As someone who danced in a ballet company for 10+ years, I found this to be maybe a little over-the-top, but also kind of accurate.
Not sure if girls As someone who danced in a ballet company for 10+ years, I found this to be maybe a little over-the-top, but also kind of accurate.
Not sure if girls would really go to the lengths these girls did and hurt others, but in my company girls did starve themselves and practice to the point of obsession, and even cry and get angry with girls who got the parts they wanted.
I don’t know if everyone would enjoy this duology, but for someone who lived the “ballet experience” I really enjoyed these books.
Something I LOVED about these hooks, was the discussion on race, white-washing in ballet, the eating habits of ballerinas (and women in general), and even the treatment of men in ballet vs women. I really wished they had delved a bit deeper into these topics, but then these drama/contemporary books would have been 500+ pages and that might have been a bit thiccc for a contemporary. Ya feel?
Recommending to current and ex dancers specifically. ...more
Too short for a long review. So I’ll keep it concise.
1. The book is good. 2. The narration is good (and by the author) 3. The author makes a case forToo short for a long review. So I’ll keep it concise.
1. The book is good. 2. The narration is good (and by the author) 3. The author makes a case for how BOTH men and women are being treated unfairly. 4. It’s too short to skip, so you might as well pick it up and read it....more
”The boy has a rat inside him.” “A rat?” ”When someone is overtaken with a dark emotion, pain. Or grief. Or anger. If they conti$0.99 on Amazon today!
”The boy has a rat inside him.” “A rat?” ”When someone is overtaken with a dark emotion, pain. Or grief. Or anger. If they continue to dwell on it, it grows. That rat feeds on every though it’s given. If not tempered, the rat will consume the soul, and destroy its host and everyone around it.”
The Enchanted Sonata Stars Clara as a studied pianist, as she is whisked away to a strange land which has befallen a curse. The soldiers and children have become toys and she must break the curse.
The story combines all of our favorite elements from the original. Fairies, toy soldiers, giant rats, and even rifle-wielding nuns are featured in this reimagining of The Nutcracker. The story is undoubtedly whimsy in nature, but also delves into real emotions such as grief, anger, revenge, and love. And what it means to let any of those emotions consume you.
The story is cute and a mostly light read, and perfect to read during the holidays. I highly recommend to any looking for a holiday adventure.
*i received an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own....more
This was not my favorite contemporary romance. In fact, it kind of irked me. I did see the movie before I read the book, so maybe that’s why I found iThis was not my favorite contemporary romance. In fact, it kind of irked me. I did see the movie before I read the book, so maybe that’s why I found it a little slow, since the movie was done beautifully, and most of the twists and turns weren’t as effective.
The book follow two storylines one romance between characters from the 1940sish and another couple in the present-day between Ira and Ruth, who are both immigrants who left their country in order to escape Hitler’s genocide against the Jewish community. And as the story progresses we find out how they connect and all the similar problems they had to face along the way.
But overall, I give the plot/pacing/character development a three star. I didn’t really like the romance between Luke and Sophie, it felt rushed over like we were just expected to believe it, while the other romance was given a lot more detail. But there were a couple of moments that made me quite upset.
Here’s a summary of a conversation Luke and Sophie had once that raised my hackles a bit.
Sophie: “If you don’t love someone, why would you hook up?” “It Kind of cheapens it.” And Luke’s response: “Sounds like a mature way of thinking.”
First off, none of their business whether or not people are hooking up because they love each other.
Also this one: “Men are controlled by their urges, and women are not.”
I guess we’re making excuses for some men being pigs again.
There were a couple other statements like this that felt very old-fashioned and sexist. And that’s why I brought my rating down....more
A thriller with twists and turns, some predictable, some not. It gets a little over-the-top at some points, and is slower in the beginning, but overalA thriller with twists and turns, some predictable, some not. It gets a little over-the-top at some points, and is slower in the beginning, but overall a very compelling thriller....more
Maybe this wasn’t my cup of tea, but I just didn’t see anything special about it?
