surprisingly, this book grew on me and i actually liked it
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the mul
surprisingly, this book grew on me and i actually liked it
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”
i've heard a lot about this book, mainly negative comments. and i had that mindset as i was going into the book, but it really did grow on me. i found myself enjoying it and being invested in the plot and characters, constantly wondering what would happen next. although i did spoil it for myself, (view spoiler)[in the beginning of the book i accidentally searched up Dimmesdale's name because i had forgotten who he was, and like the first result that came up was "Hester's secret lover" or something :( (hide spoiler)] it was still really interesting to read and honestly it made me pick up on all the hints even better. although i wouldn't call this a "masterpiece," it certainly wasn't bad. i enjoyed the slow pace and the slow burn. some of the symbolism was kinda exaggerated and unrealistic but it was very interesting how ideas were conveyed through these symbols.
overall, it was pretty good :D good lessons and ideas about self-reliance, individualism, guilt, isolation, noncomformity, etc. it really did demonstrate the two sides to the situation....more
there were so many good quotes, and i really wanted to note them down, except i was literally reading so fast through the book, i was so engrossed in there were so many good quotes, and i really wanted to note them down, except i was literally reading so fast through the book, i was so engrossed in the book that i couldn't bring myself to stop and write it down or even just note down the page number. i was LITERALLY addicted. i read this in like 2 days.
“My heart hurts when you hurt because you are my heart.”
carrie is not a typical likeable main character, but my heart ached for her. i was always rooting for her and holding my breath for her to win. i felt a connection to her and really loved her.
this book also made me realize how interesting tennis is and how multifaceted it is. it taught me basic rules of tennis, tennis techniques, and the niches that i wouldn't have ever otherwise known.
“I am afraid of losing. I am afraid of how it will look to the world. I’m afraid of this match being the last match my father ever sees me play. I am afraid of ending this all on a loss. I am afraid of so much.”
i love the lessons that this book teaches: - you shouldn't be afraid of losing. you should be willing to risk it big and lose it big, at any cost. you shouldn't be afraid of losing big. - it's about the journey and not the end result. appreciate every single moment and all that surrounds you, the beauty of everything. - work hard and don't just be focused on the success at the end because if you don't achieve it, you'll be devastated.
i really loved this book and will definitely be reading more of jenkins' books soon :D
p.s. it was interesting to see some other characters in Malibu Rising show up!!...more
i read the last half in one afternoon, i was practically addicted. it was a hot afternoon and my eyesthe suspense and writing had me absolutely hooked
i read the last half in one afternoon, i was practically addicted. it was a hot afternoon and my eyes were dry and the sun was high in the sky but i didn't care. i had to keep reading because i could not stop.
most of all, the plot was so good. i loved the flashbacks to geo's past, they kept me wanting more... i wouldn't say there were too many "plot twists" but somehow it was so gripping, probably from the writing style and the suspense and feeling that something else was just around the corner, about to crop up.
this book is super dark and so, so, so morally wrong, but that's what made it sooo good. everything was just so wrong, but it was so interesting to see how it panned out. i did predict the ending, except only after the police had half figured it out and then it was revealed like literally 5 pages later, soooo i don't think that counts. (view spoiler)[lol at one point i thought kai was the murderer, interesting theory but way off LOL. (hide spoiler)] the characters were so complex, and they were really bad people. it's obvious and the story feeds off of their dark energy.
the only criticism i have is the ending. it ended much too abruptly, and the epilogue didn't do the story justice in the slightest. (view spoiler)[i want to know how everything unraveled, after geo killed dominic and calvin, but all we know is she's pregnant with kai's child?? like... that was really irrelevant, i wnated to know other stuff like how the police took it and all that good stuff (hide spoiler)]
why am i so interested in these millionaires'/billionaires' lives?
this was really good. i've read the seven husbands of evelyn hugo before, but i honewhy am i so interested in these millionaires'/billionaires' lives?
this was really good. i've read the seven husbands of evelyn hugo before, but i honestly didn't enjoy it that much, and i don't exactly know why. i didn't get that pull feeling from anywhere in the novel, so i couldn't say i enjoyed it. but for Malibu Rising, it was a completely different story. just 50 pages in, i could tell it was going to be a 4 or 5 star read. and it definitely turned out to be.
