Damn, I love this book cover.

So, this was WILD. In both good and bad ways. I wanted to wait a bit before writing something because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Now, though, my feelings boil down to this: it was totally readable, but what the hell just happened?

This started out very promisingly, though a touch too insta-love for me. I liked the idea of the places this story could possibly go, with Mick and Veronica being the sparks that start a metaphorical blaze in their lives that grows out of control. I saw the beginnings of a GREAT story there, especially when we went through Veronica's terrible decision making for the sake of her photography, and watching the way Mick's life kept spiraling ever out of control.

But then Nico happened.

The heck? I'm sure everything to do with Nico and the way the story develops as a result of his actions is the where the Dorian Gray inspiration comes from, but I haven't (yet) read The Picture of Dorian Gray. As such, it felt like a tornado touched down in the middle of this story I really liked and tore everything apart, leaving a great big mess.

Granted, it was a very readable mess and DID make for a fun thrill of a read, but it wasn't the story I wanted.

(Also, for the record, this whole story takes place in like, 2 weeks? Maybe? A huge amount of suspension of disbelief is needed here.)

Anyway. Ultimately I gave this 3 stars to even out my feelings. 5 stars for where it started and the really great bones of a story that could have gone places. 2 stars for Nico and everything that happened in the last third of the book.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5, because this is an absolutely incredible work that everyone needs to read. Whether it's to feel represented, or understand what it means to be a 15 year old girl bursting at the seams to be yourself but also being hemmed in by every aspect of your life, or to understand what it means to be a girl in general, or to relate to being a poet who just wants to write and know what it means to be heard -- this book is for everyone.

The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo herself, and she performs her poetry as spoken word. It's beautiful and powerful and I can't imagine having read it any other way.

I took a half star off only because I wasn't a fan of the ending. After the reality and incredible emotion of Xiomara's story, it felt like it all got wrapped up much too neatly.

Anyone who loves reading should give this a try -- doubly so if you have a teenager in your family and can share it with them. This could provide some really fantastic insight and discussion.

An absolute delight and a fun middle grade magic adventure.

Absolutely incredible, and truly one of the best books I've read all year. I don't care what else I read in the next seven months, this will settle firmly in my top 5, maybe top 3 of 2021.

Anything I can think up to describe my feelings about this book feel pale and little in comparison to Tara Westover's writing and her life. All I can say is that I went into this thinking it was just going to be some memoir about a woman who didn't have a formal education and how she changed when she finally did set foot in a college class. What I didn't expect was to be hit with the intensity and confusion that loving an abusive family can mean and how it can affect you for the rest of your life. I didn't expect to see myself in parts of her, in the confusion of growing up and realizing your life is Not Okay to the confusion and guilt in still wanting to be loved by family and the pain that can take hold when you need to break away to save yourself.

(Side note: I totally want to read her dissertation. It sounds INCREDIBLE.)

Inspirational, insightful, emotional, and uplifting. Michelle Obama's memoir covers her entire life, from growing up in Chicago to her last days in the White House. There was so much here that I was surprisingly moved by, and so much that I never knew, or never even thought about.

The audiobook narrated by Michelle herself is a fantastic listen...if you listen at 1.5x speed. She's a very deliberate, very slow narrator, but she places emotional intent behind her own words that makes it worth a listen. I'm going to be hearing her voice narrating my reading for days.

What else can I say that hasn't been said thousands of times over in reviews on Goodreads already?

This was loads of fun and with interesting characters and a world I easily fell in love with very early on. I want to see the continuing adventures of Guet Imm and Tet Sang please!!

~~~~~

What the hell Goodreads, I didn't even start this and was marked as read???

The beta book page is going to drive me crazy. My bug/feedback list is looonnnngggg.

I've been wanting to read this for years, but never really got up to it. So glad I finally did. I'm never sure how I'll feel about great family epic novels (maybe I'm just bored by the Great American Epic), but Pachinko hit all the right spots, then pressed down on those bruised areas again and again. Satisfying and a little bittersweet at the end.

I think a new life goal I want to strive toward is to try to read as many family epic novels as I can from different countries. It seems like a great way to get a feel for that country's history and culture, and to learn a lot that I never knew before.

Totally fun with all the tropes it utilizes, though at the end of the day Benedict is still the brother I have the least interest in. I still have no idea who he is after this book beyond liking art and feeling like he's only ever known as just Bridgerton Number Two.

I have to give it to Quinn for ending it with the most outlandish Hero Saves the Day scene. It felt like a Fanfic Fix-It level fantasy of how Sophie's story could be resolved and I have to admit, I loved it.