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forevermorepages's Reviews (811)
It wasn't a good decision for me to read this last night considering I have two tests today, but in my defense, it's an incredibly short book, and I still managed to study quite a bit.
I won't be writing a full review, but I'll do a little one for Goodreads right now, mostly because this book has somehow become really important to me in the less than 24 hours that I've come to know it. It's a very personal story, something that Patrick Ness obviously knew really well, and that made me feel even more connected with it than I already was. I don't want to go into the nitty gritty of why I related so much to Adam's story because at the end of the day, I have never had the same upbringing as Adam, yet I have had some of the same feelings. I will say now that this book is really heavy on internalized homophobia, especially regarding religion.
I think the sole reason this couldn't get five stars, despite how much I felt seen on the pages, despite the actual tears, was because of the sections about the murdered girl. I understood that Adam's story and her story were both about releasing themselves from prisons, in a sense, albeit both a metaphor for something else, but I didn't really enjoy the girl's sections. They didn't connect back in the ending, which really bothered me, so for that reason, it lost a star :(
I highly, highly recommend Release though. It was truly something special.
(And so far the only Patrick Ness book I've rated above three stars.)
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
I won't be writing a full review, but I'll do a little one for Goodreads right now, mostly because this book has somehow become really important to me in the less than 24 hours that I've come to know it. It's a very personal story, something that Patrick Ness obviously knew really well, and that made me feel even more connected with it than I already was. I don't want to go into the nitty gritty of why I related so much to Adam's story because at the end of the day, I have never had the same upbringing as Adam, yet I have had some of the same feelings. I will say now that this book is really heavy on internalized homophobia, especially regarding religion.
I think the sole reason this couldn't get five stars, despite how much I felt seen on the pages, despite the actual tears, was because of the sections about the murdered girl. I understood that Adam's story and her story were both about releasing themselves from prisons, in a sense, albeit both a metaphor for something else, but I didn't really enjoy the girl's sections. They didn't connect back in the ending, which really bothered me, so for that reason, it lost a star :(
I highly, highly recommend Release though. It was truly something special.
(And so far the only Patrick Ness book I've rated above three stars.)
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Look, this book isn't perfect. The activism in it seems a little performative and I had issues with characters saying racist/homophobic things only for the main character to sound woke whenever she called them out on it. I had issues with the writing style and the lack of plot. However, I also grinned impossibly hard during the first date scene because I just loved Alison and Charlotte together. And I really appreciate this book for having a pansexual character! You rarely see that! (Although I cannot speak for the pan rep, so hopefully there will be some ownvoices reviewers who can speak to that.)
Anyway. This book was cute. It was sweet. Sure, it was plotless and I struggled to get along with Alison the whole time and found that the relationship drama was soooo unnecessary. But I also appreciated this book for what it was: a simple, sweet story about learning to accept that not everything has to be perfect.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a review copy via Netgalley! It in no way impacted my review or rating of the book :)
-Book Hugger
Anyway. This book was cute. It was sweet. Sure, it was plotless and I struggled to get along with Alison the whole time and found that the relationship drama was soooo unnecessary. But I also appreciated this book for what it was: a simple, sweet story about learning to accept that not everything has to be perfect.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a review copy via Netgalley! It in no way impacted my review or rating of the book :)
-Book Hugger
agdsgdgdshshsd i'm emo
full review to come
-book hugger
for full reviews: http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
full review to come
-book hugger
for full reviews: http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Love, love, love
Also I love that my only distinct memory about the first time I read this book was the scene with Atlas and that Atlas has always been one of my favorite myths
Maybe this one still wasn't as good as The Lightning Thief, but I still adored it (of course) and I'm excited for the Battle of the Labyrinth because I recall that one being my fave as a child!
Also I love that my only distinct memory about the first time I read this book was the scene with Atlas and that Atlas has always been one of my favorite myths
Maybe this one still wasn't as good as The Lightning Thief, but I still adored it (of course) and I'm excited for the Battle of the Labyrinth because I recall that one being my fave as a child!
