galacticvampire's Reviews (366)

I really like the themes of this book. It's about family, loyalty and letting go, and while I didn't always like how they were executed I can appreciate the overall story.

Sky is probably the most complex addition to the middle grade cast. They were conflicted pretty much every step of the way, and felt like a real person. They added depth to both Rooper and Dash's struggles with the a charm that was missing in the previous book.

But, while I really liked learning more about the workings of hyperspace ans prospecting, the plot of Quest for Planet X just didn't do it for me. I very much have the feeling that basically nothing happened and the whole thing could've been told in half the page count.

We've seen how elaborate the Middle Grade High Republic books can get, and while they don't *need* to, I can't help but feel underwhelmed.

I love the Lord of the Rings movies. I think they're fun and epic and emotional, the whole she-bang. And yet.

This was the fourth time I tried reading this book, and the first one I finished it. This is not a testament to the quality of the story, simply that I don't have what it requires to be a High Fantasy consumer.

I appreciate the details and the intricacies of the earth. It's no wonder this shaped the fantasy genre forever. But I don't have the patience for it.

They just kept walking, and walking, and then something dangerous happened and they ran away, but didn't know what it was. I always gave up pretty much halfway through, because nothing really happens till then.

I have to give credit to what allowed me to actually finish it now: the Andy Serkis narration. The audiobook is way friendlier towards the bored reader and Andy's acting made me feel like listening to the story around a campfire, a mood I highly recommend and personally think very well fits the legendary tone of Tolkien mythology.

Disclaimer: this is a biased opinion. I love the Green brothers and how they view and explain the world, so I loved this memoir, as it was bound to happen.

The Anthropocene Reviewed is exactly what it says on the title: snippets of everyday human life with a little star rating attached to it. The magic happens when Joh Green uses what is essentially a memoir to make commentary about the essence of human experience.

I don't watch car races, or have kids, or had ever seen this very specific picture he reviews, but that doesn't matter. Because while, sure, the reviews were about these things that are particular to *John Green's* life, it wasn't really about them at all. They were just a way to convey a very beautiful and honest message of hope and wishfulness amidst the despair of life.

There are some points were I did get a little tired, or wished for more excitement. And the author knew that. But he also knew that real life wasn't a story that perfectly fit to optimal narrative purposes, and he let me know that. Which was cool too.

I'm don't have an easy time with non-ficton books, but I had it quite a good with this one. I give the Anthropocene Reviewed four and a quarter stars.

First of all I need to say that the audiobook version of Daisy Jones and The Six is a must if you want to know this story. It will completely shape the experience and I really think the printed book would be extremely bleak. All of the weight of the story is in the voice acting.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is incredible at writing complex characters. Everyone feels real, everyone is flawed. I kinda hated them and was mesmerized by them at the same time. It really is an experience.

I'm really picky with love triangles and the will-they-wont-they thing because they're often incredibly silly. But here it was dealt with compassion and maturity by the narrative. It understood it was a complex situation and I couldn't ask for more.

The plot itself a kinda sidelined by the whole mess of personalities and drama, and the ending felt really unfulfilling. I get that it was kinda the point and I'm not really mad at the decision to do so, but it's why I wasn't completely invested on what was happening, abd why I'm probably not thinking too much about it now that is over.

Overall, I say it's worth a read solely for the voice acting and audio production. It felt like a real story, a real documentary, and I'm half expecting to find a YouTube video of a Daisy Jones and The Six performance.

Oh. Wow. I thought I had prepared myself for the thriller and stressful aspects of The High Republic phase II but I was wrong!! Cataclysm was pure and uninterrupted tension from about 40% in to finish!

For starters, the themes here are the strongest since phase one: this is a book about identity and loyalty. About hope and never giving up, as Star Wars always should be.

The action scenes were also incredible. While the high of a constant climax was a little tiring, making me take longer than necessary to finish the story, it was also very dynamic, visual and exciting! I could do with some breathing room, but I was never drowning.

It was great seeing the characters again, thought I really wish they had made this ohase into a trilogy. I feel I wasn't as attached to the characters yet like the narrative wanted me to be. It was great at making me feel and care (hi, Axel! How does it feel to be so unnerving?) but not overly sad or happy with the events.

Part of this is because the story is split between several groups and povs. I wish we would've focused on a more concise but deeper cast. Am I really going to be super sad when someone dies when they were only given five chapters worth of page time? Hardly. (Characters like the youngling and the guards could've been removed entirely, for example. I'm not saying they weren't fun but take them out and nothing is changed so...)

The plot also felt somehow off, considering the previous book. For the overall phase narrative it works, but I don't think it was a good decision to resolve a conflict that was the main focus of Convergence off-page, for instance. Give the relevant plot and the main characters the space to shine and this could've been a show!

But I was on edge the whole time. Lydia Kang has a very unique writing style, portraying emotions and sensations with an impressive clarity. That's why Cataclysm is at it's best during battle, and, luckily, that's where it is for 60% of the time.

I wish I had read this book when I was a teenager because it just rewired my brain.

