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466 reviews by:
allthatissim
Thank you Tokyopop and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free ARC of this book via NetGalley
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Ahh.. this was beautiful. This was my first ever Manga read and I didn't knew this before picking this up. Obviously I didn't knew beforehand about manga so I had some trouble reading it at first. But after some research, I was on track, and oh boy it was exactly as the movie (minus songs and detailed graphics). I would strongly recommend to read this only if you have watched the Disney's new Beauty and the Beast movie (released in 2017), otherwise you might miss the charm of it.
The story is the classic beauty and the beast so nothing new at that front. This is a two books series. This book is from the Belle's POV while the other is from Beast's POV (which I am still to read). It was refreshing to read the story through Belle's mind.
The illustrations in the book were beautiful. They were so close to the movie. I liked the illustrated beast very much and the library was beautiful. There were some illustrations that were not much clear. Some scenes just jumped to other, which is difficult to understand if you haven't already watched the movie. But most of the art is good. This was a quick read and I finished it in just an hour.
"Happily ever after" is a story, itself.
It's a choice, everyday, to be the best person you can be.
To turn your anger into passion.... To bring change, not destruction.
To find beauty in love and understanding...
...And to find "Home"... wherever you go.
I highly recommend it to all the Beauty and the Beast lovers out there :)
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My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Ahh.. this was beautiful. This was my first ever Manga read and I didn't knew this before picking this up. Obviously I didn't knew beforehand about manga so I had some trouble reading it at first. But after some research, I was on track, and oh boy it was exactly as the movie (minus songs and detailed graphics). I would strongly recommend to read this only if you have watched the Disney's new Beauty and the Beast movie (released in 2017), otherwise you might miss the charm of it.
The story is the classic beauty and the beast so nothing new at that front. This is a two books series. This book is from the Belle's POV while the other is from Beast's POV (which I am still to read). It was refreshing to read the story through Belle's mind.
The illustrations in the book were beautiful. They were so close to the movie. I liked the illustrated beast very much and the library was beautiful. There were some illustrations that were not much clear. Some scenes just jumped to other, which is difficult to understand if you haven't already watched the movie. But most of the art is good. This was a quick read and I finished it in just an hour.
"Happily ever after" is a story, itself.
It's a choice, everyday, to be the best person you can be.
To turn your anger into passion.... To bring change, not destruction.
To find beauty in love and understanding...
...And to find "Home"... wherever you go.
I highly recommend it to all the Beauty and the Beast lovers out there :)
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Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
Body Swap had a unique concept, well unique in the way that I was reading something like this for the first time, though I have seen some movies based on body swap concept. As the title suggests, the concept is that of a body switch, which initially intrigued me. But I was glad that the story had to offer so much more than just a humour pun story.
The story starts when an accident is caused by a faulty Hurricane vehicle being driven by an 82-years old woman, Susan. She bumps into a teenager Hallie who was too busy on her phone while crossing the road. Soon after the accident, they both pass out and find themselves with God. Both of them want to go back to their lives. God agrees to give them another chance. When they wake up, they find that their bodies have been switched and now they have to work together to go back into their respective bodies. From there, the things start to get tricky for them.
This story tries to including so many themes and the most important one in my view is that how no one appreciates the life they have. By using the body switch concept, the author has tried to show the life of an old person and a teen person from the reverse perspectives. We ignore old people simply because they are old. Also, we ignore teens because they are, well, teens and make no sense most of the time. But each life matters and have different life experiences. Sometimes people take their own life for granted and they don’t love and care for their bodies as they should. Some worry about the silliest of the things. The outcome here is to live life to the fullest by valuing yourself and also by taking others into account.
When Susan and Hallie are into each other’s bodies, they get to learn so many things about each other. Susan learns how much difficult it is for a black teenager (Hallie) to live in this world and it is even worse if she is a girl. Susan also learns to tackle the people who are always babying her and instructing her and she learns to live life on her own terms. Hallie, on the other hand, learns to enjoy the smallest joys of life and how not to worry over silliest things like boyfriends. Also, she should not take her body granted as she is going to miss it in her old age.
The narrative was switched between both the persons and sometimes it was difficult for me to focus on who was who in each chapter. Also, I wasn’t able to connect to both the characters as well as I hoped. They were good characters and definitely their growth was quite good, but I wasn’t invested in them.
