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ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
4.5 stars
Wow. This book is a total gut punch. It is intense, intelligent, and heart-wrenching. The writing feels authentic to the characters and Justyce felt very much like a teenage boy, despite his often very mature analysis of things. The situations addressed in the book are very direct and face racist comments and actions head on. The author did a good job of examining the situations from multiple angles, addressing common responses to similar racial situations.
I recognize that, as a white reader, my experience in reading this book is limited and my ability to fully understand the background and evaluate authenticity is limited.
However, this was an incredibly powerful work that I felt to be very accessible for any reader. It is a good primer for racial education in those who perhaps don't see the full picture as it pulls no punches, delving into the issues of racial inequality with eyes wide open. An excellent and NECESSARY read.
Wow. This book is a total gut punch. It is intense, intelligent, and heart-wrenching. The writing feels authentic to the characters and Justyce felt very much like a teenage boy, despite his often very mature analysis of things. The situations addressed in the book are very direct and face racist comments and actions head on. The author did a good job of examining the situations from multiple angles, addressing common responses to similar racial situations.
I recognize that, as a white reader, my experience in reading this book is limited and my ability to fully understand the background and evaluate authenticity is limited.
However, this was an incredibly powerful work that I felt to be very accessible for any reader. It is a good primer for racial education in those who perhaps don't see the full picture as it pulls no punches, delving into the issues of racial inequality with eyes wide open. An excellent and NECESSARY read.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Before receiving a full copy of this novel, I read a short excerpt. I was pretty hooked in that short little section, so I knew I needed to read the whole thing. I had loved P.S. I Love You and, though I know that follow ups after the fact for something initially meant to be a standalone can often be huge disappointments, I wanted more of Holly's story.
The writing in this follow up is the same flowing and light tone as in the original, but it did seem to have a little less polish. There was also perhaps a bit more philosophical content, which came off a little too stiff. In fact, the prose itself felt initially a little halting overall, but this awkwardness faded and the narrative soon fell into a good rhythm. The storyline was mostly believable, but liberties were obviously taken to make this a bit more of a "feel good" in some of the circumstances...the way books lumped into the genre of "beach read" tend to do. So, yes, some of the plot devices were a bit basic and cliche. Regardless, I found myself wrapped up in the story and enjoying where the pages took me.
The characters continued to move forward from their initial trajectory, but there was less secondary character development than I recall from the first installment. This didn't feel lacking though, the balance was good and there was enough occurring peripherally to Holly to make the story well-rounded. With the addition of new characters, the pulling of heartstrings continued through this narrative. Gerry's character was still present to some regard, but (as would be expected) this focuses more on Holly's journey forward. This was a difficult balance to make between old and new, but it was done well.
Postscript is definitely a follow-up and couldn't really stand on its own without the history of P.S. I Love You propelling it forward, but it does have it's own merits. There was definitely a consistent stream of emotional content and further exploration of the topics of death and grief. I very rarely cry at books, but a piece of this one hit me hard, right in the feels. Bonus points for that. Takeaway thoughts: though not as good as the original, Postscript is a good story all the same and definitely worth a read.
Before receiving a full copy of this novel, I read a short excerpt. I was pretty hooked in that short little section, so I knew I needed to read the whole thing. I had loved P.S. I Love You and, though I know that follow ups after the fact for something initially meant to be a standalone can often be huge disappointments, I wanted more of Holly's story.
The writing in this follow up is the same flowing and light tone as in the original, but it did seem to have a little less polish. There was also perhaps a bit more philosophical content, which came off a little too stiff. In fact, the prose itself felt initially a little halting overall, but this awkwardness faded and the narrative soon fell into a good rhythm. The storyline was mostly believable, but liberties were obviously taken to make this a bit more of a "feel good" in some of the circumstances...the way books lumped into the genre of "beach read" tend to do. So, yes, some of the plot devices were a bit basic and cliche. Regardless, I found myself wrapped up in the story and enjoying where the pages took me.
The characters continued to move forward from their initial trajectory, but there was less secondary character development than I recall from the first installment. This didn't feel lacking though, the balance was good and there was enough occurring peripherally to Holly to make the story well-rounded. With the addition of new characters, the pulling of heartstrings continued through this narrative. Gerry's character was still present to some regard, but (as would be expected) this focuses more on Holly's journey forward. This was a difficult balance to make between old and new, but it was done well.
Postscript is definitely a follow-up and couldn't really stand on its own without the history of P.S. I Love You propelling it forward, but it does have it's own merits. There was definitely a consistent stream of emotional content and further exploration of the topics of death and grief. I very rarely cry at books, but a piece of this one hit me hard, right in the feels. Bonus points for that. Takeaway thoughts: though not as good as the original, Postscript is a good story all the same and definitely worth a read.
