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eloise_bradbooks's reviews
780 reviews
And I Darken by Kiersten White
4.0
“And so she cut out her heart and offered it as a sacrifice.” UGH. This was so good !
I wasn’t sure if I liked Lada or not at first, that ruthless princess-murderer is an uncontrollable hurricane! I loved all the aspects of her dealing with her femininity and how she wants to be just as – or even more – powerful as the men who control the world in which she lives in. The complete reflexions on what it means to be a woman and to be free and/or powerful were ace.
She decides to become a cold-hearted murderer but it doesn’t take away the fact that she DOES care, sometimes, a little, tiny weeny bit. Although… we know that she darkens, and darkens more and she hasn’t finished darkening and I cannot wait to see that darkness play out even more in the next book (am I evil?).
From his first day Radu was my little gem I wanted to protect and hug and send all my love to him. He grows up unloved, unwanted and lost, he moves and finally finds a home but even there he remains all kinds of lost. And he cares so very much. My Precious.
Mehmed? Yeah, I guess I care for him (with the way the siblings feel so drawn to him it’s difficult not to), but I don’t feel as attached to him as I am to the other two.
Because really, the important relationship in this book remains the one between Lada and Radu. They are so jealous of one another, their hate grows but they still care for each other and have very different ways of showing it, making it even more interesting.
I must say, the first half was okay but it got really good once they started to age a bit and their minds and actions were believable and even more focused on emotions. The ending was bloody brilliant!
I cannot wait to get more from these characters. When’s the next one out???
I wasn’t sure if I liked Lada or not at first, that ruthless princess-murderer is an uncontrollable hurricane! I loved all the aspects of her dealing with her femininity and how she wants to be just as – or even more – powerful as the men who control the world in which she lives in. The complete reflexions on what it means to be a woman and to be free and/or powerful were ace.
She decides to become a cold-hearted murderer but it doesn’t take away the fact that she DOES care, sometimes, a little, tiny weeny bit. Although… we know that she darkens, and darkens more and she hasn’t finished darkening and I cannot wait to see that darkness play out even more in the next book (am I evil?).
From his first day Radu was my little gem I wanted to protect and hug and send all my love to him. He grows up unloved, unwanted and lost, he moves and finally finds a home but even there he remains all kinds of lost. And he cares so very much. My Precious.
Mehmed? Yeah, I guess I care for him (with the way the siblings feel so drawn to him it’s difficult not to), but I don’t feel as attached to him as I am to the other two.
Because really, the important relationship in this book remains the one between Lada and Radu. They are so jealous of one another, their hate grows but they still care for each other and have very different ways of showing it, making it even more interesting.
I must say, the first half was okay but it got really good once they started to age a bit and their minds and actions were believable and even more focused on emotions. The ending was bloody brilliant!
I cannot wait to get more from these characters. When’s the next one out???
All American Boys by Brendan Kiely, Jason Reynolds
4.0
You know what I was thinking throughout this book? ‘Hmm… I don’t know, it’s a bit flat, not much is going on’, but that was just so dumb of me, I’m sorry. It’s not meant to be an action-packed story, it’s a short, simple book about a long standing and important problem of everyday life for too many people:
Aimed at young adults, this book demands from us that we realise that police brutality, especially towards black people, is not okay and should be fought against.
As well as having the POV of Rashad, a black kid who was badly hurt by police for basically no other reason than his looks, we also get the POV of Quinn, a white guy from his school realising, like quite a few of us realised I’m sure, that he has been part of systemic racism all his life and that that systemic racism should be deconstructed, even when friends and family seem to be parting with the wrong side.
This book was made to be a conversation starter (or continued conversation I should say) on racism, white privilege and injustice around all of those themes. As the author says, “We all live here. There are no bystanders. We all have a role.”
Dear authors, I will try and speak up more about this injustice and pass around this book, articles and so on in order to keep the conversation going so that we get to a point where we deal with them better.
Aimed at young adults, this book demands from us that we realise that police brutality, especially towards black people, is not okay and should be fought against.
As well as having the POV of Rashad, a black kid who was badly hurt by police for basically no other reason than his looks, we also get the POV of Quinn, a white guy from his school realising, like quite a few of us realised I’m sure, that he has been part of systemic racism all his life and that that systemic racism should be deconstructed, even when friends and family seem to be parting with the wrong side.
This book was made to be a conversation starter (or continued conversation I should say) on racism, white privilege and injustice around all of those themes. As the author says, “We all live here. There are no bystanders. We all have a role.”
Dear authors, I will try and speak up more about this injustice and pass around this book, articles and so on in order to keep the conversation going so that we get to a point where we deal with them better.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
4.0
3.5 – 4/5: This is Patrick Ness, of course my heart ended up being shaken around all over the place.