I'm having trouble articulating my feelings on this one because I definitely didn't enjoy it the way most people did, but I really, really did love the last 100 pages. They really made the book for me. I think the development of their relationship felt forced in the first half and I wish it had gone slower. (I also don't think I'll ever adjust to reading how turned on a guy is over a girl). Honestly, though, the writing style bugged me, but I got used to it by the end. I just...really appreciated the reality of the ending when it came to Red's mental health. I've never seen a book so accurately portray mental health struggles and trauma. So I think that's what brought it up for me. However, I just still feel kind of lukewarm about the book in a way that makes me really sad.
Anyway, I definitely recommend it because of the ending and because so many people love it. Unfortunately, I'm just not one of those people.
Anyway, I definitely recommend it because of the ending and because so many people love it. Unfortunately, I'm just not one of those people.
That was...absolutely extraordinary. Thank you to everyone who recommended this book because wow it deserves every bit of the hype it's been getting. So much love for this beautiful book. I PROMISE a review will come for this one. I can't leave it unreviewed <3
-Book Hugger
-Book Hugger
I'm a little sad.
Kinda just sitting here.
With tears.
-Book Hugger
Kinda just sitting here.
With tears.
-Book Hugger
I'd like to start off by saying that I am an #ownvoices reviewer and I can confirm that the bi rep is the best bi rep I have read in a novel, ever, and I've read many books with really good bi rep as it is. I appreciated the nuanced conversations the story had about biphobia, especially the constant invalidation of bisexuality when someone bi is in a relationship with someone of the opposite gender. I just...I think I needed this book right now.
Moving on, I really enjoyed the writing (I laughed so many times!), the inventive plot line, and the banter between the two love interests. I appreciated that it wasn't insta-love-y and that we actually got to see them develop their feelings for each other over time amidst misunderstandings. Usually I hate when misunderstandings are used as a plot tool, but here it made sense!
I do think the pacing was a bit off, with what felt like the climax at the 60% mark and then the resolution taking up the next 40%, but I honestly don't have that many qualms about this book. It was cute, sweet, reminded me why my love life is absolute garbage, and validated my sexuality. (We love to see it.)
I would like to note that the reason this isn't a 5 star read isn't so much anything the book did wrong, but more that it didn't illicit a strong enough emotional reaction out of me for a 5 star. Some points were cliché, I definitely knew what was going to happen from the get-go, and ultimately despite all the important conversations it had, it didn't bring anything groundbreaking to the table.
But with that said, of course, I did absolutely adore this and I highly, highly recommend it.
(Although one last note...I could tell immediately that the author doesn't live in California because Disneyland is far too expensive for someone who describes herself as poor to be park-hopping in one day and going whenever the heck she feels like it. And, a girl from LA wouldn't be surprised to hear that Australian students don't have a traditional indoor cafeteria because California students don't either :) )
-Book Hugger
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. This is no way impacted my review of the book
Moving on, I really enjoyed the writing (I laughed so many times!), the inventive plot line, and the banter between the two love interests. I appreciated that it wasn't insta-love-y and that we actually got to see them develop their feelings for each other over time amidst misunderstandings. Usually I hate when misunderstandings are used as a plot tool, but here it made sense!
I do think the pacing was a bit off, with what felt like the climax at the 60% mark and then the resolution taking up the next 40%, but I honestly don't have that many qualms about this book. It was cute, sweet, reminded me why my love life is absolute garbage, and validated my sexuality. (We love to see it.)
I would like to note that the reason this isn't a 5 star read isn't so much anything the book did wrong, but more that it didn't illicit a strong enough emotional reaction out of me for a 5 star. Some points were cliché, I definitely knew what was going to happen from the get-go, and ultimately despite all the important conversations it had, it didn't bring anything groundbreaking to the table.
But with that said, of course, I did absolutely adore this and I highly, highly recommend it.
(Although one last note...I could tell immediately that the author doesn't live in California because Disneyland is far too expensive for someone who describes herself as poor to be park-hopping in one day and going whenever the heck she feels like it. And, a girl from LA wouldn't be surprised to hear that Australian students don't have a traditional indoor cafeteria because California students don't either :) )
-Book Hugger
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. This is no way impacted my review of the book