alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

This was my least favorite of the HP books so far. It felt SO LONG and SO SLOW and Harry was just grumpy for like the entire book. At close to 900 pages, too, this one just seemed to drag on and on and I wanted somebody to just give Dolores Umbridge a nice hex already to get her outta there.

I just read Into the Wild (as you can see earlier in this post), so when I stumbled upon this memoir from the sister of ITW's Chris McCandless, I knew I had to read it. I was so unsatisfied by ITW and frustrated by some of his actions and poor planning, and I wanted there to be more to the story. Good news! THERE IS. There's so much more. It's heartbreaking and twisted and such a searing look at the truth of families and how messed up they can be inside...and it makes all of the ITW story of Chris breaking all ties with his family to go adventure make sense. If you read Into the Wild, I strongly recommend reading this one-- it makes the whole story make so much more sense, and Carine's story is powerful, too. Bold, unashamed honesty and truth-telling in a memoir is something I just so greatly admire and respect. This one does that wonderfully.

I first read Station Eleven by her, and LOVED it. One of the best new fiction reads, if you ask me. I wanted to read more by her, and this was her debut novel. Her voice is distinct and I love her twisty plot lines and unexpected stories. This one wasn't as good as Station Eleven, but I read it in one sitting and it clearly kept me hooked, so if you like her style and want more, definitely grab this one!

Okay, #6 redeemed the series after my hate for #5. I definitely didn't remember this one (or the 5th) as much as I remembered the first four, so that's made them a little more exciting to read. I'll never be a huge Harry Potter fangirl, but they are fun reads and I'm looking forward to reading the last one soon!

This was a random library grab thanks to a great cover and an intriguing first few pages, and I was not disappointed. The story is told through 4 different characters, and I knew at some point they would overlap, but I didn't expect it to happen like it did. I knew there would have to be some event that would draw these distinct story lines together, and when it happened, it was pretty easy to guess how it would wrap up, but I was still engaged until the last page (which seemed to be an abrupt end). The beginning as you got to know the characters was a bit slow, but overall, a great debut novel from McBride! Hope she writes more.

I wasn't sure what to think of this one. It was the first novel I've ever read on my iPad (I'm a diehard paper book lover) which was a different and not so great experience... but I did like this one! It kept me hooked because I knew enough of the plot to know something dramatic was going to happen, and I really wanted to see how it played out. It wasn't as suspenseful as Gone Girl and it definitely wasn't writing of any extraordinary caliber, but it did keep me engaged and flipping pages quickly! It was a quick read and a fun look at New Orleans living around the time Katrina happened, but it was pretty shallow overall and not terribly shocking or engrossing, even though the themes could have gone to much darker, deeper, more intense places. If you like books with some twists and suspense but don't like all the gory, gross, super dark details, this is a great one for you!

I think this was my favorite HP book by far. I honestly did not know the way things played out (I've realized I never actually finished this series as a kid!) so I couldn't put this one down. The whole Snape storyline?! Never saw that coming. This was a great way to end this series. I am glad I reread them, despite all my stubborn push back originally.

I had heard HIGH praise for this one, which usually means I want nothing to do with it. It's probably the rebel tendencies in me, but I typically avoid things with a lot of hype because I rarely find that they live up to it. This one on the other hand, did. It really did. I was so captivated and intrigued by all the magic and mystery in this book. Here's an example of a book that excelled at switching between perspectives and time periods, and drew you more into the story each time instead of confusing you as the reader. I found this to be beautiful, enchanting, curious, and fun, and would definitely recommend it! It was well worth the wait and well-deserving of the hype and high praise.

I've been on an Emily St. John Mandel kick ever since Station Eleven (her newest) and I was really glad to find that this one (one of her oldest) was still fantastic. This was a pretty quick read and one that kept me curious throughout. I still rank Station Eleven as her best book, but I do recommend this one!