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“Everything is a game, Em. Whether you know it or not. Which means that sometimes a lie is more than just a lie. Sometimes it's the only way to win.”
When Emma was thirteen, she was lucky enough to be sent to Camp Nightingale, the place to be for rich girls in the summer. However, her dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare when the girls in her cabin disappear into the night, never to be seen again. With public opinion and the camp’s reputation in shambles, Nightingale is forced to shut it’s doors. Fifteen years later, Emma is an up and coming artist, and Camp Nightingale is looking to re-open its doors. The camp founder, Franny, wants Emma there, and Emma wants nothing more than to find out what happened to her friends fifteen summers ago. Told in alternating glimpses of past and present, The Last Time I Lied follows Emma as she digs through the lies both told to her and told by herself as she searches for what truly happened to the girls, as well as the new suspicious events around camp.
I enjoyed this so much more than [b:Final Girls|32796253|Final Girls|Riley Sager|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496658340l/32796253._SY75_.jpg|50669966], and I could really tell that Sager grew as an author between these two works. The same base and writing style is there, the same sort of set up, but there's much more thinking going towards how things are revealed to the reader as well as the characterization of both the suspects and the victims. You're still made to suspect everyone, as most thrillers do, but it's in a much more subtle way. Evidence slowly stacks against certain characters until key information marks them innocent, and the process starts over again. On top of that, the parallel plots of this novel were much more intriguing than those in Final Girls, as they seemed more interconnected with the mystery itself than just background character building.
I also listened to this one rather than read it, and this novel works extremely well as an audiobook. There were so many narrative choices that blended extremely well into the audiobook format, with some being even more successful when read aloud. Not only did this book shock me in terms of plot, I appreciated many of the tricks Sager used to hide information from the narrator + reader, as well as how he later revealed it.
I also just liked the characters of this one more and was way more invested in the mystery. Instead of simply a 'who' digging at you the entire story, you had the 'where', the 'how', and the 'why' digging at you as well. You wanted to know where the girls were, why they left the cabin that night, as well as who was the reason for their disappearance.
I also loved how the ending was done overall, though I can't talk too much on it without spoiling the surprise. Let's just say the twists don't stop coming, even after you think you have all the answers.
When Emma was thirteen, she was lucky enough to be sent to Camp Nightingale, the place to be for rich girls in the summer. However, her dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare when the girls in her cabin disappear into the night, never to be seen again. With public opinion and the camp’s reputation in shambles, Nightingale is forced to shut it’s doors. Fifteen years later, Emma is an up and coming artist, and Camp Nightingale is looking to re-open its doors. The camp founder, Franny, wants Emma there, and Emma wants nothing more than to find out what happened to her friends fifteen summers ago. Told in alternating glimpses of past and present, The Last Time I Lied follows Emma as she digs through the lies both told to her and told by herself as she searches for what truly happened to the girls, as well as the new suspicious events around camp.
I enjoyed this so much more than [b:Final Girls|32796253|Final Girls|Riley Sager|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496658340l/32796253._SY75_.jpg|50669966], and I could really tell that Sager grew as an author between these two works. The same base and writing style is there, the same sort of set up, but there's much more thinking going towards how things are revealed to the reader as well as the characterization of both the suspects and the victims. You're still made to suspect everyone, as most thrillers do, but it's in a much more subtle way. Evidence slowly stacks against certain characters until key information marks them innocent, and the process starts over again. On top of that, the parallel plots of this novel were much more intriguing than those in Final Girls, as they seemed more interconnected with the mystery itself than just background character building.
I also listened to this one rather than read it, and this novel works extremely well as an audiobook. There were so many narrative choices that blended extremely well into the audiobook format, with some being even more successful when read aloud. Not only did this book shock me in terms of plot, I appreciated many of the tricks Sager used to hide information from the narrator + reader, as well as how he later revealed it.
I also just liked the characters of this one more and was way more invested in the mystery. Instead of simply a 'who' digging at you the entire story, you had the 'where', the 'how', and the 'why' digging at you as well. You wanted to know where the girls were, why they left the cabin that night, as well as who was the reason for their disappearance.
