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ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
4.5 stars. This is a little different from the usual Philippa Gregory novels if you're a reader of the Tudor and Plantagenet series like I am. There is still strong historical reference present in the text, but the approach of the primary characters is something new. Gregory just has a way with weaving an intriguing story and her historical knowledge and little bits of detail are always fantastic.
The start to this one was a little slow, which did hurt things in the ratings department, but really shouldn't be held against it too hard. The story is still really good and the narrative is detailed without being tedious. And when it came to the last bits of the book, I was shook. I couldn't put it down and I couldn't read the ending fast enough. It was well-built suspense and I was loving it.
Overall, this is a great read with a ridiculously strong ending. I am very much looking forward to continuing with the series.
** Full review at EPJ. **
4.5 stars. This is a little different from the usual Philippa Gregory novels if you're a reader of the Tudor and Plantagenet series like I am. There is still strong historical reference present in the text, but the approach of the primary characters is something new. Gregory just has a way with weaving an intriguing story and her historical knowledge and little bits of detail are always fantastic.
The start to this one was a little slow, which did hurt things in the ratings department, but really shouldn't be held against it too hard. The story is still really good and the narrative is detailed without being tedious. And when it came to the last bits of the book, I was shook. I couldn't put it down and I couldn't read the ending fast enough. It was well-built suspense and I was loving it.
Overall, this is a great read with a ridiculously strong ending. I am very much looking forward to continuing with the series.
** Full review at EPJ. **
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
4.5 stars.
Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart is a YA contemporary about a young woman's "reintegration" into high school life after a house fire that killed her mother, father, and cousin and left her with burns over 60% of her body, including her face. The story is incredibly well-written, with a voice true to a teenager. Ava is present in many different emotional states with a sense fantastic accuracy. In places, the story feels like a more mature version of Wonder. Erin Stewart clearly did her due diligence in researching this topic as her portrayal of the disability and its social ramifications reads as if it were a biography.
I inhaled this book. I read it over the course of two days and was impatiently awaiting the time when I could return to it. I stayed up late just to complete the last few pages. I didn't want to put it down.
4.5 stars.
Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart is a YA contemporary about a young woman's "reintegration" into high school life after a house fire that killed her mother, father, and cousin and left her with burns over 60% of her body, including her face. The story is incredibly well-written, with a voice true to a teenager. Ava is present in many different emotional states with a sense fantastic accuracy. In places, the story feels like a more mature version of Wonder. Erin Stewart clearly did her due diligence in researching this topic as her portrayal of the disability and its social ramifications reads as if it were a biography.
I inhaled this book. I read it over the course of two days and was impatiently awaiting the time when I could return to it. I stayed up late just to complete the last few pages. I didn't want to put it down.
4.5 stars.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel, which was narrated fantastically by Tom Hanks. The book is a character-driven novel focusing on the life of two siblings in Pennsylvania, following them from their childhood years into the ends of adulthood.
The writing is descriptive and flowing with great character to the dialogue. The narrative is delivered by Danny, the younger of the two siblings, and the portrayal of him by Hanks in the audio version is incredibly well done.
This is not a book for those who are bothered by a shifting and non-linear timeline in a plot. Though I feel it was done quite well, I can see that some may become confused, and even potentially aggravated, by this approach. For me, it added another layer of complexity that helped to keep the book interesting and to develop the plot in small strokes as the chapters moved on.
I enjoyed this sweeping narrative and felt that it added a bit more diversity to my reads this year. It's a good story and well-balanced between positive and negative events. There is a large range of emotion in the pages and the saga kept me intrigued. Though not in my usual range of reading (I prefer plot-driven stories), The Dutch House was definitely worth the time and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a strong narrative with full-bodied characters and a family focus.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel, which was narrated fantastically by Tom Hanks. The book is a character-driven novel focusing on the life of two siblings in Pennsylvania, following them from their childhood years into the ends of adulthood.
The writing is descriptive and flowing with great character to the dialogue. The narrative is delivered by Danny, the younger of the two siblings, and the portrayal of him by Hanks in the audio version is incredibly well done.
This is not a book for those who are bothered by a shifting and non-linear timeline in a plot. Though I feel it was done quite well, I can see that some may become confused, and even potentially aggravated, by this approach. For me, it added another layer of complexity that helped to keep the book interesting and to develop the plot in small strokes as the chapters moved on.
I enjoyed this sweeping narrative and felt that it added a bit more diversity to my reads this year. It's a good story and well-balanced between positive and negative events. There is a large range of emotion in the pages and the saga kept me intrigued. Though not in my usual range of reading (I prefer plot-driven stories), The Dutch House was definitely worth the time and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a strong narrative with full-bodied characters and a family focus.
Fredrik Backman has a way of connecting with the souls of his characters. Even though this is a novella, he still manages to get at the core of something painful and heart-wrenching. There is something so true and raw about his words and the way he can conjure a scene.
Nearly the entirety of this short story takes place in the mind of an elderly gentleman with dementia. Backman captures the fear and confusion of living with the disease as well as the odd movements of time. This short read is nearly as powerful as his full-length works, moving in a swift and effective way within its short 97 pages.
Nearly the entirety of this short story takes place in the mind of an elderly gentleman with dementia. Backman captures the fear and confusion of living with the disease as well as the odd movements of time. This short read is nearly as powerful as his full-length works, moving in a swift and effective way within its short 97 pages.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
4.5 stars.
This is yet another emotional historical read from Heather Morris. It explores the world of the Gulag in post-WWII Russia. That was an area of history that I was highly unfamiliar with.
