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ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)
We Were Restless Things is a little bit of a fever dream. A bit of a mix between Anna-Marie McLemore and T. Kingfisher, it is both magical and dark. It is a bit of a tough read to fall into, but once things get moving, it can be terribly encompassing. The multiple point of view approach gives it a bit of extra depth, but also works very well to add to the tension and the mystery.
Nagamatsu's characters are diverse and independent, each coming through on the page with great emotional roundness. I will admit that there were certain characters who felt more realistic and believable than others (the character of Lyle honestly just drove me bonkers).
This book is not for those who are looking for a largely plot-driven novel. It is very focused on the interactions and relationships between the characters and the intricacies of their own personal experiences. It is a slow burn that dives well into the individual ways we process grief and the not-so-simple act of coming-of-age. Oddly, the character I really connected with most was Gaetan, who is really a side character along for the ride. I wanted more of him. Noemi was fine and Jonah was someone I was able to comprehend, but something about Gaetan just gripped me. He was the most emotionally vivid for me and I was here for it.
The romantic (and non-romantic, as Noemi is asexual) aspects of the plot were well explored and nicely diverse. This component added some wonderful depth to the plot and made these characters quite a bit more human and realistic. It captured the teen experience of "finding oneself" that I think was both important and unique.
While I certainly enjoyed the journeys taken by the majority of the characters, perhaps the best part of this novel for me was the atmospheric and descriptive nature of the narrative. It was haunting and vivid in a misty kind of way. (That probably makes no sense to anyone but me.) There was a lot at work and there was a lot of tension present in both the "real" and the magical worlds carved out by the plot.
This novel is not for everyone, but it certainly worked for me. I like my books odd, I like them dark, and I like them different. This delivered on all three of those aspects. It was creepy and mysterious and occasionally vague in a way that left me lost and swirling. That vagueness could admittedly be frustrating, but it also made me think harder about what was happening and why. I may not have interpreted it exactly as the author intended, but I think that is just part of the individual experience with a book like this. I enjoyed it and think a reread could only serve to make me fall deeper into the plot and come up with more ways to analyze every weird thing taking place. A challenging, but intriguing read.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Nagamatsu's characters are diverse and independent, each coming through on the page with great emotional roundness. I will admit that there were certain characters who felt more realistic and believable than others (the character of Lyle honestly just drove me bonkers).
This book is not for those who are looking for a largely plot-driven novel. It is very focused on the interactions and relationships between the characters and the intricacies of their own personal experiences. It is a slow burn that dives well into the individual ways we process grief and the not-so-simple act of coming-of-age. Oddly, the character I really connected with most was Gaetan, who is really a side character along for the ride. I wanted more of him. Noemi was fine and Jonah was someone I was able to comprehend, but something about Gaetan just gripped me. He was the most emotionally vivid for me and I was here for it.
The romantic (and non-romantic, as Noemi is asexual) aspects of the plot were well explored and nicely diverse. This component added some wonderful depth to the plot and made these characters quite a bit more human and realistic. It captured the teen experience of "finding oneself" that I think was both important and unique.
While I certainly enjoyed the journeys taken by the majority of the characters, perhaps the best part of this novel for me was the atmospheric and descriptive nature of the narrative. It was haunting and vivid in a misty kind of way. (That probably makes no sense to anyone but me.) There was a lot at work and there was a lot of tension present in both the "real" and the magical worlds carved out by the plot.
This novel is not for everyone, but it certainly worked for me. I like my books odd, I like them dark, and I like them different. This delivered on all three of those aspects. It was creepy and mysterious and occasionally vague in a way that left me lost and swirling. That vagueness could admittedly be frustrating, but it also made me think harder about what was happening and why. I may not have interpreted it exactly as the author intended, but I think that is just part of the individual experience with a book like this. I enjoyed it and think a reread could only serve to make me fall deeper into the plot and come up with more ways to analyze every weird thing taking place. A challenging, but intriguing read.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
Not my favorite of the Oz books, but still an imaginative adventure. This felt a little more disjointed than the previous works and really didn't seem like it had a specific goal in sight. I still enjoyed Baum's creative characters and interactions, I just wasn't able to connect to this one as easily and somewhat pushed myself to make it to the end. It won't stop me from completing the series, but felt more like an extraneous work meant to simply generate more money and maybe somewhat appease fervent fans than a work of artistic effort.
1.5 stars. (FYI...I RARELY rate below a 2.5.) In all honesty, this should have been a DNF, but I just couldn't let it beat me.
