten and the content overshadowed by his style.
He even pokes fun at it himself a few times, saying "[Bill Kovach] told me I crowded too many pretty lines into my stories, that I needed space between them." I would have to agree with Kovach on this one.
There were times when I was drawn into the atmosphere Bragg created, especially towards the end, and the last section really drew me in. It was worth the read and I will likely read his other books at some point in the future, but I can't say this is one I plan on revisiting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to a friend, but his writing style is definitely not for everyone.
He even pokes fun at it himself a few times, saying "[Bill Kovach] told me I crowded too many pretty lines into my stories, that I needed space between them." I would have to agree with Kovach on this one.
There were times when I was drawn into the atmosphere Bragg created, especially towards the end, and the last section really drew me in. It was worth the read and I will likely read his other books at some point in the future, but I can't say this is one I plan on revisiting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to a friend, but his writing style is definitely not for everyone.