I also loved how the ending was done overall, though I can't talk too much on it without spoiling the surprise. Let's just say the twists don't stop coming, even after you think you have all the answers.
“I've had a lot of things to feel ashamed about and I've learned most of them are other people's problems, not mine.”
Emoni Santiago is a high school senior with a lot more to worry about than most. She's the single mother of a young daughter, and is burdened both by the weight of her endless responsibilities and the weight of her seemingly impossible dreams. But when her high school once again offers a culinary arts course, one that comes with a once in a lifetime trip to Spain, Emoni starts to open herself up again, to dreams, to hope, and maybe even to love.
Acevedo's books are always so lyrical, and this one is no exception. There's just something about the way she writes (and narrates) that keeps you utterly enthralled and invested, even if the story isn't something you generally find interesting. I personally would not have picked up this book based on its synopsis (ya contemporary is something I rarely read and I generally pick up things that are a bit more 'unique'), but when I saw it was written by Acevedo, I knew I had to read it for that alone.
I really enjoyed this book, and while most of that did stem from how it was written and narrated, I also just enjoyed the characters Acevedo created and the story she chose to give to them. It felt quite real, from the struggles Emoni faced with taking care of her daughter and sharing responsibilities with her ex to how she hoped and dreamed to do something with her passion for cooking. There was also a excellent balance of sacrifice and reward, it wasn't a book that was so unrealistic that Emoni got everything she wanted without having to give anything up but it also wasn't so dark that it showed Emoni giving herself up entirely to give her daughter a better life. There was a compromise of happiness and hard times, ending with a hopeful look towards the future. The romance was also super cute while still fitting who Emoni was, it was a slow, drawn out thing rather than the whirlwind loves we're used to seeing in YA. It all just clicked together extremely well.
My only issue with the book is the fact that it kinda felt like I had to listen to it. I did originally start the book as an audiobook, then read about 20-30% of a physical copy before once again going back to audiobook. Even though this book is written in prose, unlike [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746], the chapters/sections are still extremely short, with a more lyrical style of writing. These short chapters made reading it feel more choppy than listening, as there was more constant breaking of the story that goes unnoticed in the audiobook.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this, and I can't wait to see what Acevedo writes next!
Emoni Santiago is a high school senior with a lot more to worry about than most. She's the single mother of a young daughter, and is burdened both by the weight of her endless responsibilities and the weight of her seemingly impossible dreams. But when her high school once again offers a culinary arts course, one that comes with a once in a lifetime trip to Spain, Emoni starts to open herself up again, to dreams, to hope, and maybe even to love.
Acevedo's books are always so lyrical, and this one is no exception. There's just something about the way she writes (and narrates) that keeps you utterly enthralled and invested, even if the story isn't something you generally find interesting. I personally would not have picked up this book based on its synopsis (ya contemporary is something I rarely read and I generally pick up things that are a bit more 'unique'), but when I saw it was written by Acevedo, I knew I had to read it for that alone.
I really enjoyed this book, and while most of that did stem from how it was written and narrated, I also just enjoyed the characters Acevedo created and the story she chose to give to them. It felt quite real, from the struggles Emoni faced with taking care of her daughter and sharing responsibilities with her ex to how she hoped and dreamed to do something with her passion for cooking. There was also a excellent balance of sacrifice and reward, it wasn't a book that was so unrealistic that Emoni got everything she wanted without having to give anything up but it also wasn't so dark that it showed Emoni giving herself up entirely to give her daughter a better life. There was a compromise of happiness and hard times, ending with a hopeful look towards the future. The romance was also super cute while still fitting who Emoni was, it was a slow, drawn out thing rather than the whirlwind loves we're used to seeing in YA. It all just clicked together extremely well.
My only issue with the book is the fact that it kinda felt like I had to listen to it. I did originally start the book as an audiobook, then read about 20-30% of a physical copy before once again going back to audiobook. Even though this book is written in prose, unlike [b:The Poet X|33294200|The Poet X|Elizabeth Acevedo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498766234l/33294200._SY75_.jpg|54024746], the chapters/sections are still extremely short, with a more lyrical style of writing. These short chapters made reading it feel more choppy than listening, as there was more constant breaking of the story that goes unnoticed in the audiobook.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this, and I can't wait to see what Acevedo writes next!
