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The Kingdom of Back is a very interesting and well-written mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Drawing on the true story of the Mozart children, Nannerl and Wolfgang and their creation of the imaginary world in order to entertain themselves, Marie Lu creates a modern fairy tale that blends reality with a darkly magical world of upside down trees and a mysterious boy named Hyacinth.
The writing is really what carries this book through. It is highly polished and flows easily, helping the story remain interesting from the first page to the last. The plot is fairly methodical and moves at a steady pace. It is a comfortable and good read, but nothing that felt particularly hard-hitting. The magical elements were thoughtful and whimsical with a lovely touch of darkness, but weren't as developed as I expected, making the fantastical element of the book feel diminutive compared to the historical side. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but certainly something for potential readers to prepare themselves for. This is a historical story with a touch of whimsy rather than a fantasy story with pieces of historical truth.
There were a few moments of surprise and several pieces of high tension, but the plot overall holds no super surprising twists. This may be partially due to the constraints of reality within which Lu had to weave her tale. Regardless, it places the book firmly in YA territory due to the level of predictability and sophistication.
I enjoyed my read without a doubt, but I was not blown away by it. I was impressed with the historical aspects of the novel and it did present something new for me in terms of a blending of genres. The historical accuracy of the plot and the creativity needed to bring forth the fantastical mix is what helped the book edge up in the ratings for me, pushing it from a 3.5 to a 4-star read.
The writing is really what carries this book through. It is highly polished and flows easily, helping the story remain interesting from the first page to the last. The plot is fairly methodical and moves at a steady pace. It is a comfortable and good read, but nothing that felt particularly hard-hitting. The magical elements were thoughtful and whimsical with a lovely touch of darkness, but weren't as developed as I expected, making the fantastical element of the book feel diminutive compared to the historical side. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but certainly something for potential readers to prepare themselves for. This is a historical story with a touch of whimsy rather than a fantasy story with pieces of historical truth.
There were a few moments of surprise and several pieces of high tension, but the plot overall holds no super surprising twists. This may be partially due to the constraints of reality within which Lu had to weave her tale. Regardless, it places the book firmly in YA territory due to the level of predictability and sophistication.
I enjoyed my read without a doubt, but I was not blown away by it. I was impressed with the historical aspects of the novel and it did present something new for me in terms of a blending of genres. The historical accuracy of the plot and the creativity needed to bring forth the fantastical mix is what helped the book edge up in the ratings for me, pushing it from a 3.5 to a 4-star read.
<2020 Reread>
4.5 stars.
Though not my absolute favorite, this definitely ranks among the top Austen novels for me. The personalities of her characters are so entertaining and marvelous. There are a LOT of social underpinnings so carefully woven into the narrative and a few convoluted, though not overly complex, plot points that make the narrative intriguing and take it far beyond a mere social novel. It's truly masterful writing.
As a classic, Pride and Prejudice is certainly deserving of the title of one of the best. The writing is still predominantly accessible--even 200 years after the initial publication. I find that truly amazing and a testament to Austen's talent.
Sidenote: Lydia and Mrs. Bennet continue to annoy the bejeezus out of me--regardless of the number of times I have read this. They are both HIGHLY deserving of a hard slap.
4.5 stars.
Though not my absolute favorite, this definitely ranks among the top Austen novels for me. The personalities of her characters are so entertaining and marvelous. There are a LOT of social underpinnings so carefully woven into the narrative and a few convoluted, though not overly complex, plot points that make the narrative intriguing and take it far beyond a mere social novel. It's truly masterful writing.
As a classic, Pride and Prejudice is certainly deserving of the title of one of the best. The writing is still predominantly accessible--even 200 years after the initial publication. I find that truly amazing and a testament to Austen's talent.
Sidenote: Lydia and Mrs. Bennet continue to annoy the bejeezus out of me--regardless of the number of times I have read this. They are both HIGHLY deserving of a hard slap.
4.5 stars.
