What the frickin heck is this stinking pile of science?!
AWFUL. IT IS GOD AWFUL.
I will try and make this a coherent review but please prepare yourselveWhat the frickin heck is this stinking pile of science?!
AWFUL. IT IS GOD AWFUL.
I will try and make this a coherent review but please prepare yourselves now for some ranting.
PROS - Fascinating creatures - Intriguing episodes - Nursum and The Fig
CONS - Timeline jumps - Overcomplicated language - Overcomplicated science - Long, tedious descriptions of basically everything - Very little characterisation to cling to - Obvious 'twist' from the beginning - Way too longwinded - JUST LET IT GO, DUDE
Basically, this is an interesting idea COMPLETELY BURIED in tedium and confusion.
The timeline is divided between Present, Near Past and Past, and there is zero continuity when these portions jump around. For example, you might read a Past chapter that seems to be set like 10 years ago, but then the next Past chapter is set more like 50 years previous. It is EXCRUIATINGLY MADDENING to jump around like this, and it makes it nigh impossible to understand what's actually happening. This was hands down my biggest issue with this book.
Added to that, sometimes things that are occurring in the Past and the Near Past are actually very similar. Characters, locations and events all kind of blur together in a frustrating mess. There were some really interesting moments - such as the episodes relating to Nursum and the Fig - but they lost any real context because you halfway through the episode before realising something interesting was actually happening.
There's also a lot of speculation about adaptation to the point that it just becomes ridiculously repetitive. Ursula and her colonists are 'adapting', but she's determined to remain human. There are some interesting considerations on the definition of humanity, but they get lost in the monotony of repetition - we can get the point quite easily without the author hammering it in like this. This is what I'm referring to with my con of 'LET IT GO', because the same point is just overworked to the point that it's hard to care after a while.
I also want to talk about the complete disconnect between the blurb and the actual story I read. Half the stuff in the blurb doesn't actually happen til the end of the book, and it seems to promote a story much more exciting than what I read. I also need to say this very important gripe: (view spoiler)[THE TITLE IS A FRIGGIN SPOILER. As soon as Ursula starts questioning the upgrades and Oren having 'secrets', it was obvious to me that they were somehow being 'adapted' into weapons. DON'T PUT THE TWIST IN THE TITLE FFS. (hide spoiler)] Ursula is supposed to be super intelligent, yet she can't see what is obvious to the reader almost immediately. It's beyond ridiculous.
There are ideas and creations here that could easily have made for a brilliant story, but it was padded out with an excessive word count, and the intentional lack of continuity was overwhelmingly more confusing than clever. I came pretty close to throwing it on the DNF shelf, and the only reason I didn't is because the publisher sent me a copy and I felt obliged to review it in its entirety, since it had some redeeming moments. Alas, those moments only bump it up a single star.
Perhaps hardcore science nuts will appreciate this one more than me, but it was far too frustrating a read for me.
You would think it would be a fantastic horror story but the real horror is the pain of reading this booThis is a story about a ghost seeking revenge.
You would think it would be a fantastic horror story but the real horror is the pain of reading this book.
'Minds are illegible; they read the body. Wet cold prickles under the back, the shirt too thin. Bacteria hitches a ride in the air, clings to a hair in the nostril. They move, are moved, into these discomforts, go where there are openings. (Do they open things?) The body coughs, its whole length poised and racking. The eyes leave the stars and return; the body sits up, relaxes. The joint held aloft. They are in the fingers where the burn will meet the skin. In sweet smoke.'
If you appreciate that kind of writing, congratulations. You did what I could not. Have fun with this book which is full of passsages like this. You will love it.
When did 'brilliant literature' become synonymous with 'convoluted writing that goes out of its way to say everything except what it actually needs to say'? It all seems so pretentious to me. Just tell the freaking story please.
I LOVE ghost stories. THIS STORY IS ABOUT A VENGEFUL GHOST POSSESSING PEOPLE ON ITS WAY TO FIND THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS DEMISE. It talks about themes like consent and identity and works its way into the mind of a man who thinks he's good but is actually a scumbag and it is actually full of really fascinating ideas. There was so much here to unpack and it could have been a really brilliant, entertaining story.
But, NO.
It decides instead to tell its fantastic story through long, convoluted passages and choppy imagery that remind me of all those times I filled my essays with pointless crap just to make the word count.
Also, I appreciate the importance pronouns have in helping us defining ourselves but unfortunately in the context of this book, all of the 'they' references just made an already-complicated writing style even harder to untangle. I was so lost.
This one was just not for me, folks.
I give full props to the story - the alternating chapters give us Adam's story and 'Their' story, but unfortunately They and Adam both do really, really boring things with their time so if you're not someone who enjoys books that just languish over describing boring things in a twisted manner then you will likely find yourself as frustrated as I was.
If you enjoy unravelling long, confusing passages to tease out what they're trying to say, you'll be all over this. This is for the language lovers; the people who are happy to forfeit action for pretty words. There are some really interesting themes and plenty of symbolism but if you're after a meaty story that really delves into these things you will be disappointed.
Honestly I was so excited to read this story and that just makes it all the more disappointing for me.
I'm actually super bummed that this had as many ridiculous tropes as it did.
It could have been so much and instead it opted to just be like eEugh.
I'm actually super bummed that this had as many ridiculous tropes as it did.
It could have been so much and instead it opted to just be like everything else, with minimal creativity.
My heart is sad.
The promising plot tells of Kiva, who has been a prisoner in Zalindov for over a decade, working as their healer. She carves the mark into inmates when they arrive and does whatever it takes to survive. However some new arrivals and talks of a rebel queen leading an uprising on the outside are about to make things a little more interesting for Kiva.
Firstly, I just didn't like her. Kiva was the very first cliché - the girl who won't let anyone get close because that way she won't get hurt. But for a girl who refuses to get close to anyone she sure gets emotionally attached, AND ends up with a lot of friends willing to do anything for her.
Secondly, I feel like there was some questionable consistency. This particular band of prisoners seemingly having the run of the joint, Jaren being everywhere all the time even though he's supposed to be killing himself working these brutal shifts, Kiva spending ten years doing whatever it takes to survive then suddenly being willing to throw it all away on one random woman, having a magical potion on hand for everything ... like there were just a lot of things I raised my eyebrows at and even more that got a full 360 eye roll.
Thirdly, THE TRIALS. What a complete disappointment they were. I'll refrain from detailing on account of not wanting to spoil for anyone, but I was utterly underwhelmed by what they all involved.
Now, all those complaints aside, I didn't totally hate it. I'm frustrated by how ridiculous and cliché and nonsensical so much of it seemed, but I still wanted to keep reading, and I'm still curious about how the rest of the series is going to go down. So it wasn't completely terrible. I just didn't fall in love with any of the characters like I wanted to, and all of the twists were so trope-y that I was frustrated by them rather than entertained.
It wasn't a terrible story, but it's definitely lacking the richness of the Akarnae series. It's gloomy yet much lighter than you'd expect for a story set in a prison where people are constantly worked to death, and there are a lot of different elements that don't really gel well together so it seems a bit chaotic in the writing.