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“All you can do, Rosemary – all any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”
Rosemary Harper is the latest crew member of the multi-species tunneling ship, the Wayfarer. She's fled into space from the human settlement on Mars to escape a past she'd rather not think about, but she doesn't expect to find a new family, and learn more about herself and the universe around her. When the crew gets a once in a lifetime job, a job that can finally elevate the Wayfarer into higher end tunneling jobs, the crew are faced with hard decisions, dangerous encounters, and one of the toughest fights of their lives.
A lot of the books I've read recently have burned hot and fast, bright and loud explosions of story and plot and characters. The Long Way is more like a slow burn of a cozy fireplace keeping you warm through a long night. It's a story that rises and sinks slowly, explains and explores in extreme detail as the crew moves closer to their faraway goal. The story meanders along a long route of varying planets filled with a myriad of species, ones both unlike and like humans, and we learn a lot about the people and places that make up the world that Rosemary inhabits.
To be honest, this books is about 50% world building, 45% characters, and a measly 5% plot. Things happen, it's not just a slice of life that leads to nowhere, but it's purely the background noise driving the reader's exploration of the crew and the universe. Because of that, you really need to go in with very different expectations than you would for most other books. This book really isn't about the action of a space tunneling crew at all, it's more about creating a vast and diverse space and the exploration of the characters that live in it. I loved it because of that, it was just the chill, relaxing book I needed in the final days of summer, but I could also see myself growing bored with it in a different time and place. It's an excellent book to wind down with.
It was also just an extraordinarily beautiful book to me. Both the descriptions of space and the characters were amazing to read but I also just loved the diversity of the species and universe. Every single thing was well thought through and also explained, and it wasn't just a bunch of aliens that were practically just humans but different. There was an extreme attention to detail in the constructing of each species and their societies, from their norms to their love lives to their genders. It was like [b:Honor Among Thieves|30129657|Honor Among Thieves (The Honors, #1)|Rachel Caine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498066244l/30129657._SY75_.jpg|50559346] in this sense, a science fiction that I very openly recommend to literally everyone. It actually puts some work into designing each species based on where they came from, how they've grown, and the conflicts that have shaped them.
My favorite thing definitely has to be the characters though. I got so attached to this crew so quickly, from Rosemary, the young clerk who's new to everything space, to Sissix, the non-human pilot that brings an entirely new world view to the ship. You also had an AI, Lovelace, that pushed the boundaries of what we (and the world in the book) consider sapient, and loves that transcend the bounds of species, gender, and even space. There were just so many beautiful moments between the crew, from the backgrounds we slowly learn about to the stories they write together.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait to continue reading this series.
Rosemary Harper is the latest crew member of the multi-species tunneling ship, the Wayfarer. She's fled into space from the human settlement on Mars to escape a past she'd rather not think about, but she doesn't expect to find a new family, and learn more about herself and the universe around her. When the crew gets a once in a lifetime job, a job that can finally elevate the Wayfarer into higher end tunneling jobs, the crew are faced with hard decisions, dangerous encounters, and one of the toughest fights of their lives.
A lot of the books I've read recently have burned hot and fast, bright and loud explosions of story and plot and characters. The Long Way is more like a slow burn of a cozy fireplace keeping you warm through a long night. It's a story that rises and sinks slowly, explains and explores in extreme detail as the crew moves closer to their faraway goal. The story meanders along a long route of varying planets filled with a myriad of species, ones both unlike and like humans, and we learn a lot about the people and places that make up the world that Rosemary inhabits.
To be honest, this books is about 50% world building, 45% characters, and a measly 5% plot. Things happen, it's not just a slice of life that leads to nowhere, but it's purely the background noise driving the reader's exploration of the crew and the universe. Because of that, you really need to go in with very different expectations than you would for most other books. This book really isn't about the action of a space tunneling crew at all, it's more about creating a vast and diverse space and the exploration of the characters that live in it. I loved it because of that, it was just the chill, relaxing book I needed in the final days of summer, but I could also see myself growing bored with it in a different time and place. It's an excellent book to wind down with.
