This was a truly FUN read. Lighthearted and a little bit poking fun at the "normal" plot/characters/development in a fantasy type novel. But not just that, it still held it's own with a storyline, characters, etc. apart from all that. I liked Sam's sense of humor and the realistic and sarcastic way he handled learning about this world of "magic" and necromancy and everything out of the blue. I also liked the snarky female characters, Brid and Ashley and Brooke. And as I think this is the first book in a longer series, I assume we'll get more info later about what Douglas was up to and Ramon's recovery, cause otherwise I would say there are some plot holes there (particularly regarding Douglas's motivations). But overall, so so much fun to read. Super quick and great for summer.

This is everything. A revisit-ing from all my old friends, my most favorite characters, my childhood (and adolescent) dreams. To return to the world of Harry Potter, no matter for what or how long, is something I will ALWAYS wish for. This was everything I wanted it to be and left me, like usual, wanting more and more and more. The place in my heart reserved for HP and his life, his friends, his world, has no end, no boundaries. Fingers crossed that the stage production goes on an extensive tour that includes central NC.

Well, I'll give this to the author, he definitely knows how to wrap up a story. I've been concerned since almost page 1 about how he was going to do it - the scope of this trilogy, the loss, the midfuck 10 different ways - how do you put a realistic ending on that. But damn if he didn't manage to do it. Impressive. Honestly, this story was just so different from anything else YA that I've read (and I've read a lot recently) - futuristic dystopia in a way I've never seen. With that though was a small criticism - it was so twisty and turny, so many mind games were played and replayed, done and undone, that I got just a little lost at times. To that end, I think he really impressively put the readers directly into what the shoes of Cassie or Ringer would have felt like. At the same time, I feel like I didn't follow it all enough to really get what happened in the end. So the Others were never actually there? Even the Silencers were just normal humans? It was all computer re-programming of memories and physical ability? And if so, how does the Mothership blowing up really make a difference? Like, would razing Earth's cities matter if the reprograming of and demolition of it's citizens had already taken root, or not as the case may be? I feel like, in the end, Vosch was the real enemy. He mattered more than the Mothership. But maybe I also missed the whole point. Regardless, I think Cassie's sacrifice might have been the best "main character" death to end a series that I've ever read. It was pulled off smoothly, almost expectedly, and didn't seem forced at all (which is what Tris's death in Allegiant felt like to me). Ringer's child, birthed from a doomed love in a broken world from a "cold" human, was so spectacularly symbolic. Perhaps a touch too much, but I can see why it was there. I love that Sam and Megan and Ben are the ones that were left behind. The chain reattached - Ben's second chance, after his sister. Plus, it makes sense that, as Sam went through all this so young, and that Zombie was there with him for the tough parts to start, that his connection there would be strong. Even though he never gave up on his sister, they both changed while they were apart and Zombie was there for that - it's a bond you can't change and Cassie couldn't get between, even if that's what all parties involved would have wanted. That's the real tragedy in this story I think. And that Evan didn't die - I liked that too. It's realistic that his body would have survived and it allows the parallel deaths of him and Cassie to not be a cliched ending - though her belief in his death, and her role therein, allowing her to make the sacrifice she needed to was a great touch. All in all, this is a well crafted, if loftily conceptualized, YA series about the power of love (in many many forms) and it's role as the one thing in humans' arsenal that will always allow them to persevere and no matter what the odds.