All in all, I was mostly disappointed because I was expecting great things and ended up with mediocre, done-to-death things. Hopefully the sequel is better....more
Paolini is a fantasy author and nowhere is that more apparent than in this, his sciDNF @ Pg 536 (61%)
I think it's time to review this monstrosity.
Paolini is a fantasy author and nowhere is that more apparent than in this, his sci-fi debut. Stick to fantasy, buddy.
Let me just start with a list of my complaints and go from there.
- Dull and slow from the get-go - Science is generally pretty light on, unless it's going into pointlessly detailed explanations of something - Characters are annoying cardboard cutouts - Frustrating behaviour - The plot is almost non-existent - The aliens are a friggin parody - Tons of inconsistencies - Just so pointlessly looooooong
*sigh*
Dull, slow, pointlessly long with a non-existent plot Here is the formula of this story: Kira, our protagonist, finds an alien super suit. She passes out. She has a weird dream. She wakes. They are travelling to another location. She goes to sleep. She has a weird dream. When she wakes, they are arriving somewhere. There is a fight. She passes out. Has a weird dream. Wakes up, they're headed somewhere else. Another fight. She passes out/goes to sleep. Has a weird dream. ARE YOU SEEING WHERE THIS IS GOING?!
I read over 500 pages of this stupid book and still have no freaking clue what the actual point of it was. I have no idea what was happening because it was all so similar it just blurred together. Honestly, if I had to read one more fking dream sequence I was going to scream. THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS BOOK TO BE NEARLY 900 PAGES LONG.
The science Admittedly, I don't read a huge amount of sci-fi, because the science tends to go over my head. However I recently read (and enjoyed immensely) The Salvation Sequence and this is the sci-fi I am comparing this book to.
I enjoy science that goes a little over my head, but in The Salvation Sequence the point of all the fancy sci-fi lingo was explained. For example, there would be a scientific explanation for something like about how energy would be channelled through the Thingamajig which would multiply the trajectory of the Whatchamacallit into the square root of pi or whatever and then it would explain, 'basically, when the Thingamajig went off, the tunnel would be blown to smithereens' (Clearly this is an example not just of what I mean but also of my complete lack of comprehension of some of the science stuff haha). Point is, no matter how lost I was with the science, I still understood what was happening.
In this book, there's actually not a lot of science, despite being set in space in the future. It's all kind of dumbed down, but then it will have a little fit here and there where it goes into a scientific explanation about something and you just have to understand it or you get left behind. I'm not exactly an advanced physicist (shocking, I know) so I definitely didn't get it.
Meanwhile, they nickname the giant squid aliens JELLIES. *facepalm*
Cardboard characters with frustrating behaviour First we have Kira, who is our saintly protagonist who can do no wrong. Even when she's accidentally slaughtering people she's forgiven, because she didn't mean to, and she feels really bad about it. Also she's somehow always saving lives but don't thank her because she's just doing what anyone else would have done. Honestly, how everyone saw her as a hero constantly kind of mystified me because half the time I had no idea what they were referring to. She seemed to always be causing more trouble. She makes so many stupid mistakes and questionable choices and I just could not root for her. Especially when no one gave her nearly as much crap as she deserved.
Next we have the motley crew, and anyone who knows my reading habits knows I love a good motley crew. But these guys were just SO BORING. They are nothing new: the brooding Captain who everyone loves and respects and who our main character is definitely going to bang at some point (mercifully I didn't get there but I guarantee it happens eventually), the gruff sidekick who is actually more kind and considerate than you'd expect, the tough, quiet one with a soft spot, the feisty warrior one, the joker ... and honestly again they all blended together because they were so unoriginal I didn't give two craps about them. I hope they all get blown to pieces in a grand finale. (Tell me they do and I might reconsider finishing this book.)
Among all of this is a handful of terrible jokes and a little bullying on the side which I can only assume is both an attempt to lighten the mood but also teach people that bullying is wrong. (Thank you, Mr Paolini, for pointing this out to me in your super wise, realistic, science fiction/fantasy novel. I am so moved by this completely random message.)
Honestly, THIS IS A TRAINWRECK OF A BOOK.
The aliens and the inconsistencies So the Big Bad are aliens which apparently look like giant squid and our protagonist and her squad take to nicknaming them Jellies. Because why call them squids, right? Also, even though Kira and her squad have come up with this nickname, it is coincidentally the same nickname EVERYONE IN THE UNIVERSE picked and chooses to use - even after knowing (or even ONLY knowing) their actual species name. Because 'Jellies' just represents such an intelligent, malevolent kind of vibe, right? How am I supposed to take this threat seriously?! I just kept thinking this was actually set deep in the ocean with mutated sea creatures. Maybe it would have made for a better story if it had been.
Concluding thoughts Essentially, this is a fantasy novel, set in space, featuring evil sea creatures and it just DOES NOT WORK. There's so much being crammed in but there's not really a plot to drive it or even tie it together neatly. It's just a mashup of a bunch of ambitious ideas.
Imagine this: You decide you're going to let out this massive scream, right, so you draw all this air into your lungs, you're sucking it back, your chest is expanding, it is going to be a scream heard throughout the world, and then when you finally open your mouth ready to unleash this scream ... you let out an involuntary huff of breath - 'ah'. THAT'S THIS STORY. The ultimate disappointment. It is a world built of scraps and falling apart at every join.
My feelings toward this book perfectly sum up my feelings toward 2020: I was excited, had big plans, expected great things, and then as soon as it started it was falling apart and it just got worse and worse and more and more frustrating and now I am just overjoyed that it's OVER.
With thanks and apologies to the publisher for my ARC...more
Honestly, I hate writing reviews like this for books given to me by publishers, but WOW was this a piece of work.
My biggest problem with i*heavy sigh*
Honestly, I hate writing reviews like this for books given to me by publishers, but WOW was this a piece of work.
My biggest problem with it - aside from being incredibly boring - is that it basically feels like an old white dude trying to cram anti-racism down your throat. I'm all for supporting anti-racism, but the delivery was all wrong and I found it so patronising.
There's also just no story to it. It's so dull! I blame Jock Serong's Preservation for giving me unrealistic expectations for this book. I was expecting a fascinating survival story set in the early days of Australia. I was expecting unprepared white fellas confronted by harsh climate, unforgiving scrubland, and the perplexing conundrum of interacting with the local Indigenous population when they're (the white dudes) all racist bastards. I was expecting insight into the fascinating practices, customs and general way of living of older Aboriginal cultures. I was expecting a thoughtful exploration of this early racism in the midst of a great story.
What did I get?
White dudes fighting with white dudes. White dudes complaining about everything. White dudes talking about murdering the locals coz they're black. One white dude reflecting on FRIGGING EVERYTHING instead of ACTUALLY TELLING THE STORY.
Not gonna lie, I skimmed the last 200-odd pages HARD.