The main character, Black Bolt, is heroic and acts mostly perfect thMaybe this wasn’t my cup of tea, but I just didn’t see anything special about it?
The main character, Black Bolt, is heroic and acts mostly perfect throughout the whole story. He apparently has a bad past where he did something wrong, but in the story he doesn’t do anything wrong, is really powerful, and doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.
The plot, was kind of ehhh. A bunch of villains/prisoners band together and escape an evil prison. And that’s it. They basically have to fight a lot and then they’re out.
The art also wasn’t my favorite. There were a few pages where the art was beautiful and I caught myself staring for longer than necessary, but a lot of it seemed lazy and rushed. There were MULTIPLE times where there just wasn’t any detail in the setting, or where a character’s face would not only have limited detail, but also be a completely different shape.
Overall, I found the story to be kind of boring, the characters difficult to connect with, and the art not so great. ...more
I LOVED this! I wish the art had been in more colors, because COLORS, but I really liked the story and the authenticity in the characters. I went intoI LOVED this! I wish the art had been in more colors, because COLORS, but I really liked the story and the authenticity in the characters. I went into this kind of blind (only knowing what I could gather from the cover and title) and it ended up being such a good fit for me. This book reminds me so much of Real Friends And Roller Girl which are both amazing middle grade graphic novels. But this one also deals with the pressures of looking different and the main character, Vera, feeling out of place among her friends, and her own people. And I think in a way, anyone with an accent, or who looks a little different can feel that way sometimes. ...more
The story is a lot different then all of the movie remakes, but no less interesting. The characters are all quite enjoyable and unique and the story aThe story is a lot different then all of the movie remakes, but no less interesting. The characters are all quite enjoyable and unique and the story asks more questions of the reader than is portrayed in any remake.
I love how whimsy and timeless this story is. This was my first time reading it and as an adult, I felt like I enjoyed maybe even more than I would have as a child. ...more
If they were meant to be in your life, nothing could ever make them leave. If they weren’t, nothing in the world could make them stay.
Sea of StrangersIf they were meant to be in your life, nothing could ever make them leave. If they weren’t, nothing in the world could make them stay.
Sea of Strangers is a book full of love poems. Love lost, and love gained, and love somewhere in-between. But all about love.
I found myself constantly highlighting line after line. There were so many moments that made me raise my eyebrows, or nod in agreement, or feel happy or sad along with the author.
These were beautiful poems, but poetry like most things, isn’t for everyone. So if you want to read love poems mostly for the broken-hearted and slowly healing heart, then this is a good selection. ...more
*I listened to this on audiobook, and while others have complained about the use of italics and other formatting, I was not privy to most of it. I als*I listened to this on audiobook, and while others have complained about the use of italics and other formatting, I was not privy to most of it. I also have not seen the graphics/comics which is the real shame.
Personally, I found Rebound, a story about Charlie “Chuck’s” eventful summer to be quite a treat. It’s poetry and a story, and it’s somehow both funny and sad and never really hits any spots in-between. I was laughing at Chuck’s jokes (actually cracked up about one in the end about Jazz) and I was rooting for him and enjoying all of the advice his family gave him.
I recommend to anyone, although I think with the inconsistencies in time period, and in order to really enjoy the jokes, it’s more suited for young adults or adults just leaving their young adult stage. ...more
A solid book. I picked this up because it was a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Awards, but honestly it’s not that scary. It is really unique and intA solid book. I picked this up because it was a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Awards, but honestly it’s not that scary. It is really unique and interesting to read and a nicely developed book for only being less than 150 pages. But it’s not scary.
I wish King had expanded a bit on the paranormal aspect, but at the same time I really enjoyed it. ...more
This series is seriously some good stuff. This is a perfect blend of science fiction and Stranger Things. I’m really enjoying the character arcs and hThis series is seriously some good stuff. This is a perfect blend of science fiction and Stranger Things. I’m really enjoying the character arcs and how the story is progressing. ...more
There, There is a heart wrenching story about how the many lives of Native American people are connected. I“This kind of man, they’re getting worse.”