The switch of both the persons was really interesting to read and more interesting was to see changes that both of them accommodate while being in different bodies. This was a fun and light read which some good moral things to discuss. It shows how important it is to have empathy and how we need to help each other.
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Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
Body Swap had a unique concept, well unique in the way that I was reading something like this for the first time, though I have seen some movies based on body swap concept. As the title suggests, the concept is that of a body switch, which initially intrigued me. But I was glad that the story had to offer so much more than just a humour pun story.
The story starts when an accident is caused by a faulty Hurricane vehicle being driven by an 82-years old woman, Susan. She bumps into a teenager Hallie who was too busy on her phone while crossing the road. Soon after the accident, they both pass out and find themselves with God. Both of them want to go back to their lives. God agrees to give them another chance. When they wake up, they find that their bodies have been switched and now they have to work together to go back into their respective bodies. From there, the things start to get tricky for them.
This story tries to including so many themes and the most important one in my view is that how no one appreciates the life they have. By using the body switch concept, the author has tried to show the life of an old person and a teen person from the reverse perspectives. We ignore old people simply because they are old. Also, we ignore teens because they are, well, teens and make no sense most of the time. But each life matters and have different life experiences. Sometimes people take their own life for granted and they don’t love and care for their bodies as they should. Some worry about the silliest of the things. The outcome here is to live life to the fullest by valuing yourself and also by taking others into account.
When Susan and Hallie are into each other’s bodies, they get to learn so many things about each other. Susan learns how much difficult it is for a black teenager (Hallie) to live in this world and it is even worse if she is a girl. Susan also learns to tackle the people who are always babying her and instructing her and she learns to live life on her own terms. Hallie, on the other hand, learns to enjoy the smallest joys of life and how not to worry over silliest things like boyfriends. Also, she should not take her body granted as she is going to miss it in her old age.
The narrative was switched between both the persons and sometimes it was difficult for me to focus on who was who in each chapter. Also, I wasn’t able to connect to both the characters as well as I hoped. They were good characters and definitely their growth was quite good, but I wasn’t invested in them.
The switch of both the persons was really interesting to read and more interesting was to see changes that both of them accommodate while being in different bodies. This was a fun and light read which some good moral things to discuss. It shows how important it is to have empathy and how we need to help each other.
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Full Review: Flipping Through the Pages
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
Don't tell me that this title didn't attract you. Certainly, it did, isn't it? :P I guess it is the title that attracted me too for requesting it in the first place. I got it actually last year, but I don't know why I waited so long to read such a small and funny book?
So this was really short book. As you can gather the info from the synopsis that this is a collection of weird and funny stories that different people have sent to the author. She has also incorporated her illustrations into the stories.
What I Liked:
1) Great mix of stories: Well the stories were of all kind. Some were short, some were little longer, some were funny, some were weird and some felt really painful. I guess, (almost) everyone has gone through a breakup at least once. It is certainly not easy. Some breakups go well and end up smoothly and some.. well. Reading such collection made me laugh at few while made me sad for others. There were some stupid stories too and I was just thinking, can people even break up on this? Overall, the author has provided a mixed kind of stories which were fun to read.
2) Nice illustrations: After each story, the author has also provided the illustration of that story. They were quite good and funny. The illustrations were simple though but they perfectly match the stories.
3) The title: Wel, this has to be the biggest plus point for the book. The title is so catchy that it takes your attention instantly.
4) Unique idea and quick read: I like the overall idea of the book. It was very unique. Breakups are generally painful and with this unique and hilarious collection of that painful thing, the author has really done an incredible job. Also, the book was really short and quick read because of the writing style. The stories were presented like proses.
5) Best dedication ever: Trust me on this. The dedication of the book was the funniest one I have read to date. The dedication itself sets your mood for the further stories. Okay, you can also laugh. Here it is:
What I didn’t like:
1) Some stories had bad drawing placement: Well this is not a that big point, but I guess it affected my reading flow in some places. This can totally be there because I had an ARC and they have corrected it in the final book? Maybe, but here, in some stories, the illustration was placed in between a story, often in the middle of a sentence and the rest started after the drawing. This was somewhat annoying.