Radio Silence is the book to every seventeen year-old who doesn't know who they are, what they want. Is the book to everyone who ever felt they had to hide their personality or meet expectations to the T. Who felt lonely and struggled to socialize and just wanted to be heard.

This is the book to everyone who always wanted to find a friend who was just weird as you.

The writing isn't flourished or poetic, but it's so heartfully honest. This is every single Existencial Crisis feeling you've ever had compiled in a story. Frances and Aled are unique. But they're also just like you. It's hopeful and dramatic and wonderful. But could've happened to my neighbour.

I got close to crying too many times to count, and I was pouring my heart back at the pages though the whole experience.

No notes. This is incredible.

This is hard to rate because while I really like some elements, some others were incredibly frustrating.

First with the good points: I really really enjoyed the dynamics between characters. They were complex, and even secondary characters had developed personalities. Everyone is different without the frequent feeling of checking diverse identities out of a list.

I think Sol was a highlight. They were funny and earnest but also snappy and down-to-earth. I was also really happy to see them portrayed beyond the weird-otaku-and-computer-wiz stereotype. If the writer wrote a spin-off about them I'd read it.

The romance also worked well for me. They were annoying and bitchy, but I was also vibrating with every interaction. Their rivalry was stupid and honestly their struggle to understand each other a little baffling, but I also love drama. so.

There are a lot of scenes of groups just Being Friends and Doing Teen Stuff. And they were incredible fun. It shows how even clichés like costume photoshoot montages can be cool when the characters are very lively and different.

Now. The annoying part: the main character is very close to insufferable. On one hand, I can let some of it slide. Jeremy is already suffering of Being Seventeen, and on top of that, three weeks in HRT therapy and dealing with home and school (and self) pressure about his identity. So ok, I get it, it would make no sense for this character to be calm and reasonable all the time. But. He is just so impulsively selfish. And then after he calms down he justifies his mistakes! He refuses to see he's on the wrong, and even by the end his apologies are really half-assed!

Lukas is also quite self-centred and incredibly dumb at some points. I don't know if it was supposed to be part of the whole "has a hard time understanding people because of the autism" but bro. Use two braincells, please. But I liked him way better, and his reasoning for The Dramatics made way more sense.

And I think I'd be ok with both of these if everyone else was acting accordingly. They do some insane shit with their friends and then. They're just very easily forgiven. Some of their fights were silly and I'm happy this was recognised, but I wanted our main couple to work harder after everything they put other people through.

So my biggest problem, both on character development and plot, is that everything was resolved too easily. It was even kinda cheesy. Some plot points (specially regarding their parents) didn't really get a good conclusion, and while this lacks a pay-off, it's also how life works sometimes and I really appreciated it.

I read May the Best Man Win in a single day. It's easy, it's interesting, and goes deeper on The Issues than I'd have expected from its page count. It isn't perfect, but I could easily see the fun story beyond it's problems, so I'm really excited for what the author puts out next.

This book is dark and gritty and full of grief, and every second of it was a breath of fresh air! 

Following his best friend's apparent suicide, Andrew inherits his house, friends and master thesis on gothic folklore.
 He is sure Eddie couldn't have done it himself, and every single person who shared his past six months of life with him seems to be hidding something. Being haunted by a ghoulish remnant of his friend doesn't exactly seem to help him fit in either. 

Ok, Summer Sons hit every right note for me: it is original, doesn't shy away from its own story, and doesn't underestimate its audience. It's a murder mystery who doesn't rely on nonsensical plot twists, but on the eery atmosphere of uncertainty. 

I really like how tridimensional the characters felt, how they argued and made sense, but also contradicted themselves like real people. The supernatural elements also caught me by surprise, because I was expecting it to feel silly once it began to be introduced. The writing is really really good, hitting a perfect balance between not revealing too much too soon, but allowing the reader to follow the stoey nicely. 

My only point is honestly the ending. While it makes sense and I saw it coming, I feel it could've dwelled more on the reveal for a bigger impact, as the actual climax felt to be somehow a little earlier. 

But this has the perfect dark academia vibes (even if tbh our main character isn't very academic himself), and I really liked how it handled its different queer experiences, making it a natural part of the story.

I live for Sequel-Era content so by definition I'm happy with this book. We get some much-needed development for the Resistance, the situation on the galaxy, and the new characters.

I never cared much for Poe beyond his charisma (total credit to Oscar Isaac) but this really helped me understand more of his character and appreciate him more (and the scenes he has with Finn? OOF! The author did it for us, stormpilot shippers)

But although I really enjoyed the last half or so of the book a lot, I can't deny that the set up was a bit tiring, and that expanding more on what happened with the Resistance after episode VIII would've been highly beneficial.

I understand this came out before the final movie and couldn't give too much away, but I was definitely left wanting more, for better or for worse.

The production of Battle of Jedha is impeccable. The soundtrack, atmosphere and full cast really bring the story to life, and I really like what's being built in phase two. 

That being said, I don't think audiodramas are for me. I struggle to connect with the characters without an internal monologue or way to know their thoughts, and because of this kept feeling I could be getting more if the format was a little less plot-oriented.