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330 reviews by:
sarahscupofcoffee
So. I didn't really love the story itself. I'm not a big fan of movie star drama, so I found that I didn't care much about Evelyn or her salacious story with her husbands. Though, I did enjoy the LGBTQ nature of this story and Monique's sections.
I rated it four stars for two reasons. TJR can write and I am definitely going to be checking out her other books. I loved her writing style and usage of mixed media. The second reason is that I cried. If a book can make me cry, even a little bit, I will automatically bump up a star rating for that because it's a feat. I don't cry easily.
I listened to the audiobook in two days (really lucky with a skip the line loan through Libby), even though it's twelve hours long. The narrators were kick ass, by the way. Top fucking notch.
I rated it four stars for two reasons. TJR can write and I am definitely going to be checking out her other books. I loved her writing style and usage of mixed media. The second reason is that I cried. If a book can make me cry, even a little bit, I will automatically bump up a star rating for that because it's a feat. I don't cry easily.
I listened to the audiobook in two days (really lucky with a skip the line loan through Libby), even though it's twelve hours long. The narrators were kick ass, by the way. Top fucking notch.
I'm not the intended audience. I'm not the intended audience. I'm not the intended audience. I'm not the intended audience.
Maybe I'm not a middle grade fan? I loved the beginning of this book. It was atmospheric and the world building was terrific, but it lost me when she left her hometown. It got weird. The characters were weird and I didn't connect with anyone.
Maybe I'm not a middle grade fan? I loved the beginning of this book. It was atmospheric and the world building was terrific, but it lost me when she left her hometown. It got weird. The characters were weird and I didn't connect with anyone.
1922 is a cleverly written novella and my first King. It's told from the perspective of a man who murdered his wife and the entire novella acts as a letter confessing his crimes. There are no chapter breaks, but there are spaces between sections.
I've heard that King doesn't write women well and that a lot of his writing can be hard to digest socially, so I was prepared for that. But damn. I get that it's set in 1922, so I'm curious if this is the writing style I heard of or him writing for the time... but my god. There's so much misogyny in here, it's frustrating.
As for the story itself, it's unsettling and I love a story written from a bad guy's point of view. The rats. If you have a fear of rats, proceed with caution. I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narration is gold.
I've heard that King doesn't write women well and that a lot of his writing can be hard to digest socially, so I was prepared for that. But damn. I get that it's set in 1922, so I'm curious if this is the writing style I heard of or him writing for the time... but my god. There's so much misogyny in here, it's frustrating.
As for the story itself, it's unsettling and I love a story written from a bad guy's point of view. The rats. If you have a fear of rats, proceed with caution. I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narration is gold.
I thought this book had a strong start, but it dwindled. I liked the romance between the bodyguard and her famous subject, but it was really cheesy and the epilogue was boring.
Read this and other book reviews at www.travelthroughfiction.wordpress.com!
Travel Notes
You’ll never believe what I did this week. I took a ride in a flying car! Yes, a car that flies and has the ability to turn invisible! I squished in the back seat and listened to Fred and George’s banter. I feel as though we’ll be quick friends.
Highlight of Trip: I flew over Muggle cities in an enchanted car with the Weasleys.
First Impressions
Of course, Chamber of Secrets was the next book in my Harry Potter reading extravaganza. However, if I could skip this one and go right into Prisoner of Azkaban, I would in a heartbeat. Technically, I’m sure I would’ve been able to—this was a re-read, after all—but I felt as though that would be cheating.
Chamber was my least favorite movie and my least favorite book. The plot is solid, but book is so dry! I’m not sure what happened with J.K. Rowling’s writing in this book, but it just wasn’t the same.
The Good
I loved that Harry and Ron had to figure out the mystery on their own. This is why the plot was good, in my opinion. The plot trailed throughout the whole book, rather than a large bang in the last fifty pages. (Spoiler Alert) Hermione wasn’t there to guide them through this bought of troubles; they had to go on some adventures and try to figure it out on their own, even though Hermione did end up spelling it out for them, even though she wasn’t there!
I love Ginny’s character and that she’s so innocent as a first year, especially knowing how badass she becomes later. One of my favorite parts of the book is (Spoiler Alert) when she outs Percy at the end. Literally, that’s how this book ends. Ginny tells the crew, including Fred and George, that Percy has a girlfriend and that’s why he’s been acting so dodgy. It also explains why Percy was so upset with Penelope Clearwater (aka his girlfriend) was petrified, which isn’t in the movie!