“Too much self-sufficiency was sort of mean to the people who loved you, Kit thought. You robbed them of how good it feels to give, of their sense of value.”
i'll just say the two negative criticisms i have first (since i have so much good things to say): 1. i didn't really enjoy the flashbacks until like maybe halfway or a little less than halfway through the book. they kinda felt irrelevant and unnecessary background, and i always just wanted to skip to the present-day action, but afterwards they started getting more interesting for me and i realized how they were relevant and added to the story/lessons. i guess this isn't even a criticism, it's just something that bothered me (since idek how you would go about to change that). 2. i didn't really like the "[character] inherited [trait] from mother, [another trait] from father" type thing because it was a little exaggerated and pretty repetitive. i also feel like it's really unrealistic. but i guess it did add to the story's meaning about family (yeah, like everything adds to the meaning lol, TJR is so good at writing!!)
ok onto the good stuff :D
it made me feel so touched in all the tenderest places :') because the main characters all feel so real and relatable, and their emotions and personalities were just oozing out, TJR definitely has a gift of storytelling. i wouldn't say her writing style is superrr special, but it does have a way to hook you in.
i absolutely loved the characters, especially nina and hud. i felt a sharp pain in my chest whenever nina let everybody else dictate her actions, whenever she let everybody else decide for her, whenever she let everybody else run her over. and for hud, who has that gentle, kindling fire in him, who's always nice but never complacent, and caring but never overbearing. hud was like an independent little brother. and wow hud and jay's brotherly love was soooo cute. i loved the complementing energy, they were absolutely amazing.
and TJR is so good at writing about multi-dimensional characters, i constantly caught myself feeling bad for the "bad guys" and wanting a better ending/situation for them even though they had already done enough harm. my internal feelings just made it seem so much more real, due to TJR's magic writing!! but then i reminded myself, i won't let them run me over like a doormat (in nina's words heh)
ok so the synopsis is pretty misleading, the book is sooo different from what it makes it seem like it will be. you read a lot about rich people. like every character is a rich person. but literally i wouldn't be lying if i said it engrossed me completely. i wouldn't really say it's the same concept as tv shows/reality tv shows (like keeping up with the kardashians or something) because it's so much more and so much more interesting and meaningful. since despite it being about millionaires and rich people, there are a lot of deep-set themes that you can't miss. - caring about each other, caring about those you love; if you love someone truly, you won't leave them ever; love is shown by actions, not words- you can't leave someone and then come back to tell them you love them because your words now have no meaning - everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean you always have to forgive them, especially if they've made one too many mistakes; saying sorry doesn't justify the things you've done - don't always be that person who just simply accepts, be assertive and don't let people just walk over you; be nice to yourself and let yourself go free, don't always be doing things for others; don't just love others, let others love you as well - family isn't by blood, it's who you choose to love; you may share the same traits/characteristics (like appearances), but you always choose who you want to be --> you can be a better person
though i'm kinda disappointed i didn't get the mick riva connection from the seven husbands of evelyn hugo but i read that way too long ago to remember unfortunately. i really want to read daisy jones & the six now though!! i heard that mick riva is the only character to make an appearance in all three!!
anyhow, this was so good and captured my heart <3 and overall a fantastic story.
i actually wasn't expecting to like this. my impression of this book was that it would be slow, boring, and not a twell that was a pleasant surprise!!
i actually wasn't expecting to like this. my impression of this book was that it would be slow, boring, and not a thriller at all. but wow, i was shocked to have been proved wrong!! and that's always a good thing. if i came into it with high expectations, i wouldn't have enjoyed it as much probably, but the reality far exceeded what i had in mind beforehand.
so it started off a little confusing, but that's with every book. you need to read a couple chapters in order to familiarize yourself with the characters. it's like meeting new people, it's gonna be uncomfortable at first and a little awkward, but after a while, you open up to them! and that's exactly this book. the first few chapters are confusing, but then you warm up very quickly.
and the mystery starts pretty soon. it's so good. i got consumed by the book entirely. once, i was reading before bed and i literally had a dream that i was harriet before she disappeared. in the dream, i felt so frustrated!!
the characters felt so multi-dimensional, and they really popped out of the page. i could understand their every action and i really felt like i knew them. but we're not here to talk about the characters, are we? we're here for the MYSTERY. yes, yes, yes. it was so good. it seemed like an impossible mystery to solve, but every clue made us wonder, "what's next???" every clue had me on edge and brainstorming a possible new solution. bear in mind that i was TOTALLY wrong about the mystery, it was surprising, but honestly, it was surprising in the way that it was like "oh, why didn't i think of that?" not in the way of "i would've never thought of that" which honestly makes it even more powerful since you could've expected it, but it hid right under your nose.