2) Not a special writing style: Okay so this can be the overall idea of the author- taking the stories from people and adding them as it is. It felt as if no effort was made by the author in incorporating those stories.
3) Wanted some stories to be a little longer: As I said earlier that this was a good mix of short and long stories, but there were a few for which I wanted a little longer version.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this book was quite enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this. It was an unexpected read for me. If you are looking to read some weird and funny stories, pick it up. Or if you are planning a holiday, take it with you. Or if you just had a breakup and you want to read something that would make you laugh for a moment, just pick it up. A mix up for short and long stories, this will definitely paste a smile on your face and will make you think that yeah, weird people do exist :P
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Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
Don't tell me that this title didn't attract you. Certainly, it did, isn't it? :P I guess it is the title that attracted me too for requesting it in the first place. I got it actually last year, but I don't know why I waited so long to read such a small and funny book?
So this was really short book. As you can gather the info from the synopsis that this is a collection of weird and funny stories that different people have sent to the author. She has also incorporated her illustrations into the stories.
What I Liked:
1) Great mix of stories: Well the stories were of all kind. Some were short, some were little longer, some were funny, some were weird and some felt really painful. I guess, (almost) everyone has gone through a breakup at least once. It is certainly not easy. Some breakups go well and end up smoothly and some.. well. Reading such collection made me laugh at few while made me sad for others. There were some stupid stories too and I was just thinking, can people even break up on this? Overall, the author has provided a mixed kind of stories which were fun to read.
2) Nice illustrations: After each story, the author has also provided the illustration of that story. They were quite good and funny. The illustrations were simple though but they perfectly match the stories.
3) The title: Wel, this has to be the biggest plus point for the book. The title is so catchy that it takes your attention instantly.
4) Unique idea and quick read: I like the overall idea of the book. It was very unique. Breakups are generally painful and with this unique and hilarious collection of that painful thing, the author has really done an incredible job. Also, the book was really short and quick read because of the writing style. The stories were presented like proses.
5) Best dedication ever: Trust me on this. The dedication of the book was the funniest one I have read to date. The dedication itself sets your mood for the further stories. Okay, you can also laugh. Here it is:
"To that one dude,
for being such an inspirational dick."
What I didn’t like:
1) Some stories had bad drawing placement: Well this is not a that big point, but I guess it affected my reading flow in some places. This can totally be there because I had an ARC and they have corrected it in the final book? Maybe, but here, in some stories, the illustration was placed in between a story, often in the middle of a sentence and the rest started after the drawing. This was somewhat annoying.
2) Not a special writing style: Okay so this can be the overall idea of the author- taking the stories from people and adding them as it is. It felt as if no effort was made by the author in incorporating those stories.
3) Wanted some stories to be a little longer: As I said earlier that this was a good mix of short and long stories, but there were a few for which I wanted a little longer version.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this book was quite enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this. It was an unexpected read for me. If you are looking to read some weird and funny stories, pick it up. Or if you are planning a holiday, take it with you. Or if you just had a breakup and you want to read something that would make you laugh for a moment, just pick it up. A mix up for short and long stories, this will definitely paste a smile on your face and will make you think that yeah, weird people do exist :P
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Full review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
This is a story about a young and adventurous girl Mira. She had two rambunctious friends Bira and Vira who always fought with each other. Mira’s mother used to tell her stories about a magical place called Farland and it’s people. Once when Mira was on Gunhill with her friends, she meets Bushy who tell her that princess Harmonica wishes to meet her and has invited her to the most glamorous New Moon party.
Then begins the adventurous journey of Mira and her friends in the Faland. They meet many characters like Starhead, Windman, Mastiff, Fat Master, Candy Man etc. during their journey when they were trying to save the Farland from the Queen of Witches.
Does Mira succeed in saving Farland from the Queen of Witches? What problems did she face? Was she able to enjoy the New Moon party? To know answer to these you need to read this 🙂
The most important aspect in a children/middle-grade book is the writing style. And speaking of that, the author has managed to keep a very beautiful and descriptive language. Though I must tell you here that it is not that simple either, if you see it from a POV of a child. [a:Moshank Relia|17199139|Moshank Relia|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has used the combination of simple and new words perfectly.