Those are the things I love about Rowling’s writing. She connects everything and leaves no plot point unaddressed.
The Bad
That being said, I really believe this book was poorly written compared to the others in the series. I’m not sure if it’s just because I already know what happens and the movie is pretty comprehensive, with the exception of (Spoiler Alert) a few conversations with Lockhart and Nick’s Death Day party.
This book was a struggle to get through. I read every day. It’s part of my daily routine. I didn’t read some days while reading this book because I didn’t want to. I’m not a fan of the characterization. I didn’t feel as though any of the characters really grew. I know that Harry discovers more information about his connection with Voldemort, which is really a plot thing. Nobody grew in this book, which is sacrilegious to writing, in my opinion.
Also, I hate Lockhart. I absolutely hate reading his character because he pisses me off. He’s so arrogant. I love his character arc because I think it’s fitting. Out of all of J.K. Rowling’s characters, Lockhart is the one I despise the most.
Should You Read It?
Yes. You should power through it because it has a solid plot line, despite its writing flaws and lack of character growth. You need to know various plot points from this book to progress in the series. Skipping books in the Harry Potter realm is not an option, but if it were, I would skip this one.
Travel Notes
You’ll never believe what I did this week. I took a ride in a flying car! Yes, a car that flies and has the ability to turn invisible! I squished in the back seat and listened to Fred and George’s banter. I feel as though we’ll be quick friends.
Highlight of Trip: I flew over Muggle cities in an enchanted car with the Weasleys.
First Impressions
Of course, Chamber of Secrets was the next book in my Harry Potter reading extravaganza. However, if I could skip this one and go right into Prisoner of Azkaban, I would in a heartbeat. Technically, I’m sure I would’ve been able to—this was a re-read, after all—but I felt as though that would be cheating.
Chamber was my least favorite movie and my least favorite book. The plot is solid, but book is so dry! I’m not sure what happened with J.K. Rowling’s writing in this book, but it just wasn’t the same.
The Good
I loved that Harry and Ron had to figure out the mystery on their own. This is why the plot was good, in my opinion. The plot trailed throughout the whole book, rather than a large bang in the last fifty pages. (Spoiler Alert) Hermione wasn’t there to guide them through this bought of troubles; they had to go on some adventures and try to figure it out on their own, even though Hermione did end up spelling it out for them, even though she wasn’t there!
I love Ginny’s character and that she’s so innocent as a first year, especially knowing how badass she becomes later. One of my favorite parts of the book is (Spoiler Alert) when she outs Percy at the end. Literally, that’s how this book ends. Ginny tells the crew, including Fred and George, that Percy has a girlfriend and that’s why he’s been acting so dodgy. It also explains why Percy was so upset with Penelope Clearwater (aka his girlfriend) was petrified, which isn’t in the movie!
Those are the things I love about Rowling’s writing. She connects everything and leaves no plot point unaddressed.
The Bad
That being said, I really believe this book was poorly written compared to the others in the series. I’m not sure if it’s just because I already know what happens and the movie is pretty comprehensive, with the exception of (Spoiler Alert) a few conversations with Lockhart and Nick’s Death Day party.
This book was a struggle to get through. I read every day. It’s part of my daily routine. I didn’t read some days while reading this book because I didn’t want to. I’m not a fan of the characterization. I didn’t feel as though any of the characters really grew. I know that Harry discovers more information about his connection with Voldemort, which is really a plot thing. Nobody grew in this book, which is sacrilegious to writing, in my opinion.
Also, I hate Lockhart. I absolutely hate reading his character because he pisses me off. He’s so arrogant. I love his character arc because I think it’s fitting. Out of all of J.K. Rowling’s characters, Lockhart is the one I despise the most.
Should You Read It?
Yes. You should power through it because it has a solid plot line, despite its writing flaws and lack of character growth. You need to know various plot points from this book to progress in the series. Skipping books in the Harry Potter realm is not an option, but if it were, I would skip this one.
Read this review and other young adult book reviews at www.travelthroughfiction.wordpress.com!
This is the second time I devoured the first book in the Harry Potter series! It was nostalgic and needed! For times like this, we all need to think back to happier times and ground ourselves in things that make us happy. Re-reading Harry Potter makes me happy!
My beautiful mother bought me the Ravenclaw edition of the first book for Christmas this year, so I actually read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which I'm completely fine with. I usually split my reviews up with likes and dislikes, favorite parts versus parts that were weak... but I couldn't really find any criticism.
