hermusings's Reviews (303)

This is simultaneous the saddest, sweetest, aggravating and most beautiful story I have read in a while.

It’s honestly refreshing to have a story that’s centered around platonic love and how that fairs in a world that’s always praising romantic over other types.

It was also wonderfully accessible for a book about game makers. As someone who is not an avid gamer and has only played Nintendo type of games, it was still easy to picture & understand the various games throughout the book. 

I adored the raw depiction of creative collaboration, familial dynamics, and even the parallels to classics like Macbeth & the Iliad.  

Truly, this is a very self aware story.

It gives live to the notion that nothing may matter but in that same way everything matters. Like a common name like Anna Lee… 

It was wonderful.

I couldn’t put this down! It was such a wonderful ride. 

Although, I will preface that this book falls victim to the fluffy romance cover/marketing that are actually literary fiction (with a dash of romance) book.

I went into it completely blind and was shocked by the various twists. Not because they were unexpected but rather how much they impacted the story. Halfway through the book I found myself reflecting on how much different of a book it had turned into.

The righting was funny and witty. But overall it’s a bit of an emotional book.

I enjoyed the adventure, the moral of the story and how funny this was.
Personally, I think I would have enjoyed it more at a younger age. I can see how this is beloved and adored.

Honestly, this was fun & heartfelt at times and annoying in others. Overall, it felt like any other story written by a white man. Which is neither good nor bad.

I can see this being part of a curriculum for a high school English class. It just has that introspective commentary vibe.

The sci-fi elements where intriguing and I loved the use of the multiverse! It was suspenseful and thrilling which I think are the qualities of a good sci-fi thriller. 

It was a bit frustrating too. Main character, Jason Dessen, had no personality and would get more annoying the further into the book I got.

However, I do recommend going into it as blind as possible for the fuller experience. 

This one just wasn’t for me.

First of all, the main guy, Rip (interesting name for a book centered around deaths & grief) was an absolute jerk to Colby, main girl, but magically learned to be kind overnight??

I have so many questions about how Colby maintained her job during this entire novel since she wrote a total of two blog posts.

It did have a lot of good story lines but between the annoying kids and their cringe banter I was ready to dnf. 

However, I didn’t stop thinking it would get better but instead we got that dramatic twist in the last 10% that truly felt unnecessary. 

I’m not sure how to articulate how I feel about this book.

I agree with everyone who said that you should go in blind for this one but I also think you should read it with the expectation that you’re embarking on a journey.

This is completely different than Beth O’Leary’s other books. (I actually think it’s a stand out from anything recently out from within this genre). That being said, it still has the elements you love about her writing - the comedy, romance and depth.

It was incredible and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

This was such a sweet story!! 

For such a short and quick book, it touches on quit a few things such as loss, love, heritage and our own ideas of what the trajectory of our lives should be.

Although I found this book and it’s ending incredibly sweet, it could have benefited from an epilogue or some more chapters. It ends on such a beginning that it leaves you wanting to know more.

Also, the events happen within the span of a few months. Which makes the love story feel a bit rushed at points and I found that Lauren Kate would have to remind us that they have been corresponding for years before the events of the book. 

Overall, this was a heartwarming story that I  thoroughly enjoyed.

Honestly, if you like murder mysteries & thrillers this is for you. 

It’s never dull but not overly complex. 

It references a lot of books of its genre which I think makes the story feel more rich and grounded in reality. Although, I will say it spoils almost all those books for the sake of context and inclusivity. 

I recommend going into this book blind and enjoying it for what it is.

DNF - For such a conceptually
interesting plot, I have no desire to pick this up and figure out what will happen to these characters.
I'm a mood reader so I will give it the benefit of the doubt and try to finish this again when I'm in the right mindset for it.
Since I took this book out from the library and other people are waiting on it, I will be shelving this for later.