3.5 stars.
It took me a few chapters to fall into this book, which is admittedly gritty and quite jarring. It is a good exploration of tough topics, including race, poverty, imprisonment, and drug use. This makes it an overwhelmingly sad and continuously painful story to read.
The unfortunate parentage of Jojo and Kayla is difficult to stomach--as is the attitude of Michael's parents (particularly his father) towards their own grandchildren. Thank goodness for Mam and Pop, though even their abilities are clearly limited. The relationship between Jojo and Kayla is endearing, but at the same time so heart-breaking and disturbing as it is the result of the young boy effectively having to become parent to his baby sister because of inept parenting.
I loathed Leonie for the entirety of the book. I felt no sympathy for her, wanted to slap her back into recognition of her actions and responsibilities. I just felt so bad for those children. It was a difficult read to stomach, but it was still well-written. I can't explain why I didn't like it more...it may have simply been due to my inability to connect with half of the characters based on my anger towards them and an inability to understand someone's sheer negligence and complete disregard for their own children.
It took me a few chapters to fall into this book, which is admittedly gritty and quite jarring. It is a good exploration of tough topics, including race, poverty, imprisonment, and drug use. This makes it an overwhelmingly sad and continuously painful story to read.
The unfortunate parentage of Jojo and Kayla is difficult to stomach--as is the attitude of Michael's parents (particularly his father) towards their own grandchildren. Thank goodness for Mam and Pop, though even their abilities are clearly limited. The relationship between Jojo and Kayla is endearing, but at the same time so heart-breaking and disturbing as it is the result of the young boy effectively having to become parent to his baby sister because of inept parenting.
I loathed Leonie for the entirety of the book. I felt no sympathy for her, wanted to slap her back into recognition of her actions and responsibilities. I just felt so bad for those children. It was a difficult read to stomach, but it was still well-written. I can't explain why I didn't like it more...it may have simply been due to my inability to connect with half of the characters based on my anger towards them and an inability to understand someone's sheer negligence and complete disregard for their own children.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
4.5 stars.
TJ Klune is quickly becoming a must read author for me. It seems as though everything he touches is magic. This is definitely true with this quick teen read.
The Extraordinaries is something like Fangirl/Carry On with a superhero spin. Humorous and flippant while tackling difficult topics and those awkward teenage moments and (let's face it) years. The writing is fresh and funny and everything moves so easily. The book zoomed along and it could easily be a single-sitting read.
Klune's characters are lovable, unapologetically themselves, and believable. There is a lot of encouragement for individuality and being true to yourself, which I found just so adorable. The characters, both adults and teens, feel inclusive and the writing perpetuates a great atmosphere of acceptance.
The plot is sometimes a bit overly transparent, but I didn't mind that since I was having so much fun with the read. I really enjoyed this first installment in what looks to be an upcoming trilogy and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and...let's be honest here...anything else TJ Klune happens to write.
4.5 stars.
TJ Klune is quickly becoming a must read author for me. It seems as though everything he touches is magic. This is definitely true with this quick teen read.
The Extraordinaries is something like Fangirl/Carry On with a superhero spin. Humorous and flippant while tackling difficult topics and those awkward teenage moments and (let's face it) years. The writing is fresh and funny and everything moves so easily. The book zoomed along and it could easily be a single-sitting read.
Klune's characters are lovable, unapologetically themselves, and believable. There is a lot of encouragement for individuality and being true to yourself, which I found just so adorable. The characters, both adults and teens, feel inclusive and the writing perpetuates a great atmosphere of acceptance.
The plot is sometimes a bit overly transparent, but I didn't mind that since I was having so much fun with the read. I really enjoyed this first installment in what looks to be an upcoming trilogy and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and...let's be honest here...anything else TJ Klune happens to write.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
I think the concept of the memoir was a good one and there were certainly some good stories regarding the author's life, along with how the dogs in her life played a part. However, this felt more like a collection of anecdotes than a true narrative memoir. As a result, things feel choppy, something that was increased by the tendency of the chapters to move back and forth through time in quick succession. This organization made the book often jerky, confusing, and disorienting, easily causing reader fatigue. I alleviated some of this issue by reading a portion of the book via audio. This approach also helped remove some of my problems with the sentence structure.
I did not realize prior to starting the book that this was actually the latest in a series of memoirs written by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Because I had not read the other books prior and this was my introduction to Ms. Boylan, the result was a read that had interesting moments and good emotional stories, but that still felt a little like scratching the surface or gathering up the leftovers.