There, There is a heart wrenching story about how the many lives of Native American people are connected. It follows the good and the especially ugly as we go on a journey as the teenagers discover who they are and what their heritage means, and the adults do a little of the same while also dealing with their past.
The story is beautiful and yet completely devastating. The whole story is told in light-hearted way with an ominous undertone ever-present throughout the whole story. ...more
The Chalk Man follows a boy after he sees and is involved with several gruesome murders. The book alternates from 1986 and 2016 and shows the reader tThe Chalk Man follows a boy after he sees and is involved with several gruesome murders. The book alternates from 1986 and 2016 and shows the reader the effects this has had on his personal life and his mind and body.
The Chalk Man was a gripping thriller and has lots of character interactions and twists. But at the same time, I found it to be lacking. I really enjoyed all of the quirks the main character, Eddie, had, but at the same time, I found him to be a bit boring. And I really enjoyed the twists and turns, but at the same time, I found the big twist to be lacking and not as much of a twist as I wanted it to be. The descriptions of some of the murders and even just some of the things that happen were gory which I liked but I still wanted there to be more. Not necessarily more gore, but more pause on these descriptions instead of going straight to the next scene.
Overall, I found this book to be very intriguing but not quite delivering the way I wanted to. ...more
The Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One deals almost exclusively with rape culture against women. While I think it’s important to still talk about, I hatedThe Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One deals almost exclusively with rape culture against women. While I think it’s important to still talk about, I hated that it was completely about straight women rising up. Men get raped too, sometimes by other men. Also queer women get raped by men. And this list goes on. But it’s quite obvious that the women referenced in these poems were all straight and possibly white.
Something I really disliked was the mention of politics at the end. I don’t think it really added anything and I hate when I’m reading (you know, what I do to escape from my life) and politics get boldly referenced. Especially political candidates. Thanks for that.
My favorite bit came from Part III where I think Amanda said her best lines about rape/rapist/rape culture. ...more
The Witch Elm is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery, and part family drama. It follows Toby after he’s been robbed and then goes to his The Witch Elm is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery, and part family drama. It follows Toby after he’s been robbed and then goes to his family’s home and a body is discovered.
The book starts off with a bit of a bang, and goes achingly slow for a long time. There are minute discoveries and little twists, but overall, throughout the majority of the book, nothing happens.
The ending 25% or so things get amped up, almost to an unbelievable level. There were several times I found myself questioning whether Toby was going to wake up from a dream, after some insane scene. But one thing I really enjoyed about the last bit, was the conversation Tana French was forcing us to have about bullying, class separation, sexual assault, disabled people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. There were several times I wanted to scream AMEN after what I had just read and it really disappoints me that it took so long to get to such important topics. And even then they were grazed over more than I’d like in favor of the next twist.
So I’ll rate this book in pieces: 1-25% - 3 star 26-75% - 2 star 76-95% - 4.5 star 96-100% - 3 star
So I’m giving this one a low rating but the ending was perfection.
Solitaire is about an anonymous blog that starts pranking the school. The members aSo I’m giving this one a low rating but the ending was perfection.
Solitaire is about an anonymous blog that starts pranking the school. The members are unknown and pull off several hilarious pranks in the beginning but it soon starts to get dangerous for everyone involved.
I had a couple of problems. One was definitely the writing. The whole book just felt kind of juvenile. Two was the pacing. The story is told through Tori’s POV and it’s possible because she’s clearly suffering through depression, and possibly anxiety and OCD, along with being a self-proclaimed pessimist that her narration and her daily life dragged the story down. But it also could be just that the story was sloooowww.
Overall, I can see why some of my friends didn’t like this and why some did. The ending has an important message, but it takes a while to get there. ...more
A book for all ages. Magical, and whimsical, and a story about growing up. Reread: October 2021
Still really enjoyed it.
Originally read: October 2018
A book for all ages. Magical, and whimsical, and a story about growing up. I loved this story and my niece and older sister are both loving it too....more
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