It was also just an extraordinarily beautiful book to me. Both the descriptions of space and the characters were amazing to read but I also just loved the diversity of the species and universe. Every single thing was well thought through and also explained, and it wasn't just a bunch of aliens that were practically just humans but different. There was an extreme attention to detail in the constructing of each species and their societies, from their norms to their love lives to their genders. It was like [b:Honor Among Thieves|30129657|Honor Among Thieves (The Honors, #1)|Rachel Caine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498066244l/30129657._SY75_.jpg|50559346] in this sense, a science fiction that I very openly recommend to literally everyone. It actually puts some work into designing each species based on where they came from, how they've grown, and the conflicts that have shaped them.
My favorite thing definitely has to be the characters though. I got so attached to this crew so quickly, from Rosemary, the young clerk who's new to everything space, to Sissix, the non-human pilot that brings an entirely new world view to the ship. You also had an AI, Lovelace, that pushed the boundaries of what we (and the world in the book) consider sapient, and loves that transcend the bounds of species, gender, and even space. There were just so many beautiful moments between the crew, from the backgrounds we slowly learn about to the stories they write together.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait to continue reading this series.
“Life is terrifying. None of us have a rule book. None of us know what we're doing here. So, the easiest way to stare reality in the face and not utterly lose your shit is to believe that you have control over it. If you believe you have control, then you believe you're at the top. And if you're at the top, then people who aren't like you... well, they've got to be somewhere lower, right? Every species does this. Does it again and again and again. Doesn't matter if they do it to themselves, or another species, or someone they created.”
Lovelace was created to guard ships and watch out for crew mates as a ship's AI, but circumstances find her in an illegal body made to act like a human's. Along with her friend Pepper, Lovelace learns to navigate both her new life as a 'human' as well as universe that's unprepared for AI like her. Told in alternating chapters of past and present, A Closed and Common Orbit shows the way stories bind together over time, as well as the struggle to accept things that seem new and impossible.
I loved [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729._SY75_.jpg|42270825], so I jumped into this book right away. I was both excited and sad to learn that Orbit follows a somewhat new cast of characters. The first book had a solid ending, so I was happy to see that their ending wasn't being messed with further, but I also was wary about moving on to new characters. In the end, I was worried for no reason, because this cast was just as fantastic as the one that came before.
First of all, I absolutely loved how this story was told. We get Pepper's early life (a dark, tumultous one) told alongside Lovelace's current story with Pepper, and these half stories, while quite different in aim and focus, combine extremely well together. I loved each one equally, and unlike most multi-pov books, I was never upset when we switched from one to the other. It was probably the most equal balance of enjoyment I've ever found in a multi-pov book.
I also liked the departure of this book from the journey style story of The Long Way . Instead of a long trip filled with many different places and people, Orbit focuses more on a single space and a limited cast. It makes the story more internal, focusing more on the social aspects of the societies in the world rather than introducing the reader to new and varied worlds. The focus is mainly on humans, and the book is more introspective, and while in the end I didn't enjoy it as much as Chambers's first, I loved this book immensely all the same.
Lovelace's journey was fascinating to read, as she struggles with the idea of being made for a certain task and the freedom to depart from that destiny and create her own path. She's also a quite flawed character, and there are a lot more negative character interactions in this book as a whole as well. However, it made sense in Lovelace's story, as she's a young AI being put into a position she never asked to be in, having to learn to be herself rather than simply a creation. It also brings a lot of questions in general to mind, mostly about AI but also about morality and ethics as a whole, and the dependence and use of creations that have become more than their creators intended.
I also absolutely loved Jane's/Pepper's origin story, as it seems to tackle a similar vein. Jane was genetically engineered to clean up the messes of the 'superior' humans, to learn how to recycle the junk they were too lazy to. She was also created for a purpose and decides to leave it, to grow to be more than it, and her struggles against what she was made for and leaving the home she was created for were both utterly heartbreaking and inspiring. It added a lot to her character overall, even if we didn't see her all that much in the present part of the story.