Analogy time. In undergrad, I did a psychology independent study in which I simply had to do research on a chosen topic and write a term paper. Per usual student actions, I procrastinated the CRAP out of that project. Sure...I gathered some research here and there and had random articles scattered about my dorm room, but the writing of this paper 100% took place in the last 4 days before it was due. My method for construction was primarily to grab quotes I found interesting and "meaningful" and then wrap my narrative around them. It really read like a giant rambling sentence weaving around a few things that made sense.
This is how reading this book felt. It was 100% not for me. It was too much grasping for an assumed truth and a whole lot of rambling. Like my term paper, it had a few moments of clarity and things that I thought were actually good takeaways, but then I was plummeted back into the abyss. Sure, it got published...but hey...I also got an A+ on my paper. Sometimes weird things happen.
To enjoy this book I think you have to be WAY more open-minded than me and take the author's assumptions about the soul as fact. I couldn't do that. I guess I'm not enough of a multisensory person and I'm stuck in my five-senses analytical scientific way of looking at things, but there was just too much reaching. I'm all for being spiritual and having a feeling of there being something greater, but there was a lot of assumption thrown in here that came completely out of left field. Also...the fact that he states that all humans have their own soul, but that animals are only parts of collective souls really pissed me off. Sorry. My dog isn't a freaking genius, but if there are souls, then he certainly has his own. He's not just some tidbit of the greater "dog" consciousness. Nope. I can't jive with that theory.
Thank goodness this one was borrowed from the library.
Analogy time. In undergrad, I did a psychology independent study in which I simply had to do research on a chosen topic and write a term paper. Per usual student actions, I procrastinated the CRAP out of that project. Sure...I gathered some research here and there and had random articles scattered about my dorm room, but the writing of this paper 100% took place in the last 4 days before it was due. My method for construction was primarily to grab quotes I found interesting and "meaningful" and then wrap my narrative around them. It really read like a giant rambling sentence weaving around a few things that made sense.
This is how reading this book felt. It was 100% not for me. It was too much grasping for an assumed truth and a whole lot of rambling. Like my term paper, it had a few moments of clarity and things that I thought were actually good takeaways, but then I was plummeted back into the abyss. Sure, it got published...but hey...I also got an A+ on my paper. Sometimes weird things happen.
To enjoy this book I think you have to be WAY more open-minded than me and take the author's assumptions about the soul as fact. I couldn't do that. I guess I'm not enough of a multisensory person and I'm stuck in my five-senses analytical scientific way of looking at things, but there was just too much reaching. I'm all for being spiritual and having a feeling of there being something greater, but there was a lot of assumption thrown in here that came completely out of left field. Also...the fact that he states that all humans have their own soul, but that animals are only parts of collective souls really pissed me off. Sorry. My dog isn't a freaking genius, but if there are souls, then he certainly has his own. He's not just some tidbit of the greater "dog" consciousness. Nope. I can't jive with that theory.
Thank goodness this one was borrowed from the library.
Dear Emmie Blue is a very cute, quirky, and lovely contemporary romance. The premise was unique and fun and added a good touch of whimsy. A twist on the old message in a bottle, the message tied to a balloon approach was what initially drew me to try it on. The story has good writing and moves with just the right pacing. I didn't want to set this one aside and wound up finishing it in just a couple of days.
The writing style moved incredibly well and sucked me into the story quite nicely. There was a good balance of description and movement and I felt I was able to see the characters with fairly honest and clear exposition. The use of dual timeline through flashback moments was well executed and I liked seeing the bits of history and how they wove into the present. I sped through my read and really came to adore the development of the majority of the characters. It was mildly predictable, but not overly so, and even those pieces that were predictable really didn't make me that upset.
Emmie is a charming character and the romantic setup of the book was fairly well done. It was very enjoyable to read about the friendship, which mostly felt read and well done. I will admit that Lucas's side of the relationship did grow a bit overly tarnished during the movement of the plot, with his own character coming into question in a bit of a heavy-handed way. He came off as selfish and a bit creepy, which I wish wouldn't have been the case as it would have added to the need for Emmie to fully explore her feelings without having external bias based on some crap actions.