It's a Children's Book
Don't get me wrong. I don't think I would've continued reading the series if I didn't know how great it gets. The first few novels in the series are definitely children's books. The writing style is for children, but there are some adult gems in here.
I love the humor that Rowling has. It's geared toward kids, but her jokes still made me laugh. I forget how quirky Dumbledore is; I don't think the movies do him justice. Peeves is also missing from the movies, and he's a riot! The humor is top-notch.
The World
My favorite part about this book (and other books in this series) is the world that Rowling creates. To say it's well developed is an understatement. The things that Rowling mentions in the first book, knowing that certain things and people are going to become important in future books... it's mind boggling how she is able to put it all together.
The world itself is incredible. The fact that a magical shopping district is hidden behind a Muggle pub and that there's a school that will teach young wizards magic... it's just amazing. She created this iconic world that I long to visit every once in a while.
The Writing
I have to say that Rowling's writing style is amazing. She's one of the best writers I've ever read, and that's saying something. I hate third person. I hate writing it and reading it. However, I love reading hers. She does it in a way that not a lot of writers can. I know it's technically third person omnipresent and that any writer can do this if they wanted to. It's a creative writing point of view technique... but nobody else can do it the way she can.
The characters are also super vivid. I usually make a new heading for characters and plot, but it's all writing style. The fact that she knows her characters well enough to give them vocal quirks (Hagrid) and intense personalities (Hermione and Dumbledore), is astounding. She gives everyone a distinct voice, right down the to secondary characters (Neville).
Should You Read It?
I believe that all young adult readers should pickup Harry Potter, even if it's just the first book. It's a classic in its own right. It defined generations and pulled people together. Just for the sake of knowing the book, you need to read it. That being said, if you like magical realism and humor, this book is for you.
Stay tuned for the rest of the Summer of Harry Potter series! I'm reading all of the books, so there will be more reviews. I'm also watching all of the movies with themed snacks (there will be pictures!).
What did you think of this book? Did you like it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments! (What house are you? ... I'm a Ravenclaw!)
This is the second time I devoured the first book in the Harry Potter series! It was nostalgic and needed! For times like this, we all need to think back to happier times and ground ourselves in things that make us happy. Re-reading Harry Potter makes me happy!
My beautiful mother bought me the Ravenclaw edition of the first book for Christmas this year, so I actually read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which I'm completely fine with. I usually split my reviews up with likes and dislikes, favorite parts versus parts that were weak... but I couldn't really find any criticism.
It's a Children's Book
Don't get me wrong. I don't think I would've continued reading the series if I didn't know how great it gets. The first few novels in the series are definitely children's books. The writing style is for children, but there are some adult gems in here.
I love the humor that Rowling has. It's geared toward kids, but her jokes still made me laugh. I forget how quirky Dumbledore is; I don't think the movies do him justice. Peeves is also missing from the movies, and he's a riot! The humor is top-notch.
The World
My favorite part about this book (and other books in this series) is the world that Rowling creates. To say it's well developed is an understatement. The things that Rowling mentions in the first book, knowing that certain things and people are going to become important in future books... it's mind boggling how she is able to put it all together.
The world itself is incredible. The fact that a magical shopping district is hidden behind a Muggle pub and that there's a school that will teach young wizards magic... it's just amazing. She created this iconic world that I long to visit every once in a while.
The Writing
I have to say that Rowling's writing style is amazing. She's one of the best writers I've ever read, and that's saying something. I hate third person. I hate writing it and reading it. However, I love reading hers. She does it in a way that not a lot of writers can. I know it's technically third person omnipresent and that any writer can do this if they wanted to. It's a creative writing point of view technique... but nobody else can do it the way she can.
The characters are also super vivid. I usually make a new heading for characters and plot, but it's all writing style. The fact that she knows her characters well enough to give them vocal quirks (Hagrid) and intense personalities (Hermione and Dumbledore), is astounding. She gives everyone a distinct voice, right down the to secondary characters (Neville).
Should You Read It?
I believe that all young adult readers should pickup Harry Potter, even if it's just the first book. It's a classic in its own right. It defined generations and pulled people together. Just for the sake of knowing the book, you need to read it. That being said, if you like magical realism and humor, this book is for you.
Stay tuned for the rest of the Summer of Harry Potter series! I'm reading all of the books, so there will be more reviews. I'm also watching all of the movies with themed snacks (there will be pictures!).
What did you think of this book? Did you like it? Hate it? Let me know in the comments! (What house are you? ... I'm a Ravenclaw!)