Overall, while I didn't like this as much as The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet , A Closed and Common Orbit stands strongly on its own as another fantastic novel about humanity and morality set into the beautifully diverse space that Chambers has created.
Lovelace was created to guard ships and watch out for crew mates as a ship's AI, but circumstances find her in an illegal body made to act like a human's. Along with her friend Pepper, Lovelace learns to navigate both her new life as a 'human' as well as universe that's unprepared for AI like her. Told in alternating chapters of past and present, A Closed and Common Orbit shows the way stories bind together over time, as well as the struggle to accept things that seem new and impossible.
I loved [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729._SY75_.jpg|42270825], so I jumped into this book right away. I was both excited and sad to learn that Orbit follows a somewhat new cast of characters. The first book had a solid ending, so I was happy to see that their ending wasn't being messed with further, but I also was wary about moving on to new characters. In the end, I was worried for no reason, because this cast was just as fantastic as the one that came before.
First of all, I absolutely loved how this story was told. We get Pepper's early life (a dark, tumultous one) told alongside Lovelace's current story with Pepper, and these half stories, while quite different in aim and focus, combine extremely well together. I loved each one equally, and unlike most multi-pov books, I was never upset when we switched from one to the other. It was probably the most equal balance of enjoyment I've ever found in a multi-pov book.
I also liked the departure of this book from the journey style story of The Long Way . Instead of a long trip filled with many different places and people, Orbit focuses more on a single space and a limited cast. It makes the story more internal, focusing more on the social aspects of the societies in the world rather than introducing the reader to new and varied worlds. The focus is mainly on humans, and the book is more introspective, and while in the end I didn't enjoy it as much as Chambers's first, I loved this book immensely all the same.
Lovelace's journey was fascinating to read, as she struggles with the idea of being made for a certain task and the freedom to depart from that destiny and create her own path. She's also a quite flawed character, and there are a lot more negative character interactions in this book as a whole as well. However, it made sense in Lovelace's story, as she's a young AI being put into a position she never asked to be in, having to learn to be herself rather than simply a creation. It also brings a lot of questions in general to mind, mostly about AI but also about morality and ethics as a whole, and the dependence and use of creations that have become more than their creators intended.
I also absolutely loved Jane's/Pepper's origin story, as it seems to tackle a similar vein. Jane was genetically engineered to clean up the messes of the 'superior' humans, to learn how to recycle the junk they were too lazy to. She was also created for a purpose and decides to leave it, to grow to be more than it, and her struggles against what she was made for and leaving the home she was created for were both utterly heartbreaking and inspiring. It added a lot to her character overall, even if we didn't see her all that much in the present part of the story.
Overall, while I didn't like this as much as The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet , A Closed and Common Orbit stands strongly on its own as another fantastic novel about humanity and morality set into the beautifully diverse space that Chambers has created.
“The only way to really appreciate your way is to compare it to somebody else's way. Figure out what you love, specifically. In detail. Figure out what you want to keep. Figure out what you want to change. Otherwise, it's not love. It's clinging to the familiar--to the comfortable--and that's a dangerous thing for us short-term thinkers to do. If you stay, stay because you want to, because you've found something here worth embodying, because you believe in it. Otherwise...well, there's no point in being here at all, is there?”
God I loved this book so much. I didn't think I could love this series more, but then I read Record of a Spaceborn Few.
This novel has a more human focus than the other novels, and is once again more of an internal journey of the characters than an external one through space that teaches the readers as it teaches the characters. I was worried at first that I would miss the diverse space that Chambers explores in the other novels, would miss the Sissixs and Taks of the story, but Chambers managed to make humanity as this universe knows it just as beautiful and intriguing and layered as the other species we were introduced to.