From our childhood, our grandparents have passed the stories to us where the background theme is often of good vs. bad, and how good always win. This story offers so many things for children to learn, basically the basic virtues of life. The various incidents in the book like fighting the evil queen, meeting new persons etc. tell the importance of friendship, bravery and team effort. That being said, children have definitely a lot of things to learn from this.
This book is merely 70 pages and surely I wanted the story to be little bigger. But I guess, from a child’s point of view this is the perfect length. Moshank hasn’t tried to stretch the story or to make it complicated. He has just narrated the incidents one after another in the simplest way possible. This is the real beauty of the story which makes it fast paced and manages to engross the readers till the end.
This book also contains some illustrations and they are super good. Since I read an ebook, I was not able to feel them actually. But I so wished to have the physical copy right away and my hands were itching to color them 😀 (or maybe there are actually colored images in the book?)
This book is perfect for the age group of 6-14 and it will surely capture the imagination and curiosity of the children. If you are looking something to gift a child, this would be a perfect choice. Being said that, for adults too, this book is good if you are looking for a light and quick read and like fantasy.
I wish to go to such Farland one day 😀
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This is a story about a young and adventurous girl Mira. She had two rambunctious friends Bira and Vira who always fought with each other. Mira’s mother used to tell her stories about a magical place called Farland and it’s people. Once when Mira was on Gunhill with her friends, she meets Bushy who tell her that princess Harmonica wishes to meet her and has invited her to the most glamorous New Moon party.
Then begins the adventurous journey of Mira and her friends in the Faland. They meet many characters like Starhead, Windman, Mastiff, Fat Master, Candy Man etc. during their journey when they were trying to save the Farland from the Queen of Witches.
Does Mira succeed in saving Farland from the Queen of Witches? What problems did she face? Was she able to enjoy the New Moon party? To know answer to these you need to read this 🙂
The most important aspect in a children/middle-grade book is the writing style. And speaking of that, the author has managed to keep a very beautiful and descriptive language. Though I must tell you here that it is not that simple either, if you see it from a POV of a child. [a:Moshank Relia|17199139|Moshank Relia|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has used the combination of simple and new words perfectly.
From our childhood, our grandparents have passed the stories to us where the background theme is often of good vs. bad, and how good always win. This story offers so many things for children to learn, basically the basic virtues of life. The various incidents in the book like fighting the evil queen, meeting new persons etc. tell the importance of friendship, bravery and team effort. That being said, children have definitely a lot of things to learn from this.
This book is merely 70 pages and surely I wanted the story to be little bigger. But I guess, from a child’s point of view this is the perfect length. Moshank hasn’t tried to stretch the story or to make it complicated. He has just narrated the incidents one after another in the simplest way possible. This is the real beauty of the story which makes it fast paced and manages to engross the readers till the end.
This book also contains some illustrations and they are super good. Since I read an ebook, I was not able to feel them actually. But I so wished to have the physical copy right away and my hands were itching to color them 😀 (or maybe there are actually colored images in the book?)
This book is perfect for the age group of 6-14 and it will surely capture the imagination and curiosity of the children. If you are looking something to gift a child, this would be a perfect choice. Being said that, for adults too, this book is good if you are looking for a light and quick read and like fantasy.
I wish to go to such Farland one day 😀
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Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
This book is a cute YA contemporary which had a new concept for me- gender-fluid. I wasn’t aware before this book what gender-fluid actually was. This book was a surprise for me, for sure. I had requested this book because of the title and the cover but I am glad that the story was so unique. As the title says, this is a retelling of Cinderella but with LGBT theme.
Declan/Layla and Carter are the protagonists and the chapters are alternated with their PoV. Carter is a heartthrob of the school and is the popular one while Declan is the boy who always remains behind the scenes and had a secret crush on Carter. It was so good to see the struggles of Declan and how he came out in front of his sister, Delia. Both Declan and Carter goes through a lot of character improvement over the book and it was so good to see different layers of their characters.
That being said, I absolutely adored the characters in this book. Both Declan and Carter proved to be strong ones. Delia, Declan’s sister, was probably my favourite. I loved how she supported her brother when he came out to her. She helped him in getting dressed as a girl and was always there to support him. I wish every person could get a support system like her.
