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Hello, it's been a long time, but I'm hoping to be back here in full force. I'll do an update post with a wrap-up of the last few months and TBR, but for now, I want to talk about Scythe by Neal Shusterman.
I've only heard one semi-negative review of Scythe, which is why I anticipated that I would love it, but...I didn't. A three star rating isn't bad, but for me, it's definitely not something I would reread, recommend, or possibly even read the sequel to. It's not a bad book, but it's not a good book either.
My problem with Scythe is more a matter of the kind of book it is. I love Young Adult, don't get me wrong, but Scythe epitomizes the clichés of YA that I hate. The insta-love is painful to read about, the characters are "chosen ones," the plot is predictable, the romance takes control of an otherwise interesting plot. I could go on, but I think we know what I'm getting at here: you see, I've read Scythe before, but it's been called The Hunger Games or Divergent or any other YA dystopia. The only new thing it brings to the game is the world and in my opinion, such a creative and unique concept was wasted on two teenagers who spent the entire novel thinking about kissing each other.
Not to mention, Scythe is plot-driven. The book was so strong on world and plot that the characters, although they were focused on, weren't powerful. Like I said, I feel like the concept was wasted on Rowan and Citra.
The only character I loved was Scythe Faraday and maybe Scythe Curie. Both provided an interesting analysis of the flaws of the world-system, which was what I loved about the book. The world is the most fascinating, well-done part of this novel and honestly, I'd read the sequel just to see how the concept of gleaning is continued, how the world might...fall apart...
I understood how the world worked despite its complexities and that deserves praise enough. I usually get really confused in books, but by the end, I had actually worked out most of the things I was perplexed by.
In the end, though, the book's greatest downfall is Citra and Rowan. They have no real differences between them and it almost seemed like Shusterman threw together the same type of person and set them in different situations. They were boring to read about because they were so flat, so similar, so unoriginal. I've read them before and I don't want to read them again.
My other main complaint is the predictability. I saw most of the plot twists coming from very far away...and I really wish I hadn't. I don't want to read a book and know how everything will go down. I want to be surprised!!
Anyway, one of Shusterman's greatest gifts is his writing and his world-building. That alone can turn a one or two star read into a three for me. Will this be the last book of his that I read? Probably not, but I also won't be going out to the store to get one right now.
-Book Hugger
Hello, it's been a long time, but I'm hoping to be back here in full force. I'll do an update post with a wrap-up of the last few months and TBR, but for now, I want to talk about Scythe by Neal Shusterman.
I've only heard one semi-negative review of Scythe, which is why I anticipated that I would love it, but...I didn't. A three star rating isn't bad, but for me, it's definitely not something I would reread, recommend, or possibly even read the sequel to. It's not a bad book, but it's not a good book either.
My problem with Scythe is more a matter of the kind of book it is. I love Young Adult, don't get me wrong, but Scythe epitomizes the clichés of YA that I hate. The insta-love is painful to read about, the characters are "chosen ones," the plot is predictable, the romance takes control of an otherwise interesting plot. I could go on, but I think we know what I'm getting at here: you see, I've read Scythe before, but it's been called The Hunger Games or Divergent or any other YA dystopia. The only new thing it brings to the game is the world and in my opinion, such a creative and unique concept was wasted on two teenagers who spent the entire novel thinking about kissing each other.
Not to mention, Scythe is plot-driven. The book was so strong on world and plot that the characters, although they were focused on, weren't powerful. Like I said, I feel like the concept was wasted on Rowan and Citra.
The only character I loved was Scythe Faraday and maybe Scythe Curie. Both provided an interesting analysis of the flaws of the world-system, which was what I loved about the book. The world is the most fascinating, well-done part of this novel and honestly, I'd read the sequel just to see how the concept of gleaning is continued, how the world might...fall apart...
I understood how the world worked despite its complexities and that deserves praise enough. I usually get really confused in books, but by the end, I had actually worked out most of the things I was perplexed by.
In the end, though, the book's greatest downfall is Citra and Rowan. They have no real differences between them and it almost seemed like Shusterman threw together the same type of person and set them in different situations. They were boring to read about because they were so flat, so similar, so unoriginal. I've read them before and I don't want to read them again.
My other main complaint is the predictability. I saw most of the plot twists coming from very far away...and I really wish I hadn't. I don't want to read a book and know how everything will go down. I want to be surprised!!
