bennysbooks's Reviews (668)

For the overall plot, as a continuation of the series this was great. But OMG SO MUCH ELEND AND VIN. If you weren't convinced about their romance in the first book, this second book won't convince you any more. The amount of times I sent my partner images of Elend's dialogue with the caption "Fuck off Elend"... it became a touchstone for us for a few weeks. That being said, a few of my issues with Elend's character were adequately addressed in this book, so that was a positive. I just think this book would have benefited from more of Sazed and Tindwyl, and Marsh as well. Less Elend and Vin being angsty. 

I actually really enjoyed how some of the other party members were fleshed out in this book too, now that I look back. 

Worth the read. 

TENSOON 😭

Great worldbuilding and storytelling. I was hooked from the beginning, and while I felt it drag a few times, it would always pick back up before I grew bored. I think after reading Elantris, I saw some of the Sanderson-isms a little too much to be completely head-over-heals for the friend group, but they were endearing nonetheless. I think this could have fallen more in the 4 range if it weren't for the degree to which the romance plot in this frustrated me. It was very insta-lovey, and not very believable. Also, other characters talked about Elend as if he were this intelligent and revolutionary guy, but I couldn't stand him.

He came across like a dumb, ineffectual kid, totally unfit for the leadership role he ends up with.

Nope. 

The main characters were pretty unlikable, but that was fine by me. What I couldn't stand was the soapboxing. Occasionally it served to develop the main character, herself an obnoxious feminist academic, but mostly it just felt like authorial ideology-flexing. I didn't need the feminist 'primer' on various topics every 10 pages, I was looking for a story. (To be clear, I agree with the stuff she talked about, that only made it worse). 

The worst part though was that SO MUCH of the book was backstory. I wanted more of the wedding, more tension, more thriller. The first half read like a millennial writing a mediocre lit-fic, with a sprinkle of dystopia, and the second half had the potential to be a fun/campy romp but was just a headache.

And the letter at the end? What did that add to the story?? We already had so much backstory! It was already so clear that the mom was to blame (why do we have to blame moms so much? Sick of that too), and society was to blame, and who could *possibly* resist those two influences? We didn't need so many pages of Ellie tracing the roots of her obsession. 

I think at the end of the day, that is my main critique - I spent so much time wondering where the author saw the value of so many things she wrote. What did it add? My answer was 'nothing' more often than not. 

Quite predictable, unnecessary side-plots, a hefty dose of over-explanation toward the end. Not disappointed I read it but didn't love it.

Re-read because, like some of the last few reviews I see posted, I wanted to read Persuasion again so that I could watch the new Netflix adaptation and have fresh eyes with which to bash it (like so many of the YouTube reviews I have seen posted - so excited to watch those too). Hilariously, the introduction to this Vintage Classics edition, written in 2014, discusses a terrible 2007 TV adaptation (which I haven't seen but might try to seek out now) and states, "fans of Jane Austen never forgive a wonky adaptation". Nothing really to review, this book is undeniably great (if Austen is your thing). 

😮‍💨 Exhausting. I thought I would connect to this as a queer millennial who consumed a lot of the same media as the writer growing up, but this was so hyper-focused on nothing but the author's experience of the world. Very white, cis, lesbian. Queer women were called lesbians whether or not that is how they identify, and gender was only ever spoken about in a fairly binary way (which rubbed me the wrong way as a bi enby). Gutowitz doesn't strictly have to write beyond her perspective but it does alienate some of your potential audience when you choose not to even acknowledge varying identities/perspectives. By the 20% mark I still didn't feel like I had read anything meaningful, mostly just nostalgic ramblings. Which could be fun, but wasn't the stated objective of the book. The real killer though was that it was written in such a grating "this-is-what-internet-millenials-sound-like" way. I think the right audience would love this. I am not that audience. 

Not holding my interest right now. I've read and enjoyed Jamaica Inn, so I know du Maurier's writing works for me. Not giving up on this fully, but probably won't try again for a few years. A lot of suspension of disbelief. A bit eye-roll inducing dialogue.