This was supposed to be a 'fierce, intriguing and thoughtful retelling' and none of those things are true. The basic history is that the English invaded Australia, murdered a bunch of the locals then spent their lives trying to convert the rest of them to the 'white people' way of living. This book doesn't even come close to turning that on its head. This book is essentially just white people complaining and I had no time for it. Then you've got random chapters here and there finally told from the point of view of a local, and he just wants to throw random words at you and tell you random Aboriginal legends. This book STILL doesn't care about telling his story.
I just found the whole mess so frustrating.
When there are man-eating crocodiles around and I'm still bored, it's a bad sign.
There is definitely a lot of interesting information about the practices of Aboriginal people, but if I was interested in the facts of things delivered as bluntly as this I'd pick up a non-fiction book (I am, in fact, slowly working my way around to Dark Emu, which has been highly recommended for this kind of information). This book purports to be an intriguing re-telling, which automatically suggests everything about the story is false, and then it doesn't even give a story worthy of all the 'what if?'s.
It was utterly disappointing.
There were some moments that were interesting, but they were so scarce it felt like too little, too late. For a book that implies a necessary appreciation for the importance of Indigenous culture, it was told an awful lot from a white guy's point of view, and is predominantly about the discomfort of these white dudes. I HAD NO TIME FOR IT.
I'm just incredibly frustrated by how much this missed the mark. Maybe others more detail-oriented will appreciate it but for me it was too much about the author trying to make his own points rather than any kind of decent story.
If you are interested in a great story from the early days of Australian settlement, I'd highly recommend Preservation, my review of which can be found HERE I also want to link to a friend's review of Dark Emu because it provides some great insight into the book, as well as other resources to check out. You can read Patty's review HERE
With thanks and apologies to A&U who sent me an ARC to read and review...more
This book is basically about one small, insignificant girl having all the hot/powerful people at her beck and call. It's freaking ridiculous.
I've not This book is basically about one small, insignificant girl having all the hot/powerful people at her beck and call. It's freaking ridiculous.
I've not read Les Miserables, but I do know that it's over 1000 pages long, so if this book is supposed to be a retelling of it - with its mere 400 pages - that would explain why it feels so cluttered and chaotic. There are so many characters and plots etc that it leaves no time for actual tension or - most importantly - character development.
Nina has to be the most annoying, arrogant, self-absorbed idiot I've met since Harry Potter. She seems to think that she's righteous and clever but she just rampages about destroying lives for the sake of saving her sister. Allegedly. Mostly it's just awkward sexual tension with every boy she meets, and powerful people being unbelievably charmed by her and so doing whatever she asks of them. I don't get it.
Here's the thing: if you take away Nina, this is actually a pretty good story.
I love stories about assassins and thieves, so I really enjoyed the mix of all these rebellious guilds. Even though there was a lot of them and it was rather difficult to keep track of who was who, particularly when they all came with extra names and titles. Super confusing. But fun! Handy little chart at the front which actually shows the guilds and their leaders, although not all of them featured in this story, and I still got mixed up. There were some fun stand-out characters, though, and it was interesting the way they all kind of cooperated without really liking one another.
The scope of the story is huge, and as such there are a lot of characters that play their parts. I actually really loved Montparnasse, and would have appreciated if he'd been given a little more personal development and limelight. His skills were entirely wasted in this story, and so much of his time wasted over the cringe-inducing romantic tension between him and Nina. Just let him go out and kill some people FFS. I wanted so badly to fall in love with him but he just never got the respect he deserved.
There's also St. Juste (and don't even get me started on the names) who is the heart-of-gold, Captain America-type character who is all business but his business is standing against tyranny and protecting those who can't protect themselves. He also gets sucked in by Nina and there are so many moments where he steps out of character to flirt with her a bit. He also seems to still like her even though she repeatedly does sh*tty things to him? I'll say it again: I DON'T GET IT.
Seriously, so many characters got ripped off by having so much of their time wasted on mooning over Nina.
Because there's the prince, too - of course she enamours the prince, despite the fact that when she first meets him she's a 9yr old girl who sneaks into his room to steal from him. HOW ROMANTIC. *eyeroll*
AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THIS PARTICULAR DEVICE: (view spoiler)[The whole, 'the only way I can possibly get out of this situation is to kiss the cute boy!' shtick. Especially since in the Prince's case, SHE'S 9 FREAKING YEARS OLD FFS. (hide spoiler)]
But, like I said: take Nina out, and you've got an interesting story of uprising and revolution and the criminal underground of Paris in the early 1800s. Which is actually kinda fun. There is trickery, backstabbing, secret allies, prison breaks, daring deeds, disguises ... there is actually a lot to love.
I just can't stand the main character. It's Harry Potter all over again.
Nina makes dumb decisions for dumb reasons, and a lot of her story is just not logical. All of these powerful people being at her beck and call, all of the attractive people being in love with her (despite an actual lack of any kind of decent romance at all), everyone playing into her hands and her being able to fool everyone who has been doing this way longer than her. I think the fact that she gets a cool nickname before she's even done anything cool kinda sets the tone for how high her pedestal is going to be for the entire novel. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Also, because so much time is wasted on how amazing Nina is and how everyone is so impressed by her, it just leaves so little time for the action. This is such a richly detailed world but it's neglected in favour of talking about Nina. The revolutionary tale is so powerful, and with the moral questions about family, and betrayal, and injustice there is quite a bit to ruminate on. There are so many ideas and powerful statements in this book that could have been built on; there are so many characters that could have grown throughout the novel, and had really strong moments that made us fall completely in love with them. But everything is wasted on trying to convince us that Nina is the best thing since sliced bread. (Ha! See what I did there with the bread ... and it's a story about famine ... not having enough bread ... ok, I'll show myself out.)
So I suppose, in conclusion: if this had been longer, more detailed, and less focused on Nina, I would have really enjoyed it. There is a lot to love about it but the ridiculousness of the god-like worship of Nina just sours the whole thing. She doesn't really grow or develop - she starts amazing and is amazing to everyone she meets throughout. And she meets a lot of people.
If you can get past Nina's arrogance and righteousness, you'll likely enjoy this a lot more than me. If you can suspend disbelief and just let the story and all its terrible cliches wash over you, it'll be good fun. There's enough here to entertain, and it does seem to set up for a sequel which honestly I'd be keen to read. There definitely is plenty here to love.
Just don't go into this one hoping for a lot of character development.
Spoiler Thoughts (view spoiler)[ - Firstly, I thought it a little bizarre how Nina goes from being ready to offer up Ettie on a platter to suddenly willing to destroy the entire world to rescue her. She seems to forget all about the sister she was originally trying to save, all in favour of Ettie, who is essentially useless aside from being cute. - Grantaire is so much more interesting that St. Juste, and after their first meeting with Nina I was hoping we'd get our sass from him, so imagine my disappointment when the serious one is the one who pulls the focus. Another wasted opportunity. There was so little humour in this story, yet that first glimpse of Grantaire suggested there was the potential for a lot more fun. - I found it interesting the way Nina always said how much she loved Tomasis and how devoted she was to him, despite the fact that he was barely in the story. It made me assume it was all a set up for a stinging betrayal, so I was completely unsurprised by that turn of events. Another character that got the short stick, poor fella. - What's up with the assassin lady being magically able to hypnotise an entire roomful of people with a pocket watch? LOL - Also wtf did Nina actually do with her days because for someone who is supposed to be a thief she spends a lot of time co-mingling with the other guild members and tricking everyone around her. - Honestly, I was kinda hoping for a dramatic surprise murder at the end - preferably Nina, but I would have taken the death of Ettie. Since she's the reason for all the drama. Very Helen of Troy. - What actually happened in the end to the sister who was the start of all this?? - And Femi??? (hide spoiler)]...more
Well this is definitely going to be too hard to write a normal, coherent review for.
WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the first book inWell this is definitely going to be too hard to write a normal, coherent review for.
WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series
Things I liked: ✓ The pace ✓ The action ✓ The location(s) ✓ The DRAMA ✓ So. Many. Secrets. ✓ Riley ✓ Memory travel ✓ All these fun abilities weeeeeee
Things I didn't like: ✘ Zombie Ward ✘ Kael being a jerk ✘ Arryn ✘ Lack of Enzo ✘ Alyssa being oblivious ✘ Like ... really oblivious ✘ So many good characters, so little page time ✘ But hey look who got a spine and also SO BOSSY in the second book *eyeroll*
So basically this was an insanely addictive read even if I could see things coming that Alyssa could not. Also the love triangle between her, Kael and Ward needed some work because Kael was clearly more entertaining but could she see that? No. Sigh.
There really were so many amazing characters that I just didn't get the chance to know. Plus the old friends?? I mean, poor ol' Slasher and Sneak were zombiefied last we saw but they barely rate a mention here? Also personally offended by the lack of Enzo. He made the first book so much fun and there just was not enough sass with him hiding out of sight for so much of this book.
Lyss was such a great character in the first book because she was so broken but now all of a sudden she's this badass, all-powerful warrior who is bossing everyone around and the 180 made me dizzy. Her and Cami entirely switched places and it didn't sit right with me. Cami was the hero of the last book and she didn't get nearly enough credit in this one because she was too busy being Lyss's lap dog. Plus ... ALYSSA. HELLO. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE HUMMUS GIRLFRIEND. Honestly could she be any more self-absorbed? She coulda been staring at a billboard that said 'OBVIOUS SIGN HERE' with an arrow and she wouldn't have noticed because she was too busy worrying about the crushing weight of responsibility that comes with her all-powerful genie Speaker abilities.
But GOD was it addictive. There was so much going on. I mean, it's a lengthy book but there is never a dull moment. There are so many secrets and reveals that my head was spinning by the end of it.
Smith was a hidden gem, as was Riley. OMG RILEY. MY HEART. TAKE IT.
Did I love reading this book? Hell yes. Did I enjoy the story as much as the first one? No, probably not. Am I happy with the way it ended? In general, yes, but in detail, no. Do I think this is another amazing cast of characters for me to fall in love with? Of course.
Everything about this book madI'd just like to begin with ...
ARE YOU FKING KIDDING ME??
and then follow that up with ...
THANK GOD THIS TORTURE IS OVER.
Everything about this book made me so mad and I don't even know how to properly express my rage. Buckle up, kids, it's going to be a bumpy rant.
Firstly, are we all aware by now that my favourite book of all time is The Three Musketeers? That's vital information. Here's an excerpt from my review of The Vicomte de Bragelonne to give you an idea of my obsession:
The Musketeers are officially my bros, and when I read about them I imagine them as friends, which means I feel their experiences that much more significantly. I laugh out loud, I grin, I gasp, I tear up, I bite my lip and I'm pretty sure if I had a moustache I would twist it. This series gives me a very serious case of feelings.
Naturally, this Musketeer obsession leads me to read anything I get my hands on that's even closely related, and this book here is even dedicated to Dumas and the '73 and '74 films inspired by The Three Musketeers (TTM).
So here's the set up: Set in a world that slightly mirrors historic France, angels are controlled by people and basically used as slaves. Lilliath is a psychopath who did something bad, went to sleep for 137 years or so and now she's awake to finish what she started. Somehow her goal is tied to the fates of four random individuals: Henri, Simeon, Agnez and Dorotea, and there is a high chance I'm spelling all of these names wrong because they're stupid variations of normal names and I'm too damn lazy to check the spelling.
Things I hated: -The names -The over-attempt to make this a feminist novel -Angels being no more than slaves -Extensive world-building that was mostly confusing -The story was kind of bland and also confusing -Random awkward sexual tension -Issues like racism barely addressed -THIS DID NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE THREE MUSKETEERS. All it did was steal a handful of characters, make them female, and then completely corrupt their essence.
Here's an example:
Rochefort. In TTM, he is d'Artagnan's nemesis. They get into it, and they're both skilled fighters, but Rochefort is totally ruthless and cunning and spends the novel doing the Cardinal's dirty work. He's a very clear villain. In this novel, the female Rochefort is the general of the female Cardinal and definitely does her dirty work, but she spends most of this novel being 'poor misunderstood me' and mooning over Dorotea. We are told she's a skilled fighter but this book is more interested in her trying to get into Dorotea's pants.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Characters/Names Firstly, the original names are ridiculous. They just didn't suit and I got them pretty mixed up because they weren't really memorable for a while. I mean who even is Henri? What did he do? Why was he here? Then you've got all the characters lifted from TTM. They're ALL female, now, too. The Cardinal, Rochefort, d'Artagnan. Milady. I think our four friends are somehow supposed to represent the original four musketeers but there are no similarities AT ALL, other than Agnez being a hothead. The angels all blend together and they are in and out of the story so fast they're not worth caring about anyway. Then the place names just made me cringe. Dumas's d'Artagnan was a Gascon; these 'musketeers' are 'Bascons' (so creative). It was such a bastard mix of 'inspired by' TTM and blatantly stolen. Everything that made me love the characters of TTM was completely absent here.
Feminism etc Look I am all for feminism but this novel was trying way too hard. And not just with feminism. There's a scene where they all get naked together because no one cares about nudity, and the book has more emphasis on same sex couples than hetero. We got told what colour skin everyone has (and it's normally a shade of brown) and all of the best warriors and most powerful characters are women. Representation is great and all, but this just feels cheap. It's like it's going out of it's way to tell you how accepting and open-minded it is, but there's way too much emphasis on it for it to seem normal. I love badass female characters, but there was just no logic to it. It took equality and ran the other way with it, so that the men in this story are soft characters being manipulated by women. Meanwhile there's the 'refusers' who are this book's version of slaves, and it doesn't discuss this issue nearly enough. Points for trying, buddy, but delivery of the themes in this novel would be a D minus.
The Angels Speaking of barely-addressed slavery, the angels in this book are RUBBISH. There are different tiers of power (thank god for the guide at the front because when they started talking about Thrones I was totally confused) but even the all-powerful archangels are slaves to humans? There are also so many of them that it was pointless keeping track of them all. They might as well have been little fairies or sprites or something. Because they are WEAK. This was such an incredibly disappointing aspect of the story.
