First- shoutout to Grace Aldrich for designing this stunning cover. It is so atmospheric and gorgeous, and I hope you get a million job offers based oFirst- shoutout to Grace Aldrich for designing this stunning cover. It is so atmospheric and gorgeous, and I hope you get a million job offers based off of the work you did here. The story focuses on Temperance (Tempe) Byrne, the lamplighter for Warbler, a New England town known for its whaling enterprises and the impressive figurehead carvings for said whaling ships. After the death of her father, Tempe takes over lamp lighting duties, bucking 19th-century conventions. Under her watch, young girls start going missing from town and the story takes off from there.
This one sadly didn’t work for me the way I was hoping. The premise was so intriguing, and the setting quite unique but neither lived up to my expectations. My biggest problem with this book was the pacing. After the first two chapters it felt like a slog where I was just waiting for the final showdown with the villain. The villain was obvious so suspense was lacking, and ultimately I wanted more from such a rich atmospheric setting.
On to characters- Tempe frustrated me, but not in a satisfying way. Every decision she made was the wrong one. And while that’s understandable, it became tedious to read. Knowing that she is going to withhold vital information for the sake of keeping others safe or her fear of not being heard for then her mistakes to ultimately be found out regardless was consistent throughout the story.
I also found the feminist narrative in this one to be surprisingly heavy-handed. An 1800’s New England whaling town is a perfect backdrop to have Tempe discussing her frustrations with societal convention, but her internal narrative about men not believing her, not giving her a chance etc was so tiresome. Particularly when she never even attempted to get one of the men in town on her side first. Maybe I’m just old and growing weary of misogyny narratives.
I also think I needed to see deeper connections between Tempe and the other characters, rather than just being told they existed. Her romantic relationship with Josiah felt somehow cold to me, although we were reminded often that they had loved each other since childhood. Even after certain events (I won’t spoil here), I didn’t feel like Tempe exhibited the longstanding emotions you would expect from a woman deeply in love with her best friend. I had similar feelings about her sisterly bond with Prudence.
I am in the minority with this one. After reading the author’s note (she’s written six books and this one was finally picked up for publishing) I’m especially glad this book is finding the right audience. Ultimately the writing was beautiful, but for me, the middle was really slow, and all the punchiness coming in right at the end wasn’t enough to save it for me.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
There was nothing wrong with this book, I just kept finding I didn't want to pick it up and it wasn't DNF @ 16%. I stopped reading this at chapter 7.
There was nothing wrong with this book, I just kept finding I didn't want to pick it up and it wasn't sucking me in. Seems like an interesting moment in history, but the insta-love turned me off a bit and I just couldn't turn my excitement back on.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Wowowow. After my absolute love of In A Garden I cannot believe I’m saying this, but this may be one of my least favorite books of all time.
I do wondWowowow. After my absolute love of In A Garden I cannot believe I’m saying this, but this may be one of my least favorite books of all time.
I do wonder if the level of my disappointment has a direct correlation with my love of the first one and my year-long anticipation for this conclusion. I even reread In a Garden immediately before diving into this so I could reacquaint myself with the world and all the political maneuvering taking place.
So how was this book a disappointment? Oh, let me count the ways… To start, it felt like everything I loved in the first book was nonexistent in this one. The magic system was not really further explained. Past world events weren’t clear, and character motivations made absolutely no sense. Certain characters who I thought would come into larger focus in book two completely fell off the page and had no role whatsoever (here’s looking at you Stavra. And Zita. And Tarro. And basically anyone who wasn’t an Argyros child….). And finally, and perhaps most notably, there was no political intricacy in this book whatsoever. Not between the children, not between the Stratagiozi, not even explained in terms of the past! Anything going on within the broader fantasy world happened completely off-page and so far out of sight that it literally had no impact on the plot or our characters.
After In A Garden I was excited to see more of the siblings and how the roles they had slotted themselves into would impact them moving forward- ultimately to whatever conclusion lay ahead. And while I was excited to learn that all four Argyros children would have a POV in this book, my excitement turned to sheer apathy at about the 20% mark. While each sibling was set on their own path, they were all doing the same thing. Like, the exact same thing. So each chapter read felt like nothing was gained for the reader. And this made the book feel like it didn’t MOVE. It takes a lot to put me into a reading slump, but this one managed within the first 40ish pages and never let up, even to the very last page.
