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ninetalevixen
This review (and more) can also be found on my blog, Nine Tale Vixen.
content warnings:
rep:
I have to confess that I was among the fans super disappointed by the cover and title — but oh my gosh, does the book itself deliver. Honestly, I enjoyed it even more than Call Down the Hawk, maybe because, with so much exposition out of the way, there’s space to really explore everything: dreaming, the relationships and dynamics, even some setting, though to a much lesser extent than in the Raven Cycle. (Based on CDTH I thought Mister Impossible would be the DC book for my Cross-Country Reading challenge, but it turns out it takes place in several states!)
As always, character dynamics and perspectives are a strength of Stiefvater’s. It was so much fun to see interactions between characters who are getting to know each other for the first time, or getting to know each other in different ways, and/or getting to know themselves better. The Lynch siblings continue to bring both heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes; Jordan and Hennessy push their own and each other’s limits; Declan and Jordan gave me all the feels. Truth be told, I’m still less invested in Farooq-Lane and Liliana’s part of the story, so I appreciated that there are longer stretches between POV switches and the characters all converge more frequently.
With regard to tone this is much more thriller-y and action-y than the Raven Cycle or CDTH, though I would say it’s still primarily character-driven urban fantasy. There are major developments in the overall plot arc, and so much tension in so many places, and this review has been tricky to write because I have a lot of feelings about some very specific reveals/ twists and scenes. It’s so long until the next (and last!!!) book, so I guess I’ll just be rereading the TRC/ Dreamer saga and coming up with theories and maybe getting back into fanfic while I wait.
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CONVERSION: 14.4 / 15 = 5 stars
Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 10 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development/Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality/Trope Execution: 5 / 5
content warnings:
Spoiler
non-graphic violence, blood & bodily fluids, mention of body horror, serial murder, binge eating, child neglect, industrial sabotagerep:
Spoiler
ggay Northern Irish American MC [Ronan], bi/pan Black MCs [Hennessy & Jordan], WLW MCs [Farooq-Lane, Liliana], bisexual secondary character [Adam], M/M established relationship, queer F/M interracial relationship, F/F relationship, Latinx minor characters [Angelica & kids]I have to confess that I was among the fans super disappointed by the cover and title — but oh my gosh, does the book itself deliver. Honestly, I enjoyed it even more than Call Down the Hawk, maybe because, with so much exposition out of the way, there’s space to really explore everything: dreaming, the relationships and dynamics, even some setting, though to a much lesser extent than in the Raven Cycle. (Based on CDTH I thought Mister Impossible would be the DC book for my Cross-Country Reading challenge, but it turns out it takes place in several states!)
As always, character dynamics and perspectives are a strength of Stiefvater’s. It was so much fun to see interactions between characters who are getting to know each other for the first time, or getting to know each other in different ways, and/or getting to know themselves better. The Lynch siblings continue to bring both heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes; Jordan and Hennessy push their own and each other’s limits; Declan and Jordan gave me all the feels. Truth be told, I’m still less invested in Farooq-Lane and Liliana’s part of the story, so I appreciated that there are longer stretches between POV switches and the characters all converge more frequently.
With regard to tone this is much more thriller-y and action-y than the Raven Cycle or CDTH, though I would say it’s still primarily character-driven urban fantasy. There are major developments in the overall plot arc, and so much tension in so many places, and this review has been tricky to write because I have a lot of feelings about some very specific reveals/ twists and scenes. It’s so long until the next (and last!!!) book, so I guess I’ll just be rereading the TRC/ Dreamer saga and coming up with theories and maybe getting back into fanfic while I wait.
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CONVERSION: 14.4 / 15 = 5 stars
Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 10 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development/Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality/Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Truth be told, I find Lancelot — and Guenever, and possibly even Elaine — more interesting than Arthur himself. I appreciate that White abridges a lot of the tournaments and roll calls and such to keep things moving, especially since this book covers so much time and so many adventures.
Not a huge fan of all the generalizations about women, though.
(Read as part of [b:The Once and Future King|43545|The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-4)|T.H. White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338741283l/43545._SY75_.jpg|1140206] collected edition, but shelved individually for review and reading challenge purposes.)