World Building vs Story The problem is, he spent so much time building the world that there just wasn't enough time for a decent story. It was thin and pathetic and really confusing, and there was no real drive to the action. The connection between the four is tenuous and there doesn't seem to be a lot of point to anything. The world-building is extensive, but there is so much of it that it just gets tedious. Throw in that ending and this is basically a pointless, disappointing book.
Conclusion Look, this is a book that tries so hard to be so many things that it ends up being a mess. It shares some similarities with The Three Musketeers, but it wants to be its own story, too, so it just ends up being a confusing mix of familiar things and completely unrelated magic. There's no real emotion to it anywhere, and the characters don't have any real redeeming qualities. While TTM was based heavily on friendship, loyalty and daring, these 'friends' are a newly formed group, they bicker, they're greedy and ill-mannered and generally don't have strong redeeming qualities to help up overlook this. The musketeers are more of a gratuitous mention than any kind of symbol, and Lilliath is more a sulky, emotional, psychopath teenager than the cunning, skilled assassin the original Milady was. There is so much effort put into making this a story that accepts everyone and everything that there's no real tension to it. There's no struggle. Zero emotional ties to anyone or anything.
I honestly don't know how people unfamiliar with The Three Musketeers are gonna view this one. Maybe you'll have a more enjoyable time because you won't have to witness some of your favourite characters being murdered by creative license. But this was agony for me.
Originally I gave it a generous two stars on finishing, because the beastlings (another creative name) were interesting, but I gotta take that back. My heart is hurting too much. This was an absolute abomination and a shame to the musketeer name. Just read the fking original, honestly....more
Just gonna pat myself on the back for finishing this one because it was a FKN DRAINER.
Please note: I see a lot of merit in this book. I can see peJust gonna pat myself on the back for finishing this one because it was a FKN DRAINER.
Please note: I see a lot of merit in this book. I can see people absolutely falling in love with it and raving non-stop. So please consider how different everyone's tastes are while you read the forthcoming rant on how much this book bored me to tears.
So. Here we go.
The blurb: City girl Elise marries country boy Bill and they end up moving back to (The) Mallee to help with Pa on the family farm. Elise struggles in this unfamiliar world and it leads to her neglecting her daughters, Ruby and Marjorie. Then, tragedy. Marjorie runs away, but then 'the boy she loves draws her back to the land she can't forget ...'
Now let me burst your bubble right here and now and let you know that 'tragedy' doesn't strike until bloody 240 pages into this novel, meaning I had to wade through 65% of the book's monotony and repetition before that even happened. NOTHING UPSETS ME MORE THAN WHEN THE BLURB IS ACTUALLY THE ENTIRE STORY OUTLINE. This is not about Marjorie having a rough childhood, then escaping it, then being inexplicably drawn back. This is about crazy old Elise and how her batsh*t insane antics create a problematic childhood for Marjorie and her sister.
Literally over 250 pages of how crazy Elise is, and how Marjorie rebels, and how the fkn Mallee is a thing that is unforgiving and blah, blah, blah. EVERYTHING in this book is humanised and it got real old real fast (See my reading update that includes the quote about the table). These are the judgiest mother fkn objects I've ever encountered in my LIFE. Curtains, doors, stove tops, tables, kettles ... EVERYTHING has a bloody opinion. THANKS BUT NO THANKS. I didn't come here to listen to the opinions of a freaking tea cosy.
Elise is completely off her rocker, and that's the heart of this story. This will be why so many will love it, but also why I found it so frustratingly dull. Because her descent into madness is detailed minutely, and it is so very gradual. This is a really important consideration of mental illness, and how debilitating it can be, and how it can impact the lives of others, which is great and all but I just didn't have time for it. I'm a pretty clever girl, so I don't need the message pounded into me for 250-odd pages. I GET IT. And the writing style, while clever and unique, did absolutely nothing for me, so I found it rubbing me raw where others will likely marvel and appreciate slowly. I AM NOT GOOD AT SLOW.
The character exploration is of course brilliant. The depths this book delves into these lives is thorough and believable and this is a pretty accurate gathering of country bumpkins. Pa is such a stereotype, I LOVE IT. The cursing in this book is so entertaining - everyone familiar with Alf from Home and Away? There's not a single regular swear word in here, but it's a big feature of the story. Let's put it this way: if Elise from this book were to read this review of mine, I'd be in a big bloody pile of steaming cow manure. This is a very real portrayal of people living in a town that has its own mood swings, and of how not fitting in in such a small society can waste away one's spirit. I may have been bored to tears by the way it was told, but it is a pretty brutal, real story.
So here's my summary: -The writing style did nothing for me but it's clever and unique so likely to please those who enjoy slowly digesting words -The characters are brilliantly explored, so this is a perfect read for those who would like to experience true blue, fair dinkum Aussie characters in a typical Aussie country town setting -The story is an important one about the progression of mental illness and how it manifests physically, but is far too long and tedious for those who like a fair pace with their stories -The blurb is entirely misleading, and will make you believe more will happen in the book than what actually does
Not my cup of coffee in the slightest, but definitely one for lovers of Australian fiction who enjoy the slow appreciation of words and ideas. This book is one that will definitely transport you to The Mallee - I was just keen to get back home.
With thanks to Macmillan for a copy to read and review....more
I was legit expecting their respective secrets to be OUT by the end of book 1 and hI AM SO FRUSTRATED RIGHT NOW.
Nova. Adrian.
GET IT TOGETHER MY DUDES.
I was legit expecting their respective secrets to be OUT by the end of book 1 and here I am, still having to deal with all this angst over secrets and feelings. Thank god for Ruby and Oscar. Also, okay, that couch scene and I WILL SAY NO MORE BECAUSE I AM NOT A SPOILER OKAY SORRY.
So. Wait. I think there's a plot, too. Lemme back it up.
The plot is a bit darker than the last one, and there are definitely a lot more ethical questions raised. I really appreciated all the angles that had to be considered with the introduction of Agent N and how Nova and Adrian are both kinda on the same page but in different corners. This whole series raises a lot of questions about society etc which I really enjoy exploring.
So not keen on how frustrating Nova is, though. She's constantly changing her mind but she never stops and actually thinks things through. Her attitude is very black and white and I'm just not seeing the growth from her that I'd like. Adrian is a little more woke, but he's too hormonal to actually care as much as he probably should.
Looks like I'm doing the whole, 'scattered thoughts' thing again for this review. Sorry guys.
I am a big fan of superheroes so I really enjoy whenever a new character with superpowers is introduced, especially since they're all kinda random. I still want more explosions and epic action scenes, though. I do feel like the superpowers aren't utilised nearly enough - the only one who actually seems to use his powers well is Adrian. (Side note: can we get more Turbo, please? Maybe even a spin-off?)