The Exodus Fleet, the descendants of the final humans who fled Earth, have stopped their wandering, and now float around a star given to them by the GC. But these humans are nothing like the society that they came from, the one we know today. These humans learned from the destruction of their planet and have changed their ways, have learned to take care of every one of them and how to reuse and recycle. They've moved on from (most) prejudice and hate, and have formed a society that seems impossible to us from where we are now. Not only is it beautiful to see the growth of our own species, an ideal to somehow aspire to, but the amount of effort and detail Chambers put into crafting this society is actually insane. Everything is thought of, no stone unturned or detail to small to give some though to. Honestly, reading this series would have been worth it just for the tremendous skill Chambers has shown in world-building every step of the way. It's a joy to read and learn about, textbook amounts of information delivered in such a way that is actually enjoyable. Everything you might wonder about this future universe, these alien species, these new humans, is laid right out for you to pick over and think on.
Once again, the plot is heavily interwoven with the characters, with the focus being more on how these events can affect individuals rather than how individuals can affect plot. It was definitely an adjustment after reading a lot of YA fantasy/sci-fi, where books are way more action-based, but I'm starting to really love this style.
Chambers has once again crafted a both touching and harrowing story in Spaceborn , somehow even more so than the books before. I think I probably cried in each story line multiple times, and I loved watching all the characters through their troubles, their ups and their downs, their final decisions. I think I loved Kip's story the most, as it felt like something I could very intimately relate to, and even learn from. But there was something I found in each of the stories, in Isabel's fierce defense of a society many found to be outdated, Tessa's desire to do what was best for her family and for her self, Eyas's search for something more, and Sawyer's innocent and heartbreaking journey back to the home of his ancestors. All of these were so intensely touching that I know they'll be sticking with me for a long, long time.
While I've always loved science fiction as a genre, from the possibilities it lays out and the dreams it creates within me, Chambers has somehow deepened that love even further. She's written three sci-fis that are both excellently crafted as well as a truly beautiful experience to read. I absolutely cannot wait to see what she writes next.
God I loved this book so much. I didn't think I could love this series more, but then I read Record of a Spaceborn Few.
This novel has a more human focus than the other novels, and is once again more of an internal journey of the characters than an external one through space that teaches the readers as it teaches the characters. I was worried at first that I would miss the diverse space that Chambers explores in the other novels, would miss the Sissixs and Taks of the story, but Chambers managed to make humanity as this universe knows it just as beautiful and intriguing and layered as the other species we were introduced to.
The Exodus Fleet, the descendants of the final humans who fled Earth, have stopped their wandering, and now float around a star given to them by the GC. But these humans are nothing like the society that they came from, the one we know today. These humans learned from the destruction of their planet and have changed their ways, have learned to take care of every one of them and how to reuse and recycle. They've moved on from (most) prejudice and hate, and have formed a society that seems impossible to us from where we are now. Not only is it beautiful to see the growth of our own species, an ideal to somehow aspire to, but the amount of effort and detail Chambers put into crafting this society is actually insane. Everything is thought of, no stone unturned or detail to small to give some though to. Honestly, reading this series would have been worth it just for the tremendous skill Chambers has shown in world-building every step of the way. It's a joy to read and learn about, textbook amounts of information delivered in such a way that is actually enjoyable. Everything you might wonder about this future universe, these alien species, these new humans, is laid right out for you to pick over and think on.
Once again, the plot is heavily interwoven with the characters, with the focus being more on how these events can affect individuals rather than how individuals can affect plot. It was definitely an adjustment after reading a lot of YA fantasy/sci-fi, where books are way more action-based, but I'm starting to really love this style.
Chambers has once again crafted a both touching and harrowing story in Spaceborn , somehow even more so than the books before. I think I probably cried in each story line multiple times, and I loved watching all the characters through their troubles, their ups and their downs, their final decisions. I think I loved Kip's story the most, as it felt like something I could very intimately relate to, and even learn from. But there was something I found in each of the stories, in Isabel's fierce defense of a society many found to be outdated, Tessa's desire to do what was best for her family and for her self, Eyas's search for something more, and Sawyer's innocent and heartbreaking journey back to the home of his ancestors. All of these were so intensely touching that I know they'll be sticking with me for a long, long time.