Anyway, one of Shusterman's greatest gifts is his writing and his world-building. That alone can turn a one or two star read into a three for me. Will this be the last book of his that I read? Probably not, but I also won't be going out to the store to get one right now.
-Book Hugger
I'm convinced that everything Angie Thomas writes is a work of freaking art. A masterpiece.
Review to come because, hey, I actually still have a blog even if I haven't touched it in months.
Review to come because, hey, I actually still have a blog even if I haven't touched it in months.
Part of me would like to start this review off comparing Hank Green, the man I never expected to write a book, to John Green, the man everyone expects to spend all of his days writing literature, but that would be a disrespect to both of them since they never chose to be brothers.
After watching many Crash Course videos during late-night cramming sessions in which I couldn't remember how RNA and DNA differed and whatnot right before an exam on that exact topic, I can conjure up Hank Green's voice in my head. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you see it), I read the entirety of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing in Hank Green's voice as a result.
I will say that I should not have been nearly as surprised as I was to find this book to be incredibly scientific. Those parts could have been boring, especially for me, a self-proclaimed Not a Science Person, yet Green put the same enthusiasm in them that kept me watching his videos despite the content going in one ear and out the other.
I have seen many a review criticizing April May for being one of those narrators you want to hit in the head a little. And yes, I did want to hit her in the head—more than once—but there was something so absolutely (ha) raw and honest about her that made me fall just a little in love with her. I've been known to gravitate toward people in real life that reject affection. I have been a person to reject affection myself. While her inability to say "I love you," to be genuine to her friends, to keep a relationship going under the pressures of fame, would have irritated me if it were one of my own friends, I somehow understood it. Perhaps it was the realness, the genuineness of it all, but I couldn't bring myself to hate her, especially when I saw myself so deeply in her. When things get rough, my natural instinct is to back away. While it usually involves backing away from people who do the same exact thing to me, I cannot completely blame them for the faults in our friendship. It has been said, I believe, that we attract people like us (and that is an intensely scary thought for someone who doesn't attract the Best People). But anyway, I digress, April May was not a likable character in the normal sense, but a likable character in the sense that I felt like I knew her.
In another realm of literary hypocrisy, if April May were male, she would be every reviewer's favorite character. Broodiness and detached, broken personalities are staples to the average fangirl, yet when the broodiness and detached, broken personality is in a woman, she's rude, unlikable, harsh. Let's take a step back and reexamine how we read male and female characters.
Anyway, I think my main issues came with the plot, and it's more of a "it's not you, it's me" situation. I do not like the concept of aliens. ("Why did you read it then?" you ask. "I don't read synopses well, okay?") This resulted in me being, to some degree, detached from the plot. While I could connect to the characters just fine, the plot was something I had trouble with.
This book really isn't about aliens/robots/sci-fi things. I mean, it is, but the heart of it, the most important part of the novel, is regarding the dangers of social media. The actual climax has nothing to do with the science-y aspects, but what happens when people take social media too far. I think I am an outlier in the sense that yes, I do have a blog and an Instagram and a Twitter, but my life is neither of the three. I read books, I write books, I play music, I go to school. If I could spend all day on one of the three platforms, I wouldn't because I find it incredibly boring to be a transient figure in other people's lives. The only reason I'm on the three is because I like talking to people about books and I like writing and I like photography. Sometimes I catch myself thinking "This would be a fantastic caption!" when something funny happens to me, but I shut it off immediately. We shouldn't need validation through people we will never meet. And An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a reminder of the importance to have a healthy attachment to social media, but also as to how social media can be a great tool when used properly. If we have the entire Internet at our disposal, we would be foolish to not use it.
Studies have proven that the chemical released when we take drugs is similar to that released when our phone lights up with a notification. I will admit that while social media is not my lifeline, I do become a victim to the self-validating need to have a certain amount of Likes. But I will also admit that that relationship to my social media is entirely wrong to have. And I am grateful that Hank Green, a social media phenomenon, household name, is willing to admit that too.
I recommend this book if you're looking for something wholly unique.
And I also recommend having the knowledge there will be a sequel before starting it. (I thought it was a standalone, which resulted in me being very angry about the ending.)
-Book Hugger
After watching many Crash Course videos during late-night cramming sessions in which I couldn't remember how RNA and DNA differed and whatnot right before an exam on that exact topic, I can conjure up Hank Green's voice in my head. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you see it), I read the entirety of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing in Hank Green's voice as a result.