There are a lot of secrets and mysteries so I have lots of theories but two books in and it doesn't really feel like we're any closer to solving any of them. Book 3 is gonna have to be like 800+ pages just to account for all the BIG REVEALs. Magpie is super suss, and I'm pretty convinced she's actually Nova's sister who is secretly NOT DEAD but this is a random theory that has 0% solid foundation *shrugs*. I'm just over here making up my own secrets and theories to entertain me while Nova and Adrian continue to be the most obtuse superheroes on the planet. Honestly, how have neither of them stopped to put a few pieces together yet?
Once again it was a little bit slower to get into but it did become easier and more entertaining. It just kinda felt like there wasn't a real lot happening. I think it's actually more like, there's so many different parts that none are really, properly explored. It probably doesn't help that there's a thousand different characters.
Overall I probably liked the first one better, but this was still fun and gives me hope for some serious drama in the next (and hopefully final) book. Now we just have to wait for it.
It's so freaking kinky. Is 'erotic crime' a genre? Coz that's what this is.
Here's the essential fI'm gonna make this brief.
This series is not for me.
It's so freaking kinky. Is 'erotic crime' a genre? Coz that's what this is.
Here's the essential formula:
Kinky stuff -> Drinking and Smoking -> Shower -> kinky stuff in order to get clues -> Drinking and Smoking -> Shower -> Kinky stuff -> REPEAT.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND SWEET JEEZUZ I AM OVER IT.
I actually really like the Melbourne setting but even that was a bit overdone - I'm pretty sure people who don't know Melbourne aren't gonna give a crap about all the location name drops. Also, I don't recall Melbourne ever being as seedy as it is in this book. My poor, honest city.
If you like the kinky stuff, ENJOY.
If you like crime, GOOD LUCK.
I have two more books to go in this damn series (won them, so I feel obliged to read them) but for now I'm gonna find some good clean fun to read about. Right after I take a shower....more
Okay, I apologise for my earlier hostile words written upon finishing this book.
But let me (re)start my review with a strong warning: this is NOT 'booOkay, I apologise for my earlier hostile words written upon finishing this book.
But let me (re)start my review with a strong warning: this is NOT 'book 1'. This is the first part of a story that it apparently is going to take 4 books to tell. This is not a 'cliffhanger' ending - this is a, 'whoops, forgot to finish the book' ending. And it SUCKED.
This was a mediocre 3-star read for me the entire way through but it lost a whole star just for that ending.
That's why I was upset okay. It was really boring. I deserved better.
Anyhoo.
If you're into literary fiction and/or reading about what it was like to be a poor Italian female in the 1950s, you'll love this one.
There's basically no plot.
It just waxes poetical about life as a female teen and the fickle relationship between Elena and Lila. There are a ton of other people who feature but good luck keeping track of them all ... I had no idea who was related to who and which ones were the kids and which ones the adults and who did what etc and it doesn't help that Italian nicknames and honorifics are kind of confusing to those not familiar with Italian culture. (Why yes I AM an uncultured swine, thank you for noticing.)
So. We have two girls who are poor, living in a poor neighbourhood surrounded by other kids around their age who come and go in their lives. They grow up. They do stuff. They talk a lot. They make some bad decisions. There is awkward tension in almost everything. Elena is pathetic a lot.
It was just ... dull.
I like plot okay and this just didn't have it. This is one for the big thinkers, the ones who like their meanings all diced up into fancy obscure sentences and metaphors. It's a slow burn, and like I said - it's completely unfinished.
I was so mad at the ending of this book for trying con me into reading the others, that I went ahead and read all the spoilers for the rest of the series that I could find. I'm definitely skipping it. What a waste of good reading time.
***
Immediate thoughts after reading:
Oh for F**KS SAKE. Wtf was that ending??! I feel so jipped right now.
What a fkn JOKE.
I'm so mad I made it through this 300+ pages of DULL and got THAT ENDING as a reward.
So, so mad right now.
This was book 11 of my #Dymocks52Challenge refined. You can read more here....more
(WARNING: The following review contains swearing.)
I CAN'T DO IT.
There is enough hate in the world without sitting through another 15DNF @ pg 173 (55%)
(WARNING: The following review contains swearing.)
I CAN'T DO IT.
There is enough hate in the world without sitting through another 150 pages of this bitter, sarcastic tirade.
She raises some solid, important points, but it's so thickly buried in sarcasm and vulgarity and anger that I just can't deal with it.
Which is REALLY DISAPPOINTING because what she's trying to say IS FKING IMPORTANT but she's so busy ranting about how the amount of trouble men have caused for her has opened her eyes to how much trouble ALL WOMEN suffer because of ALL MEN that there's just no space for contemplation and reasoning out your own conclusions.
Like I get that the title is suggestive of her coming out swinging but JEEZUZ.
Feminism is a valid movement, but as long as it continues to be fronted by bitter, angry people it will always be difficult for people to take it seriously. We need rational, calm people stepping up and making their points bravely, honestly, and with integrity.
I'm not anti-feminist; I'm not siding with males because I want them to like me, and I'm not selfishly oblivious to the plights of women around the world. I know that women are often subjected to the vile behaviours of entitled men and I have experienced degradation at the hands of men so I FKING GET IT.
But hate and violence is not going to win this war.
I'm so saddened by how visceral my reaction to this book has been. I believe the message 100%, but the delivery is going to alienate a lot of well-meaning people.
I'm done.
My heart hurts.
This was book 19 of my #Dymocks52Challenge refined. You can read more here....more
Somehow I managed to get through this book that people love so much without actuaReally?
REALLY??
This is a book people enjoy????
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
Somehow I managed to get through this book that people love so much without actually feeling a thing? Finch was weird and pretty damn annoying, to be honest, and Violet was so ... dull. I mean I get that we're tackling the nice dark themes of suicide and mental illnesses and DEATH but it was trying so hard to be a John Green book quirky that it all just came across as really contrived.
Sorry, kids, but I didn't like Finch at all - I get that he's got some real sh*t going on and needs help but he just really irritated me? I liked the tragic philosophising about death etc but his actual behaviour was questionable. I mean obviously I understand the nature of his illness but it still never got me on his side.
Then Violet is so bland and typical and was really 2D for me. She's basically a cloud of depression.
Not exactly a fun read.
I GET it, I get how I'm supposed to feel, and maybe this is a better read for people who have more experience of teens going through these things but for me I just didn't connect to it enough to feel anything for the characters. The whole 'wandering' thing felt weak and pointless and I really didn't understand why so many mediocre happenings were included when the time would have been better spent fleshing out the characters and making me feel more for them. It just felt like so many other YA books trying to tell an important message but it really missed the mark with me.
(view spoiler)[I also have this theory that people LOVE tragic deaths. Like, it could be an absolute rubbish story with terrible writing, but kill off one of the main characters tragically (illness or unexpected suicides/car accidents are common) and suddenly everyone starts raving about this brilliant book that's so unique and powerful? I'm so OVER that trope. I knew this couple was doomed from the minute they made out. (hide spoiler)]
I can see why people love it, but the whole experience was just too depressing for me....more
And here we have another favourite that did not do it for me.
I don't know why books set in small Australian towns are so freaking dull. I mean, there'And here we have another favourite that did not do it for me.