Surely enough, the book has its own share of fluffiness and cliches of a typical YA contemporary too, but I can easily overlook them because this book explores some serious issues without sugar-coating them. There are talks of sexuality, gender equality, civil rights, love and lust, LGBTQ+ presentation and what not.
There is one highlight of the story and that is the school’s policy of intolerance. We don’t often see such kind of issues raised in YA but I am glad that this book shows it. It is not okay to discriminate LGBTQ students and I loved the way the characters in this story came forward to oppose it. This issue brought them, even more, closer to each other and helped them to understand each other.
There is so much going on in this book in terms of plot, but in the background, the focus is on Declan and Carter and their transforming relationship. I loved the ending and how beautifully everything was enclosed.
This story has everything to think about. It is not only about romance but also is about standing for what you believe in and fighting for it. This is really an addictive story and I would definitely recommend to read it if you are looking for something refreshing and enjoyable.
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This book is a cute YA contemporary which had a new concept for me- gender-fluid. I wasn’t aware before this book what gender-fluid actually was. This book was a surprise for me, for sure. I had requested this book because of the title and the cover but I am glad that the story was so unique. As the title says, this is a retelling of Cinderella but with LGBT theme.
Declan/Layla and Carter are the protagonists and the chapters are alternated with their PoV. Carter is a heartthrob of the school and is the popular one while Declan is the boy who always remains behind the scenes and had a secret crush on Carter. It was so good to see the struggles of Declan and how he came out in front of his sister, Delia. Both Declan and Carter goes through a lot of character improvement over the book and it was so good to see different layers of their characters.
That being said, I absolutely adored the characters in this book. Both Declan and Carter proved to be strong ones. Delia, Declan’s sister, was probably my favourite. I loved how she supported her brother when he came out to her. She helped him in getting dressed as a girl and was always there to support him. I wish every person could get a support system like her.
Surely enough, the book has its own share of fluffiness and cliches of a typical YA contemporary too, but I can easily overlook them because this book explores some serious issues without sugar-coating them. There are talks of sexuality, gender equality, civil rights, love and lust, LGBTQ+ presentation and what not.
There is one highlight of the story and that is the school’s policy of intolerance. We don’t often see such kind of issues raised in YA but I am glad that this book shows it. It is not okay to discriminate LGBTQ students and I loved the way the characters in this story came forward to oppose it. This issue brought them, even more, closer to each other and helped them to understand each other.
There is so much going on in this book in terms of plot, but in the background, the focus is on Declan and Carter and their transforming relationship. I loved the ending and how beautifully everything was enclosed.
This story has everything to think about. It is not only about romance but also is about standing for what you believe in and fighting for it. This is really an addictive story and I would definitely recommend to read it if you are looking for something refreshing and enjoyable.
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Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
I read Mirage way back in 2018. It had been more than two years since I was waiting for the sequel, and I can say it didn't disappoint. This story of rebellion and colonialism felt even more interesting and refreshing.
Content & Trigger warnings: physical assault, violence, murder of a child (off- page), grief, trauma, colonization
Representation: Ownvoices Moroccan-inspired world and characters; lesbian main character and love interest
Court of Lions begins a few weeks after the end of the previous book, Mirage. The rift and distance between Amani and Maram is still fresh. Amani has been kept in isolation after her rebel connections were revealed. Then when it was time for Maram’s wedding to Idris, Amani was brought back to her duties as Maram’s body double. But Amani also starts plotting to keep Maram on the throne as she believed Maram was the rightful ruler of Andala. On the other hand, Maram tries to fight her own fears of becoming queen and getting married while she is forming a relationship with her mysterious new falconer (uhmm this I didn’t expect
I read Mirage way back in 2018. It had been more than two years since I was waiting for the sequel, and I can say it didn't disappoint. This story of rebellion and colonialism felt even more interesting and refreshing.