I will say that I should not have been nearly as surprised as I was to find this book to be incredibly scientific. Those parts could have been boring, especially for me, a self-proclaimed Not a Science Person, yet Green put the same enthusiasm in them that kept me watching his videos despite the content going in one ear and out the other.
I have seen many a review criticizing April May for being one of those narrators you want to hit in the head a little. And yes, I did want to hit her in the head—more than once—but there was something so absolutely (ha) raw and honest about her that made me fall just a little in love with her. I've been known to gravitate toward people in real life that reject affection. I have been a person to reject affection myself. While her inability to say "I love you," to be genuine to her friends, to keep a relationship going under the pressures of fame, would have irritated me if it were one of my own friends, I somehow understood it. Perhaps it was the realness, the genuineness of it all, but I couldn't bring myself to hate her, especially when I saw myself so deeply in her. When things get rough, my natural instinct is to back away. While it usually involves backing away from people who do the same exact thing to me, I cannot completely blame them for the faults in our friendship. It has been said, I believe, that we attract people like us (and that is an intensely scary thought for someone who doesn't attract the Best People). But anyway, I digress, April May was not a likable character in the normal sense, but a likable character in the sense that I felt like I knew her.
In another realm of literary hypocrisy, if April May were male, she would be every reviewer's favorite character. Broodiness and detached, broken personalities are staples to the average fangirl, yet when the broodiness and detached, broken personality is in a woman, she's rude, unlikable, harsh. Let's take a step back and reexamine how we read male and female characters.
Anyway, I think my main issues came with the plot, and it's more of a "it's not you, it's me" situation. I do not like the concept of aliens. ("Why did you read it then?" you ask. "I don't read synopses well, okay?") This resulted in me being, to some degree, detached from the plot. While I could connect to the characters just fine, the plot was something I had trouble with.
This book really isn't about aliens/robots/sci-fi things. I mean, it is, but the heart of it, the most important part of the novel, is regarding the dangers of social media. The actual climax has nothing to do with the science-y aspects, but what happens when people take social media too far. I think I am an outlier in the sense that yes, I do have a blog and an Instagram and a Twitter, but my life is neither of the three. I read books, I write books, I play music, I go to school. If I could spend all day on one of the three platforms, I wouldn't because I find it incredibly boring to be a transient figure in other people's lives. The only reason I'm on the three is because I like talking to people about books and I like writing and I like photography. Sometimes I catch myself thinking "This would be a fantastic caption!" when something funny happens to me, but I shut it off immediately. We shouldn't need validation through people we will never meet. And An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is a reminder of the importance to have a healthy attachment to social media, but also as to how social media can be a great tool when used properly. If we have the entire Internet at our disposal, we would be foolish to not use it.
Studies have proven that the chemical released when we take drugs is similar to that released when our phone lights up with a notification. I will admit that while social media is not my lifeline, I do become a victim to the self-validating need to have a certain amount of Likes. But I will also admit that that relationship to my social media is entirely wrong to have. And I am grateful that Hank Green, a social media phenomenon, household name, is willing to admit that too.
I recommend this book if you're looking for something wholly unique.
And I also recommend having the knowledge there will be a sequel before starting it. (I thought it was a standalone, which resulted in me being very angry about the ending.)
-Book Hugger
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Hi, welcome to another episode of, I am so behind on reviews and don't remember a thing about the books I've read.
Actually, in the case of City of Ghosts I remember Scotland, vividly, because it's my favorite place in the entire world. While this book wasn't as Scotland-based as I had hoped, considering I live so far away from Scotland, it still gave me my "fix."
While this definitely isn't Victoria Schwab's best book (a little biased because I'm not the target age for middle-grade literature), it still had Schwab character. Her writing vividly expressed Cassidy's ghost world, gave me a deep understanding of the different facets of the world, and put out a character that didn't quite understand nor want her powers without making her seem weak for feeling that way. There's something so utterly and wonderfully feminist about Schwab's books. The female characters always stand on their own, never falter in the presence of anyone else, and aren't ridiculed for having characteristics that would make a male character endearing. Cassidy isn't a strong character in the sense that she fights a lot of bad guys on her own, but in the sense that she is on her own. She is immensely stubborn, naive, but still interested in learning more.
To be fair, I was expecting the book to be a lot darker because Schwab marked it as being a kind of a dark middle-grade book, but it's really just plain-old middle-grade antics. Sure, ghosts could be scary to kids, but these ghosts aren't all that threatening. I think it's something kids of all ages can enjoy, just maybe with the lights on if they're easily scared.
