Take a photo of a barcode or cover
978 reviews by:
leighsnerdlife
First - I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this book. And second - my timing really couldn’t have been worse!
The story starts with a global pandemic, which is kind of scary to read considering what is happening in the world right now. The plot itself is actually centred around a famous actor, who has a heart attack on stage and dies the night the pandemic kicks off. I found myself picturing the story like the spokes of a wheel, with the actor in the middle and all of the other characters stories branching out from his. The wide and varied cast of characters end up connected in some pretty unexpected ways because of this.
Station Eleven is definitely not an upbeat tale; Mandel digs deep into how people could survive the end of modern civilization. It’s not pretty. But there are small bits of hope sprinkled throughout that kept me reading.
Really, the only thing I struggled with was the ‘villain’ of the story. His part was actually quite small, and his arc ended in a way that felt like a really inconsequential part of the story. He felt unnecessary. Honestly, if he hadn’t been included at all this would definitely have been 5/5.
The story starts with a global pandemic, which is kind of scary to read considering what is happening in the world right now. The plot itself is actually centred around a famous actor, who has a heart attack on stage and dies the night the pandemic kicks off. I found myself picturing the story like the spokes of a wheel, with the actor in the middle and all of the other characters stories branching out from his. The wide and varied cast of characters end up connected in some pretty unexpected ways because of this.
Station Eleven is definitely not an upbeat tale; Mandel digs deep into how people could survive the end of modern civilization. It’s not pretty. But there are small bits of hope sprinkled throughout that kept me reading.
Really, the only thing I struggled with was the ‘villain’ of the story. His part was actually quite small, and his arc ended in a way that felt like a really inconsequential part of the story. He felt unnecessary. Honestly, if he hadn’t been included at all this would definitely have been 5/5.
This book. OMG this book. I want to give it all the stars - I already know this will be one of my favourites of 2020.
The story centres around a girl named January, who is essentially raised by her father’s boss. Her father spends the majority of his time travelling the world, ‘acquiring’ rare items for his employer. Her childhood is rather grey and confining, but once she discovers the power of her writing and the magic of certain doors, the story just explodes with colour.
It reminded me a lot of The Starless Sea, and not just because of the ‘doors to incredible places’ thing. It feels the same, if that makes any sense: a beautifully written epic with fantastic world-building and characters that stick with you long after you finish reading. If you enjoyed The Starless Sea then I highly recommend checking this one out.
The story centres around a girl named January, who is essentially raised by her father’s boss. Her father spends the majority of his time travelling the world, ‘acquiring’ rare items for his employer. Her childhood is rather grey and confining, but once she discovers the power of her writing and the magic of certain doors, the story just explodes with colour.
It reminded me a lot of The Starless Sea, and not just because of the ‘doors to incredible places’ thing. It feels the same, if that makes any sense: a beautifully written epic with fantastic world-building and characters that stick with you long after you finish reading. If you enjoyed The Starless Sea then I highly recommend checking this one out.
I’m not quite sure how to describe The Bone Houses - perhaps YA horror-fantasy? Beautifully written horror-fantasy that stresses the love and importance of family. With zombies.
The central character is Ryn, a seventeen-year-old girl trying to keep her broken family together. Her mother is dead, and her father and uncle have disappeared, leaving Ryn and her two siblings alone in the world. Ryn spends her days gravedigging for her small village, and her nights watching for and destroying wandering bone houses. That’s where the zombies come in - the dead don’t always stay dead. They usually hide within the boundaries of a nearby forest, but with the arrival of a young map-maker named Ellis, the bone houses start coming out. Violence ensues.
The premise sounds like it could be a campy story, but Lloyd-Jones has written this book with great depth and emotion. There’s a respect for the dead you don’t usually see in a traditional zombie story, which elevates The Bone Houses to an impressive level of storytelling. It’s touching and beautiful, and may just be one of my favourite books of the year. The. Year. I can’t recommend this book enough. Read it.