As I mentioned, nothing was really happening for the characters. Sure, some of them were moving from place to place, but they weren’t doing anything and as the reader, I felt no urgency in their movements or the potential implications of them moving around the map. With regards to the characters themselves, they almost didn’t even feel like the same set of siblings from book one. So here are my little angry thoughts on each:
Nitsos’ chapters were absolutely pointless. What was to be gained from them? What was expressed to the reader in his chapters that we weren’t already getting from the other siblings? His fate was so stupid, and his abilities weren’t used in the slightest. I wanted backstory on how he came to his semi-power position, but we never even saw him have a single meaningful interaction, not with a sibling, or anyone else either.
It felt like Lexos had no agency whatsoever. What was his plan? To just keep clinging to coattails in the hopes of an opportunity presenting itself? That says some interesting things about power and how it is attained and kept close, but after the first book where every move he made was calculated, and self-lead In an Orchard felt like a completely different Lexos altogether, most importantly one I couldn’t root for at all because he wasn’t doing anything…at all. He felt stupid in this book, like he couldn’t put the pieces together, while in book one he was thinking three steps ahead.
Rhea made no sense either. I hated Michali and Rhea’s interactions. Every single one. Michali quite literally was not a character in this book, which I understand from a theming perspective, but honestly, I just couldn’t deal with it. If she hated him so much, I don’t know- kill him again? SPEAK to the poor guy? And while her gifts (new and old) should have been interesting in this book, she didn’t do anything with hers either. She just wandered around, slowly crumbling, uselessly trying to lash out at her siblings. Like, okay if that’s what you want I guess?
Chrystanthi felt the most whole in this book. She definitely shines the brightest, but still, in retrospect, she had the most chapters, but someone please explain to me what did she actually DO the whole book? Up until the last 2 or 3 of her chapters, she’s also just wandering around.
Plotwise I’m fine with a grim ending, but if you’re going to give me a sad conclusion it still needs to feel satisfying. But thinking back on the nearly 500 pages of this book- what was accomplished? Why did it matter? Again, I get that’s probably a commentary on the nature of power itself but that doesn’t make it any better.
I’m curious to see how this book is received by readers who loved the first installment. For me, there was just nothing to latch onto or get excited about. The siblings barely interacted during the entire book. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. There were maybe 5 chapters where two of the siblings were even together on page?? And when they weren’t together I didn’t really feel any connection between them.
I can usually structure my thoughts with what worked or didn’t work for me in a book, but with this one, absolutely nothing about it worked for me. I have so much more to say, but I’m not sure it’s even worth saying to be honest. This book deserves no love from me, and as soon as my visceral rage starts to fade I hope promptly to put this book out of my mind and never think about it ever again.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This book is not getting the credit it deserves and it's baffling me a bit... I think this book is suffering the effects of falling into the wrong readThis book is not getting the credit it deserves and it's baffling me a bit... I think this book is suffering the effects of falling into the wrong reader's hands. This is my first read from Rory Powers, but the writing was strong, and the plot was a nice twist on fantasy tropes and characters we've seen before.
The story follows alternating POVs from twins Rhea and Lexos, the near-immortal children of the Stratagiozi of Thyzakos. They each have unique gifts that are used (and abused) on behalf of their father to serve their territory and his own personal political goals.
This Greece-inspired fantasy felt fresh and original, had an interesting world, and characters subtly being pitted against each other in ways that felt natural and unforced for plot-development purposes. This book does a lot of the heavy lifting with regards to world-building and character motivations that at times affected the pacing for me a bit, but I was willing to overcome because I cared about the characters and where the climax of the story was ultimately leading. I don't want to discuss the plot too much, because I think this book is better appreciated without knowing too much going into it.
Characterwise, I LOVED Michali and his blunt, no-BS way of communicating with Rhea. Powers had these characters communicating with each other the way I wish more authors were willing to. There were no lies between them, and no dreaded miscommunication trope. Now, I'm a sucker for pain, so I wish their connection had been a *teeny* bit more angst-filled and drawn out. I felt that with their character motivations, the tension could have been ramped up a notch, and Powers could have played up the dynamic that their differing goals and life perspectives were a hindrance to their eventual partnership. It seemed it all happened a bit more quickly than I personally would have liked. (It wasn't insta-lovey, I just love a slow burn).