The story does have a few conceptual flaws that need mentioning. The background plots for Emmie are problematic. Sexual assault is used as a bit of an overly tropey backstory and that storyline really isn't explored well enough or dealt with in a way that felt healthy. I think the impact of this storyline could have been better done with the use of a bullying backstory for Emmie's school days instead. As it was, this felt a bit too much. Additionally, Emmie's family issues felt somewhat tacked on as pieces to simply aid the movement of the plot rather than issues that were fully impactful and important.
Despite the inclusion of these questionable characters, not all was lost. The majority of the side characters were just genuinely wonderfully well-created. I loved Rosie and wanted her to have so much more of the story. She could easily star in her very own novel as I found her quite intriguing. I felt similarly about Louise. I would have loved more of Eliot's backstory, and even could have used a bit more of the awful Ana. I suppose I just wanted more of them for a fuller picture. It's always a good sign when you even appreciate the most awful of the characters though.
Overall, my feeling with Dear Emmie Blue was a good one. It was a quick read that kept me captivated and I did find myself fairly invested in the outcome. I enjoyed myself, would recommend it to other readers, and will look for more from this author as her writing talent continues to develop.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
The writing style moved incredibly well and sucked me into the story quite nicely. There was a good balance of description and movement and I felt I was able to see the characters with fairly honest and clear exposition. The use of dual timeline through flashback moments was well executed and I liked seeing the bits of history and how they wove into the present. I sped through my read and really came to adore the development of the majority of the characters. It was mildly predictable, but not overly so, and even those pieces that were predictable really didn't make me that upset.
Emmie is a charming character and the romantic setup of the book was fairly well done. It was very enjoyable to read about the friendship, which mostly felt read and well done. I will admit that Lucas's side of the relationship did grow a bit overly tarnished during the movement of the plot, with his own character coming into question in a bit of a heavy-handed way. He came off as selfish and a bit creepy, which I wish wouldn't have been the case as it would have added to the need for Emmie to fully explore her feelings without having external bias based on some crap actions.
The story does have a few conceptual flaws that need mentioning. The background plots for Emmie are problematic. Sexual assault is used as a bit of an overly tropey backstory and that storyline really isn't explored well enough or dealt with in a way that felt healthy. I think the impact of this storyline could have been better done with the use of a bullying backstory for Emmie's school days instead. As it was, this felt a bit too much. Additionally, Emmie's family issues felt somewhat tacked on as pieces to simply aid the movement of the plot rather than issues that were fully impactful and important.
Despite the inclusion of these questionable characters, not all was lost. The majority of the side characters were just genuinely wonderfully well-created. I loved Rosie and wanted her to have so much more of the story. She could easily star in her very own novel as I found her quite intriguing. I felt similarly about Louise. I would have loved more of Eliot's backstory, and even could have used a bit more of the awful Ana. I suppose I just wanted more of them for a fuller picture. It's always a good sign when you even appreciate the most awful of the characters though.
Overall, my feeling with Dear Emmie Blue was a good one. It was a quick read that kept me captivated and I did find myself fairly invested in the outcome. I enjoyed myself, would recommend it to other readers, and will look for more from this author as her writing talent continues to develop.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
This is vaguely reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but with a more modern setup and a location that I really enjoyed. A closed circle type mystery is always a bit iffy as they can easily just start to feel like repeats of one another. Luckily, this one did manage to feel a bit more in the successful camp as it remained fresh and interesting. The premise is a bit unique since it focuses on a modern style company and the isolation is in a chalet in the French Alps. It seems like most of these types of stories are in dark mansions or on isolated islands, so that was a nice change.
There are a lot of characters, but I felt like most of them were fairly easily discernible. There were a couple who sort of faded into the woodwork and could have used some strengthening in order to heighten the tension, but overall the characters worked for me in terms of numbers. They were admittedly quite stereotypical. This was a bit of a let down. The mousy girl, the antisocial tech nerd, the posh model type with a foreign flare, just to name a few. The two strongest characters were definitely the two utilized as narrators, which isn't much of a surprise. Using the two narrative style was a smart choice as I felt that it did give a little more of an encompassing view and did let the characters play off one another a bit, but it also somewhat reduced the ability to create what I felt were efficient red herrings.
The writing style is great, but there is a bit of a slow burn here. Yes, there are moments of intrigue and...MURDER, but the story doesn't move at a quick clip. This is a read that doesn't have a ton of creepy vibes or edge-of-your-seat moments, but mostly consists of trying to solve the mystery before it's answered for you. I enjoyed that, but a little additional edginess wouldn't have been a bad thing.