This was a reread, but enough time had passed that I had forgotten the "whodunit". The reread was just as entertaining as the first go round. I was quickly caught up in the story and the masterful writing. I am always impressed at how Christie can keep the answer so well hidden. Misdirection is everywhere and everyone becomes a suspect. I (just like my first read) had no idea who was the culprit until Christie herself revealed it in the end. Fantastically constructed.
There are a few instances of things not being quite PC, but I find that this is often where Christie's work has trouble standing the test of time. It can be cringeworthy on occasion, but I try to give it a little bit of a pass given the time in which these novels were written.
This was a reread, but enough time had passed that I had forgotten the "whodunit". The reread was just as entertaining as the first go round. I was quickly caught up in the story and the masterful writing. I am always impressed at how Christie can keep the answer so well hidden. Misdirection is everywhere and everyone becomes a suspect. I (just like my first read) had no idea who was the culprit until Christie herself revealed it in the end. Fantastically constructed.
There are a few instances of things not being quite PC, but I find that this is often where Christie's work has trouble standing the test of time. It can be cringeworthy on occasion, but I try to give it a little bit of a pass given the time in which these novels were written.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
The Other Bennet Sister follows the lesser known Mary Bennet, one of the five Bennet sisters from Jane Austen's famed Pride and Prejudice. Mary is the studious and quiet middle sister who does not feature much in the original novel. This story follows her from just before the start of the original novel to a few years following the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice.
I reread Pride and Prejudice just prior to reading this book, which may have been a slight mistake. I would recommend a little distance between the two, as the initial portions of this book do mirror Austen's novel very closely in parts. While some readers might find this endearing, I found it a bit annoying. It made things a bit thick and slow to start for me, while I don't think this would have been an issue had I not read the original novel for at least a few months.
Regardless, once the book moves beyond where P&P ends (which really isn't that far into the novel), things pick up steam and it comes into its own. Mary becomes a very full and wonderful character, I developed a larger appreciation for Mrs. Gardiner, and I still wanted to slap Mrs. Bennet into the next century. (She really is a terrible person.)
I have to give a LOT of credit to the writing. I was really impressed with it. Not only was it good writing on its own, but it also maintained the accurate feel of writing for the era and had moments where it truly felt as though it could've been a genuine Austen novel. I had a good time reading this one and really appreciated the progression of Mary's character. She truly became her own and I was so happy with where the author took her. It was well worth the read. Now...if Mrs. Bennet (and maybe Caroline Bingley) had both met grizzly or highly embarrassing and punishing ends, maybe I would've given it 5 stars. Just kidding...kind of...
The Other Bennet Sister follows the lesser known Mary Bennet, one of the five Bennet sisters from Jane Austen's famed Pride and Prejudice. Mary is the studious and quiet middle sister who does not feature much in the original novel. This story follows her from just before the start of the original novel to a few years following the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice.
I reread Pride and Prejudice just prior to reading this book, which may have been a slight mistake. I would recommend a little distance between the two, as the initial portions of this book do mirror Austen's novel very closely in parts. While some readers might find this endearing, I found it a bit annoying. It made things a bit thick and slow to start for me, while I don't think this would have been an issue had I not read the original novel for at least a few months.
Regardless, once the book moves beyond where P&P ends (which really isn't that far into the novel), things pick up steam and it comes into its own. Mary becomes a very full and wonderful character, I developed a larger appreciation for Mrs. Gardiner, and I still wanted to slap Mrs. Bennet into the next century. (She really is a terrible person.)
I have to give a LOT of credit to the writing. I was really impressed with it. Not only was it good writing on its own, but it also maintained the accurate feel of writing for the era and had moments where it truly felt as though it could've been a genuine Austen novel. I had a good time reading this one and really appreciated the progression of Mary's character. She truly became her own and I was so happy with where the author took her. It was well worth the read. Now...if Mrs. Bennet (and maybe Caroline Bingley) had both met grizzly or highly embarrassing and punishing ends, maybe I would've given it 5 stars. Just kidding...kind of...
Thrillers are not usually my thing. I picked this up partly because I kept seeing it mentioned, partly because I liked the cover, and mostly on a whim. I was BLOWN away. I got sucked into the story right away and LOVED the supernatural aspect of it.