This wouldn't be the first Schwab book I'd recommend, but I still loved it nonetheless. It's a beautiful story about friendship and Scotland and ghosts and Scotland and a girl trying to find her way in the world and Scotland. (I love Scotland).
I definitely recommend this, but if you're looking for a more mature Schwab book, I'd pick up A Darker Shade of Magic, Vicious, or This Savage Song first.
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Actually, in the case of City of Ghosts I remember Scotland, vividly, because it's my favorite place in the entire world. While this book wasn't as Scotland-based as I had hoped, considering I live so far away from Scotland, it still gave me my "fix."
While this definitely isn't Victoria Schwab's best book (a little biased because I'm not the target age for middle-grade literature), it still had Schwab character. Her writing vividly expressed Cassidy's ghost world, gave me a deep understanding of the different facets of the world, and put out a character that didn't quite understand nor want her powers without making her seem weak for feeling that way. There's something so utterly and wonderfully feminist about Schwab's books. The female characters always stand on their own, never falter in the presence of anyone else, and aren't ridiculed for having characteristics that would make a male character endearing. Cassidy isn't a strong character in the sense that she fights a lot of bad guys on her own, but in the sense that she is on her own. She is immensely stubborn, naive, but still interested in learning more.
To be fair, I was expecting the book to be a lot darker because Schwab marked it as being a kind of a dark middle-grade book, but it's really just plain-old middle-grade antics. Sure, ghosts could be scary to kids, but these ghosts aren't all that threatening. I think it's something kids of all ages can enjoy, just maybe with the lights on if they're easily scared.
This wouldn't be the first Schwab book I'd recommend, but I still loved it nonetheless. It's a beautiful story about friendship and Scotland and ghosts and Scotland and a girl trying to find her way in the world and Scotland. (I love Scotland).
I definitely recommend this, but if you're looking for a more mature Schwab book, I'd pick up A Darker Shade of Magic, Vicious, or This Savage Song first.
-Book Hugger
http://www.bookhuggerreviews.com
Willing myself not to cry...
Anyway, I ended up enjoying that more than I thought I would! It was a bit all over the place at times and the second mystery didn't feel important to me, but overall, it was really good! I won't be reviewing it in full unless someone wants that...
Merry Christmas, y'all!
-Book Hugger
Anyway, I ended up enjoying that more than I thought I would! It was a bit all over the place at times and the second mystery didn't feel important to me, but overall, it was really good! I won't be reviewing it in full unless someone wants that...
Merry Christmas, y'all!
-Book Hugger
Well...holy hell that was wonderful. I don't really have enough words to describe this book, but I'll try to make them on my blog soon.
Peace out, y'all, read this book.
-Book Hugger
Peace out, y'all, read this book.
-Book Hugger
I honestly hate that I've rated so many books two stars in the last few months. Part of it is that I'm becoming a more critical reader (good), but at the same time, I don't want to dislike book! I want to rate everything five stars! So that's...bad.
I can't for the life of me come up with a way to rate this higher. The main thing it suffered from was pacing. The events of this novel went at such a pace that it could have spanned three books, maybe two, and had been successful. Everything happened far too quickly, with most of what could be the main events of a whole novel happening in the first 100 pages. Therefore, it left this book being way too complicated and with a plot that carried on way too long.
As well, I couldn't connect with the main characters. I connected to Jax the most, but his main conflict over his relationship Robb could have made so much more sense if explained from the get-go instead of in the last hundred pages. I'm still not entirely sure why that was information we couldn't know about earlier. It only made Jax seem overdramatic. BUT. That isn't to say I disliked Jax; he was the most interesting and the best character out of them all. As for the others, I couldn't connect with Ana at all and her characterization seemed all over the place. Not to mention, I can't possibly ship a romance between a robot and a human; it just doesn't work for me (sorry, guys). As well, they had no chemistry anyway and it started off too soon, without any build. Furthermore, Robb's character was more on the "okay" side, where I didn't have any issues with him, felt a little for him, but still didn't find his character to have enough depth for me to fall in love with him. Some parts were kind of dropped in randomly, like his relationship with his brother, to the point where I wasn't sure if it actually had an impact on his character because it seemed very...sudden.
As a whole, this book was very flawed and I had more issues with it than not, but I will say that the diversity was by far it's best part. If the characters aren't POC, they're members of the LGBT+ community, which was amazing to see, honestly. It had such a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and I really appreciated that.