I did still enjoy parts of the stories and could certainly identify with the ways that dogs can help to teach us about life and the things that are important. I just was disappointed that this didn't feel like more of an emotional investment. It felt like I was being held a bit more at arm's length and that I wasn't, unfortunately, really able to connect fully with the heart of the story.
I think the concept of the memoir was a good one and there were certainly some good stories regarding the author's life, along with how the dogs in her life played a part. However, this felt more like a collection of anecdotes than a true narrative memoir. As a result, things feel choppy, something that was increased by the tendency of the chapters to move back and forth through time in quick succession. This organization made the book often jerky, confusing, and disorienting, easily causing reader fatigue. I alleviated some of this issue by reading a portion of the book via audio. This approach also helped remove some of my problems with the sentence structure.
I did not realize prior to starting the book that this was actually the latest in a series of memoirs written by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Because I had not read the other books prior and this was my introduction to Ms. Boylan, the result was a read that had interesting moments and good emotional stories, but that still felt a little like scratching the surface or gathering up the leftovers.
I did still enjoy parts of the stories and could certainly identify with the ways that dogs can help to teach us about life and the things that are important. I just was disappointed that this didn't feel like more of an emotional investment. It felt like I was being held a bit more at arm's length and that I wasn't, unfortunately, really able to connect fully with the heart of the story.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
For me, this is the case of a book that was not fleshed out enough or edited hard enough and was sent to publication too soon. It has a good premise and some good content for creating a solid magic system, but there were a lot of things that fell short.
Perhaps the biggest feeling on this one was that it felt like a YA novel shoved into a middle grade form. There wasn't enough nuance or subtlety to the writing, resulting in a plot that squeezed quite a bit into too few pages and didn't give enough to get me involved in the story. The writing did way too much telling instead of showing and a little additional description could have gone a long way. Similarly, there was a lot of info dumping rather than world-building that I think hurt how well this could have been put together. As a result, the characters felt flat and the pacing inconsistent. The bones are there, but the execution needed some nurturing.
Character development was a problem because it was lacking. What was present really just made me dislike the majority of the characters. Arden was the only one who really had any characteristics making her likable, but I didn't feel like I got to know her well enough to feel invested in any way. Because I didn't really care about the characters, I had a hard time caring about the story.
When it came to the story itself, I return the idea that this felt like a middle grade read in some ways. Dialogue was immature (sometimes in keeping with the characters, but sometimes just awkward) and inconsistent. One character's accented speech seemed to come and go with no explanation. Everything in the plot was overly convenient and there were little to no consequences for bad actions or choices. Even when characters did something stupid there seemed to be a silver lining so things worked out exactly how they wanted them too.
Given the potential for the storyline and an interesting world/series, I was very disappointed in this read.
For me, this is the case of a book that was not fleshed out enough or edited hard enough and was sent to publication too soon. It has a good premise and some good content for creating a solid magic system, but there were a lot of things that fell short.
Perhaps the biggest feeling on this one was that it felt like a YA novel shoved into a middle grade form. There wasn't enough nuance or subtlety to the writing, resulting in a plot that squeezed quite a bit into too few pages and didn't give enough to get me involved in the story. The writing did way too much telling instead of showing and a little additional description could have gone a long way. Similarly, there was a lot of info dumping rather than world-building that I think hurt how well this could have been put together. As a result, the characters felt flat and the pacing inconsistent. The bones are there, but the execution needed some nurturing.
Character development was a problem because it was lacking. What was present really just made me dislike the majority of the characters. Arden was the only one who really had any characteristics making her likable, but I didn't feel like I got to know her well enough to feel invested in any way. Because I didn't really care about the characters, I had a hard time caring about the story.
When it came to the story itself, I return the idea that this felt like a middle grade read in some ways. Dialogue was immature (sometimes in keeping with the characters, but sometimes just awkward) and inconsistent. One character's accented speech seemed to come and go with no explanation. Everything in the plot was overly convenient and there were little to no consequences for bad actions or choices. Even when characters did something stupid there seemed to be a silver lining so things worked out exactly how they wanted them too.
Given the potential for the storyline and an interesting world/series, I was very disappointed in this read.
