3.5 stars

This is the kind of book that I imagine makes a really good movie, and I've heard mostly positive things about the movie, but I'm a wimp who doesn't like blood or violence so I don't think I'll be watching it anytime soon.

I can see why this is a cult classic, but honestly I don't really "get" it. It was interesting, but not as engaging as I would've liked; the big twist was spoiled for me years ago, so at some point I found myself just waiting for the reveal and hoping it would pick up or at least bring some satisfaction. It didn't. While I can appreciate a good "cranium screw", I just couldn't get into this one.

content warnings:

Spoiler

major & minor character deaths, threatened and graphic violence, minor gore, blood, self-harm, suicidal ideation, domestic terrorism

-----------
CONVERSION: 9.8 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 6 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5

3.5 stars

To be honest, I really wasn't a big fan of these characters. Even taking into consideration that they're teenagers, they're obnoxiously self-centered (even when they're thinking about helping other people, somehow) and, worse, pretty self-righteous despite acknowledging that they've done morally questionable things. And the blatant male saviorism? No thanks.

Still, the premise is genuinely haunting, the scenarios horrifically believable. I grew up in NorCal, so it seems like I've always been aware of the significance of water conservation and (once I got older) of drought and climate change — but the situation never seemed as urgent as I hear SoCal's has been. And I'm always more interested in (near) apocalyptic scenarios when it involves questions of humanity and ethics alongside the quest for survival (as with [b:The Girl Who Owned a City|637961|The Girl Who Owned a City|O.T. Nelson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348574491l/637961._SY75_.jpg|2736]).

The ending, though, was disappointing. While I did like that

Spoiler

there didn't end up being a love triangle OR an endgame romance

, it seemed too easy in the face of everything that had come before. Suddenly

Spoiler

crisis over, there's water again, time for those who survived to try and get on with their lives

? It just didn't feel right to me.

content warnings:

Spoiler

suicidal ideation, graphic violent thoughts, on-page violence, on-page murder, sexual harassment, loss of loved ones, ableist language

-----------
CONVERSION: 9.53 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 3 / 5

RTC.

content warnings:

Spoiler

rep:

Spoiler

-----------
CONVERSION: 11.1 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 6 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 3 / 5

I can appreciate the social commentary, but it reminded me a lot of the sci-fi creepy bizarreness of [b:Rave New World|1899305|Rave New World (Smart Novels Vocabulary)|Lynne Hansen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387748858l/1899305._SY75_.jpg|1900950] (this one was published earlier, but I read the other earlier) — not in a way that I can honestly and unreservedly say I enjoyed.

content warnings:

Spoiler

underage use of mind-altering substances, major character with terminal condition, non-graphic sexual content, lack of consent, whaling (described), major character death

-----------
CONVERSION: 8.67 / 15 = 3 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 2 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5

"The image of the sugarhouse, smokestack, and steam is iconic, but sugarhouses are as varied as the imaginations of their owners.”

Honestly, the majority of my disappointment probably comes from inaccurate marketing: even taking into account the strength of the local sugarmaking community, it's hardly focused on a single family. And the "human interest" aspects of this book are weighed down by the minutiae of exactly how much maple syrup is being made, bought, sold, and at exactly what price, and exactly when; there's also a bit towards the end on the effects of climate change on the industry. I most enjoyed the anecdotes about sugarmakers' family history and childhood memories, but it was interspersed irregularly with the business goings-ons.

It's clear the author did a lot of research and talked to a lot of experts, but it wasn't very well synthesized into a cohesive narrative. There are tons of facts and figures, as well as direct quotes, none of which seem to be contextualized or explained. An equation is described as "almost poetic" more than once, apparently because it uses parallel structure?

This isn't a terrible read, but if not for the POPSUGAR challenge I don't think I would've finished it.

-----------
CONVERSION: 5.75 / 15 = 2 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 10
Credibility: 7 / 10
Organization / Structure: 2 / 10

Emotional Impact / Interest: 3 / 5
Rereadability: 1 / 5
Memorability: 2 / 5

Temeraire is such a precious smol bookdragon, and I absolutely love that Laurence is so supportive and protective of him. Although the gender roles are outdated (in keeping with the historical setting), there's little if any toxic masculinity to be found in our protagonists, which is refreshing in a male-centered fantasy series.

I do think I'm going to need to reread this in a print version though. Because while I'm invested enough to continue the series, I didn't catch every scene or bit of worldbuilding, so I don't feel prepared to progress.

Also, not gonna lie, one of the major reasons I ever got around to actually reading this is Made Out of Blood and Rust (a Bellarke fanfic by the inimitable Chash). Luckily it also fulfilled a 2019 PopSugar prompt!

-----------
CONVERSION: 12 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5

I'll be honest — I wouldn't have finished this if not for a) its years-long presence on my TBR and b) its perfect fulfillment of a 2019 PopSugar prompt. I can't remember when or why I got it into my head that I wanted to read this series, but I suspect that it started with middle school me, who may or may not have enjoyed this more.

Anyway. The maturity of the characters and writing style is more MG/lower YA, which isn't inherently bad but doesn't work with the story being told. Logan continually jumps to conclusions, only to be proven wrong but learn nothing so the cycle repeats; it was exhausting to read and the "twists" really weren't all that exciting.The morality is very black-and-white, even when the she's bullying a classmate or slut-shaming her own friends. I feel like there's supposed to be some kind of moral portrayed, about astrology and/or trust and/or something, but I can't pin it down.