Lexos's chapters felt like they were used much more for the political word-building perspective. I found that if I needed to set the book down for a bit, I always waited until I landed on a Lexos chapter, because I didn't find him quite as compelling as Rhea. I noticed we got more of an internal monologue feel with her, whereas Lexos was matter of fact. It was great for their distinct character voices but left me a little colder towards him than his sister. I still liked him overall though, and his chapters are going to get a lot more intriguing for book two!
Now for the relationship between the twins: It suited me fine until the last few chapters. The novel builds the tension between the siblings, and by the end of the book, you know it will erupt in some fashion. However, after the big moment between the two, it seems sort of brushed off in favor of other plot points that were culminating at the same time. I suspect, the next book will dwell a bit more heavily on the tension between them, and I really hope it does. The push and pull between these characters is what will keep tensions high, and make the ultimate conclusion satisfying for readers.
Some final thoughts: Occasionally, the magic system didn't make sense to me, and particularly with some revelations in the last few chapters, I needed a better understanding of how an individual's powers could impact the story moving forward. I think this could be (and likely will be) easily solved at the beginning of book two. And, the 'major twist' isn't too hard to work out if you've read your share of fantasy novels. But, I was caught off guard by where the actual plot left off. There were a few unexpected turns that had me ready to go pick up the sequel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. The characters were unique and I want each of them to succeed. And, that's brilliant because they are on different sides of a war, and someone is going to have to lose. I'm more intrigued by the political side than I expected to be and can't wait to see how the scramble for power escalates now that everyone is finding themselves on shaky ground.
I hope this book starts finding the right readers. As for me, there is no doubt in my mind I'll be finishing the series!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I went into this book so excited by the premise. "A locked-room murder mystery set at a hotel for time travelers—in which a detective must solve an imI went into this book so excited by the premise. "A locked-room murder mystery set at a hotel for time travelers—in which a detective must solve an impossible crime even as her own sanity crumbles." I mean, are you kidding me?! That sounds amazing.
The story centers around January Cole who runs security at the Paradox Hotel, an establishment for the extremely wealthy to be able to time-travel to the past. The plot takes off when January discovers a body in one of the hotel rooms that only she can see.
Within the first 5% I had a strong feeling this book wouldn't be to my liking, but I trudged on because if I am reviewing a novel I feel compelled to read it in its entirety before passing judgement. The opening hits all the major modern points: trans, non-binary, and queer rep, a sarcastic dislike of nearly every white person brought onto the page, and a deep hatred and stereotypical portrayal of the rich. I’m over it. I just can’t stand it anymore. There is absolutely no nuance whatsoever, when there could have been room for some very interesting conversations about wealth and access to technology. But the above criticisms aren’t my reasons for not enjoying the book overall.
So, here are some things, in particular, I really didn’t like:
Characters: About halfway through I started feeling like there were too many characters. Many of them did not have memorable descriptions and I quickly forgot their job titles or reasons for being at the hotel. Oh, and of course, our main character is a complete ball-buster whose defining personality trait is to be a straight-up dick to everyone she meets (even people she supposedly likes). Is this the only way to write a strong female character? Tough exterior but deep down all her bitchiness stems from past trauma, fear of rejection, and utter loneliness? It was very hard to root for her sometimes, which is not a good thing when you’re reading in first person.
Plot: For a book that was described as a locked-room murder mystery, I felt like very little time was spent actually investigating the murder. As the reader, I was expecting to be rooting through suspects among hotel patrons and staff and searching for a motive for the killing. But, none of that really comes together? Maybe this is an issue with the given synopsis, and not the book itself.
The ending just did not feel cohesive enough for me. For a relatively short book with quite a few plot points and characters, the explanation at the end felt glossed over and was practically explained in one paragraph (no, I’m not kidding). At the end of each chapter some new disaster would arise in the hotel and in the subsequent pages it just felt like that newest problem was absorbed into the overall muddy feeling this plot had. I never had an aha! moment where everything clicked in my brain and I could look back and connect the dots myself.
To end on a positive note though, the reason this book is getting two stars instead of one is that I genuinely enjoyed the author’s writing style. I enjoyed his fast-paced and quippy prose. I also think he has a knack for writing action scenes. I could picture fight scenes in my head perfectly, which doesn’t happen for me often in books. And because of that, I think this novel could lend itself really easily to the big screen.