the ending was pretty good, though i think it could have had more shock value but overall this book was SUPER good. best book i've read in a while... and i think i should get back into mystery reading :)))
The formatting, perspectives, and constant jumping back in time was a bit confusing and disorienting at first, as I wasn't used to this w~ 4.0 stars ~
The formatting, perspectives, and constant jumping back in time was a bit confusing and disorienting at first, as I wasn't used to this writing style, but I quickly adjusted and became to become engrossed in the story. The exploration of what makes us human and the weight all humans carry was super insightful and comforting to read about. The narrator also added humor and spice to the plot, as I felt like the narrator was a whole new character with a personality too.
The mystery aspect was okay, the resolution/solution wasn't anything surprising or jaw-dropping, but it wasn't terrible. Some parts of the book made me anxious for what came next, and it really kept me flipping the pages to read about the next event because the chapters were formatted so that it sprinkled mini cliffhangers throughout the entire story, which made it much more gripping. There were mini plot twists that had me pausing and thinking, "Wait, what?" I couldn't stop reading!
Honestly, this book just explores a lot of topics that we can all relate to, and it really touches your heart in the most tender parts, but it does so in a lighthearted and humorous way. This was a surprising read for me, and I'm glad to have picked it up!
The drama was the best and worst aspect of the novel.
The first half was really solid, and I especially enjoyed the gaming aspect of the first half. I'The drama was the best and worst aspect of the novel.
The first half was really solid, and I especially enjoyed the gaming aspect of the first half. I'm not much of a gaming person, but learning about the gaming industry and all the thought and creativity put in was intriguing. And actually, the game ideas were so cool, like I'd actually want to see them in real life and see how they would play out.
LIKE SALUTION SOUNDS SO COOL I ACTUALLY WOULD TRY PLAYING IT. It also reminds me of Making Bombs for Hitler the book.
I didn't care much for the characters, I didn't exactly like their personalities. And... Dov. I hated Dov with all of my heart. Why did Dov exist and what did Sadie see in him?? I despised him. I hated how he was a pretty central character to the novel.
The drama and skirmishes and conflicts began to escalate after the halfway point, and although conflict is important to a novel, I feel like this book took it much too far. There was way too much petty bickering, and I thought it was extremely naive and excessive. It went back and forth constantly, pretty pathetic in my opinion.
I didn't like the ending too much, thought it was super abrupt, I kind of wanted more closure especially with the huge amount of conflicts.
Overall, I actually quite enjoyed it, mostly the first half though. (I listened to an audiobook, finished 90% of it in one day, finished the rest the next morning.)
I know a lot of people that really enjoyed this book, and they told me that it was about "aliens" and gave mDifferent than I expected, but still good.
I know a lot of people that really enjoyed this book, and they told me that it was about "aliens" and gave me a brief synopsis, so I already had an idea of what I thought the novel was going to be about. But it turned out very different from my expectations, and certainly not in a bad way.
Some parts were pretty confusing after I took multiple-day breaks from the book, but overall the premise was really interesting, though I did expect more action scenes, it was nevertheless intriguing to see how the plot unfolded. The plot was pretty complex and had many layers, but I do think the characters could have been more life-like and relatable. The translation was surprisingly good, and it wasn't chunky or choppy like I had imagined.
Overall, good read and I've also started the second book! Excited :)
it was soooo good. everyone always raves about how good emily henry's books are, so i was keen to jump on the bandwagon ;) anaaahhhh cuteness overload
it was soooo good. everyone always raves about how good emily henry's books are, so i was keen to jump on the bandwagon ;) and im so glad i did.
