This was a more interesting read than I expected. Since it's from so long ago it's really focused on the early years of his career and how the business started and grew. I already knew alot of the content but not the details which were very interesting. It's written the way he speaks which makes it entertaining and easy to read. I think I'll read some more of his autobiographies later and hope they don't just go over the same content again. 

A phenomenally beautiful book. I've not seen the film, and before reading this I knew very little about it except its fame. So going into it I didn't have any real expectations. After 2 or 3 chapters I'd fallen in love, not with the characters but with the writing. Then a few chapters later I was in the same place with the characters, each of them felt so real. 

I was halfway through before I even looked at the details about the author, the fact it was an American man who wrote it was so surprising to me shows how well it was written and researched. I could have easily thought it was a translated autobiography without any doubts. 

I'm sure if I re read a few times I'll find some problems, but for now I can't really say anything bad... It's probably going to be in my top few books for a while now

I wasn't expecting huge amounts from this book, just because I normally find young adult books very middley. Commonly giving them either 3 or 3.5 starts, but this was definitely better than others. It's still quite tropey and very fast paced but it's a lot of fun. I can see the firefly in this heavily but Dune is a bit of a reach, it does not have that level of politicial intrigue. The 2 perspective structure works really well, and I couldn't tell at all that it was written by 2 authors. I found it simple to keep track of who's narrating despite it seemingly being a common complaint. Side characters are intriguing, especially Basra, who gives off a bit of the hidden past/life vibe you get from Shepard Bush in firefly. The world itself is interesting and the concept of shadow sets it up for some good plot lines. I'll be adding the next installments to my to-read list, and give it the highest rating yet for a young adult genre. 

This has been on my shelf for a while having picked it up at random in a used book store, but I had a feeling it would be good having read the blurb and I was right. It's a snapshot of one day in the protagonists life, where he has to make a major decision, with flashbacks of his life and those of the secondary characters. The secondary characters make this novel, their stories really illustrate why his decision his so difficult, and ultimately it's what the book is about. The plot could be summarised in 2 lines, but the characters need hundreds which you get. If I have a criticism it's that it's too short, the secondary characters which you grow to love dont get a real conclusion and that's the only reason it goes from 5 to 4 stars . The writing style , and the translation in my case, is beautiful, one chapter in I knew I'd be happy sitting with this. I see he has other works translated by the same person which I'll seek out in the future

This book was not published until Charlotte Brontes work had become extremely famous and successful, generally with good reason it seems. It is clearly a debut world and lacks the suspense and layers found in her later works. There is a huge amount of character description in the first half of the book, a lot of which covers characters who will seldom appear again. Once all are established and the primary setting settled in the 2nd half the book improves and becomes more of a light Sunday read. Whilst enjoyable it doesn't really pull you in. You will find characters and plot lines which appear in later books but more polished and it can be interesting if you've read her later works but it's clearly not one to start with. 

I've read of few of Pohls works now and normally live them however this one fell a bit flat. It's a very short book, halfway between a novella and a full novel and I think it's part of the problem. Pohl never really fully build the world or the characters. It has some funny parts and is a bit of a laugh to read but there's not much real substance. None of the characters are particularly likeable and I grew more frustrated with the main character as the book progressed. The plot itself is not too bad, it's just to compressed and without the characters and the world its impossible to get to get invested in. It's not put me off Pohl though as I know he has some great books, and this wasn't terrible, just meh

After reading Anthem I feel in love with Ayn Rand books and got the rest, this is the first of the full length novels and it's brilliant. Given Rand has said its her most autobiographical work it's an interesting insight into how she's herself and her life. I definitely don't agree with all her philosophies, but can sympathise with them and appreciate the literary work in its own right. The first half I found a little difficult for to the dislike of several characters, but came round in the second half as depth was added to them. It shows the range of responses people have when faced with extreme oppression, with the three main characters of Kira, Leo, amd Andrei showing distinct reactions and the plethora of secondary characters showing variations of these. A beautiful and dark love story(ies), it's made me so excited to pick Fountainhead up next. 

This is one of the first magical realism books I've read and given it was recommended by a big fan of the genre I am unsurprised by how good it was. The timeline jumps around and has varying character perspectives between characters, I've always enjoyed this style though given the additional complicated plot and interlocking stories it does require some concentration to fully understand. The characters are great and varied, some you hate, some you love, and some you switch between these feelings. It all comes together at the end, if not in a very odd and confusing way, however with reflection I think I understand everything that happened as much as I can. I would have loved

to see Winnie discover her connection with both long and tan and their relationship, but as much as I would have enjoyed to read her reaction to this I can't see where it would fit into the plot so maybe it's best as is.

It is also a good commentary on the attitudes towards women and relationship dynamics in modern Vietnam. I have a few more recommendations from my friend still on the shelf still which I will be excitedly picking up very soon

This alternative history novel is an interesting and for the most part a gripping one. The level of anti-semetism from the real world characters was something was I wasn't aware of except for the nazis of course. I had some issues with the pacing of this book though, it had some very slow sections and then some very fast sections especially towards the end. The characters are all quite diverse and really keep the book interesting, with a good balance of character and plot driven narrative. Overall it's a great book and exploration of how fascism can take hold of a country, but the writing style wasn't always to my taste. 

Overall I enjoyed this book but it does feel as though Frys writing has improved since he wrote this. The plot is fun and unpredictable, pacing also nicely managed. The characters beside the main protagonist are a little flat, Steve has some layers but beyond that they all feel a little like NPCs. I really like Frys prose, it's super easy to read, though in this case maybe it's targeting a younger audience than his beautiful purpose in Mythos. The film script style interludes didn't really gel with me, I found they broke the immersion rather than enhancing it. It's a good fun read though and a good choice for a young adult wanting something a bit heavier than is typical in the genre, but it's not his best work.