Sad this one didn’t work out for me, because I really wanted to love it. But ultimately, a hard pass.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This book follows the four Riva siblings in 1983 as they prepare for and host their annual party in Malibu where every big Hollywood name gets togetheThis book follows the four Riva siblings in 1983 as they prepare for and host their annual party in Malibu where every big Hollywood name gets together for an infamous night of debauchery. By the end of the night, the house is up in flames. Who did it? Why?
This is my third TJR novel, and while they aren't necessarily great literary works, they are really fun . But, I am starting to get the impression that TJR now has a cult following, and regardless of the quality of each individual book, it will receive accolades because her name is on the cover. Nothing wrong with that (get your money, honey!) but I am becoming more wary with every Goodreads darling author I read from.
There was something about Evelyn Hugo (and Daisy Jones to some extent) that really pulled me in and kept the pages turning. I think the omniscient narration style gave this novel an impersonal feel, and I didn't feel that forward momentum. If anything, perhaps we should have been third-person limited to the four Riva siblings.
The fatigue really set in for me in part two. Weirdly, the wild party section went on too long for me. After spending 60% of the book following the Riva family, we are plopped into random party-goers heads. This really didn't work for me. I completely understand the purpose: build up the wild party antics, color in the background with actual characters, etc. But when you are page-turning to see who burns the house down, these little vignettes weighed down the story. I found myself trying to remember the generic names of all these random snapshot characters and it grew tiresome.
This might have been staunched a bit if it felt like there was a bigger build-up to the party or something (other than the clock ticking down in each section), because to me it just feels like we are dropped into this party, and why should we even care? From what I understood about the siblings this crazy party didn't even feel like it meshed well with their characterizations. If Nina just wants to live a private life why has she invited half of famous California to trash her house? Also, unlike Evelyn Hugo, I didn't feel the historical piece of this novel at all. I largely forgot this was taking place in the 80s other than a few references to hygiene products or actress names.
To be fair, Evelyn Hugo may have tainted my enjoyment of this book from the start, because I hated Mick in that book and I hated him here. I did not understand the grace and passivity his children addressed him with. This book could have gone so much deeper into what it means to be a good father, a loving parent, a faithful spouse, a reliable sibling, but in my opinion, it opted for 'readability' and shallow melodrama. I had fun reading this book, but that was it, and all I was left with was a casual shoulder shrug as I finished.
I think ultimately I didn't feel the sense of resolution I was really looking for in this one. It felt like the house fire aspect of the novel was given the spotlight in the blurb, heightening my anticipation in thinking that throughout the novel you would be trying to figure out who set it and why. But, *SPOILERS* The party is over before the fire is set, it happens by complete accident, and the chapter where it happens is so short and such a throwaway. Also after reading the prologue and being introduced to all the characters it was obvious who would be the cause of the fire.
Ultimately as the house burned I was left thinking, who cares??? There was no emotion tied up in the house, or what had happened there and it ultimately left the story feeling vapid and aimless. Much like the 1980s itself.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House!...more
This debut seeks to give us an inside look into Emmett Idaho (the author's hometown) and what happens when people choose to leave or stay in a small fThis debut seeks to give us an inside look into Emmett Idaho (the author's hometown) and what happens when people choose to leave or stay in a small farming community.
I was under the impression this would be a bit more of a memoir (a la J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy) about a young woman grappling with her roots and a sense of connection or disconnection from the town she left behind for "greener pastures."
The topic of leaving one's hometown and community roots is a particularly poignant one as our entire millennial generation is extremely mobile across America compared to previous generations. I started out pretty excited about this one when she went to her old high school and asked students if they planned to stay and farm. But, her points about transience and brain drain didn't appear to be the main anecdote of the book which left me disappointed because that's what I was expecting and hoping to read.
I noted in the first few chapters that her writing style is fluid and easy to follow, but as the book progressed I found the text highly repetitive and over-wordy. I could probably pinpoint several locations where the same idea was repeated over, and over, and over again.