In read the description of this book like 8 times...and after each of the first 7 I thought something along the lines of "there is no way I'm going to read this, it sounds perfectly mundane, and how do you make that interesting enough to read? Plus, the title/jacket blurb mix made it sound a bit too chick lit for me." But after the 8th time I finally picked it up for real - I figured it THAT MANY people were talking about it so highly, then maybe I should see what it's about. Well, after reading I can say 2 things for sure: 1. I can definitely see what people were raving about. 2. I have absolutely no idea how the author made this book that compulsively readable. I mean sure, the fact that it's set in NYC, in a fancy restaurant, that helps a bit - NYC has so much there to write about, lots of options. But other than that? I mean this is everyone's story. I've lived it, my husband lived it, most of our friends lived it. Walking into your first restaurant, no experience, totally overwhelmed, learning the ropes, making mistakes, nights full of bad decisions (of varying levels) with your fellow workers, and a ton of uncomfortable relationships and staff members sleeping together. I mean, why read about something that everyone you know has lived? You know what happens. And still, I could barely put this book down. Maybe it's because Tess is totally relate-able for me, a timid/unsure/apologetic girl, her interactions with Howard, crush on an unreachable bartender (and maybe even the part where you get that unreachable bartender), the disillusionment when it turns out she can't actually reach that bartender, the heartbreak, learning about the damage/past of others (and how it both matters and doesn't), the mornings after her bad decisions...it's written so well, the emotions are raw, not overdone. Tess's confusion over everything that turns into too much understanding over time - it's a coming of age story that is intimately familiar. And credit to the author for making that happen. Being relate-able does not mean that a story/character will be un-put-down-able, but that is what happens here. Yet in the end, you can see that for all the experiences, Tess has grown, found more of herself...and though, as she even says, the platitudes about suffering in the present leading to more self awareness and contentment when looking back from the future, is bullshit, we find out that (for Tess as for all of us) it's true bullshit. Everything here was exquisitely detailed: Jake, Howard, Simone, Ariel, Sasha, Nick, the restaurant, the food (though perhaps detailed less often than would be expected in a book about food), the wine, the seasons, the little pieces of NYC that actually make it what it is. I'll admit it, this book was unexpectedly gorgeous in it's reality. And for someone who never really understood the pull people got from The Catcher in the Rye, I can definitely say this book gave me a little of what I assume that feeling would be.

That was an emotional roller coaster of a coming of age story. And an incredible exploration of a life that would normally be, as so aptly stated by the title, invisible. When we start the story, I van has seriously never been outside the hospital he lives in - a life full of boredom, repetition, and daily reminders that life isn't fair at all. Until Polina comes and they are able to find in each other a way to forget the daily fear and disassociation from real life that they both live with. Ivan helps Polina forget that she is dying and makes sure she doesn't die alone. In Polina, Ivan finds out about himself, his past, and tries so many new things that he would easily have been able to talk himself out of before her arrival. Her influence gives him the courage to feel, to love, and ultimately to be able to say goodbye (to her and to the safety of familiarity) and to leave and spend the last few years of his life actually living. I also think, though partially in the background here, Nurse Natalya's story is just as sad if not more so, as we see her lose her husband and chance at a family, then watch her fight back and put all her motherly love into the children at Mazyr, only to continue to move through life as she buries them one by one. As she says, it is always more lonely for those left behind than those who leave... This glimpse into the lives of those who would truly otherwise be invisible hits right in the soft spots. A heartbreaking tale of the price paid by the innocent in times of war and greed. And a beautiful story shining a light on the fullness of every single human life, no matter how small it may seem.