Not a huge fan of all the generalizations about women, though.
(Read as part of [b:The Once and Future King|43545|The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-4)|T.H. White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338741283l/43545._SY75_.jpg|1140206] collected edition, but shelved individually for review and reading challenge purposes.)
★ 3.5 stars ★
content warnings:
rep:
This was a generally enjoyable read, with a lot of aspects I liked: a close-knit friend group, platonic boy-girl friendship treated as equal to — if not better than — romance, nuanced familial relationships, casual diversity, theater geekery, the whole boy-next-door construct (times two!), driving as a metaphor for independence and personal agency, running inside jokes. I foresaw almost all the main romantic developments and found it satisfying, rather than exasperating, to be proven right.
However, although it all seems cohesive in theory, something about the execution feels like it's more juggling than interweaving all these moving parts, which I found a little distracting every time it switched focus again; some of the balls get dropped, too. As an example,.
It's objectively probably fine that the representation in this book is very casual, but it did feel a bit underwhelming since Kate is white (Jewish) and presumably straight, even if she has queer friends and POC classmates. Diversity is much more incidental, not central, to the narrative; there are acknowledgments of queerphobia and maybe a few of racism, but otherwise it doesn't really come up. (All things considered, it would've just been one more thing to squeeze in.)
Kate herself was not my favorite, truth be told; though I have sympathy for, and I love her loyalty to her friends and her brother, her jokes aren't always funny and I was a bit bored every time she sets off on a tangent to explain f-boys or a Kandy [Kate + Andy] ritual or some aspect of her parents' divorce or just how much she loves the camaraderie of putting on a musical. I found myself relating to a lot of her reactions, especially with that last one, but there was so much more telling than showing of emotions and it all adds to the scattered feeling of the novel.
Overall, I think this is at its heart a great narrative that perhaps could've used a bit more revision to pull everything more tightly together. But the character relationships in particular make this a fun and vibrant read that honest-to-goodness made me smile.
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CONVERSION: 9.4 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
content warnings:
Spoiler
cyberbullying, mentions of transphobia, mentions of underage drinkingrep:
Spoiler
Jewish MC with possible social anxiety [Kate], gay Black best friend [Anderson], gay major character/ love interest [Matt], major character/ love interest with possible social anxiety [Noah], bi & trans secondary character [Raina], diverse minor charactersThis was a generally enjoyable read, with a lot of aspects I liked: a close-knit friend group, platonic boy-girl friendship treated as equal to — if not better than — romance, nuanced familial relationships, casual diversity, theater geekery, the whole boy-next-door construct (times two!), driving as a metaphor for independence and personal agency, running inside jokes. I foresaw almost all the main romantic developments and found it satisfying, rather than exasperating, to be proven right.
However, although it all seems cohesive in theory, something about the execution feels like it's more juggling than interweaving all these moving parts, which I found a little distracting every time it switched focus again; some of the balls get dropped, too. As an example,
Spoiler
for a while Kate starts calling Noah "Kappy" because she's jealous of Madison and annoyed at being called "Little Garfield", but this abruptly and inexplicably stops after a few chaptersIt's objectively probably fine that the representation in this book is very casual, but it did feel a bit underwhelming since Kate is white (Jewish) and presumably straight, even if she has queer friends and POC classmates. Diversity is much more incidental, not central, to the narrative; there are acknowledgments of queerphobia and maybe a few of racism, but otherwise it doesn't really come up. (All things considered, it would've just been one more thing to squeeze in.)
Kate herself was not my favorite, truth be told; though I have sympathy for
Spoiler
cyberbullying/ public humiliation trauma and probable social anxietyOverall, I think this is at its heart a great narrative that perhaps could've used a bit more revision to pull everything more tightly together. But the character relationships in particular make this a fun and vibrant read that honest-to-goodness made me smile.
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CONVERSION: 9.4 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
★ 3.5 stars ★
This was fun — unsettling and quirky in that classic Night Vale way, with a charming cast and fascinating themes. It does at times get a little heavy-handed with the symbolism, especially compared to [b:Welcome to Night Vale|23129410|Welcome to Night Vale (Welcome to Night Vale, #1)|Joseph Fink|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447774088l/23129410._SY75_.jpg|42677282], but on the whole I really enjoyed it.