While I've always loved science fiction as a genre, from the possibilities it lays out and the dreams it creates within me, Chambers has somehow deepened that love even further. She's written three sci-fis that are both excellently crafted as well as a truly beautiful experience to read. I absolutely cannot wait to see what she writes next.
I'll be honest, by the time I got around to finally reading this book I was way less enchanted with the idea of it than I was when I first got it from Fairyloot. Almost all of my friends either hated it or found it mediocre, and the standards I have for fairy tale esque stories have raised considerably as well (the fault of [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730], [b:Spinning Silver|36896898|Spinning Silver|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513872748l/36896898._SX50_.jpg|58657620], and most recently, [b:The Starless Sea|43575115|The Starless Sea|Erin Morgenstern|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554996038l/43575115._SY75_.jpg|66444785] ). So while I went in optimistically, I didn't have high hopes.
In the end, I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would, but I still had way too many issues with it as a whole. There were too many things that weakened the beginning/middle of the book, and while almost every issue did have an explanation, it didn't change the reading experience of that beginning and middle.
My biggest issue was with Alice, our MC. She seems like an honestly horrendous person to be around, let alone travel to a magical realm with. Everything is an issue, in every action there's a fight to pick, someone to hate on or tear down. She's had a hard life, and I get she's angry at the world, but having every other scene be mindless conflict was something I got real frustrated with real fast. This was only worsened when
Another thing I wasn't all that into was the atmosphere of the novel. When I read fantasy and fairy tale novels, the atmosphere created by the description and writing style is generally one of the most important things. Here, the writing style was fairly simple and direct, losing any sense of wispiness or blurred reality that sometimes comes with the fairy tale genre. Additionally, the way the magic book and the stories were used was more reminiscent of horror. And while I can love my fairy tales dark, this book just tried way too hard to make it so. The stories themselves were also just way too obviously trying to be edgy and dark, and it made me not actually interested in the tales that have been hidden from Alice her whole life. Admittedly, the book did finally settle into an atmosphere I enjoyed in the final portions of the book, when, but it didn't really manage to make up for the majority of the book falling flat.
There are a few things I enjoyed about the book, which pushed it up from 1 star to 2 stars, and that's how the romance was handled (in the end), and Finch's character at the end as well. While Finch himself felt occasionally inconsistent, mainly in the travelling period of the middle of the book, I loved the character he ended turning into, and the growth from his beginning book self to his final book self was amazing to see. I also liked that
Overall, this book was a miss for me, but I don't necessarily regret reading it or giving it a try.
In the end, I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would, but I still had way too many issues with it as a whole. There were too many things that weakened the beginning/middle of the book, and while almost every issue did have an explanation, it didn't change the reading experience of that beginning and middle.
My biggest issue was with Alice, our MC. She seems like an honestly horrendous person to be around, let alone travel to a magical realm with. Everything is an issue, in every action there's a fight to pick, someone to hate on or tear down. She's had a hard life, and I get she's angry at the world, but having every other scene be mindless conflict was something I got real frustrated with real fast. This was only worsened when
Spoiler
she started travelling alone with Finch. I loved Finch, for the most part, and seeing her tear him down constantly for things he usually had no say in, no control over, did not make me warm up to her at all.Another thing I wasn't all that into was the atmosphere of the novel. When I read fantasy and fairy tale novels, the atmosphere created by the description and writing style is generally one of the most important things. Here, the writing style was fairly simple and direct, losing any sense of wispiness or blurred reality that sometimes comes with the fairy tale genre. Additionally, the way the magic book and the stories were used was more reminiscent of horror. And while I can love my fairy tales dark, this book just tried way too hard to make it so. The stories themselves were also just way too obviously trying to be edgy and dark, and it made me not actually interested in the tales that have been hidden from Alice her whole life. Admittedly, the book did finally settle into an atmosphere I enjoyed in the final portions of the book, when
Spoiler
Alice was in the Hinterlands and trying to break her storyThere are a few things I enjoyed about the book, which pushed it up from 1 star to 2 stars, and that's how the romance was handled (in the end), and Finch's character at the end as well. While Finch himself felt occasionally inconsistent, mainly in the travelling period of the middle of the book, I loved the character he ended turning into, and the growth from his beginning book self to his final book self was amazing to see. I also liked that
Spoiler
Alice didn't date him in the end, that he found himself and found love on his own in the world he loved. It felt like a more proper ending to his story, and not a turn I see often in YA.Overall, this book was a miss for me, but I don't necessarily regret reading it or giving it a try.