I don't know why books set in small Australian towns are so freaking dull. I mean, there's a murder mystery! How do you turn that into boring?
In this case, tell the story from a 13-year old boy's POV, and make him a philosophical little snot. Don't forget to throw in a ton of Aussie slang, and have the dialogue spelt incorrectly to convey a typical Aussie yobbo accent, just for good measure.
What a yawn fest.
The plot: Town pariah, 14-year old Jasper Jones, comes to nerd Charlie's window one night with a secret. Charlie gets drawn in and suddenly finds himself questioning everything in FKN EXISTENCE.
Instead of learning more of the mystery surrounding The Body, we get to hear about the racism directed towards Charlie's best friend, Jeffrey, and his Vietnamese family, and how bitchy Charlie's mum is, and how useless his dad is, and how PERRRRTTY Eliza is (and smells. Yeah buddy, that's not weird at all ...) Also, poor Jasper. And cricket. Don't forget cricket.
It's another one of those novels where there is basically no action. Unless you like cricket. (I myself had no fkn clue what was happening in those scenes ... do I look like the kind of person who follows cricket? Honestly.) There is way too much talking and thinking and Charlie is selfish and petulant and, sure, a typical Aussie teenager really, but he was just really painful to read. Turns out I really don't care for being in the mind of a teenage boy. Go figure.
There are so many themes that it's kind of hard to get a grip on what the point is. I mean, obviously racism is a big thing, but this is more evident in the treatment of Jeffrey and his family, rather than Jasper's being half aboriginal. Tbh, there's like one line regarding the latter and it made very little impact on the story. It seemed to me Jasper was an outcast because of his behaviour, and his home life, more than his ancestry.
I guess to me it felt like this book just bit off too many themes. Then neatly wraps them all together at the end and you're just supposed to magically understand all the Big Ideas that have been thrown at you willy nilly in the past 400-odd pages. Meanwhile my mind is still trying to figure out why Jasper is never referred to by just his first name.
I get that this is a book beyond the story - that this is about ideas, and small people standing up to big people, and small minds in small towns, and injustice, etc etc. I GET IT. But it is BORING to read about if nothing is actually happening. Charlie just asks himself a bunch of questions for pages at a time and it doesn't progress anything. It's just monotonous and dull and it bored me so much.
Even the ending took its sweet ass time.
Did not work for me. I was wise to avoid it for so long.
I read this as book 5 of my #dymocks52challenge refined. You can read more here....more
This is one of those books I certainly didn't enjoy reading, but it left a mark.
It was never going to be a happy story, but it did get bad enough halfThis is one of those books I certainly didn't enjoy reading, but it left a mark.
It was never going to be a happy story, but it did get bad enough halfway through that I seriously considered throwing it on the DNF pile. It was saved by Harold, who gave me the strength to finish.
But thank god it's over.
So!
Where do I even start talking about this depressing mess?
Plot: Four friends living in New York experience the (rare) ups and (mostly) downs of life together. Jude, in particular, has had a pretty tough time so let's spend 720 pages hearing about his suffering with a side of friendship.
It starts off lighthearted and vague enough, so you think you're getting yourself into a story about the trials and tribulations of friendship but don't be fooled - this is all about Jude. He's got a bit of a limp when we meet him, but his friends don't mind so much, and have learned not to ask about it.
We readers, on the other hand, spend a lot of time asking about it.
Yet at the same time, we know we're not going to like the answers.
The book is clever - it leaks tiny clues and by the time you get into the truly terrible stuff it's too late to turn back. Thankfully, Jude has people like Harold and, yes, Willem, who stick up for him and make things bearable. They spread hope throughout this mammoth story, so that no matter how bad it gets, there's always the chance things will take a turn.
I did have a minor problem with just how crappy Jude's childhood was. I mean, the kid had some ridiculously bad luck to keep running into such terrible people, to the point that it just seemed a bit too much to me. It seemed unrealistic, and it cheapened the story a little to have those thoughts. I can see why haters of this book use phrases like 'torture-porn'.
At the same time, I appreciated that there was light to balance the darkness. Again, the success everyone had seemed a bit much - this was a story of extremes, with no chill factor in between. This book will make you feel the full spectrum of emotions and if you have adverse reactions to very strong feelings of revulsion or sadness you can expect to DNF this one.
I also had an issue with the timeline - we start with these characters in their early 20s and live with them through to their 50s, and yet I never felt the advance of age - they seemed to stay the same throughout. I was reading about supposedly middle-aged men and yet the only evidence of their age seemed to be their professions. Plus there was no context of time: I have no idea when this was set, and there was no reference to technological advancement or current affairs to help demonstrate the passing of time.
I also found it improbable that there were so many gay characters that never faced any negativity for that. No matter how open and understanding society is becoming, the realism of this story was lost to the fantasy that these characters were never once harassed for something that is, in reality, still a ridiculously controversial topic. I certainly wish this story was the norm, but it struck me a little too much as wishful thinking. Then again, can you imagine how long this book would have been if the characters had to face that sort of persecution as well? Yikes.
While I'm glad I proceeded and made it through to the end, I'm so glad to be done with it. This book was heartbreaking and ugly and yes, there was a beautiful story of friendship to tie it all together, but it worked too hard to use depravity to make its point and that didn't really work for me.
If you like the heavy, depressing stuff that focuses on characterisation, relationships, and making you feel very, very uncomfortable, I can happily recommend this book.
Be prepared to feel depressed for the entire time you're reading it. Good luck.
This was book 21 of my #dymocks52challenge refined. You can read more here....more
All the exciting stuff happens in like, the last 50 pages or so, and it was really good! Very addictive, and intriguiToo little, too late, I'm afraid!
All the exciting stuff happens in like, the last 50 pages or so, and it was really good! Very addictive, and intriguing! But the 400 pages before that were SO. BLAND.
I'm once again left confused at how this book is so loved. I suspect there was less exciting fantasy options back in '95 when this released, and so it has lingered as a favourite in minds. But this is a mediocre offering - single PoV, few interesting characters, not much variation in setting, weak relationships and absolutely zero sass. So sad. Plus, the kid is basically a glorified errand boy for most of the book so there's really not much intrigue.
I liked Verity a lot, but he doesn't get much screen time until that last 50 pages or so that I mentioned. The Red Ship Raiders and the Forged are faceless entities that never really create tension even though they're supposed to be villains, and even the villains are pretty tame. There's not even a romantic element. Don't talk to me about Molly. What a joke.
I'm kind of mad at this book for being so dull because if the whole thing had been as good as that last 50 pages I would have struggled to put it down. As it stands I'm hesitant to pick up the sequel because I can't deal with another 400 pages of monotony.
Plus he can talk to animals and all you give us is dogs???! Talk about wasted opportunity!
This was book 14 of my #dymocks52challenge refined. You can read more here....more
Well, it took me four months but I did finally finish this book!
WARNING: This review may contain minor broad spoilers. (Details will be spoiler-taggedWell, it took me four months but I did finally finish this book!