hm ok i'll just start with the things i didn't enjoy that much, since there's not much of that: - dusty: personally, i didn't really like dusty. i thought she was too "needy" for a lack of better words. she just got on my nerves, but i guess towards the end i honestly didn't care as much. she's not a main character anyways, so it really shouldn't have bothered me, but in the first part of the book i just could not shake the icky feeling off but wtv - the exaggerated descriptions: i dislike descriptions along the line of "i can feel the _(i.e. heat)_ in my __(i.e. knees)__ where our __(i.e. legs)__ touch" --> it just really annoys me lol and kinda unrealistic. there were a bunch of those which i kinda cringed at every time, so personally i'm just not a fan of those specific depictions
ok now the good. I LOVED THE DIALOGUE SO MUCH. i don't think i've ever loved dialogue as much as i did in this story. THE BACK-AND-FORTH BANTER was SO ENTERTAINING. if i annotated my books, pretty much all the dialogue between charlie and nora would be highlighted with the brighest shade of neon yellow there is. it is absolutely that good, and it's so funny. it's not that type of humor to make me necessarily laugh out loud (laughing out loud from books is pretty rare though, only happened a few times to me, and i guess i also have to be in a specific mood) but it's just so witty and interesting. it's literally like watching an intense table tennis match.
and my love for the dialogue naturally comes from my adoration of the characters. i love how nora and charlie are so independent and neither of them rely on each other excessively, unlike a lot of other romance novels. and i could really feel their pain and longing. nora's tendency to protect her hyounger sister, libby, was so palpable and understandable. nora is that always-organized, seemingly "got life and everything under control and organized," puts down her own problems for others, etc. type of girl. and i respected her so much. nora had her own passions but put others before her, and it was honestly so heartbreaking to see her give up her own priorities just to solve other people's problems. but don't take this the wrong way: she is NOT complacent or a people-pleaser. she's a totally different vibe. she just values the people she loves, but sometimes that overcomes her own goals.
the plot was pretty good overall. unlike others, i actually enjoyed the "family drama" and thought it added some dimension and depth to the story. it made the story seem much more realistic, as if it was only filled with romance, it would seem too... narrow-minded and simplistic, but the family drama and other conflicts provided perspective to the situation.
overall loved this!! will probably be taking a look at other books by emily henry, if i can get my hands on them, that is... at my library, her books are always like "10 holds on 2 copies" unfortunately.
i fell asleep while reading this, but i also finished this in three days... so was it any good?
“No sign of her anywhere here. Signs of her everywhe
i fell asleep while reading this, but i also finished this in three days... so was it any good?
“No sign of her anywhere here. Signs of her everywhere here.”
ok some backstory as to why i could have finished this so quickly but also fell asleep while reading it. well basically i wasn't feeling too well... one afternoon my throat suddenly started hurting, which occurs almost every time before i get sick, so this was an ominous sign. i decided not to do any work (as obviously i'm not gonna get anything done if im not feeling great) and read instead. i sat on the floor (yes the floor, you read that write right) and continued reading this novel (which i had already finished about 1/4 or 1/3 of), and then the exhaustion slowly but surely crept in... and i dozed off. i woke up to my mother calling my name, wondering where i was. that same night, i was so tired so i just read for a couple hours and managed to read a huge chunk of this. the next morning, i stayed in bed until like 9:30am and finished the book.
and i have to say... it wasn't as good as i expected. the premise is extremely intriguing and eye-catching, but i gotta say the contents didn't live up to the blurb. but it wasn't bad, either. i guess it just wasn't up to ng's usual standard imo. i've read her Little Fires Everywhere and listened to 3/4 of Everything I Never Told You (listened on vacation, so never managed to finish it oop) and greatly enjoyed both, so ng's not an unfamiliar author to me.
and her writing style didn't disappoint. her writing is so elegant and descriptive, it's beautiful. it touches you in the gentlest ways on your tender, somehow managing to procure a reaction out of you with the simplest words. although all our english teachers always instruct us to "show instead of tell," i think ng's writing style is more on the "tell" side in Our Missing Hearts. while any other author that "tells" with their writing would be a pass for me, somehow ng is able to execute it well. it feels straightforward and simple but suitable for the plot an style of the novel, not at all forced.
the theme of the novel also encouraged my sympathetic emotions. it's all about asian representation and anti-asian hate. it's definitely one of the best books with asian, specifically chinese, representation that i've read. it did remind me somewhat of The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu. but anyways, i loved how ng portrayed the asian hate and dealt with the issue. the issue was very nuanced and cropped up in every corner of the story.
i loved the characters and felt their emotions, i found i was happy for them when they were joyful, but i always held my breath, waiting for that moment when something bad happened- because that's just how the world works, bad things happen to good people. and i felt myself really caring for bird (the main character) and for margaret (his mom). i saw bird's pureness and innocence, and i felt the urge to protect that, to shield it from all the terrors and violence that their dystopian world inflicted on all asians. i wanted margaret and bird to have a happily ever after, it was a tangible feeling lodged deep inside me.
