I didn't rate Every Day because I could see that it was a good book for people who like that sort of thing. But I am tempted to rate Another Day, becaI didn't rate Every Day because I could see that it was a good book for people who like that sort of thing. But I am tempted to rate Another Day, because it feels like a fraud. At least half of it (although subjectively it feels more like 75%) is lifted word for word from Every Day.
I like that seeing things from Rhianon's POV doesn't let her off the hook - we get to know Justin much, much better (for better and for worse) and appreciate that while he may be bad for her, she lets him down really badly. But frankly these short snippets of her POV could either have been part of Every Day, or turned into a novella.
I'm glad I borrowed it rather than buying it, although I feel ripped off in terms of my time if not my cash.
But maybe that wouldn’t have bothered teen me. I read enough David Eddings after all ;) So I’ll resist the urge to rate here. But if I did it would be 2 stars. ...more
It was wildly unlikely that I’d like this book and I didn’t, so I won’t rate it. Its not the book’s fault. It’s not bad (altho the fatphobia can do onIt was wildly unlikely that I’d like this book and I didn’t, so I won’t rate it. Its not the book’s fault. It’s not bad (altho the fatphobia can do one), it’s just a YA romance with an SFnal twist - and I don’t enjoy romance novels.
While I liked the ending (I’d been rooting for that outcome from very, very early on), I didn’t like A (who is a good person but a pushy, possessive, selfish lover for much of the novel).
But those who enjoy a good romance will find plenty to like here....more
Another fast fun read, but it cemented my awareness that of the various elements that can make me zone out of a story one is the mob and another is suAnother fast fun read, but it cemented my awareness that of the various elements that can make me zone out of a story one is the mob and another is superpowers (hey, there's a reason it took me years to bother catching up on the MCU).
So in the end I found Vengeful too long and several shades over the top (sorry Marcella) - like most mob boss stories my chief response was 'oh god it's going to take 100s of pages to take her down, isn't it' rather than a delighted 'oh god what is the chaos goddess going to do next' (...which is the response I'd have like to have had).
But I loved Sydney's arc (she and Serena were my favourite parts of Vicious too), and I still want to know more about June, and I really want Mitch to get an unconflicted happy ever after. Schwab can keep me engaged and turning the pages even when I'm not actually that interested; and I love how unflinching she is in ensuring we know we're talking about Villains. Victor is a terrible person - there's little to choose between him and Eli after the choices he makes early on in Vengeful (and honestly Victor, shooting that guy rather than taking him to Merit and asking him to fix Dominic was a HUGE BETRAYAL of a longtime ally, screw you)....more
This started out okay, but I ended up bored and mildly irritated. The dystopia was a little too close to the bone, but the plot was ultimately fairly This started out okay, but I ended up bored and mildly irritated. The dystopia was a little too close to the bone, but the plot was ultimately fairly linear in spite of the non-linear storytelling - and the narrative style eventually got on my nerves. That said, there's some lovely character work along the way (good luck finding anybody to root for, except maybe the insufferably privileged Helen Arnsdale) with a clear-eyed judgement that everybody's a wanker one way or another (except maybe Neila) - as much for what you don't do - what you put up with and so tacitly support - as for what you do do. That's a timely message of course, but I think I'd have enjoyed this a whole lot more a few years ago than I do now. ...more
A brilliant bit of craft - Valente never fails to deliver - and sure to delight fans of Douglas Adams, Eurovision and aging rock star tropes.
I admireA brilliant bit of craft - Valente never fails to deliver - and sure to delight fans of Douglas Adams, Eurovision and aging rock star tropes.
I admire it as an achievement but it was pretty much nails on a chalk board to read; so loud and over the top it gave me a headache with its frenetic, largely inane galaxy building. Every now and again it threw in some commentary (you can’t call it an aside when it sticks out like a sore thumb), but it mostly meanders to its entirely predictable climax.
So: accomplished, highly unusual and yet utterly by the numbers. How is that even possible?