I think Olmstead tries to cover too much ground and this leaves the book feeling rootless. (See what I did there?) The points she makes are valid but there is almost so much happening in this book that different truths feel like outright contradictions. For example, she states many Americans have transience thrust upon them. Then the next sentence or paragraph she would say that Americans are far less mobile than they used to be. While these things may be inherently true, there is so much going on in the text that it had me questioning what the overall point was supposed to be.
Olmstead seems to almost question why the young are leaving town but then spends the rest of the book explaining about how nearly impossible it is for farmers to make it in our modern Big Ag/corporation-dominant economy. So... if people want to thrive and feel as though they can't accomplish this in their hometown why would anyone stay? Additionally, it comes across as slightly condescending to make the point that sometimes staying and growing roots is more beneficial than moving and achieving higher success/more money/etc. because that is exactly what the author herself has done in moving to Virginia.
Overall, not a bad book, but I feel like my strongest take away was that younger generations are leaving small farming communities for better opportunities, inevitably leaving a hole that can't be filled for those left behind.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This book was a cute escapist read that I would recommend as a light fun read.
The story follows our protagonist Henley who is up for a promotion at SThis book was a cute escapist read that I would recommend as a light fun read.
The story follows our protagonist Henley who is up for a promotion at SeaQuest Adventure Cruises against her loathed coworker Graeme. Their boss sends them on one of the company's cruises and tasks them each with coming up with a digital marketing campaign. The better proposal will win the job.
I enjoyed Henley and Graeme together. Unlike some other rom-com novels I have read, I thought their dynamic was completely believable and their reactions to one another in light of being up for the same promotion were realistic. I also really appreciated the author's note after the novel on ways to preserve the ecosystem in the Galapagos Islands.
Normally I find I love the banter-y beginnings of hate-to-love romance books and the book loses steam for me once the couple gets together, but here I didn't find that to be the case. I would like to personally thank the author for staying far, far away from the dreaded miscommunication trope that often rears its ugly head once the couple gets together. Also, there was no fallout for Graeme and Henley once they decided to give their relationship a go. I find that a dramatic break up in romance novels after the couple has gotten together is just tedious and sours the relationship the characters have built (and that the reader is obviously rooting for) throughout the story.
My very minor complaints: A tiny bit of the dialogue felt forced or unrealistic. Also, not that its a problem but I'm starting to notice this trend of an LGBT side couple in, like, every romance novel and it has begun to feel like an archetype thrown in for easy diversity and inclusion points. Not every books needs that, particularly when it feels repetitive or overworked in the genre.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
To sum up this book in one quote: "The university has shifted from being one small, noble part of the city to serving as a model for the city itself."To sum up this book in one quote: "The university has shifted from being one small, noble part of the city to serving as a model for the city itself." Baldwin seeks to address the growing disparity between large, influential universities and colleges with the local communities that surround them.
I think the University as a corporation invading and governing community policy decisions is such a fascinating and under-addressed concept in the modern era. The drive for larger profit margins and higher student enrollment are clearly pushing universities out of a space of higher learning and into a much seedier place of backroom real estate deals and grandstanding medical facilities.
While there were parts of this book that had me emphatically nodding along and saying "YES!" , the amount I agreed coincided almost in a near 1:1 ratio of me disagreeing wholeheartedly with other points made or solutions offered. Now let me be clear: that is perfectly okay. I didn't read this book with the thought that I would completely agree and I enjoyed the new perspectives I hadn't considered that this book brought to my attention. However, I wanted so much MORE.
A few such instances include Baldwin hinting at the ways in which universities build their brands/research interests often on the backs of free or exploited student labor. I also thought his one brief sentence on how many universities force first-year students to live on campus or have student meal plans was integral to his belief that universities wish to remain exclusive and keep students safely contained (and therefore not interacting much with the larger city) but these ideas were so glossed over for a focus on race relations that it grew a bit repetitive.
In large part, I think my hesitations with this book stem from how it is formatted. I wish Baldwin had set the chapters up topically, rather than by school. The chapters felt a bit disjointed and like the points weren't being hammered home because it felt a bit all over the place to me. You want to talk about how campus police are affecting larger urban communities? Have a chapter on it and reference the schools that stand out with issues in this area.
I also really wanted statistics and what I was presented with was a lot of anecdotal evidence from residents and university workers about how these universities were interacting well or poorly with their surrounding communities. While all of that is fine, I think a better structure and more statistical evidence would have greatly added to the author's arguments in the book. Otherwise, I didn't walk away agreeing with his perspectives on many things.