but despite all that i liked, i thought the execution lacked some key aspects to make it more enjoyable. the dystopian world was... too one-dimensional. it wasn't explored deep enough and i didn't feel like anything much was really resolved. neither was the plot very fleshed-out-- i have to admit, nothing much really happened. i don't think there was a rising action, climax, nor resolution. everything felt like exposition or just "it's happening". yes, there was tension at some parts, but that was a result of the characters instead of the plot buildup.
but overall, it was a semi-enjoyable read. i liked the characters and the topic of asian hate that was explored, although the execution was lacking.
i really liked this actually. i've now read two of emily henry's books (this and book lovers) and enjoyed both!
in this and future reviews, instead of i really liked this actually. i've now read two of emily henry's books (this and book lovers) and enjoyed both!
in this and future reviews, instead of reviewing how "good" the book is or how i much i enjoyed it, i'll try to get some lessons for it since that's probably more applicable to my life anyways... i'll probably/might mention specifics on what i liked/disliked but most of it will probably be lessons.
the main theme throughout the entire story was fear. we're often too scared of the what if... to actually take action. we're too scared of a negative outcome to even take the jump. in reality, we have no idea what could happen. how could we know? obviously, there are exceptions to the above. like when you know you're doing something stupid that you shouldn't be doing, but i'm not talking about these- i'm talking about the missed opportunities. think back to your deepest, biggest regrets. in the long term, a lot of regrets that we have are not taking action to do something. like not spending more time with loved ones, or not taking that offer that could've landed us in a better position, or not trying to pursue a greater achievement or position because we were scared. we regret these because in hindsight, we could've achieved so much more and strived to a much higher standard if only we had took the initial leap.
take the chance, not only to not regret this indecision later, but also because opportunities don't come by often. take the opportunities that cross your path and don't be afraid to seek out other opportunities. don't be scared, don't be embarrassed, be proactive, and even if you don't acquire what you were aiming for, that's okay, because at least you know the outcome now. with this experience, tailor your actions and achieve it next time.
“But most of us are too scared to even ask what we want, in case we can't have it.”
if you never ask, how are you going to have it? and if you asked, maybe you could have it --> if you never pursue the opportunity, how are you going to change your current status/position? if you pursued the chance, you might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome....more
my expectations were pretty high going into this book... but they weren't met.
i think this book is just so outside the realm of reality that i couldn'my expectations were pretty high going into this book... but they weren't met.
i think this book is just so outside the realm of reality that i couldn't enjoy it. for a thriller to be interesting and gripping to me, it has to be reasonable and it has to be something that could happen to you or in this world. only then would i be freaked out, like "wow this could happen to me" or "this is scarily real and creepy" and only then am i super invested.
“Sometimes if you let people do things to you, you're really doing it to them.”
i mean, i guess this could happen but it just seem too far-fetched to me. and i didn't particularly like camille, the main character, all that much, so that made it a little worse. i also like thrillers/mysteries where clues are slowly revealed, and then it keeps you on your toes, questioning everything you've learned/read about prior to that, and i feel like the mystery didn't really unfold until the last 1/4 of the book. so for the first 3/4, i was only reading super fast and eager to read more because i was waiting for the time when the book turned out to be as good as people were making it out to be, as well as waiting for when the mystery would reveal itself a little more. so the book dragged, and i honestly wasn't super interested.
overall, it was kinda enjoyable but i wouldn't recommend it.
expected a lot, but ultimately i didn't like it too much (and it took me quite a long time to read!)
ok so i really expected to enjoy this, since it's expected a lot, but ultimately i didn't like it too much (and it took me quite a long time to read!)
ok so i really expected to enjoy this, since it's supposed to be a super touching story, and i was honestly craving something emotional and heavy... and this sounded like the perfect book to do that
the premise was really good - a grumpy old man and his journey -> especially with the raving reviews, i was genuinely expecting something deep to touch my heart, but unfortunately my expectations weren't met at all
i think the main reason why i didn't like this as much as others was the writing style -- i'm not a huge fan of the very distance-outsider-type pov because it made me feel detached from the story, like i was watching it from far away. as a result, the characters felt distance, and i didn't feel any connection towards them! i didn't much like the "past" chapters, since they felt oddly sprinkled throughout, and didn't add that much to the story.