This was fun — unsettling and quirky in that classic Night Vale way, with a charming cast and fascinating themes. It does at times get a little heavy-handed with the symbolism, especially compared to [b:Welcome to Night Vale|23129410|Welcome to Night Vale (Welcome to Night Vale, #1)|Joseph Fink|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1447774088l/23129410._SY75_.jpg|42677282], but on the whole I really enjoyed it.
2.5 stars
Well, I can certainly understand the mainstream appeal. This is a fairly entertaining read, with enough cultural/ religious/ historical tidbits packed in to make it feel Intellectual too. (EDIT: It is definitely much less impressive when you learn just how many errors there are.)
But I managed to answer half the riddles and predict most of the plot twists even with my extremely limited knowledge in this academic field, and I really wasn't trying at all. I also wasn't a fan of the sheer number of POVs (and the constant switching between them); it certainly didn't help that none of the characters felt like they had a distinct voice or personality.
Honestly, though, possibly the biggest thing that kept me from taking this book seriously is no fault of its own: the fact that I couldn't stop comparing it to the 39 Clues series, which I was super into when I was younger. And as fond of my memories are of reading the 39 Clues books, playing the game, and trading references with my friends (#UniversalForce), it's hard to get past that.
content warnings:
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CONVERSION: 7.4 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: 1 / 5
Memorability: N/A
Well, I can certainly understand the mainstream appeal. This is a fairly entertaining read, with enough cultural/ religious/ historical tidbits packed in to make it feel Intellectual too. (EDIT: It is definitely much less impressive when you learn just how many errors there are.)
But I managed to answer half the riddles and predict most of the plot twists even with my extremely limited knowledge in this academic field, and I really wasn't trying at all. I also wasn't a fan of the sheer number of POVs (and the constant switching between them); it certainly didn't help that none of the characters felt like they had a distinct voice or personality.
Honestly, though, possibly the biggest thing that kept me from taking this book seriously is no fault of its own: the fact that I couldn't stop comparing it to the 39 Clues series, which I was super into when I was younger. And as fond of my memories are of reading the 39 Clues books, playing the game, and trading references with my friends (#UniversalForce), it's hard to get past that.
content warnings:
Spoiler
self-flagellation and -mutilation, blood, on-page violence, transphobic language-----------
CONVERSION: 7.4 / 15 = 2.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 2 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: 1 / 5
Memorability: N/A
To put it bluntly, it is painfully clear that Murakami does not know much about music. Oh, he can spout trivia and trace the careers of famous composers and conductors, but he lacks even the most rudimentary knowledge about music theory — even though he clearly does have the interest, intelligence, and resources (i.e., connections) to learn more.
Which is not, of course, to say that you need to have a "deeper" understanding of music (or any subject) to appreciate it! But I feel like it's more than a little presumptuous to be aware of your ignorance on the topic and yet position yourself as a conversational equal to a highly experienced and respected conductor? I was always taught to do my research prior to an interview; even if we take this as more casual conversations between friends, Murakami sure offers a lot of unsubstantiated opinions and theories.
Which is not, of course, to say that you need to have a "deeper" understanding of music (or any subject) to appreciate it! But I feel like it's more than a little presumptuous to be aware of your ignorance on the topic and yet position yourself as a conversational equal to a highly experienced and respected conductor? I was always taught to do my research prior to an interview; even if we take this as more casual conversations between friends, Murakami sure offers a lot of unsubstantiated opinions and theories.
content warnings:
rep:
Something about a Katrina Leno book just hits home for me, and this was no exception.
[full review to come]
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CONVERSION: 10.7 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Spoiler
TKrep:
Spoiler
TKSomething about a Katrina Leno book just hits home for me, and this was no exception.
[full review to come]
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CONVERSION: 10.7 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
This was good, but much more ... normal than I was expecting. Apart from the premise (so the opening and closing, plus some interludes in the middle) this didn't really have that unsettling Night Vale weirdness; it's laden with tropes, some of which I enjoyed more than others. While I did like that this adds something different to the series, as a story of , at the same time that made it a bit less exciting to me.