Content & Trigger warnings: physical assault, violence, murder of a child (off- page), grief, trauma, colonization
Representation: Ownvoices Moroccan-inspired world and characters; lesbian main character and love interest
Court of Lions begins a few weeks after the end of the previous book, Mirage. The rift and distance between Amani and Maram is still fresh. Amani has been kept in isolation after her rebel connections were revealed. Then when it was time for Maram’s wedding to Idris, Amani was brought back to her duties as Maram’s body double. But Amani also starts plotting to keep Maram on the throne as she believed Maram was the rightful ruler of Andala. On the other hand, Maram tries to fight her own fears of becoming queen and getting married while she is forming a relationship with her mysterious new falconer (uhmm this I didn’t expect
This was a promising debut for sure. I really liked few poems though I wasn't able to connect to a few. The main theme of this collection was to uplift women voices and women empowerment which I feel that it handled pretty well. Another theme that I really liked was how women need to support each other!
The audiobook narration definitely adds a different experience to this collection. Her voice is so powerful. The poems are empowering and touching at times. But I found them too repetitive and generic at times.
Nonetheless it is good debut overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The audiobook narration definitely adds a different experience to this collection. Her voice is so powerful. The poems are empowering and touching at times. But I found them too repetitive and generic at times.
Nonetheless it is good debut overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Full review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
Wow, what a wonderful read! This book is definitely going to be shortlisted for many book prizes, along with Goodreads Choice Awards, for sure. Yes, this book is so good and so important.
I can't give you enough reasons as to why you should read this book, but nevertheless here are the 5 reasons as to why you should read this :D
1. An unimaginable and horrific story
Tara Westover, along with her other siblings was not allowed to go to school because their father thought that it is the government's scheme to impose its rules and it is against God's wish. She had a family who was obedient to her father. No one was able to say or do anything against his will. They took every word of his as divine and the final truth. He led them to believe that the world is going to end soon and asked them to prepare for "end of the world". This whole story was really unimaginable that still, such families exist. It was horrific to read all the encounters of that family, to read about their thinking. At one point it literally shook me and I was kind of afraid to know her story.
2. Engrossing and amazing storytelling of one's own experience
Tara Westover has done an incredible job of telling such a horrific personal story. I can't imagine myself telling the world my story if it was so.. disturbing? But Tara has done a brilliant job. With the easy words and easy narratives, you would find yourself totally engrossed in her story. She will take you to the mountains of Idaho and will make you feel how old that whole of her world is, though it's too contemporary outside those mountains.
3. Importance of Education and its relevance
As the title suggests, the story is about education and how it transforms you. I recently wrote a post on women's day saying that how education is important for all. I guess, this book exactly proves that. Tara believed in lies that she was told throughout her life. It was her education that helped her to travel across continents and make her able to see the truth behind those lies. It was the education which made her capable of thinking about her life outside those mountains of Idaho.
4. How a family can make you what you are
Besides everything else, this story is about family and how it can affect your life on the whole. If you have a good family with good education then you can almost certain to have a nice life. But what if your family is screwed up and believe in something crazy? It is definitely hard to imagine all the things that Tara and her siblings went through in that family. If a family can make your life and future good, it can equally destroy it.
5. Includes every aspect of a story you can think of
This story has everything. Even if you don't read non-fiction normally, you would be captivated by the number of things that this story includes. It talks about blind beliefs, gender discrimination, physical abuse, religion, race, mental health, self-discovery and what not. You name any other aspect of life, it was there.
Final Thoughts
Educated by Tara Westover is an unthinkable tale of how education changes you and gives you courage to even cross the oceans and to achieve your dreams. This story is so difficult to read because of the things that it is covering, but it is also difficult to put down. This is not like a typical memoir but has a story to deliver. It has been told, as it is, with all the ugly details of her family but still beautiful. This story definitely deserves more recognition.
Whether you are a nonfiction reader or not, I urge you to read this. I am sure it will make a huge impact on your life.
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Full review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
Wow, what a wonderful read! This book is definitely going to be shortlisted for many book prizes, along with Goodreads Choice Awards, for sure. Yes, this book is so good and so important.
I can't give you enough reasons as to why you should read this book, but nevertheless here are the 5 reasons as to why you should read this :D
1. An unimaginable and horrific story
Tara Westover, along with her other siblings was not allowed to go to school because their father thought that it is the government's scheme to impose its rules and it is against God's wish. She had a family who was obedient to her father. No one was able to say or do anything against his will. They took every word of his as divine and the final truth. He led them to believe that the world is going to end soon and asked them to prepare for "end of the world". This whole story was really unimaginable that still, such families exist. It was horrific to read all the encounters of that family, to read about their thinking. At one point it literally shook me and I was kind of afraid to know her story.