the heavy/emotional topics felt like they were just inserted into it purposefully and awkwardly, so it didn't really fit the story that well. it felt like a puzzle piece that was almost the right shape, but had one missing side to it, so it didn't exactly complete the puzzle picture
i thought the plot was kinda boring, and it's pretty repetitive and predictable, so it got boring to read after the first 100 or 200 pages or so. i just wish it was more fast-paced...
so far i've only talked about the bad things, but it's not like i didn't enjoy it at all. it wasn't bad and i laughed at some parts and thought other parts were pretty meaningful. i especially liked a couple quotes about death and love. and the message of there is always a deeper person beneath the surface was pretty well conveyed.
but i guess this just wasn't for me, everyone has their own tastes, i can see why others would like it, but it just didn't suit me.
>> a stubborn 3.0 stars that no matter how hard i try, i can't seem to raise this number
my favorite three quotes:
“To love someone is like moving into a house," Sonja used to say. "At first you fall in love in everything new, you wonder every morning that this is one's own, as if they are afraid that someone will suddenly come tumbling through the door and say that there has been a serious mistake and that it simply was not meant to would live so fine. But as the years go by, the facade worn, the wood cracks here and there, and you start to love this house not so much for all the ways it is perfect in that for all the ways it is not. You become familiar with all its nooks and crannies. How to avoid that the key gets stuck in the lock if it is cold outside. Which floorboards have some give when you step on them, and exactly how to open the doors for them not to creak. That's it, all the little secrets that make it your home.”
“We always think there's enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like 'if'.”
“Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the great motivations for living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone.”
Great writing style, but topics were too mundane but overall the book was too... random.
This review is basically gonna be a comparison to What If? becGreat writing style, but topics were too mundane but overall the book was too... random.
This review is basically gonna be a comparison to What If? because I enjoyed that book SO MUCH, it's so humorous and so informing, the topics it talks about are so interesting, probably because they're the best questions selected from people's ponderings on the Internet. However, for How To, each chapter is about how to do something from your daily life, like "How to Dig a Hole," Munroe just approaches the task in many different ways, so each chapter is split into many sections of different methods to accomplish the task.
I found that I was already not that interested in the topics of the chapters themselves. And I also found the sections to be really random. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that there was no central theme throughout the chapter and it felt extremely spontaneous and arbitrary. I didn't feel that there was a connection between each method and the chapter.
What I did enjoy was the writing style and the humor (even though What If? definitely had more!). The illustrations as always were a huge plus. There were a couple memorable passages/illustrations that I loved.
Overall, this book is a different style from What If? as it tackles completely different types of topics, but the writing vibe and humor is still there. I enjoyed reading it, it just didn't blow my mind.
(yes, those exclamation marks were absolutely necessary.)
this was the best book i've read in a looong time, likoh. my. gosh...!!!!!!!!
wow, wow, wow!!!
(yes, those exclamation marks were absolutely necessary.)
this was the best book i've read in a looong time, like actually. and it's one of the best thrillers/mysteries i've read, but i will admit i haven't read that many, but still. i really enjoyed this. i have a hard time wrapping my head around this story, not because there's some amazing, unthinkable twist, but because it was just really good and it's >b?hard for me to process all my emotions/thoughts to write my review.
“Because while you can reinvent yourself, you can’t outrun yourself. As a woman once reminded her a long time ago, the common denominator in all the terrible things that have happened to you is you.”
ok i guess i'll just start with my predictions. (view spoiler)[so by page 112 (yes, i wrote this down... i know, i'm weird.) i was absolutely sure betty was paris. i was like 100% sure. i mean how could she not be? all the evidence was leading to this, and i thought hillier was definitely pointing us in this direction. but that was the exact point. she was luring us into believing smth false. betty was in fact NOT paris, paris was JOEY and betty was DEAD, not MISSING. and my second prediction was that betty (or paris, in my mind) obviously killed joey. wrong. completely wrong. (hide spoiler)] so as you can see (or maybe you didn't click on the spoiler and didn't see, but anyhow...), i was completely wrong in my guesses. i was shocked to learn truth after truth that didn't align with my predictions. it definitely kept me flipping the pages. i guess i do need to read more mysteries because wow i'm bad at predicting stuff, i feel like i should've been able to see that coming because it wasn't too far-fetched, it was right under my nose but i missed it. and yes, mysteries/thrillers are amazing, so you can bet i'll be reading more of that genre.
