Take a photo of a barcode or cover
eloise_bradbooks's Reviews (801)
This is definitely a beautiful, unique and thrilling story.
The way it was told was very refreshing, although at times I found it pretty convenient that the journalist got to speak to every person Sadie encounters, in almost the same order...
I was also left a liiiittle disappointed in the end. Endings like these can be great but I personally wanted a little more closure in this case.
Despite these small very subjective issues, I will throw praise towards the author but also towards everyone behind the audiobook because it was a thrilling ride, a true unique and memorable work of art.
The way it was told was very refreshing, although at times I found it pretty convenient that the journalist got to speak to every person Sadie encounters, in almost the same order...
I was also left a liiiittle disappointed in the end. Endings like these can be great but I personally wanted a little more closure in this case.
Despite these small very subjective issues, I will throw praise towards the author but also towards everyone behind the audiobook because it was a thrilling ride, a true unique and memorable work of art.
Oh hello angst I clearly would have prefered not to have to go through...
Anyways, it wasn't bad, I'd even say it was good, but I didn't care for anyone or anything as much as you all told me I would.
Zofia gets a whole star all for herself cause my girl deserves more love and appreciation.
Anyways, it wasn't bad, I'd even say it was good, but I didn't care for anyone or anything as much as you all told me I would.
Zofia gets a whole star all for herself cause my girl deserves more love and appreciation.
I couldn't put this book down.
This is the story of two boys who come together to fix a mess of a food truck in the middle of the smoking hot summer, and who find comfort and release with each other after they've both been through some kind of shitty thing.
This book deals with pretty heavy topics and I recommend checking trigger earnings before getting into it (if there's a specific thing you're worried about, send me a message).
If a couple of things bothered me at first, they were actually beautifully handled by the end (friends being kinda toxic, the ease with which they earned money and the way Jordan spent money quite carelessly considering his situation...).
Ultimately what I loved about The Music of What Happens is how it teaches the characters and readers to let go of toxic masculinity and be ok with talking. Accepting that shit happens and you CAN talk. No need to "man up".
It also teaches you to drink when it's hot. Unless you have a strong hot person to carry you through the desert to a safe place when you start dying... which... yeah. That happens.
This is the story of two boys who come together to fix a mess of a food truck in the middle of the smoking hot summer, and who find comfort and release with each other after they've both been through some kind of shitty thing.
This book deals with pretty heavy topics and I recommend checking trigger earnings before getting into it (if there's a specific thing you're worried about, send me a message).
If a couple of things bothered me at first, they were actually beautifully handled by the end (friends being kinda toxic, the ease with which they earned money and the way Jordan spent money quite carelessly considering his situation...).
Ultimately what I loved about The Music of What Happens is how it teaches the characters and readers to let go of toxic masculinity and be ok with talking. Accepting that shit happens and you CAN talk. No need to "man up".
It also teaches you to drink when it's hot. Unless you have a strong hot person to carry you through the desert to a safe place when you start dying... which... yeah. That happens.
3.5
This is a surprisingly short story about multiple young people living in Alaska and trying to find themselves. But also, finding homes with each other (Yes, my favourite trope).
Obviously found families always make me feel so many emotions and this story is no different. However I feel like I could have felt even more, if we'd spent longer with each of them and felt their longing even more.
I believe it would have benefited from being a little longer so we could go deeper into each relationship and it could pull on our heartstrings even more than it did.
This is a surprisingly short story about multiple young people living in Alaska and trying to find themselves. But also, finding homes with each other (Yes, my favourite trope).
Obviously found families always make me feel so many emotions and this story is no different. However I feel like I could have felt even more, if we'd spent longer with each of them and felt their longing even more.
I believe it would have benefited from being a little longer so we could go deeper into each relationship and it could pull on our heartstrings even more than it did.
3.5 ~ I really appreciated seeing a main character with OCD and agoraphobia. These are anxieties i relate to (on a different level, yes) and i therefore felt connected to Norah.
[ One particular speach about how brave she was for doing basic things despite how scared she is of them, touched me very personally as I'd been told this recently and hadn't realised it before. ]
It was a sweet romance with a near-perfect boy next door which I would have longed for so dearly when I was a teen.
(Although I personally don't relate to liking people and wanting to be in a relationship when you've only spoken to them a couple of times..)
Finally, I feel like it ended a little abruptly though? On one hand, I really appreciated her anxieties not being "fixed" just cause she has a boyfriend, but I was still waiting for a bit more closure on certain aspects of herself (like the self harm, and maybe more about how/if she was going to continue working towards studying in France like she wanted to).
[ One particular speach about how brave she was for doing basic things despite how scared she is of them, touched me very personally as I'd been told this recently and hadn't realised it before. ]
It was a sweet romance with a near-perfect boy next door which I would have longed for so dearly when I was a teen.
(Although I personally don't relate to liking people and wanting to be in a relationship when you've only spoken to them a couple of times..)
Finally, I feel like it ended a little abruptly though? On one hand, I really appreciated her anxieties not being "fixed" just cause she has a boyfriend, but I was still waiting for a bit more closure on certain aspects of herself (like the self harm, and maybe more about how/if she was going to continue working towards studying in France like she wanted to).
This one is tough to review for me.
I can't fault this book. Everything was well thought-through and the writing is faultless. There was an air of doom in the narration and it works well.
For some reason though, it just didn't click with me. As interesting as the story was, I didn't feel attached to anyone. I am very much a character-before-plot person so the fact that I didn't connect to anyone made it hard to care so much about what was happening. There could have easily been many heartwrenching moments and a focus on the found family elements (which is always my fave) but i didn't feel it.
Maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind when I read it; maybe the way it was told just wasn't for me; but since it has received a lot of praise, including by people I trust, I'd still recommend giving it a try if you're interested in eerie novels depicting the end of civilisation through multiple timelines.
I can't fault this book. Everything was well thought-through and the writing is faultless. There was an air of doom in the narration and it works well.
For some reason though, it just didn't click with me. As interesting as the story was, I didn't feel attached to anyone. I am very much a character-before-plot person so the fact that I didn't connect to anyone made it hard to care so much about what was happening. There could have easily been many heartwrenching moments and a focus on the found family elements (which is always my fave) but i didn't feel it.
Maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind when I read it; maybe the way it was told just wasn't for me; but since it has received a lot of praise, including by people I trust, I'd still recommend giving it a try if you're interested in eerie novels depicting the end of civilisation through multiple timelines.
2019 REREAD : Yeah this book is far from a literary masterpiece, but rereading it without any pressure of wanting it to be good or having to review it has made it more fun and enjoyable.
(still not enough to give it more than 3 stars)
ALSO! I finished this book on exactly the same day 3 years ago and have only now noticed it. MAGIC!
2016 REVIEW : 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.
(still not enough to give it more than 3 stars)
ALSO! I finished this book on exactly the same day 3 years ago and have only now noticed it. MAGIC!
2016 REVIEW : 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.
"A thrilling feminist book that will leave you speechless" ... NO.
I apologise for the mess that is this review... It's more of a rant & rambling but hey, someone told me those are the best kind of reviews!
A dystopian book imagining a near future where women can only speak 100 words before they get electrocuted, can only do housework and looking after children while men do everything else, sounds like a great setting. A great way of dealing with misoginy, discrimination, the importance of standing up and using your voice. Sadly, it does not deliver.
How are we meant to believe women (and people in general) aren't doing anything about this situation? Are we meant to accept that there wasn't any rebellion, that these people are still just living in the country and accepting it? I needed more explanation. Tell me more about how the country is surviving without women cause i really cannot imagine it... The book gets straight into the plot and completely ignores the world building. I cannot accept that this world exists without any background.
The women in this book don't actually do anything... You can't call this book feminist if the female characters are so.... i hate to use this word but... weak. They just go with the flow? Even our main character doesn't really do much about the situation...
Also, that ending wasn't just rushed but also bad? You got a man to do one thing that would kill one man and then end it there saying "oh things will just get better with time now that that one man has gone"... No?
While reading the book, i was actually having a good-ish enough time. It was a fast-ish thrilling-ish read that you do want to get through. You do get carried by the good writing. But oh boi does it end there.
To be honest it just felt lazy.
The idea was interesting but the writer was too lazy to properly think things through and give us a well built world that has rules we could believe in and people we could rally behind.
Other things I disliked:
- Saying "the gays" when talking about gay people. Gay isn't a noun, thanks. It especially makes it seem like gay people are "other". THE gays, THOSE people over there... STOP USING THAT WORDING!
- "He or she" JUST USE "THEY" FFS!
- Absolutely ignoring the fact that gender isn't binary (which is kinda IMPORTANT in this situation...).
- Adultery/cheating presented as completely acceptable by everyone.. even the person being cheated on?
- Sorry for the minor spoil, but it's actually a guy who saves the day.
I apologise for the mess that is this review... It's more of a rant & rambling but hey, someone told me those are the best kind of reviews!
A dystopian book imagining a near future where women can only speak 100 words before they get electrocuted, can only do housework and looking after children while men do everything else, sounds like a great setting. A great way of dealing with misoginy, discrimination, the importance of standing up and using your voice. Sadly, it does not deliver.
How are we meant to believe women (and people in general) aren't doing anything about this situation? Are we meant to accept that there wasn't any rebellion, that these people are still just living in the country and accepting it? I needed more explanation. Tell me more about how the country is surviving without women cause i really cannot imagine it... The book gets straight into the plot and completely ignores the world building. I cannot accept that this world exists without any background.
The women in this book don't actually do anything... You can't call this book feminist if the female characters are so.... i hate to use this word but... weak. They just go with the flow? Even our main character doesn't really do much about the situation...
Also, that ending wasn't just rushed but also bad? You got a man to do one thing that would kill one man and then end it there saying "oh things will just get better with time now that that one man has gone"... No?
While reading the book, i was actually having a good-ish enough time. It was a fast-ish thrilling-ish read that you do want to get through. You do get carried by the good writing. But oh boi does it end there.
To be honest it just felt lazy.
The idea was interesting but the writer was too lazy to properly think things through and give us a well built world that has rules we could believe in and people we could rally behind.
Other things I disliked:
- Saying "the gays" when talking about gay people. Gay isn't a noun, thanks. It especially makes it seem like gay people are "other". THE gays, THOSE people over there... STOP USING THAT WORDING!
- "He or she" JUST USE "THEY" FFS!
- Absolutely ignoring the fact that gender isn't binary (which is kinda IMPORTANT in this situation...).
- Adultery/cheating presented as completely acceptable by everyone.. even the person being cheated on?
- Sorry for the minor spoil, but it's actually a guy who saves the day.
I've rarely cried this much over a book (because every phrase meant so much)... I will hold this book close to my heart, hug it forever because that is what it did to me. It hugged me. It reassured me. It showed me I am seen and heard and understood and oh so not alone.
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter To The World is about figuring out who you are, accepting yourself, accepting love from other people.
But it's mostly about friendship, family, and belonging.
Ivy Aberdeen's Letter To The World is about figuring out who you are, accepting yourself, accepting love from other people.
But it's mostly about friendship, family, and belonging.