The ending is probably what hurt this one the most for me. The reveal seemed to come too soon, as there is quite a bit of book remaining after you know "whodunit". There was some excellent action that followed, but then there was just some random exposition tying up loose ends. This made it a neat little package, but stole a little of the thunder and caused the ending to fall just a little flat.
This was my first Ruth Ware and I did enjoy it. I wasn't blown away, but it was certainly a good read and I'll definitely be picking up more of her books.
There are a lot of characters, but I felt like most of them were fairly easily discernible. There were a couple who sort of faded into the woodwork and could have used some strengthening in order to heighten the tension, but overall the characters worked for me in terms of numbers. They were admittedly quite stereotypical. This was a bit of a let down. The mousy girl, the antisocial tech nerd, the posh model type with a foreign flare, just to name a few. The two strongest characters were definitely the two utilized as narrators, which isn't much of a surprise. Using the two narrative style was a smart choice as I felt that it did give a little more of an encompassing view and did let the characters play off one another a bit, but it also somewhat reduced the ability to create what I felt were efficient red herrings.
The writing style is great, but there is a bit of a slow burn here. Yes, there are moments of intrigue and...MURDER, but the story doesn't move at a quick clip. This is a read that doesn't have a ton of creepy vibes or edge-of-your-seat moments, but mostly consists of trying to solve the mystery before it's answered for you. I enjoyed that, but a little additional edginess wouldn't have been a bad thing.
The ending is probably what hurt this one the most for me. The reveal seemed to come too soon, as there is quite a bit of book remaining after you know "whodunit". There was some excellent action that followed, but then there was just some random exposition tying up loose ends. This made it a neat little package, but stole a little of the thunder and caused the ending to fall just a little flat.
This was my first Ruth Ware and I did enjoy it. I wasn't blown away, but it was certainly a good read and I'll definitely be picking up more of her books.
3.5 stars.
I picked this book up after having read Ruta Septetys's The Fountains of Silence last year. I found great interest in the Spanish Civil War, as it is a period of history that I know little about. This book presented me an opportunity to learn more from a different perspective and did present quite a different historical experience.
The writing was decent and the plot moved along at what felt like a comfortable pace. There was a lot packed into the plot and I do feel like I learned a lot of pieces of the whole. It did add to my historical understanding and did continue to fuel the fire of wanting to know more about this time period. It was presented in a 1st person POV, which was mostly effective, but I would have possibly enjoyed a 3rd person experience more, as it would have allowed a more intimate look at the parents' experience.
My largest struggle was becoming invested. While I enjoyed the source material and found both the premise and the approach intriguing, I was just overall underwhelmed. I wanted to love it, but I couldn't get there. The characters were likable and the plight of the family was documented well, but I could not connect with them. There were also a few plot choices that bothered me. At times there were things that should have been harrowing, difficult, and even dangerous, yet they were simply resolved without much consequence. In other moments, quite unbelievable and unfortunate circumstances occurred in a way that did not feel organic and left me somewhat rolling my eyes at the absurdity.
This was not a bad read by any means and it certainly has merit. I will admit that my 5-star experience with Sepetys probably hurt the rating for this one. If you are considering both novels, I would read Escobar's book first.
I picked this book up after having read Ruta Septetys's The Fountains of Silence last year. I found great interest in the Spanish Civil War, as it is a period of history that I know little about. This book presented me an opportunity to learn more from a different perspective and did present quite a different historical experience.
The writing was decent and the plot moved along at what felt like a comfortable pace. There was a lot packed into the plot and I do feel like I learned a lot of pieces of the whole. It did add to my historical understanding and did continue to fuel the fire of wanting to know more about this time period. It was presented in a 1st person POV, which was mostly effective, but I would have possibly enjoyed a 3rd person experience more, as it would have allowed a more intimate look at the parents' experience.
My largest struggle was becoming invested. While I enjoyed the source material and found both the premise and the approach intriguing, I was just overall underwhelmed. I wanted to love it, but I couldn't get there. The characters were likable and the plight of the family was documented well, but I could not connect with them. There were also a few plot choices that bothered me. At times there were things that should have been harrowing, difficult, and even dangerous, yet they were simply resolved without much consequence. In other moments, quite unbelievable and unfortunate circumstances occurred in a way that did not feel organic and left me somewhat rolling my eyes at the absurdity.
This was not a bad read by any means and it certainly has merit. I will admit that my 5-star experience with Sepetys probably hurt the rating for this one. If you are considering both novels, I would read Escobar's book first.