This was such an interesting read. It's really not a topic or subject matter that I'm generally interested in, so I looked over it a couple times before finally picking it up. And I'm glad I did, though I still don't think this topic will ever jump to the top of my favorites list... The "cult" story line is really just a vehicle for the real narrative, one that I am pretty sure would hit any girl right in a soft spot. The author does a magnificent job describing what it's like to grow up as a girl - to always be looking for a way to make yourself that much prettier, that much more acceptable, the games and tricks suggested by friends and magazines to drop that last few pounds or catch the eye of that guy. And all the while you lose yourself, or fail to ever find yourself, in the never-ending struggle to be noticed. And the compromises you make or the rationalizations you feed yourself...they make look insane to an outsider, but if you could get a peek at how the persons got to those conclusions, maybe it's not so unrealistic after all. And though this story took place in the 60s, and of course you can argue how things have changed for women, underneath it all, that need to be seen, to be acknowledged and accepted, is still very much there. The voice of the adult narrator looking back and truthfully, as objectively as possible, walking us through her 14 year old thought processes resonated as very real with me, very honest. Her infatuation with a lifestyle that allowed you to let got a little, and a girlhood crush a someone who seemed so much "cooler," confident (Suzanne), and how easy it was to overlook the bad things in favor of her inner desires, that's something I think anyone can recognize in themselves. And in the end, that that summer stayed with her, perhaps haunted her and colored all her future interactions, for the rest of her life - out of fear, out of longing - it's not surprising. What an experience for a young girl to live through, to survive. And her own self introspection to try and come to terms with what she would have done, how she might have participated that last night, if Suzanne had not left her behind...how hard that must have been, and how horrifying. And finally, Evie seeing her younger self, the same losing of self and need for a space in someone else's world, that she saw in Sasha and simultaneously realizing that even after living it and learning something, she was powerless to stop another young girl from going through all the same things, that Sasha would have to find out for herself, again perhaps a horrifying discovery. The exploration of a person and their inner emotions here was really something, a bit like a wreck that you slow down to look at and can't stop staring, our obsession with that kind of spectacle, the author capitalizes on that and delivers.

Well I loved this book. It had all the perfect elements of a good fairy tale - the evil Wood, the Queen behind it, the history of magic, undertones of folklore (always a "real life" twist I love to see in fantasy novels), the mysterious wizard, the new young witch with a different sort of magic, the best friend heroine, the handsome prince with his eyes on the throne, and the power of connection (to the people around you and the land you call home) and it's all pulled together wonderfully in a tale of adventure, of learning to let go, of righting the wrongs of the past, and of discovering oneself (whether that be the young witch or the experienced wizard). I absolutely enjoyed every minute reading this standalone tale. There's enough romance to satisfy, but not so much that it becomes the focus or seems unrealistic. The pacing is well done and, even with a young female lead, there is no excess of histrionics or inner monologue that makes you want to roll your eyes. It's crafted with a self-respect and maturity from the writer that shines through and roots the characters and their selves in a reality that is completely believable, despite the fantastical aspects. And I really enjoyed the Wood itself - the character it had, both the good and the bad, and how it was not just a home to the "evil" but had aims and a personality, alive in it's own right. Which, as we come to the ending and learn about the past of the Wood and the heart trees, makes absolute sense. Super creative and fulfilling in the end, I definitely recommend Uprooted.

This was a light read about some close college friends who are now very much grown up with children who are going off to college themselves. The friends have always been neighbors, always been close, and, perhaps, have always been a little too much into each other. There are quite a few unresolved issues from their past, but not all of them know about each other's issues - it's interesting that you can be so close and yet for so long keep such heavy secrets from/about each other. I enjoyed that as an insight to long term relationships... With the possibility of a biopic coming out about their one friend (band-mate) who made it big and died young, many of these secrets are coming to light. And the friends must work through these issues of the past while simultaneously fighting the issues of the present, possible divorces (either trying to avoid one or realizing that perhaps your marriage isn't as perfect as it seems), loss of personal direction, small tragedy, and the always present challenges of having children who are growing up into themselves (particularly once those children develop romantic feelings for each other). All in all, I feel like after reading this, I'm not sure how much even really happened. Everyone is almost in the exact same place at the end as they were when it started (at least physically) except the kids, which makes sense but is also makes a description of what happens in this book hard to write. It's a great character development story, with a lot of growing up for everyone, but very little actual plot movement. The author did a good job making it seem like things were moving forwards though, for all that. One thing that seemed weird to me was that each section started with a random newspaper clipping, which just seemed oddly out of place for me. At the end, these clippings were used as a sort of epilogue - mostly it seemed like a forced way to handle a wrap-up, not very natural, especially considering how surface level the info was compared with how deeply character-development-driven the novel was. Also, there were a few introspection moments from the characters that created big turning points emotionally that didn't seem quite realistic - they were conveniently timed and perhaps too understanding/"all-seeing." However, I did enjoy reading this book overall - it's a good "get lost in someone else's lives" summer read.