i read the last ~50% in one sitting, it was that addicting. i couldn't stop. i knew i had other work that i should've been doing, but i was like "i won't be able to do my work well because i'll just keep thinking about when i can next read the book." this was addictingggg, but so so satisfying.
i thought hillier was extremely talented in regards to switching time periods. switching scenes from past to present to middle-of-past-and-present with grace really takes some skill. the transitions were beautiful and seamless, not at all forced. i loved how the flashbacks caught us up on present events and made things make sense. it kept you going like "ohhhhh, i understand... but now i want to know more" and thus i kept flipping the pages!! there were also kind of two-three perspectives depending on how you look at it, and hillier mastered all of them.
something else i really enjoyed: the characters. oh wow, i loved the characters. i loved joey, i could feel her emotions right through the pages and i squirmed and felt her pain. her yearning for confirmation, affirmation, and love was so palpable, almost as solid as the paper i was holding. like i could feel her, i really felt for her. this was definitely a hugely character-driven story. we learned everyone's motives, backstories, and inner thoughts. you get attached to some characters. you immensely despise others. but there's also this grey area, this morally grey area that keeps you questioning whether they are good or bad... this really drove the story forward.
this book dealt with a lot of heavy topics and i'm pretty happy with the way they were portrayed. it really dove into the feeling of being a victim and explored how victims are so strong and resilient. it showcases a lot of issues that are very prevalent today and demonstrates the dark sides of our world. necessary warning: some scenes are pretty graphic, so if you're not okay with that, then probably stay away from this book because there are quite a few trigger warnings.
anyhow, this was beautiful. a through and through masterpiece. side note: i've seen so many reviews saying that they didn't like this as much as hillier's other books, so i will definitely be checking her other books out!!
loved this book and definitely a 5-star read. glad i picked up such a gem (you could almost say, i picked up a ruby- ifykyk). actually only got this because another book i wanted wasn't available at the library and so this was the first thing on my want-to-read list that i saw and was available at the library.
>> i picked up a ruby (ifykyk) and it turned into 5.0 stars ...more
I haven't been reading lately because life has just been really busy, but mostly, I've just been slacking on my reading. I've borrowed boo~ 4.0 stars~
I haven't been reading lately because life has just been really busy, but mostly, I've just been slacking on my reading. I've borrowed books but never gotten around to reading them, and I end up just returning the books because they're overdue and not because I finish them. I read this book for my English class, and wow it actually got me back into reading.
A lot of people talked about how the descriptions were really unnecessary, but I enjoyed it and thought it wasn't excessive at all. I did really like the descriptions and I thought that they greatly added to the book. It was super elegant and the writing style was beautiful, perfect for a book like this one.
Certain POVs were more interesting than others, like with every multiple-POV book though. I really loved Konstance's POV. The characters were pretty well-developed, but the only thing is, we didn't get to spend that much time with each character. However, the character development was still there and evident!!
I thought the intertwining of the POVs was done pretty cleverly, but I thought it could've been hinted at more subtly before revealed in the end. I think a closer/tighter connection would also have been better because some of the connections felt loose and not as fleshed out.
Overall, this book got me back into reading, which I'm super grateful for, and it was a really interesting read, especially when I got further into the book!
hassan is literally the most wholesome person ever, i love hassan :')))))))))) on the other hand, i didn't like the main character, amir, too much, buhassan is literally the most wholesome person ever, i love hassan :')))))))))) on the other hand, i didn't like the main character, amir, too much, but this was definitely done on purpose. and it worked really well for the story. this book made me so emotional, and although i didn't really cry or tear up, it definitely touched me in the tenderest parts of my heart. it was a constant emotional rollercoaster, something was always happening and grabbing my attention. my heart was broken and stitched back together a thousand times.
“For you, a thousand times over.”
i definitely think the beginning 1/4 or 1/3 was the best, and then the ending 1/4 or 1/5 was the second-best part. the beginning esp, really captured my interest and had me keep reading, and it was just sooo soooo sadddd.
a main theme throughout the book was standing up for yourself and for other people. when you stand up for something, you firmly demonstrate your stance and reinforce your identity. we can just stand to the side and watch, pretend like we never saw anything, keep it a secret that we saw and hold onto that guilt forever; or, we can decide we're gonna do something about it, and make our voices heard. not only can we stand up for ourselves and what we believe in, but we can support our loved ones and those that truly matter. it doesn't have to be something big, it can just be reinforcing something that you and your friend believe is right. mainly, going further than just making your voice heard by truly executing an action that shows your stance and your support for a cause goes a long way. be the person you wanna be and showcase that outwardly.
