Took a little while to get into it because the descriptions are so detailed and every character has a long backstory, but it all starts to merge halfway through and the pace picks up. Really great story!

This one is hard to review. Parts of it were great, and parts were not so great, which is why I gave it 3 stars for a middle of the road rating. I liked the quick pace of the story, and I feel like the author did a good job transporting the Bennetts to the 21st century. However, the transgender plot line was not handled well at all. It wasn't the trans character I had issues with. It was the reactions of the other characters. Liz is supposed to be a cosmopolitan New Yorker, but her views of the LGBT community were not classy. Unless her ignorance is supposed to tie to being raised in the Midwest. Either way, I took offense. I also didn't like Mr. Bennett. He wasn't likeable in this as he was in Austen's story. Finally, there wasn't much chemistry between Jane and Bingley or Elizabeth and Darcy.

4.5 starts. This was really good, but I couldn't give it 5 stars. Not really sure why because I thought it was really well done. One more the more graphic and therefore horrifying WWII stories I've read. Bohjalian didn't shy away or gloss over the horrors of the war, but the characters are rich and well developed, and their bond and kindness for one create a balance.

I hoped this would be like a Bill Bryson book, but it was a little dry. The beginning was about Thoreau, and it took what felt like a long time to get to the first camping experience of the book. By then, I had lost interest. I didn't care to pick up the book and read more so I just stopped for good.

Some of the stories were more interesting than others, but the analysis of how the internet reacted to it all was fascinating. My only regret was that current events weren't included, but that is impossible in a traditional book format. I did see a lot of similarities between the examples in the book and with more recent shaming.

Good fantasy that steers clear of some of the popular plot formulas. I will definitely read the sequel since I assume it will focus on another kingdom.