I was also genuinely confused, because for some reason I thought I was reading the first book in the series — so the constant references to a past incident (and Logan's main romantic storyline being

Spoiler

the boyfriend off in Ireland with hints of love triangle on both ends

) just baffled me. Maybe I would've cared more if I'd started with the actual first book and been invested in the characters, but if it's anything like this one I don't think it would've worked out any better.

content warnings:

Spoiler

slut-shaming, bullying (physical, verbal, cyber), relationships with age gap (underage + twenty-something)

-----------
CONVERSION: 5.3 / 15 = 2 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 1 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 1 / 5

2.5 stars

I think Tana French has ruined me for mystery/thriller novels, because to date I haven't been able to find any that I enjoy anywhere nearly as much as the Dublin Murder Squad series. (Agatha Christie is a legend of the genre so I was optimistic, but I really should have known better.)

It may partly have been that I wasn't really a fan of the narrator, but I just didn't really care about any of the characters or even the central storyline. The turns of the plot didn't really engage me; there was little tension in the relationships that I tend to think of as central to the small-town setting and murder mystery plot.

So yeah, to be quite honest I just finished this one because I'd already started and I needed a book set in a vicarage (or abbey or monastery or convent) for the PopSugar reading challenge.

-----------
CONVERSION: 7.0 / 15 = 2.5 stars

Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 4 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: N/A

Nov 2019 readalong for Books and Tea.

Not being at all a fan of horror or zombies or politics, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It certainly helps that there's more focus on the worldbuilding — the science behind and sociopolitical effects of the virus that creates zombies — and the character relationships really shine, particularly the sibling bond between Georgia and Shaun. (We do get some internalized misogyny, but considering this is a 2010 release it could be worse.) It does get a little tiring that there's some infodumping every few paragraphs, but the audio format might've helped me just roll with it.

However, listening to the audiobook actually ended up spoiling a major plot development for me since

Spoiler

I'd guessed pretty early on that there was a narrator for Shaun because he takes over after Georgia dies

, but it really only added to the tension as I waited to see how and when it would happen.

And it certainly still hit hard, since Grant pulls no emotional punches. There are so many nuanced characters whom I couldn't help but get attached to, despite Georgia's cynicism and misanthropy; the focus on a single major storyline meant that each moment resonated: its relevance clear, its impact examined thoughtfully. Plus, of course, the commentary on media and politics/societal values is alarmingly relevant today.

content warnings:

Spoiler

loss of loved ones, grief, infectious disease, blood, graphic violence, some gore, major & minor character deaths, mercy kill(s), mentioned suicide, suicidal ideation, slut-shaming, ableist language

rep:

Spoiler

physically disabled MC, diverse minor characters

-----------
CONVERSION: 12 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: N/A
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5

"EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS VILLAIN.
AND ITS HERO.
AND ITS MONSTER."

(Also hi this is a quote that I don't want to lose, but it's also something I wouldn't have wanted to encounter in a review before reading it myself, so it's under a spoiler tag even though it's not really a spoiler:

Spoiler

FROM THE LATIN VERB illuminare: "TO SHED LIGHT." ALSO: "A RAY OF LIGHT." OR FEMALE, PLURAL: "THOSE WHO SHED LIGHT," "THE SHINING ONES."

)

This was a pretty good read, and I wish I could give it 4.5 or even 5 stars. The plot arcs are compelling and tense; so many narrative threads are woven together masterfully; there's action and romance and strategy and ethics all at play. As a conclusion to the series, it's pretty satisfying overall.

But I think a big part of the problem is that this is so consistent with the previous two books, which means the cracks really show.

- While reading Gemina I was frustrated beyond belief that

Spoiler

not a single one of the main characters (or the more prominent secondary characters) actually dies, even when we literally see them die on-page; it undermines the impact of all those names of people who get X-ed, because apparently 2k+ of their deaths don't hold a candle to a single major character death

, but I apparently hadn't seen anything yet. At some point it stops being tense / exciting and starts feeling emotionally manipulative.

- Maybe this isn't really a thing and I'm just nitpicking, but I'm going to point it out anyway because going forward, I think we can do better: the diversity is almost entirely limited to in-passing mentions, minor characters, and mostly villains (see: the BT roster in Gemina). The few Asian-coded (minor) heroes, as far as I could tell, were stereotypical programmers. It's almost worse than if everyone was presumed cis-het-white, because it implies that the writers were conscious of the representation issue but for whatever reason didn't want to make the actual main characters diverse. And there are [at the very least] seven of them, by the way, so I really don't think it would've been that hard.

- Some of the tropes, like

Spoiler

making out as a cover when caught by the enemy

, are delightful. Others are thrilling the first time and become exasperating when they're reused in the span of just a few chapters. Certain characters are supposed to be tactical geniuses, after all.

- Honestly, everything about AIDAN's storyline in this book, which is again a case of established plot threads coming together.

Spoiler

I knew since Illuminae that we were heading for "AIDAN is in love with Kady and it's going to make him want to be more human-like", but they really laid it on thick here. At the same time, though, I can see a human making the same calls AIDAN did (see: the infamous trolley problem), so I don't like that the only person defending AIDAN's actions is AIDAN, who self-identifies as the monster of the story. We already know the good guys are Good Guys, there's no need to contrast them across (arguably justifiable) mass murder by an AI whose directive is to keep as many people alive as possible.

ALL THAT SAID. This series has been a fantastic adventure, even if I did rush to finish it before the books had to be returned to my library, and it's one I may revisit in future. Godspeed, Illuminae Group, I wish you all happiness.

content warnings:

Spoiler

on-page murder and death of child(ren), loss of loved ones + survivor's guilt, grief, on-page major character death(s),

rep:

Spoiler

Japanese secondary character (villain), mention of F/F + WLW minor character (villain), miscellaneous diverse minor characters

-----------
CONVERSION: 11.55 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 2 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5