Overall, an interesting read. I think the only thing this book did for me is make me more conscious there is a problem with universities acting as governing bodies without much oversight, but the author's arguments did not at all convince me that his solutions are the right ones.
I suspect people who love focusing on problems through a racial lens will thoroughly enjoy this book, but I personally felt it could have been so much more.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This epistolary novel focuses on Anne-Lise who finds a manuscript in a hotel drawer and returns it to the author, only to discover that the author losThis epistolary novel focuses on Anne-Lise who finds a manuscript in a hotel drawer and returns it to the author, only to discover that the author lost the manuscript thirty years ago and someone else wrote the ending of his book. The story then follows Anne-Lise on her quest to discover who wrote the ending as she uncovers everyone who has been in possession of the manuscript over the years.
First, I think it should be noted somewhere that this is an epistolary novel! I went into the story very excited by the premise and had no idea the whole thing would be told in back and forth letters. I think personally because of the narrative format I found myself quite bored. Based on the premise I think I was trying to force myself to like this more than I actually ended up liking it.
After awhile this book felt like characters just revealing their traumas to each other that have never met (and realistically would never just write these things in a letter to a stranger!!!). Also, some of the wording within the letters seemed very unbelievable as well. Like, you wouldn't wax poetic (again-in a letter to a stranger!) about nature or speak in metaphors the way these characters often did. This just gave the story an overall sense of unbelievablility that I ultimately couldn't overcome.
In terms of characterization, I found that every character had the same narrative voice in their letters and so I never felt attached to any of them. Now, this may be a direct result of the translation from French, but I can't be sure. The story becomes less about the manuscript and more about the lives of those that it touched (which was obviously inevitable you can't wax on about a manuscript changing hands for over 200 pages) But if you don't care about the characters then you don't care very much at all! Also, Anne-Lise was highly unlikable in my opinion. She's so pushy. For example, after receiving letters from the author to stop pursuing the mystery she's just like "I DON'T CARE!!" and keeps on going! Not cool and she was super hard to like or relate to at all. She also muddled up her best friend's budding relationship by saying the man she was interested in was interested in another woman?! No, just nope.
Side note: If there isn't a smattering of snarky dislike for Americans is it really even a French novel?!
The letters made the story a bit jerky in my opinion and it starts getting hard to track how the manuscript moved through peoples lives and you end up going back and getting letters not in any kind of sequence that the manuscript moved and I started to feel a bit jumbled. I also predicted the ending of who wrote the final chapters and it took the drive out of the story. (I think the word "twist" is used too liberally to hook people in to reading a book, because I genuinely didn't feel like their was a twist here...just a logical conclusion.)
I think this story would be wonderfully suited for a TV show or movie adaption and I would probably watch the heck out of it. I feel like on screen you would be able to see everyone's emotions and the places they travel to as well which would bring the story to life a bit more. I would still recommend this book if it sounds interesting to you, or you are looking for a light, fast-paced beach read.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Wow, this was fantastic! A highly recommended read.
This book is divided into three parts. First Dreher discusses how totalitarianism is infiltrating tWow, this was fantastic! A highly recommended read.
This book is divided into three parts. First Dreher discusses how totalitarianism is infiltrating the West (in a slightly different format described as "soft totalitarianism"). The book focuses on America specifically but I think it can be more broadly applied to other Western countries as similar "wokeness as religion" trends are popping up. Second, he explores stories from christian survivors of totalitarianism in Eastern Europe and gives insight into how they survived their ordeals. Lastly, Dreher teaches his readers to apply the lessons from previous generations to our own lives and explores how we may begin combating (or merely surviving) infringements on religion and our ability to dissent.
The timing of this book couldn't be more perfect. What a few months ago may have appeared as far-fetched is becoming increasingly realistic in America. We as a "Christian" nation have much to learn from those who came before us and survived brutal totalitarian regimes, particularly as our country's threats to religious liberty expand and our ability to speak our minds appears to be dwindling rapidly.
I love that Dreher focused on how as Christians our "happiness" is not the ultimate goal in life and suffering often comes as the price to pay for being a follower of Jesus Christ. I think modern western churches often brush suffering under the rug or say it can be easily overcome through faith.