Now, I was a little disappointed at first because I expected so much from the beginning. And although I really liked the idea of how this world worked, I just wasn’t getting attached to the main character (Okay, I got attached to a coupla characters but we ain’t seeing none of ‘em in the next book, are we?). Not until I got close to the end that is.
Just when I thought it would be a 2 or 3 starred review, Ness brings out more of his heart squeezing moments I love him so much for, and I realise that the book was building up to something I was really loving. There’s room for character and world development so you should NOT consider stopping after only a few pages.
I understand how some people might not enjoy the writing but I actually loved reading in this very unique way.
And if a couple of things bugged me (really, Aaron doesn’t know how to give up, does he?), I’m now into it enough to be excited about the next book that I need to pick up very quickly.
Now, I was a little disappointed at first because I expected so much from the beginning. And although I really liked the idea of how this world worked, I just wasn’t getting attached to the main character (Okay, I got attached to a coupla characters but we ain’t seeing none of ‘em in the next book, are we?). Not until I got close to the end that is.
Just when I thought it would be a 2 or 3 starred review, Ness brings out more of his heart squeezing moments I love him so much for, and I realise that the book was building up to something I was really loving. There’s room for character and world development so you should NOT consider stopping after only a few pages.
I understand how some people might not enjoy the writing but I actually loved reading in this very unique way.
And if a couple of things bugged me (really, Aaron doesn’t know how to give up, does he?), I’m now into it enough to be excited about the next book that I need to pick up very quickly.
Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry
3.0
3.5 / 5 – You know what? It’s good to just read short, fun, very fanfictiony books sometimes. It’s a quick read and even with the writing, which really I found not that great (it was obviously meant to be a first person narrative that got put into the 3d which does not work here, especially with the present tense), I really got into it.
I particularly liked parts about ‘adulting’, how someone who is the same kind of age as me is also struggling to find his place in the adult world, what he wants to do and who he is meant to be. I always get attached to them as they are basically… me.
I particularly liked parts about ‘adulting’, how someone who is the same kind of age as me is also struggling to find his place in the adult world, what he wants to do and who he is meant to be. I always get attached to them as they are basically… me.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
5.0
I think the word “disappointed” is unheard of when it comes to this lady. V. E. Schwab impresses me EVERY SINGLE TIME. Her ideas just blow me away and I love them so much. It’s EXACTLY what I need, even when I didn’t know that what I need it. Thank you!
There’s not much to say : really. Great characters, a fantastic world – or should I say fantastic worlds – and although this book ended pretty well, I cannot wait to get into the next one in the series. I want to know what else this author’s mind is going to give us.
There’s not much to say : really. Great characters, a fantastic world – or should I say fantastic worlds – and although this book ended pretty well, I cannot wait to get into the next one in the series. I want to know what else this author’s mind is going to give us.
The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
3.0
THIS REVIEW IS IN FRENCH AND IN ENGLISH.
FR : Ça m'a pris très longtemps pour finir ce livre mais au final j'ai beaucoup aimé la dernière partie de l'histoire. C'est beau, j'en ai versé des larmes mais j'en ressors contente, tout en étant déçue que le livre ne m'aie pas envoûté un peu plus tôt.
EN : It took me ages to get through this book but in the end I really enjoyed the last part. It's lovely, I cried, but I came out of it happy, even though I was disappointed I couldn't get into it sooner.
FR : Ça m'a pris très longtemps pour finir ce livre mais au final j'ai beaucoup aimé la dernière partie de l'histoire. C'est beau, j'en ai versé des larmes mais j'en ressors contente, tout en étant déçue que le livre ne m'aie pas envoûté un peu plus tôt.
EN : It took me ages to get through this book but in the end I really enjoyed the last part. It's lovely, I cried, but I came out of it happy, even though I was disappointed I couldn't get into it sooner.
Whatever.: or how junior year became totally f$@ked by S.J. Goslee
3.0
3.5 - Sometimes it's just nice to read a bit of light funny gay romance. Read in an afternoon (when I should have been revising... Oops) and I really enjoyed it.
It was fun, it was sweet, and most of all I really appreciated seeing a character who figures out he isn't straight, but still hasn't figured out exactly who he is, and that's just fine.
Also liked how the friendships were really important in this story.
I don't think it will be a particularly memorable story - as I do read quite a few books like this one - as even though I enjoyed it, the characters didn't stand out as much as ones in other books.
And I had to take away at least half a GR star because I read quite a few terms I can't stand ("don't be such a pussy", "grow some balls", "he blushed because he's such a girl") and they were never corrected.
It was fun, it was sweet, and most of all I really appreciated seeing a character who figures out he isn't straight, but still hasn't figured out exactly who he is, and that's just fine.
Also liked how the friendships were really important in this story.