I enjoy an unreliable narrator, so this book was right up my alley. The read totally hurt my brain a little bit, but I liked it. Things are messy and confusing and seem to keep getting messier even as they are starting to unravel. It's a complicated concept with a lot of twists and turns. Some of the twists are easy to figure out and some are not. Some of them seem to exist just to add more complication and to make you question everything you might have figured out. There are also a few red herrings along the way that keep adding questions to the pile. It's SUPER convoluted and I found it gripping. I really enjoyed the writing style and didn't want to put it down. And while some find the ending disappointing, I found it intriguing and maybe just a little bit more complicating...
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
I love a good circus read. I don't know what it is, but a circus setting will get me every time. In all honesty, just that atmosphere will add on an additional rating star for me. I also like WWII historical fiction, so this book was a perfect fit.
The historical content is good with some wonderful little details. The writing was flowing and engaging with great detail in terms of setting and action.
I loved the characters, though I felt that Michel could have been explored a little more. Something about him felt a bit more like telling rather than showing, as if we weren't really able to see inside him fully. I also would've liked more fleshing out of the interpersonal relationships. Those seemed to somewhat scratch the surface and I wanted more. I like to be fully immersed.
This was certainly something different in terms of merging two different types of storylines and I really appreciated that originality. I also liked that it was loosely based on a historical act. A good read with a bit of a surprising ending...which I liked.
I love a good circus read. I don't know what it is, but a circus setting will get me every time. In all honesty, just that atmosphere will add on an additional rating star for me. I also like WWII historical fiction, so this book was a perfect fit.
The historical content is good with some wonderful little details. The writing was flowing and engaging with great detail in terms of setting and action.
I loved the characters, though I felt that Michel could have been explored a little more. Something about him felt a bit more like telling rather than showing, as if we weren't really able to see inside him fully. I also would've liked more fleshing out of the interpersonal relationships. Those seemed to somewhat scratch the surface and I wanted more. I like to be fully immersed.
This was certainly something different in terms of merging two different types of storylines and I really appreciated that originality. I also liked that it was loosely based on a historical act. A good read with a bit of a surprising ending...which I liked.
4.5 stars.
This was my first Riley Sager read and I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. I'm a sucker for a gothic novel and this one had a great atmosphere with lots of creepy vibes and great gothic nods. Something about the characters also made things read a little like Clue, which I found entertaining.
I will admit that sometimes Jules felt unrealistic, but I really didn't care because I was having so much fun with the writing and the action. There are a couple of good twists and, while I sort of figured out the villain early on, I was still surprised by a few of the concluding pieces. It was a quick and gripping read and I didn't want to put it down. All in all, I just had a great time.
This was my first Riley Sager read and I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. I'm a sucker for a gothic novel and this one had a great atmosphere with lots of creepy vibes and great gothic nods. Something about the characters also made things read a little like Clue, which I found entertaining.
I will admit that sometimes Jules felt unrealistic, but I really didn't care because I was having so much fun with the writing and the action. There are a couple of good twists and, while I sort of figured out the villain early on, I was still surprised by a few of the concluding pieces. It was a quick and gripping read and I didn't want to put it down. All in all, I just had a great time.
3.5 stars.
This rating is benefiting from nostalgia, as I love the movie. It is the rare case where the movie is better than the book. The bones of the story were there, but it just perpetually felt like something was missing. The characters had good detail and development, the plot moved in a way that made sense, and the writing was easy to fall into. Pacing did feel like a bit of a problem, as some pieces moved along too quickly so that it felt like the story was skimming the surface despite some good, descriptive writing. This was particularly true of the ending. The aunts were odd side characters throughout the narrative, but suddenly appeared and that event felt rushed and underdeveloped. The ending wrapped up very quickly and didn't have as much of a magical feel as I wanted. There was also some unnecessary crudeness in the writing that felt out of place and pulled me out of the story. I'm not a prude and don't mind language and sexual connotation if it makes sense for the plot, but these pieces just felt gratuitous. An okay read, but I'd rather watch the movie any day.
This rating is benefiting from nostalgia, as I love the movie. It is the rare case where the movie is better than the book. The bones of the story were there, but it just perpetually felt like something was missing. The characters had good detail and development, the plot moved in a way that made sense, and the writing was easy to fall into. Pacing did feel like a bit of a problem, as some pieces moved along too quickly so that it felt like the story was skimming the surface despite some good, descriptive writing. This was particularly true of the ending. The aunts were odd side characters throughout the narrative, but suddenly appeared and that event felt rushed and underdeveloped. The ending wrapped up very quickly and didn't have as much of a magical feel as I wanted. There was also some unnecessary crudeness in the writing that felt out of place and pulled me out of the story. I'm not a prude and don't mind language and sexual connotation if it makes sense for the plot, but these pieces just felt gratuitous. An okay read, but I'd rather watch the movie any day.