Having read The Tattooist of Auschwitz prior to this one, I was familiar with Cilka as a person and a character and this was a very good follow up. It was not as involved as Lale's story, but Morris does admit that she had much less information to utilize on this novel and so a good portion of the story comes from the melding of the histories of multiple people or solely from her imagination. That didn't take away from the power of this narrative. The writing remains intriguing and the topic remains gut-wrenching. This wasn't as emotional a read for me as Tattooist, but this may have been due to a few possible things, including the fact I was already emotionally drained from reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz JUST prior to this one.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the story and thought it was well done. However, the ending just didn't feel complete to me. It felt like too quick of a wrap up and didn't give me any sense of closure or transition. That may just be my own personal experience, as we all know I tend to be rather picky about my endings. Regardless, this is still a very good read and a solid follow up novel.
4.5 stars.
This is yet another emotional historical read from Heather Morris. It explores the world of the Gulag in post-WWII Russia. That was an area of history that I was highly unfamiliar with.
Having read The Tattooist of Auschwitz prior to this one, I was familiar with Cilka as a person and a character and this was a very good follow up. It was not as involved as Lale's story, but Morris does admit that she had much less information to utilize on this novel and so a good portion of the story comes from the melding of the histories of multiple people or solely from her imagination. That didn't take away from the power of this narrative. The writing remains intriguing and the topic remains gut-wrenching. This wasn't as emotional a read for me as Tattooist, but this may have been due to a few possible things, including the fact I was already emotionally drained from reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz JUST prior to this one.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the story and thought it was well done. However, the ending just didn't feel complete to me. It felt like too quick of a wrap up and didn't give me any sense of closure or transition. That may just be my own personal experience, as we all know I tend to be rather picky about my endings. Regardless, this is still a very good read and a solid follow up novel.
This is an incredibly good middle grade book. The writing is age appropriate with good establishment of foreshadowing (without being blatantly obvious). There is great information with regard to the wilderness and wilderness survival. I appreciate that Paulsen doesn't let things be easy for Brian in the wilderness. He fails at some things and has to learn how to make things work. It takes practice, trial and error. The book, though intended for middle graders, still reads fairly solidly for an adult. The intended age group does have to be kept in mind, but overall the writing is really good for nearly every age. A good narrative and a great story.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. *
Gravemaidens is a YA fantasy set in an area similar to ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia. In this society, maidens are chosen to accompany the ruler to the afterworld should he perish. These "chosen ones" are sealed in a tomb with the deceased and then made to drink poison or assassinated by a selected guard. Kammani, the daughter and apprentice to a local healer, has seen her younger sister Nanaea be chosen as one of these sacred maidens. She is distraught at this choice and wants to do all she can to save her sister from such a fate, as she sees it for what it really is...not a blessing, just an early death.
Both the premise and the cover of this one had me hooked. It was a good spookyish setup for a fall read and I really liked that it was set in a setting that is not common in current fantasy reads. I enjoyed the world building and the detail, the blending of existing cultures and imagination to create something that really is Coon's own. I enjoyed this atmosphere and the overall story was intriguing and entertaining.
The characters were dynamic and believable for the most part, though I did have some issues with Kammani as a consistent character in her actions (sometimes smart characters make dumb choices) and the supporting character of Iltani (she was a bit too flighty for my liking, though I did appreciate her sarcasm). Any other issues I had with the individual characters themselves really worked themselves out nicely for me with the ending, though I won't say more than that. Just trust in the author to have it make sense.
The pacing seemed a little up and down at some bits, but overall the plot moved nicely and the narrative kept me interested from very early on in the book. I will admit that I had somewhat figured out the plot by fairly early on in the book, but the writing did have me second guessing myself here and there, so I call that a win. This was a good and quick read that I wanted to get back to and I am looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing how this all shakes out.
Gravemaidens is a YA fantasy set in an area similar to ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia. In this society, maidens are chosen to accompany the ruler to the afterworld should he perish. These "chosen ones" are sealed in a tomb with the deceased and then made to drink poison or assassinated by a selected guard. Kammani, the daughter and apprentice to a local healer, has seen her younger sister Nanaea be chosen as one of these sacred maidens. She is distraught at this choice and wants to do all she can to save her sister from such a fate, as she sees it for what it really is...not a blessing, just an early death.
Both the premise and the cover of this one had me hooked. It was a good spookyish setup for a fall read and I really liked that it was set in a setting that is not common in current fantasy reads. I enjoyed the world building and the detail, the blending of existing cultures and imagination to create something that really is Coon's own. I enjoyed this atmosphere and the overall story was intriguing and entertaining.
The characters were dynamic and believable for the most part, though I did have some issues with Kammani as a consistent character in her actions (sometimes smart characters make dumb choices) and the supporting character of Iltani (she was a bit too flighty for my liking, though I did appreciate her sarcasm). Any other issues I had with the individual characters themselves really worked themselves out nicely for me with the ending, though I won't say more than that. Just trust in the author to have it make sense.
The pacing seemed a little up and down at some bits, but overall the plot moved nicely and the narrative kept me interested from very early on in the book. I will admit that I had somewhat figured out the plot by fairly early on in the book, but the writing did have me second guessing myself here and there, so I call that a win. This was a good and quick read that I wanted to get back to and I am looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing how this all shakes out.
My love for magical realism continues. I will admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as McLemore's The Weight of Feathers, but it was still a beautiful story. Taking inspiration from their own life, McLemore creates heartbreaking characters facing personal struggles that are both internal and external in nature. The language is melodic and wonderful, describing things with a fantastic clarity while still leaving some magical edges and whimsy. The magical element of the novel is creative and quirky and initially didn't quite meet the mark for me, but it developed through the story quite well and I really came to embrace it in the end. Speaking of endings, this one is great. It is full of emotional content that hit me hard and really drove home the underlying topics of equality. It wasn't a perfect read, but it was a darned good one.