The dual POV approach worked incredibly well and the plot moved at a steady clip--with just the right amount of creep factor. I could not put this down and loved every minute of it. The whole thing was super suspenseful and wonderfully atmospheric. The ending was magnificent.
A fantastic read and I am SO glad I gave it a try. I may have found a new genre (specifically subgenre) to enjoy.
The dual POV approach worked incredibly well and the plot moved at a steady clip--with just the right amount of creep factor. I could not put this down and loved every minute of it. The whole thing was super suspenseful and wonderfully atmospheric. The ending was magnificent.
A fantastic read and I am SO glad I gave it a try. I may have found a new genre (specifically subgenre) to enjoy.
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This one is an immortal classic. I loved it as a kid and found it adorable as an adult. It's cute and sweet. The perfect early middle grade and likely one of the best choices for introducing chapter books.
Well...this was a bit disappointing to be honest. It turns out that this is the extremely rare case where I enjoy the movie more than the book it was based on. It's also a rare case where I really don't care to continue the series.
There is a good magical component and some very good imagination in the tales, but I had a hard time connecting. The chapters act as short stories rather than a continuing tale. There isn't a lot of transition for a cohesive story and everything instead felt very disjointed. Perhaps the worst thing was that I really did not like Mary Poppins herself. She is nothing like her movie counterpart, but instead is mostly grumpy, short with the children, and quite standoffish. Had she been more like the Disney version, I likely would have enjoyed the book more. It wasn't an awful book, but I'm just let down by my overall experience with it.
There is a good magical component and some very good imagination in the tales, but I had a hard time connecting. The chapters act as short stories rather than a continuing tale. There isn't a lot of transition for a cohesive story and everything instead felt very disjointed. Perhaps the worst thing was that I really did not like Mary Poppins herself. She is nothing like her movie counterpart, but instead is mostly grumpy, short with the children, and quite standoffish. Had she been more like the Disney version, I likely would have enjoyed the book more. It wasn't an awful book, but I'm just let down by my overall experience with it.
This is very much a character driven novel that acts as the ultimate cozy read. There are great character descriptions and development through the wide-sweeping timeline of the plot. It is sweet, cute, and full of emotional moments of various kinds. It is a very long classic, but still endearing and begs to have it's time taken.
Personal reading note:
I feel absolutely horrible for Laurie throughout the entirety of the novel and may have actually liked him more than any of the four March sisters. And when it comes to the sisters, Amy was my least favorite by far. I found her pretentious, snobby, and just a whiny simpleton. She drove me nuts a good majority of the time. It had to be said.
Personal reading note:
I feel absolutely horrible for Laurie throughout the entirety of the novel and may have actually liked him more than any of the four March sisters. And when it comes to the sisters, Amy was my least favorite by far. I found her pretentious, snobby, and just a whiny simpleton. She drove me nuts a good majority of the time. It had to be said.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Prepare yourself to settle in with this one for the long haul. It's an investment, but I found it worth the time. Ruthless Gods is a very slow burn with an extensive reach. There are lots of intermittent moments of tension and action to keep things going (just as in the first book in the series). There are also places where the prose gets quite thick and confusing, so a slow and steady reading is best. Don't expect this to be a single sitting read. Plan to spend a little time here. It is a rewarding read, but takes some patience and diligence.
This continues to be a severely dark and BLOODY series. It is marketed as YA, but absolutely feels more adult to me due to the level of macabre. I'd say split the difference and regard this one as New Adult.
There were some improvements over the first novel and some places where this second in the trilogy felt a little less polished. There was a lot of repetition utilization to hammer home pieces of the plot or bits of foreshadowing. This grew a little frustrating. The inclusion of cultural dialect (there is heavy Russian and Polish influence in the creation of this world) continues to be a bit of a struggle for me. My ability to infer language apparently just isn't that great and this frustrated me on occasion. On the positive side, the plot progression is good and the world development continues to be very detailed and intriguing. Character development felt more balanced and well fleshed out in this sequel, owing partially to the setup from the first novel. Nadya is admittedly a less than sophisticated character and feels, at times, annoyingly naive, but this can easily be attributed to her upbringing and age. She acts very much like a teenager in her confusions of both her situation as a cleric and her romantic feelings for Malachiasz. It can be frustrating as a reader, but seems appropriate to her particular situation. I would have liked to have more of Parijahan in this novel, but I have a feeling that she will be making more of an impact in the finale.