We will face different challenges than previous generations in part due to the rise of social media and surveillance technology, but the end goal will be the same. I would highly recommend this book to Christians and non-religious people alike as it gives great insight into what could be coming for us if we wilfully blind ourselves to what is currently unfolding in the name of "progress".
Very interesting read and I feel like I have so much I need to learn about communism and its infiltration of Eastern Europe. Now I will proceed to pass this book out like candy!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This book was so different than anything I have read before. The story begins in ancient Sumeria with the Earth being rent in two and a giant ravine oThis book was so different than anything I have read before. The story begins in ancient Sumeria with the Earth being rent in two and a giant ravine opening up because the netherworld is too full of the dead. We follow a family of three characters (ten-year-old Ziz and her parents Meshara and Temen) on their journey to find freedom and purpose in both the natural and netherworlds. I don't want to say much more as it would take away from a first reading experience.
I loved Ziz as a character. She reminded me of a young Arya Stark (with needle most specifically) or a more outgoing Nona Grey from the Holy Ancestors trilogy. While those are both high fantasy, the characterization is similar and something I am always a sucker for. I also really enjoyed reading from the perspective of the crow. It was rendered in such a unique way and added to the mythology-style feel of the story. It almost felt like I was reading Sumerian Grimm's fairytales at times.
The themes throughout the novel were excellent. Revolving around slavery, freedom, personal choice, and self-identification/actualization, the setting was perfect for a discussion of such themes and I thought they were handled excellently. Also, the prologue for this book completely hooked me. It is one of the best prologues I have read in recent memory.
After reading the description I will admit I was hoping for a bit more of ancient Sumeria in the story. While I think the author showcased some of their mythology and religious traditions well, I just wanted to *taste and smell* the ancient world a bit more and explore it with my senses. I found it a bit hard to picture in my head sometimes which might be influencing my overall feel of the story. (I feel the need to note the author was very descriptive in terms of the plot, I'm just being picky and wanted more Sumeria!)
Lastly, there were a few plot points that I wanted answers on and left me feeling a little unsettled. While I felt like Ziz's story arc was perfectly wrapped up (I LOVED her ending) and the themes were complete, I didn't feel the same way for Temen's and Meshara's storylines. I feel like I needed one more chapter from each of them to glean their thoughts and feelings about what had occurred and to wrap up their connection with other characters. And here's one big question I have: (view spoiler)[ Why didn't WantsForNoOne pluck his tail feather out of Temen when he was tied up as a scarecrow?! (hide spoiler)]
One final note: This book has some body gore that I was not expecting. You may want to be aware before reading that there is some self-mutilation and an incident with eyeballs!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so, here's the thing: I believe this book will be gobbled up and I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so, here's the thing: I believe this book will be gobbled up and wholeheartedly CONSUMED among publishing circles, literary critics, and art lovers alike. In fact, it may be one I would well recommend to people I know who fit any of the aforementioned categories.
But, to be real, I honestly don't know how to describe the mixed-bag of emotions I felt while reading this. First, the book was much different than I was anticipating. I was not expecting the pretentious-quippy-internal-monologue feel of the writing or the fact that nothing much actually happens in the novel.
This book seems like it is intended to mock rich white elites while also managing to feel like it is only relatable or completely understandable BY rich elites. I mean, that in and of itself is a portrait of self-reflection, though maybe not one the author intended. If it was the intent, then there are a lot of people who may not be able to vibe with this story and all its upper-crust references and upper-echelon nuances.
I think most of the things that frustrated me with the novel were the exact intent of the author (i.e. the pompousness, etc.) But my response is probably not what the author is hoping to elicit in her readers.