Can I say that the cover is a pro? I definitely loved that.
Don't let my review persuade you not to read it because you might love it! It just wasn't for me.
-Book Hugger
I can't for the life of me come up with a way to rate this higher. The main thing it suffered from was pacing. The events of this novel went at such a pace that it could have spanned three books, maybe two, and had been successful. Everything happened far too quickly, with most of what could be the main events of a whole novel happening in the first 100 pages. Therefore, it left this book being way too complicated and with a plot that carried on way too long.
As well, I couldn't connect with the main characters. I connected to Jax the most, but his main conflict over his relationship Robb could have made so much more sense if explained from the get-go instead of in the last hundred pages. I'm still not entirely sure why that was information we couldn't know about earlier. It only made Jax seem overdramatic. BUT. That isn't to say I disliked Jax; he was the most interesting and the best character out of them all. As for the others, I couldn't connect with Ana at all and her characterization seemed all over the place. Not to mention, I can't possibly ship a romance between a robot and a human; it just doesn't work for me (sorry, guys). As well, they had no chemistry anyway and it started off too soon, without any build. Furthermore, Robb's character was more on the "okay" side, where I didn't have any issues with him, felt a little for him, but still didn't find his character to have enough depth for me to fall in love with him. Some parts were kind of dropped in randomly, like his relationship with his brother, to the point where I wasn't sure if it actually had an impact on his character because it seemed very...sudden.
As a whole, this book was very flawed and I had more issues with it than not, but I will say that the diversity was by far it's best part. If the characters aren't POC, they're members of the LGBT+ community, which was amazing to see, honestly. It had such a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and I really appreciated that.
Can I say that the cover is a pro? I definitely loved that.
Don't let my review persuade you not to read it because you might love it! It just wasn't for me.
-Book Hugger
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if my mom didn't suggest I read it. I was hesitant because I didn't think it sounded all that interesting, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book unveils one of the least discussed portions of American history and the brutalities of life for orphans affected by this time. The abuse and sadness in Vivian's life as a child disturbed me, but was truly eye-opening.
I found Molly's part of the story just as interesting, but I did, unfortunately, find it written in a somewhat patronizing way. When I read young adult books, their depiction of teenagers seems so much more raw and realistic, but in the adult genre, it comes across like a criticism of teenagers. I felt this way about Molly's chapters, especially in her description of being "goth". I really did like her character, but I think I would have liked her more if I got to see better into her emotions. I also wish I could have seen more into her relationship with her boyfriend because he seemed really controlling. Their relationship came across really negative to me. He constantly put her down and wanted her to lie to protect his mom. It just didn't seem right to me.
I never once found this book slow, unlike how I expected, and read the majority of it on New Year's Eve to meet my challenge goal. If you're looking for an influential novel about United States history (but not in the conventional way), I highly recommend it. I didn't cry, but it really was painful at a lot of points. I also have been known not to cry very often, so... My point, though, is that I truly felt for the characters, and I think that's one of the most important parts of a book--having your emotions affected. If a book doesn't affect you, it isn't worth recommending.
-Book Hugger
I found Molly's part of the story just as interesting, but I did, unfortunately, find it written in a somewhat patronizing way. When I read young adult books, their depiction of teenagers seems so much more raw and realistic, but in the adult genre, it comes across like a criticism of teenagers. I felt this way about Molly's chapters, especially in her description of being "goth". I really did like her character, but I think I would have liked her more if I got to see better into her emotions. I also wish I could have seen more into her relationship with her boyfriend because he seemed really controlling. Their relationship came across really negative to me. He constantly put her down and wanted her to lie to protect his mom. It just didn't seem right to me.
I never once found this book slow, unlike how I expected, and read the majority of it on New Year's Eve to meet my challenge goal. If you're looking for an influential novel about United States history (but not in the conventional way), I highly recommend it. I didn't cry, but it really was painful at a lot of points. I also have been known not to cry very often, so... My point, though, is that I truly felt for the characters, and I think that's one of the most important parts of a book--having your emotions affected. If a book doesn't affect you, it isn't worth recommending.
-Book Hugger
5 stars for enjoyment, but about 4 stars critically since there were some...plot holes...and I'm a tad confused.
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In light of the morning, I'm changing this to 4 stars because I still can't get past how much I felt was missing at the end.
-Book Hugger
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In light of the morning, I'm changing this to 4 stars because I still can't get past how much I felt was missing at the end.
-Book Hugger