2. Engrossing and amazing storytelling of one's own experience
Tara Westover has done an incredible job of telling such a horrific personal story. I can't imagine myself telling the world my story if it was so.. disturbing? But Tara has done a brilliant job. With the easy words and easy narratives, you would find yourself totally engrossed in her story. She will take you to the mountains of Idaho and will make you feel how old that whole of her world is, though it's too contemporary outside those mountains.
3. Importance of Education and its relevance
As the title suggests, the story is about education and how it transforms you. I recently wrote a post on women's day saying that how education is important for all. I guess, this book exactly proves that. Tara believed in lies that she was told throughout her life. It was her education that helped her to travel across continents and make her able to see the truth behind those lies. It was the education which made her capable of thinking about her life outside those mountains of Idaho.
4. How a family can make you what you are
Besides everything else, this story is about family and how it can affect your life on the whole. If you have a good family with good education then you can almost certain to have a nice life. But what if your family is screwed up and believe in something crazy? It is definitely hard to imagine all the things that Tara and her siblings went through in that family. If a family can make your life and future good, it can equally destroy it.
5. Includes every aspect of a story you can think of
This story has everything. Even if you don't read non-fiction normally, you would be captivated by the number of things that this story includes. It talks about blind beliefs, gender discrimination, physical abuse, religion, race, mental health, self-discovery and what not. You name any other aspect of life, it was there.
Final Thoughts
Educated by Tara Westover is an unthinkable tale of how education changes you and gives you courage to even cross the oceans and to achieve your dreams. This story is so difficult to read because of the things that it is covering, but it is also difficult to put down. This is not like a typical memoir but has a story to deliver. It has been told, as it is, with all the ugly details of her family but still beautiful. This story definitely deserves more recognition.
Whether you are a nonfiction reader or not, I urge you to read this. I am sure it will make a huge impact on your life.
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Full review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I read this book last month and still can't decide exactly how I feel about this book. It was confusing, weird and yet something different. There were some hidden things behind the story.
I certainly liked the style in which the story was presented. It was something different that I had never seen. I read Letter From Skye last year and quite loved it, partially because of its format. The whole book was in letters. However, [b:The End We Start From|33858905|The End We Start From|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484434655s/33858905.jpg|53628450] was quite different. It was more like personal notes.. broken in between. It seems to be a unique idea but sometimes it just felt weird to read.
This story is about a dystopian era where London is suddenly submerged in water. The story is from the perspective of a young mother. She is thirty-nine weeks pregnant when she has to run to save her family from the havoc that has grasped London. She shares the experience of giving birth to her son "Z". The characters are not named in this, rather has been called just by their initials.
After the birth of Z, she flees with her husband R and takes refuge with R's parents. Even there, they are not safe and are constantly in fear about the dreaded. While the whole world seems uncertain and R is behaving all strange, the woman is all lost in her motherly feelings and busy in nourishing his son. She has been constantly shown amazed by the miracle that she has created.
When they move to camp later, where most of the refugees were staying, R panicked and he left the camp and went to find a better shelter for his family. During this time, the woman is forced to move to another camp and there she made friends and embraced her motherhood while waiting for R to return.
[a:Megan Hunter|16188062|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486153877p2/16188062.jpg] words sounded lyrical and as if she has chosen them carefully. What I feel is, she wanted to give a different kind of experience to her readers. Though I appreciate this prose-like writing, the story itself was lacking the plot. There could have been so much more in the story but I felt as if the main focus was on the woman itself and her motherhood.
Being a dystopian novel I think the story should have been somewhat focused on that situation in which London was at that time. The narration was definitely weak. Also, I am not that much happy with the way the characters names were given. Though it was an interesting idea, I struggled to remember the names and the relationships. Most of the time I kept wondering what will happen if all the letters of the alphabet are used :D It constantly bugged with throughout the story, making it more confusing.
