ceraphimfalls's Reviews (319)

I wasn't expecting to totally devour this book. I wasn't expecting to actually like and feel for these characters after the initial scene in which, heads up, there is graphic animal death. But damn if it didn't worm it's way into my heart. It was comfortable even when it was disturbing. And yet, it absolutely cemented for me that I never want to live in the woods, even if I dream about running away and living off the grid. A wake up call in more ways than one.

Charlie Holmberg may be in the running to be my new favorite author after one book. Her writing is elegant but accessible, charming and kind. Her characters are competent and grounded, despite the magic that surrounds them. Everyone is competent in their own ways without punching down or putting others on pedestals. And, most importantly to this reader, the romance and the payoff feels EARNED. In general, "women's fantasy" always feels like there's a shoehorned romance and sexy times in the books, but this feels cozy and real, and happy to be what it is. It's refreshing. It's delightful. I hope it's a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre to you as it was to me.

I'd say this is a three star book, with such an adrenaline packed last 100 pages, that it gets pulled up to 3.5 stars on the coattails of the ending alone. It's a romp through the difficulties of being a teen and finding your people- that bonding at least feels sincere. Every Fear Test is well-written and intriguing. But it doesn't quite reach greatness when it was all RIGHT THERE and that is wildly disappointing. The core thesis of the book lies in an indictment of secret societies and the privileged classes until push comes to shove. Then it shows its class commentary teeth were really those fake plastic Dracula teeth the whole time. 

On the back of the books, there is the mantra "Housework without Humanity or Honor" which is a reference to the extremely violent and extremely cool Jingi Naki Tatakai series, about the Yakuza and the internal politics. It's probably the most cohesive story about the Yakuza in film that Westerners have access to and, thusly, what a lot of people may unknowingly draw their knowledge of Yakuza stereotypes that make this series really sing. Because of this, and the references to Proxy War...

My favorite vignette: Chapter 11

I tried my damndest with this book. I really did. Jodi Picoult's writing is on a whole other level than her co author, which makes the story feel like it stumbles with every other chapter (even though I really like the idea of the structure they were going for). Many have mentioned that the book felt "too politcal" or "pushed an agenda" and maybe those folks have life experiences that align them against the steps taken by characters in this book. It is not my place to judge their judgements. However, I am in a place to say that, even as a person who accepts and wants to protect the marginalized community featured, this felt overly political and agenda pushing. It felt insincere, judgmental, and absolutely played to the sensibilities of the "white liberal woman". There was no nuance, no joy in the character that we needed to love the most, that desperately needed to be the most humanized and connected to the reader. She was simply unlikable. Horribly disappointing.

This took me a while to get through as every chapter feels like a kick in the stomach. Friendship is hard, social justice is excruciatingly hard, people just suck. BUT we find hope and love in our communities, and it is our place to hold those communities to account. This book said so many things that I wish I had had the ability to put into words. It was beautiful and IMPORTANT. Not like high school English or in the way your friendly neighborhood academic who loves a performative moment would say "important", but important because fiction guides us to empathy in ways that non-fiction never could.

A murder mystery that doesn't feel gratuitous while not pulling any punches. I quite enjoyed the skipping from character to character, time to time. I liked that it made our characters real by acknowledging how strange such deep connections can be when you barely know someone, and how one must be trepidatious when it comes to those connections regardless of your gut feeling. The only thing I didn't like was the ending, because our murderer was cliche (I wish I had a better word to use here), and the repercussions of our 1920s heroine weren't explored enough. But it was a good ride for sure. Easy, engaging, and you could tell the writer was exploring outside of their comfort zone. Thank goodness they're a good writer and the gamble mostly paid off. 

This got HEAVY. It tackles incredibly difficult but important themes, and you can physically feel the weight on the shoulders of our characters. That said, you can also feel the weight of continuous publication in the pace of the writing. Brian K Vaughan is one of the best and busiest writers in the business, and you can tell there's the need to wind down for a break, coming right after this next volume.

Big ups to my girl, The Endwife. You're terrifying and motherly and I wish there was more of you. There's far more to your story.

Well, I've watched the new movie, I've watched the 1970s movie, and now I've read the book again just to confirm it. I can't stand this story. I guessed the ending 50 pages in the first time I read this, which I thought may have just made the slog painful. Nope. It's just a painfully dull read. I have tried so so hard to like this because it means a lot to important people in my life. But it just not to be.

At the least the Branagh film ending was an actual ending and not just a slow wheeze of apathy.

These were read aloud, which resulted in maybe a different experience than most. The stories for Day 1, 9, 11, and 12 were all great, if maybe a little rushed in the case of 9. For the most part, the stories had nothing to do with winter or the end of year holidays. It was poorly edited, if edited at all; there were whole repeated pages of text multiple times! The gifts that came with this book were excellent and, frankly, the saving grace here. I will pick up the 2022 book box and hope for the best.