The ending was given away halfway through the novel, in a sarcastic comment made between two characters (SPOILER: (view spoiler)[ Dale and Diana saying that it is cliche to end a novel with a wedding which inevitably means the novel will end with Dale and Vivien's wedding), and this pulled me out of the narrative and pulled the plug on my driving need to find out what would happen. You know instinctively that Dale and Vivien will marry and Wes and Diana will stay together. However, I needed to feel a sense of completion, circularity, or SOMETHING with Wes and Diana, but never did. Which led to a further sense of frustration, because if there is no closure on their marriage why should I care about it at all? (hide spoiler)]
By no means do I think Joukovsky is a bad writer. On the contrary, she has some interesting things to say about the human condition, and some little revelations the characters had —or the reader has about the characters themselves— were flawless and very well executed. I have no doubts she could become a strong voice in literary circles. Yet, I struggled with the writing. Some sentences or description sequences felt overlong, wordy, or occasionally rambly for the sole purpose of making a witty point. Which, might be fine in a short story format but was grating while reading an entire novel. But again, at certain points in the narrative, I found the writing style to be spot-on and flow easily. I often felt this book suffered from telling and not showing anything that was going on. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. It worked for the story Joukovsy was trying to portray, but ultimately I just wanted more.
I'm not sure I've ever felt so conflicted about a book. Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. Did I feel indifferent towards it?....No? I had strong feelings about the book, I am just still not quite sure how to untangle them. Ultimately, being a lover of Greek myth and art-as-life, life-as-art style stories, I think I set my personal expectations too high for this one....more
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot centers on our main character Shea Ashcroft, who after refusinI received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot centers on our main character Shea Ashcroft, who after refusing to gas a group of protestors, is being sent to the farthest reaches of the empire to oversee the construction of an anti-airship tower. This engineering marvel is a matter of pride for the nation, and one the Queen sees as part of her lasting legacy. Shea arrives to find a mysterious (and potentially dangerous) foreign technology being used in the construction, and as a result, he must build up his own set of moral principles which will determine the fate of his career, the tower, and possibly even his life.
This book just showed me that I have been being continuously gaslit for years into believing that a novella will inevitably feel underdeveloped or lacking in some way. I was initially hesitant to pick this up BECAUSE it was classed as a novella and I was afraid I would be left wanting at the end. This was a more developed story, with an interesting plot, and great world-building than I have seen in many fully fleshed out (often 500+ page) novels.
First, as I'm sure others will mention, Barsukov is a fantastic writer. I often found myself rereading sentences simply because I liked the way they sounded. The author has a very fluid writing style without being overly wordy, giving the novella an easy, engaging flow. Some of the most beautiful sections were when Ashcroft would speak to his sister Lena in his mind. Just gorgeous prose all the way through!
As the main protagonist, Shea had an understandable moral dilemma, and it was interesting to watch his resolve waver and ultimately harden over the course of the story. His tragic backstory slowly unwinds for the reader, giving his character added depth and complexity.
The romance in the story jarred me a bit. Not because it didn't fit into the plot, but because I genuinely didn't see it coming and felt like it happened very quickly. While it felt abrupt to me, I wonder upon a reread if I would feel the same way. There are quite a few plot points in these short 200 pages so the hints leading to a romance may have slipped my notice until I was slapped in the face with it!
Overall, great story with fantastic writing that SF/F readers will enjoy. I for one will now be following the author in the hope that he writes a full on novel soon because I loved his writing style that much....more
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let me first start off by saying, I have always struggled with poetry &I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let me first start off by saying, I have always struggled with poetry & prose collections. I find there are individual pieces I like, but the work as a whole never resonates with me once I take my eyes away from the page. Unfortunately, the same thing happened to me with "Film For Her".
I think where Carloto shone as an author was in her longer pieces about her family and, most notably for me, her writings about her various travels. 'Maybe, I Don't Miss New York?', '5 P.M. In My Brooklyn Apartment', 'This Is Twenty-Three' and 'Amuse-Toi Bien À Paris My Dear' were my favorites because I could feel the nostalgia, in all its various forms, that she was trying to present me with.
I gave this book two stars because it didn't feel revolutionary in any way. Some pieces in the collection felt like what I would call "Instagram Poetry", aka the whole piece was a short sentence or two that was supposed to be deep but just felt cliche to me.
An example:
"And I'm on my third cup of coffee working overtime in my tireless thoughts trying to remember what it feels like to forget" -Internal 9 to 5
Also, in our modern social media age, the photographs, ticket stubs, postcards, and handwritten notes felt generic to me and like I could have found plenty of others just like them on Tumblr or VSCO. . The author seems lovely and if she ever wrote a short story, or something with a more structured theme I would be interested in seeing more. If you like authors like Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace then definitely pick this up because I think you will adore it!
Overall, this book definitely has an audience who will eat it up and love every second, that audience just isn't me....more
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