natreviews's Reviews (445)

So I had read Idoru (the second book in the Bridge Trilogy) when I was about 14 or 15. Now, at 22, I decided to start the series proper with reading Virtual Light.  I've been getting back into the cyberpunk genre, and thought why don't I read some from the guy who pretty much invented it.
Note: as far as I can tell, apart from some characters from the first book popping up, there isn't a super big connection between Idoru and Virtual Light.
I still find it kind of creepy how relatable this book is. It was written in the 90's, far before the technology talked about was a real thing. Things like VR were just imagination back then, but it is creepily accurate as to what we have now (about 30 years after the book was originally published).
I liked all of the characters, the story was easy to follow once you understood what was going on (Gibson really loves to throw you in with no context so you have to discover what things mean by inference and reading the story). It has the simple premise of Character B steals Important Item, Character A gets hired to go after them, hilarity (not really) persists. Like a lot of books I've read recently, the wrap up is meh. Like, the story does wrap up (in a kind of cliff hanger way), but it doesn't feel as satisfying as it should. The last pages of the second-to-last chapter just weren't satisfying. From what I remember from Idoru (which isn't a whole lot) apart from Character A 

a.k.a. Rydell

  you don't hear much about what happened to everyone else. 

I also had trouble rating this book. It's one of those reads that is really good, but does have some flaws and is written in Gibson's trademarked style (which can be annoying for some readers). A solid 4/5 seems like a good rating for this book however.

I really liked this book. I originally picked it up because of the synopsis on the back and the cover design. This book isn't anything like what the back says. The best way I can describe it is Netflix's adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House if it was set in Norway.

I don't want to go into too much detail. I do think this is a good read, but it does have it's issues. The prologue doesn't line up with what actually happens (it's a good hook, but doesn't make sense with the overall story once fully read). I think the main antagonist could've been fleshed out a bit more. The ending chapter wraps things up in a way that doesn't 100% make sense. It's a super quick wrap up, but leaves certain questions (why is this character allowed to stay? What happened with this thing? etc.). The location also wasn't mapped out great (this is one of the books I actually wished had a layout of the property). I couldn't get in my head where the fjord was in relation to the house, how the house being built was actually possible, etc. I don't know if it's because I'm not fluent in construction or if other readers feel this way as well.

The big question is would I read it again? Probably. I like how the book transitions from first person (current events) to third person (past events). I like the majority of characters. There are some interesting red herrings (which just popped into my mind another question about why a character was written in and how it was wrapped up in pretty much one chapter, then dropped). Although when you put all the red herrings together, it doesn't make sense. It's more convince over actually making logical sense. I think this book could've done with another edit or two, but overall not a bad read.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. That's mainly because it wasn't written for me. I didn't understand all of the basketball and motorcycle references. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. It wasn't scary to me. 
I really couldn't get passed how this book was written. It's very much speech to text. Now, having a book with a different voice isn't bad, but this books voice was not to my liking. 
I also couldn't get passed how it was a

elk spirit

all along. I understand the historical and cultural significance, but it turned out to be a silly concept. I wasn't really scared by it, just confused and at some points thinking how ridiculous it is. Again, this book wasn't written for me, and that's 100% great. Just not my cup of tea.

First and foremost, this is an artbook...ish. There is a reason why it's called The World of Cyberpunk 2077 and not The Art of Cyberpunk 2077.

I like the narrative take, how this was published in universe because of the sensitive information used was too risky to have on the Net. It does contain some good information that helps flesh out the world. Do I wish it went into more detail at times? Yes. Do I regret reading it? No. It did have some sections that I thought were really interesting and added details to basic concepts and items (braindance being the main one for me). To be honest, you can probably find a lot of the information in here on the internet, and unless you are going for the deluxe edition (includes a Johnny Silverhand poster, 4 postcards of in-game cars, and temporary tattoos featuring the logo of all the gangs) I'd recommend skipping out on this (or buying it when it's super discounted).

One thing I would recommend if you are going to get this is get it either before you start the game or when your early on in gameplay. A lot of the information you discover in-game, but if you read about it before playing I think it would make the experience so much better.

Hoy hell, this was one good read. Firstly, I want to mention the theming here. They did not have to go as hard as they did to make this a story within a catalog. The story itself is grasping and horrifying, but then add on top the little details and design that makes the book itself a Ikeaish catalog????? Amazing. Secondly, the way humor and horror are blended is so well done. There are so many terrifying moments and imagery that it will stick with you.

If you've ever wanted to stay the night at Ikea, but with a dark twist, this book is so for you.

This book is so well written. The horror of excepted cannibalism is shocking. It's portrayed realistically, and that's where the horror truly lies. This story is also so addictive that you don't want to put it down.

I guess the ending and sudden-ish change of the main character is the only thing that is missing for that perfect 5/5. I felt like the ending was too rushed, chapter 18 didn't really need to be in the story, so I wish that was cut and chapter 19 became more fleshed out. The change in Marcos was not super sudden, but a bit too rushed for the drastic actions of the ending. 

If you are a fan of horror, I highly recommend this book.

I originally heard of this book from the Ghibli movie (like I'm sure lots of people have). For some reason while reading, I kept on thinking about how I would set this as a play, so the majority of the story took place on a stage with set pieces. Kinda weird, I know.

I would say for your child who is 10+ they would love this book. As a 22 year old, I found this book enjoyable enough, but wasn't for me. It was interesting how everything did tie together in the end. I wouldn't say there is a whole lot of apparent character growth, but looking back you can see some. Personally, I didn't find the book to be better or worse than the movie, just different. Apparently there are more books that follow Howl, but I'll probably skip those. A fun short read if you're an adult who liked the movie, although if you have kids, 100% get them to read this. 

To be honest, this might be my new comfort book. It feels like home.

All of the characters feel real. The places feel real. The emotions feel real. This is another book that got me crying. Also with a gay enemies to lovers and a happy ending, what more could you want??

Also, shout out to Courtney for having the 4 core main characters all be some shade of LGBTQ2IA+! It was cool to see a book jam packed with characters like me! 

This has a little bit of everything. Some romance, some murder, a darkness plot and ghost hunting Dads. I pictured Brandon being a knock off Zak Bagans (of Ghost Adventures fame) the entire book, and it was a delight. I will be reading this again in the future now knowing what happens. I have a feeling there are a lot of hidden secrets and "Oh, ya I can totally see it was ___!" moments you don't pick up on the first read through, so another read is in order. The Dead and The Dark is again what I would say is New Adult. Deals with adult themes, but reads like a mix of YA and Adult. I think the New Adult genre is really reeling me in.

I've heard Courtney Goud is releasing another book in 2022, and I'll make sure to snag a copy.

This is the first time reading a crime novel like this. I imagined a crime novel to read like this, and it does.

When I watched the 2017 film The Snowman, I didn't know it was based on a book. As soon as I found out it was (and that it was #7) I knew I had to start the series. 

Now, would I read more of the Harry Hole series? Yes, but I'm not itching to read it. When I do another book order, I will make sure to grab the next one. 

This book is interesting. Originally, just the tag line on the front cover about books bound in human skin captured my attention. You quickly learn that this book is about that and so much more.

You'll get told stories of medical standards throughout history, how books are made, the value of these books, murders, and more. The writing style flows a bit clunky (for example, one chapter flows really well with the next, but others feel like a dead stop and onto something new) at times, and it can feel like a bit of a drag, but overall is super interesting.

It makes me wonder... would Dark Archives ever be made into an anthropomorphic book? Not likely (as the practice is frowned upon nowadays), but if a modern book would be bound with human skin, it would be this one.