These characters. They are just so comfortable and easy to slip back into. I had to wait a couple months to get my hands on this book after finishing the third one (library wait lists...), but by the second chapter I felt like I was back with old friends that I fit together with seamlessly, despite years between seeing each other. Henry was a really fun addition - and his piece of the threesome with Gansey and Blue was the perfect way to finish their story, giving him his "something more" and allowing the G/B relationship to not wrap up in a typical way (which would have been disingenuous to their characters). Adam and Ronan - I mean I don't even have words for how they made my heart soar... And Ronan's ability to find himself, who he is, own it, and move forwards - the most impressive coming of age in this wrap up. Which, truly, is followed only marginally by Adam's. So their connection, through Cabeswater and elsewhere, is entirely perfect. The openness of the rest of the "ends" the many women of Fox Way (especially Gwenllian), Artemis, the Grey Man, the rest of the "artifacts" dealers really worked for me here. I sometimes hate that lack of conclusion, but this story has been something different from the beginning, it's weirdness and (almost) aloofness, the ephemeral qualities of Cabeswater, of the telling in general, made it the right fit, the only way to do it. Where Noah's stories ends, or loops back to (if you will), was nicely done as well. The fact that Glendower was not actually alive, that the quest was Noah's creation...it was a bit of a letdown when I actually read it, because it was 4 books building up to the discovery of a long dead king. But that it allowed for these character's to meet, that they would not have come together without him, was a realization that made it ok, in the end. And Gansey's "remaking" by Cabeswater, at the end of all the unmaking done by the demon that he died to stop, was very symmetrical. Not a surprise that the author didn't let him stay dead. It would have been so hard - would have changed the trajectory of the rest of them, Gansey's court of magicians, too much to make it ok. This was such a fulfilling tale with such strong characters whose voices I am so happy to have heard.

I feel like this is the type of book that I read and think it's one thing and then, like a couple months later, the author comes out in an interview and says it's this HUGE satire or allegory and points out all the subtle meanings of everything and I just feel dumb that I missed everything... Since we haven't gotten to that point yet, I'm going to review it based on my first impressions, and if that turns out to be just the surface, well that'll be embarrassing. Until that, damn, that book was weird. But also I couldn't put it down. First, the pacing was spectacular. What an adventure. Second, every new chapter was filled with something so different that I couldn't help continuing to see what was next. The only part that bogged me down a little bit was the castle building section, but since the character spent that part being broken down too, I respect the symmetry. All the characters, really except Ben himself, seemed a little flat (as in one dimensional, not as in boring), but as we come to find out (as we start to suspect through little clues and discoveries along the way) that Ben's imagination and past are the basis for most of the "bumps" (HA) that he faces on the path, it makes much more sense. Because who creates all their dreams/horrors in 3D? I really enjoyed how through the snippets we get in Ben's dreams of how his life COULD have gone if everything were perfect, we are slowly given a whole picture of where each of the nightmares on his hike were born. I will say though, while it was an amazing journey of discovery, etc. I think there was always some kind of barrier between me and the book. Possibly that was there on purpose, in this kind of novel I wouldn't be surprised, but I am not necessarily a fan of that disconnected feeling, so I'm hesitant to give a full 5 stars... And, as a wife, I gotta say, his determination to return to his family, his choice to go back to them at the end (though his way "around" making the full choice was quite creative) is really heartwarming and a beautiful homage to the author's wife/family. And the very end...it hits you with a huge bang and then leaves you stranded and alone with all your thoughts and realizations and questions. I read the last couple paragraphs at least 4 times trying to sort out my suspicions and I still am not really sure I have a grasp on them. I never saw it coming - gorgeously done.