Unusual and intriguing. I’m not a huge fan of Burke’s prose, but I enjoyed the subtle differentiation of characters and the nuances of social change oUnusual and intriguing. I’m not a huge fan of Burke’s prose, but I enjoyed the subtle differentiation of characters and the nuances of social change over generations. Somewhat fragmented - so not entirely satisfying to me in the end - but worth a read for those interested in first contact, cultural evolution and SFnal histories.
With Someone Like Me, I think I’ve established that Mike Carey’s supernatural thrillers aren’t for me. They’re quick read potboilers, but they’re too With Someone Like Me, I think I’ve established that Mike Carey’s supernatural thrillers aren’t for me. They’re quick read potboilers, but they’re too Hollywood/popcorn for my liking.
There’s plenty of stories about superheroes, but V E Schwab has made an entertaining contribution to the subgenre with her tale of self-made supers (oThere’s plenty of stories about superheroes, but V E Schwab has made an entertaining contribution to the subgenre with her tale of self-made supers (or Extraordinaries, as they're called here) and arch-enemies Victor Vale and Eli Ever.
As the series title promises, this is a book about villains, not heroes – anti-heroes at best, depending on how your sympathies develop. Part of the fun for me was just how unsympathetic the protagonists are; Schwab walks a fine line, and I suspect it won’t work for everyone.
While I grew fond of Victor in spite of myself (to a point), the people I truly grew attached to were the Clarke sisters. Their sibling relationship is as damaged as Eli/Victor’s friendship, but unlike the men they have an abiding love for one another that balances their conflict. I was far more interested in them and their interactions than I was in seeing whether Victor could come out on top.
In fact, it’s probably fair to say I found the protagonists the least interesting people on the page, which feels a bit odd – to me, they felt limited by the super-villain concept (i.e. self interest and limited room for growth), with the exception of the brilliant decision to have Victor deface books to calm himself down. It’s a tremendous tic that delivers brilliant cover art – whilst also being the perfect signal of villainy to a dedicated bookworm.
Nonetheless, this is fast, fun read I recommend, if not one I’ll necessarily reread.
I'm not quite sure what I think of this odd little reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the things we hang on to. It's one of those reads thaI'm not quite sure what I think of this odd little reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the things we hang on to. It's one of those reads that I liked less the further I got. It's my first Aliya Whiteley and I loved her prose - deft, emotionally evocative - but the second half with its unexpected shift in narrator left me completely at sea.
I'll let it settle for a few days, but currently considering it a curiosity rather than a new favourite.
Hells, I just REREAD this and I STILL wasn't ready.
-=-
Oh dear gods above I was not ready.
The first half of The Poppy War is familiar tropes in a glorHells, I just REREAD this and I STILL wasn't ready.
-=-
Oh dear gods above I was not ready.
The first half of The Poppy War is familiar tropes in a gloriously Chinese setting: a re-imagination of early twentieth century China, weaving fact and fantasy in a way this hopelessly English reader can't possible unpick and can only enjoy. A plucky, stubborn protagonist faces sexism and class prejudice at an elite school, with all the school story trappings you would expect.
But The Poppy War subverts expectation from the start. Rin isn't just an unloved orphan determined to make good, or a disregarded common girl succeeding in the face of noble sneering. She self-harms to succeed, forces herself to overcome obstacles because the alternatives are worse, is given to despair without external affirmation, and has a vengeful short temper that sets up her harrowing arc in the second half of the book.
In short, she's glorious. This is no regular teen girl ascending to supernatural power story. Likeable or not, she's utterly compelling, and the text gives you all the context to understand her motivations even when you can't agree with them. And you can't ever agree with them.
When the Mugenese Federation invade - a reworking of the invasion of China by Japan in WWII - Kuang's narrative is unflinching. The war is a crucible that burns away all of Rin's qualms to forge her into a single-minded weapon. There's so much clever foreshadowing - Rin's tactics lessons at Sinegard set up her approach to fighting the invaders; just as her dependence on her teachers' praise cues up her relationship with her unit commander. It makes her arc feel inevitable, but - for a fantasy novel - it's wildly unconventional, and I appreciated it all the more for it.
Not a book for the faint-hearted: between the hideous details of the invaders' actions and the shattering decisions made by the 'good guys' in defence of their homelands, this is hard reading. But it's very rewarding, and I can't wait for the sequel.
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