The central character is Ryn, a seventeen-year-old girl trying to keep her broken family together. Her mother is dead, and her father and uncle have disappeared, leaving Ryn and her two siblings alone in the world. Ryn spends her days gravedigging for her small village, and her nights watching for and destroying wandering bone houses. That’s where the zombies come in - the dead don’t always stay dead. They usually hide within the boundaries of a nearby forest, but with the arrival of a young map-maker named Ellis, the bone houses start coming out. Violence ensues.
The premise sounds like it could be a campy story, but Lloyd-Jones has written this book with great depth and emotion. There’s a respect for the dead you don’t usually see in a traditional zombie story, which elevates The Bone Houses to an impressive level of storytelling. It’s touching and beautiful, and may just be one of my favourite books of the year. The. Year. I can’t recommend this book enough. Read it.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I’m struggling to describe exactly what this book is about; it’s just so layered and complex. I suppose at its simplest, the story follows the lives of several people through the lead up, exposure and aftermath of a Ponzi scheme. But it’s also so much more.
The story shows what happens to the group who set up the scheme but also their victims. There is a pretty big focus on morality, guilt and... ghosts.
I read most of it in a single sitting, which is saying a lot (financial intrigue is not something I gravitate towards). Mandel just really knows how to draw a reader in.
The writing is really clever - if you’ve read Mandel’s previous book Station Eleven, you’ll recognize some familiar names and events. It’s very subtle; these stories don’t actually exist in the same universe. It gave me a couple of really neat ‘ah ha’ moments.
I found that the ending drifted a bit and I did wish it had a stronger resolution. But overall I really enjoyed it.
I’m struggling to describe exactly what this book is about; it’s just so layered and complex. I suppose at its simplest, the story follows the lives of several people through the lead up, exposure and aftermath of a Ponzi scheme. But it’s also so much more.
The story shows what happens to the group who set up the scheme but also their victims. There is a pretty big focus on morality, guilt and... ghosts.
I read most of it in a single sitting, which is saying a lot (financial intrigue is not something I gravitate towards). Mandel just really knows how to draw a reader in.
The writing is really clever - if you’ve read Mandel’s previous book Station Eleven, you’ll recognize some familiar names and events. It’s very subtle; these stories don’t actually exist in the same universe. It gave me a couple of really neat ‘ah ha’ moments.
I found that the ending drifted a bit and I did wish it had a stronger resolution. But overall I really enjoyed it.
I’ve been a bit gun shy lately when it comes to YA fantasy - I’ve been burned by some recent titles (looking at you, Finale). Thankfully, Sorcery of Thorns did not continue that downward trend - I loved it.
The story is set in a world with magical libraries; the books can literally come to life. It centres around one teenage girl, Elizabeth, who grew up in one of the libraries and hoped to be a warden of the books one day. There are demons, sorcerers and a threat to end the world - it’s packed full of fun stuff! I really love the world Rogerson has created.
Yes, there are some common YA tropes used, and normally that would bother me. But the plot itself made it all feel quite fresh and unique, so it was easy to overlook it. It’s beautifully written and engaging; I had a hard time putting it down! It is also (currently) a stand alone, which I was really happy with - a rarity in YA. And yet, I think future books set in the same world would also be fantastic.
The story is set in a world with magical libraries; the books can literally come to life. It centres around one teenage girl, Elizabeth, who grew up in one of the libraries and hoped to be a warden of the books one day. There are demons, sorcerers and a threat to end the world - it’s packed full of fun stuff! I really love the world Rogerson has created.
Yes, there are some common YA tropes used, and normally that would bother me. But the plot itself made it all feel quite fresh and unique, so it was easy to overlook it. It’s beautifully written and engaging; I had a hard time putting it down! It is also (currently) a stand alone, which I was really happy with - a rarity in YA. And yet, I think future books set in the same world would also be fantastic.