WARNING: This review may contain minor broad spoilers. (Details will be spoiler-tagged)
It's not that it was bad, or boring, or anything like that ... it's more that it was hard for me to relate to. I generally hate reading about poverty on all occasions (which is why I stay away from war stories) so the early days of his life were just a real struggle to get through. I hate the thought of people having to live in such conditions.
The thing about memoirs is that they tend to be motivational stories about someone fighting to overcome immense obstacles and come out on top. And while you can't deny the author lived a really tough life in parts, he also had a lot of luck and mere chance on his side as well, which takes away a little of the triumph of his story.
The first half of the book is a real drag, but it does emphasise how important his family is to him. There were a lot of anecdotes, and their living situation is really drilled in - it totally sucked. I understand its necessary inclusion but it doesn't make for fun reading, and it's half the reason it took me so long to get through this book.
Then he's just randomly selected to go and study dance, and he gets all these injuries all the time and it made me cringe so often. Throughout the entire story he gets so many injuries and EVERY. DAMN. TIME. he just dances on. He talks about how excruciating the pain was, but it was easier for him than giving up. I just felt so sickened by that. The level of strength that takes is ridiculous and admirable, but at the same time it seems so foolish to carry on the way he did. If this was a fictional novel, it would just seem so unrealistic! I was so bothered by how much he placed honour and work ethic above his own health.
The story is very much about communist China and the effect it had on his life. I'm not big on politics so a lot of it was confusing and hard to comprehend for me because I've been fortunate enough to have been born with white skin and live in a Western country where I have the freedom to essentially do as I please. In this story, it's when (view spoiler)[Mao dies and Cunxin goes to America (hide spoiler)] that finally I began to comprehend the gaping chasm between his way of life and mine. That's when the story really got interesting for me.
I think you really need the comparisons to understand the true trials of his life. While reading, there was a lot of stuff that I disagreed with and felt uncomfortable about, but on reflection and actually pausing to consider the nature of his upbringing, I began to understand his choices a little more.
(view spoiler)[His marriage to Elizabeth, for example, I saw as incredibly selfish. He knows it will potentially destroy his mentor's future, he knows it may mean never being able to see his family again, or even them being hurt because of his actions, but he goes ahead and does it anyway. He marries her because he loves her, and because he wants to stay in America. I was so bothered by how selfish that was. But when you begin to factor in that he felt his own success meant his family's success, it does colour the situation a little better. There's so much about his situation at that time that I couldn't possibly comprehend. But towards the end of the story, when he re-visits his family for the first time, you begin to understand it all a little better. (hide spoiler)]
I think part of why this book took me so long to get through is that his personality is just so different from mine, and so it was really hard to relate to and therefore appreciate his decisions. There really is also such an element of luck to his story - he just happens to meet the right people, who have powerful friends who can pull the strings that need to be pulled. His story is so incredibly rare, and I don't think anyone can read this book and feel that the same could happen to them. It's definitely full of inspiring moments, but so much of his being able to live his dream depended on chance.
I like memoirs that show me people who overcame the odds with their own strength, resilience and determination. He certainly has all of those qualities, but his success as a dancer by itself wasn't enough. To me, the moral of the story is that it doesn't matter how much hard work or talent you have if you don't know the right people. As far as morals go, that's not exactly inspiring.
So , in summary, I can't say I enjoyed reading this book but I am glad that I did. There is a lot of stuff in it that is hard to relate to, and it's not exactly an inspiring story that motivates you to go out there and chase your own dreams, but at the same time it was really fascinating to read about a life so far removed from my own, and try to understand the cultural differences, and a little about how one's upbringing can make such a drastic impact.
Li Cunxin is an inspiring man, and I'm glad he chose to share his story....more
I honestly don't know how something that includes so many exciting things could be so monotonously DULL.
What the story promises: Murder, lies, betrayaI honestly don't know how something that includes so many exciting things could be so monotonously DULL.
What the story promises: Murder, lies, betrayal, torture, secret codes and mystery, all set during one of the most exciting periods of history.
What we get: Dude is assigned code to break. Detailed explanation of code-breaking. Only this is a tough one so he goes for a walk. Then goes back to trying to break the code. Then goes for a walk. Then tries code-breaking again. Another walk. Gosh this secret is really something isn't it!
I'll be honest - I was mostly skimming from about 50 pages in and I did not miss anything.
So disappointed by this because it should have been so much more exciting than it was. But there's just no emotion to it. Thomas is this 'quiet bookseller' who hates war, but other than that it's really hard to get a clear picture of him. He says he was good-looking in his youth but then agrees that he's ugly, he's a peacekeeper who won't fkn SHUT UP aboutdislikes how despicable war is but he easily wallops the soldiers when it's needed. He's a master code breaker, one of the best in the country, so brilliant and amazing, but then he struggles with every single code he's charged with cracking? I mean I feel like maybe someone exaggerated a little on his resume.
Plus you've got the fact that this story suffers from a classic case of 'told' not 'shown'. Zero emotional connection because there's no feeling behind any of it. I don't know any of these characters and therefore don't really care about them. The lack of feeling was a really noticeable absence because the info we're given all seems a bit confusing and contradictory. We know Thomas hates whores because they're ugly (stand up guy, this one) and generally acts like a fussy old man, but then Jane is the most lovely creature he's ever met (and he's actually in with a chance?) but, 'oh, she's talking to that soldier I don't like so I never want to see her again.' Total petulant child. And I STILL have no solid idea of this guy. One minute he seems like a judgy grandpa and the next he's apparently Don Juan.
So Thomas is a terrible main character. And I'm not exaggerating about the code-breaking, walk, code-breaking repetition. There are also way too many lessons on code-breaking that end up being dull and hard to follow instead of intriguing. Also, lots of talk about the war and how wrong it is and how Thomas hates war and violence. Yet I learned nothing about this war, or why it was really happening, or how anyone felt about it other than Thomas couldn't decide which side he was rooting for because, EW, WAR.
It was such a terrible, poorly written story. It really does include murder, and deciphering secrets, and betrayal, and all of these things usually keep me hooked but I honestly just did not care because they just cropped up in a sentence or two at the end of one of Thomas's walks so, again, there was no emotional attachment to what was happening.
Look, the whole thing is a mess. A little like this review, if I'm honest.
Here's the summary of everything that didn't work for me: -Poor characterisation -Monotonous plot -Code-breaking was dull -Murders seemed pointless and badly explained -No emotional attachment -Historical setting wasted -No mystery -Bad guys evident/unveiled early on -So repetitive -Boring superfluous details -Rubbish final explanations
Things that were actually okay: -Simon
Then to top it all off, when the why comes out at the end it's SO. FREAKING. POINTLESS. Why does this story even exist. I want a refund for all the brain cells wasted on this.
It honestly should have been a roaring, addictive, action adventure but instead had me about as interested as I am in watching paint dry. I'm offended by it taking one of my favourite periods of history to read about and making it mind-numbingly boring.
Apparently there are more books in the series but guess who absolutely does not care at all. There are definitely better books covering this period so I'll be reading those instead....more
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