I don't think it will be a particularly memorable story - as I do read quite a few books like this one - as even though I enjoyed it, the characters didn't stand out as much as ones in other books.
And I had to take away at least half a GR star because I read quite a few terms I can't stand ("don't be such a pussy", "grow some balls", "he blushed because he's such a girl") and they were never corrected.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
5.0
THIS REVIEW IS IN FRENCH AND IN ENGLISH.
FR : Ooooh je ne pensai pas que ça me plairait autant !!!
Lu en seulement quelques heures, j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé lire à propos de Simon, et du mystérieux Blue... Je n'étais pas tellement surprise par qui c'était mais ça ne semblait pas m'importer. J'ai aussi vraiment aimé Leah.
Les personnages étaient si facile à apprécier et l'atmosphère était tout ce que je recherchais.
MERCI !!!
Je l'ai relu très rapidement après l'avoir terminé.
EN : I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did !!!
I read it in only a few hours. I really loved reading about Simon and the mysterious Blue... I wasn't surprised by who he was but I didn't feel like that mattered. I also loved Leah. The characters are so easy to like and the whole atmosphere the book gives out is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you !!!
I quickly picked it back up to read it a second time.
FR : Ooooh je ne pensai pas que ça me plairait autant !!!
Lu en seulement quelques heures, j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé lire à propos de Simon, et du mystérieux Blue... Je n'étais pas tellement surprise par qui c'était mais ça ne semblait pas m'importer. J'ai aussi vraiment aimé Leah.
Les personnages étaient si facile à apprécier et l'atmosphère était tout ce que je recherchais.
MERCI !!!
Je l'ai relu très rapidement après l'avoir terminé.
EN : I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did !!!
I read it in only a few hours. I really loved reading about Simon and the mysterious Blue... I wasn't surprised by who he was but I didn't feel like that mattered. I also loved Leah. The characters are so easy to like and the whole atmosphere the book gives out is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you !!!
I quickly picked it back up to read it a second time.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
3.0
THIS REVIEW IS IN FRENCH AND IN ENGLISH.
FR : 3.5 / 5 - J'avais entendu tellement de bonnes choses sur ce roman alors je m'attendais à un chef d'oeuvre ... mais ça ne l'est pas vraiment. Ce que c'est, c'est une fanfiction avec certains personnages qu'on peut apprécier.
Le souci c'est que je me retrouvais sans cesse à lier chaque élément du roman à Harry Potter, ce qui m'a beaucoup distrait de l'histoire. Cette dernière était plutôt intéressante, surtout grâce à Baz d'après moi, mais au final on voit que tout ça n'a été fait que pour faire plaisir aux fans.
On voit que c'est une fanfiction de base, et les relations ne sont pas assez approfondies, c'est juste difficile de le prendre au sérieux.
Je dois admettre que ça reste cependant une lecture divertissante.
EN : 3.5 / 5 - I'd heard so many great things about Carry On, I was expecting a masterpiece ... but it wasn't. What it is a fanfiction-turned-novel with maybe one or two characters you get attached to.
The biggest problem I had was that I kept linking every aspect of this story to Harry Potter, and that was distracting me of the story I was actually reading. That story was interesting, mostly because of Baz in my opinion, but we can see that it wasn't simply created as fan service.
We can see that it is originally just fanfiction, and for me the relationship(s) didn't evolve in a deeply-thought way, it was a little abrupt and difficult to take seriously.
I must admit that Carry On was still an entertaining read.
FR : 3.5 / 5 - J'avais entendu tellement de bonnes choses sur ce roman alors je m'attendais à un chef d'oeuvre ... mais ça ne l'est pas vraiment. Ce que c'est, c'est une fanfiction avec certains personnages qu'on peut apprécier.
Le souci c'est que je me retrouvais sans cesse à lier chaque élément du roman à Harry Potter, ce qui m'a beaucoup distrait de l'histoire. Cette dernière était plutôt intéressante, surtout grâce à Baz d'après moi, mais au final on voit que tout ça n'a été fait que pour faire plaisir aux fans.
On voit que c'est une fanfiction de base, et les relations ne sont pas assez approfondies, c'est juste difficile de le prendre au sérieux.
Je dois admettre que ça reste cependant une lecture divertissante.
EN : 3.5 / 5 - I'd heard so many great things about Carry On, I was expecting a masterpiece ... but it wasn't. What it is a fanfiction-turned-novel with maybe one or two characters you get attached to.
The biggest problem I had was that I kept linking every aspect of this story to Harry Potter, and that was distracting me of the story I was actually reading. That story was interesting, mostly because of Baz in my opinion, but we can see that it wasn't simply created as fan service.
We can see that it is originally just fanfiction, and for me the relationship(s) didn't evolve in a deeply-thought way, it was a little abrupt and difficult to take seriously.
I must admit that Carry On was still an entertaining read.