I guess [a:Megan Hunter|16188062|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486153877p2/16188062.jpg] wanted to depict some important issues of the society like environmental changes and its effect on humans, but in my opinion, telling the story in this manner definitely failed that aspect.
The thing that I am certain that I liked about this book, is the depiction of feelings of a new mother. Though out of context, those proses were beautiful. The feeling of holding your son for the first time in your arms, his first laugh, his first word.. all these moments were captured beautifully.
Though this book didn't work for me in the way I expected it to be (from the cover), I am sure that many will like this unique manner of writing. The story had so much potential but I feel that execution was not done well.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Amazon
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I read this book last month and still can't decide exactly how I feel about this book. It was confusing, weird and yet something different. There were some hidden things behind the story.
I certainly liked the style in which the story was presented. It was something different that I had never seen. I read Letter From Skye last year and quite loved it, partially because of its format. The whole book was in letters. However, [b:The End We Start From|33858905|The End We Start From|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484434655s/33858905.jpg|53628450] was quite different. It was more like personal notes.. broken in between. It seems to be a unique idea but sometimes it just felt weird to read.
This story is about a dystopian era where London is suddenly submerged in water. The story is from the perspective of a young mother. She is thirty-nine weeks pregnant when she has to run to save her family from the havoc that has grasped London. She shares the experience of giving birth to her son "Z". The characters are not named in this, rather has been called just by their initials.
After the birth of Z, she flees with her husband R and takes refuge with R's parents. Even there, they are not safe and are constantly in fear about the dreaded. While the whole world seems uncertain and R is behaving all strange, the woman is all lost in her motherly feelings and busy in nourishing his son. She has been constantly shown amazed by the miracle that she has created.
When they move to camp later, where most of the refugees were staying, R panicked and he left the camp and went to find a better shelter for his family. During this time, the woman is forced to move to another camp and there she made friends and embraced her motherhood while waiting for R to return.
[a:Megan Hunter|16188062|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486153877p2/16188062.jpg] words sounded lyrical and as if she has chosen them carefully. What I feel is, she wanted to give a different kind of experience to her readers. Though I appreciate this prose-like writing, the story itself was lacking the plot. There could have been so much more in the story but I felt as if the main focus was on the woman itself and her motherhood.
Being a dystopian novel I think the story should have been somewhat focused on that situation in which London was at that time. The narration was definitely weak. Also, I am not that much happy with the way the characters names were given. Though it was an interesting idea, I struggled to remember the names and the relationships. Most of the time I kept wondering what will happen if all the letters of the alphabet are used :D It constantly bugged with throughout the story, making it more confusing.
I guess [a:Megan Hunter|16188062|Megan Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486153877p2/16188062.jpg] wanted to depict some important issues of the society like environmental changes and its effect on humans, but in my opinion, telling the story in this manner definitely failed that aspect.
The thing that I am certain that I liked about this book, is the depiction of feelings of a new mother. Though out of context, those proses were beautiful. The feeling of holding your son for the first time in your arms, his first laugh, his first word.. all these moments were captured beautifully.
Though this book didn't work for me in the way I expected it to be (from the cover), I am sure that many will like this unique manner of writing. The story had so much potential but I feel that execution was not done well.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Amazon
I had kind of expectations from this poetry collection, but yes it failed miserably. I have never read much complex poetry, so this collection was more a sort of "not for me". From the first poem itself I was not able to understand anything. The poet used so many complex words that it made it more difficult to understand. Apart from 2-3 poems I was not able to connect to anything and they just went over my head because of the hard language.
This book is certainly not for the people like me who enjoys reading poetry of [a:Rupi Kaur|8075577|Rupi Kaur|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1444103068p2/8075577.jpg] or [a:Alicia Cook|7969405|Alicia Cook|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515434147p2/7969405.jpg]. But yes if you can easily relate to a difficult kind of poetry, then you can certainly try this. As I said they didn't really work for me but they might be for you.
This book is certainly not for the people like me who enjoys reading poetry of [a:Rupi Kaur|8075577|Rupi Kaur|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1444103068p2/8075577.jpg] or [a:Alicia Cook|7969405|Alicia Cook|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515434147p2/7969405.jpg]. But yes if you can easily relate to a difficult kind of poetry, then you can certainly try this. As I said they didn't really work for me but they might be for you.