“Memory is a traitor, and a liar, and a good-for-nothing thief.”
I am both annoyed that I waited so long to read this book and happy that I did not have to wait two years for the finale after that actually insane set of cliffhangers. Honestly this review will probably be an incoherent mess thanks to the fact that I'm still reeling from the millions of twists thrown into the final 15 pages.
Overall, this was a fantastic follow-up to [b:Nevernight|26114463|Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)|Jay Kristoff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500688832l/26114463._SY75_.jpg|42805826], and I love the way the story is turning and twisting from the original premise of training in a school of assassins. There's so much nuance to the story and plot, and while Nevernight gave quite an extensive explanation of the world, especially thanks to footnotes, Godsgrave was still able to introduce so much more.
The twists in this novel were also fantastic, varying in how obvious they were so that the reader was always left guessing. Mia plotted and planned every step of the way, and the fact that the narrator both hid and shared these plans led to a continuously interesting plot, as you both cheered on Mia's secret plans and were shocked by the ones not always shared.
I also really love the layering of plots this series has, and that Godsgrave brings more to the forefront. We have the political plot, that of Scaeva and Duomo and the secrets of the Red Church, but we also have the underlying mystery of the Darkin, of this magic and the gods and the Ashkahi. The latter was explored a lot more in this sequel, and I can't see where it all goes!
While I switched to the audiobook for this one, I still absolutely love the writing. While the footnotes were sometimes a little less clear and distinct (mainly the one liners), the dry humor and sarcasm of the narrator was still fantastic, and I'm dying to know who it is. I also loved the interweaving of past and present making a return once again, at least to introduce the setting of this installment and bring the readers up to speed without delaying the plot. I don't think Kristoff will be able to bring that back in for Darkdawn though, as cliffhangers don't often let you just time-skip at the beginning of the next book again.
Honestly, I just really loved this book and this series as a whole, and now I'm even more upset my Darkdawn hasn't arrived yet!
I am both annoyed that I waited so long to read this book and happy that I did not have to wait two years for the finale after that actually insane set of cliffhangers. Honestly this review will probably be an incoherent mess thanks to the fact that I'm still reeling from the millions of twists thrown into the final 15 pages.
Overall, this was a fantastic follow-up to [b:Nevernight|26114463|Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)|Jay Kristoff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500688832l/26114463._SY75_.jpg|42805826], and I love the way the story is turning and twisting from the original premise of training in a school of assassins. There's so much nuance to the story and plot, and while Nevernight gave quite an extensive explanation of the world, especially thanks to footnotes, Godsgrave was still able to introduce so much more.
The twists in this novel were also fantastic, varying in how obvious they were so that the reader was always left guessing. Mia plotted and planned every step of the way, and the fact that the narrator both hid and shared these plans led to a continuously interesting plot, as you both cheered on Mia's secret plans and were shocked by the ones not always shared.
I also really love the layering of plots this series has, and that Godsgrave brings more to the forefront. We have the political plot, that of Scaeva and Duomo and the secrets of the Red Church, but we also have the underlying mystery of the Darkin, of this magic and the gods and the Ashkahi. The latter was explored a lot more in this sequel, and I can't see where it all goes!
While I switched to the audiobook for this one, I still absolutely love the writing. While the footnotes were sometimes a little less clear and distinct (mainly the one liners), the dry humor and sarcasm of the narrator was still fantastic, and I'm dying to know who it is. I also loved the interweaving of past and present making a return once again, at least to introduce the setting of this installment and bring the readers up to speed without delaying the plot. I don't think Kristoff will be able to bring that back in for Darkdawn though, as cliffhangers don't often let you just time-skip at the beginning of the next book again.
Honestly, I just really loved this book and this series as a whole, and now I'm even more upset my Darkdawn hasn't arrived yet!