As with Wicked Saints, the ending of Ruthless Gods gave some resolution and satisfaction, but it also left open some large pieces in the plot for the next installment to explain and solve. This book made me pause and pay attention. It is an intricate read, but an entertaining one. There is some overly cerebral construction, but it is worth the investment to focus and take the time to move through the pages. I am looking forward to the concluding novel in the series and hope for a satisfying conclusion.
Prepare yourself to settle in with this one for the long haul. It's an investment, but I found it worth the time. Ruthless Gods is a very slow burn with an extensive reach. There are lots of intermittent moments of tension and action to keep things going (just as in the first book in the series). There are also places where the prose gets quite thick and confusing, so a slow and steady reading is best. Don't expect this to be a single sitting read. Plan to spend a little time here. It is a rewarding read, but takes some patience and diligence.
This continues to be a severely dark and BLOODY series. It is marketed as YA, but absolutely feels more adult to me due to the level of macabre. I'd say split the difference and regard this one as New Adult.
There were some improvements over the first novel and some places where this second in the trilogy felt a little less polished. There was a lot of repetition utilization to hammer home pieces of the plot or bits of foreshadowing. This grew a little frustrating. The inclusion of cultural dialect (there is heavy Russian and Polish influence in the creation of this world) continues to be a bit of a struggle for me. My ability to infer language apparently just isn't that great and this frustrated me on occasion. On the positive side, the plot progression is good and the world development continues to be very detailed and intriguing. Character development felt more balanced and well fleshed out in this sequel, owing partially to the setup from the first novel. Nadya is admittedly a less than sophisticated character and feels, at times, annoyingly naive, but this can easily be attributed to her upbringing and age. She acts very much like a teenager in her confusions of both her situation as a cleric and her romantic feelings for Malachiasz. It can be frustrating as a reader, but seems appropriate to her particular situation. I would have liked to have more of Parijahan in this novel, but I have a feeling that she will be making more of an impact in the finale.
As with Wicked Saints, the ending of Ruthless Gods gave some resolution and satisfaction, but it also left open some large pieces in the plot for the next installment to explain and solve. This book made me pause and pay attention. It is an intricate read, but an entertaining one. There is some overly cerebral construction, but it is worth the investment to focus and take the time to move through the pages. I am looking forward to the concluding novel in the series and hope for a satisfying conclusion.
4.5 stars (as an adult). 5 stars as a middle grader.
This was one of my favorite books as an early chapter book reader and was likely my introduction to the areas of sci-fi and fantasy in fiction. I don't recall reading anything in that genre prior to it. I had a love of this book that was so intense that it stuck with me for several years, despite not having read it for several decades and having forgotten the near totality of its plot. This reread was very fun for me -- especially listening to the audio version. It did not hold quite the same level of magic as it did when I was younger, but I still really enjoyed it and can see so many valuable moral lessons within the plot. There is definitely a nostalgic love for this book in my heart, but I also enjoyed it very much as an adult and look forward to now completely reading the series.
This was one of my favorite books as an early chapter book reader and was likely my introduction to the areas of sci-fi and fantasy in fiction. I don't recall reading anything in that genre prior to it. I had a love of this book that was so intense that it stuck with me for several years, despite not having read it for several decades and having forgotten the near totality of its plot. This reread was very fun for me -- especially listening to the audio version. It did not hold quite the same level of magic as it did when I was younger, but I still really enjoyed it and can see so many valuable moral lessons within the plot. There is definitely a nostalgic love for this book in my heart, but I also enjoyed it very much as an adult and look forward to now completely reading the series.