“A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything.”
at the same time, this novel showcased the idea of not beating yourself up for making a mistake. accept the mistake, learn from it, and move on. don't let the guilt hold yourself down from doing future things. and don't pity yourself because that pity will act as a weight dragging you back. instead of self-pity, think about what you can do to correct and improve in the future.
and try to mean your promises. (view spoiler)[it broke my heart at the end when amir broke the promise he made to sohrab. (hide spoiler)] it's really hard in this world to commit because we have the tendency to commit to everything, to say "yes" to everything, but when you do commit, mean it. you lose people's trust when you go back on your commitments. don't let people doubt your trustworthiness.
“And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.”
overall, this novel was soo sooo good :')))) glad i picked it up...more
the premise seemed so interesting to me when i first read it, and i thought i would be in for a killer psychosomehow addicting but still so boring...?
the premise seemed so interesting to me when i first read it, and i thought i would be in for a killer psychological thriller :0 but unfortunately not :((((
right off the bat, once i started reading the book, i disliked the immature writing style. the narrator is an adult, but it didn't feel like it-- she sounded very underdeveloped. sentences were short, no complex sentence structure, vocabulary was limited, and it felt too "straight to the point," or in other words, telling rather than showing. without enjoying the writing style, it was hard for me to find enjoyment in the book.
it was too implausible. everything was painted as black and white, there was no in between. jack was either a monster in private or a kind, loving soul in public. he often even called himself "evil," and i feel like that's just... not very common. it just felt immature and something out of a children's fairy tale, like "oohh he's the bad guy, the evil one! and she's the good one!! he's psychotic while she's trying to save everyone from him!!" it was really tough for me to read past those scenes where it was painted in this way.
the characters, especially jack, were really one-dimensional, and that doesn't really help a psychological thriller. these types of thrillers should feel as if they are really real, so the characters should definitely be believable and the situation should be reasonable, but i felt like everything in this book was too far-fetched for me to even remotely believe. i mean, yes, i guess the world is super messed up now, but i'd like to believe it hasn't gotten as bad to be this black and white, heads and tails.
i guess the following could be considered a tactic by the author, but it just annoyed me personally: the chapters are split into "past" and "present," but it was extremely difficult for me to separate the past and present events, so they just clumped together in my mind. the past eventually caught up to the present because it moved faster, but it was just mind boggling in a bad way, for me.
somehow i finished this in less than 2 days?? but i didn't enjoy it?? it was addicting but not good somehow. the ending was ok, not as bad as some other endings i've read, and i was honestly ok with it. i guess i was just relieved to have finished the book, so i wouldn't spend any extra time on it...
when i first read the synopsis, i was immediately hooked. it sounded like SUCH a good premise. it sounded i have to admit-- this was... not that good.
when i first read the synopsis, i was immediately hooked. it sounded like SUCH a good premise. it sounded like a real thriller, something to keep you hooked throughout the entire book. and i expected something like that. i expected a huge dilemna and "weighing the consequences"-type situation, and i guess these aspects were present, but i was still really disappointed.
number one: writing style. writing style is essential because in order for you to enjoy the story and the plot, you probably should enjoy the way it is being told as well. but i didn't like the writing style. it's not so much the style, per se, but more of the writing level and sophistication. i know T.J. Newman is a new author, so i wasn't expecting too much, but i really just could not fully enjoy the story when i disliked the writing. it was bland, it was "tell" rather than "show," and i was cringing at the overused cliches. the writing style's a no for me.
number two: characters. characters were one-dimensional, same aspect/character/personality was demonstrated over and over. it also seemed forced. personally, i didn't really care for the main character. and honestly, not many of the characters were explored beyond a surface level, so i had no attachment to the characters.
number three: plot/intrigue/thriller. it wasn't at all what i was expecting, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. i enjoyed the beginning and thought it was captivating, i kept flipping the pages, but after about the 30% mark, it just tapered off. the perspectives kept jumping around, and yes, i understand it was to create cliffhangers and whatnot, but it was too much, too chaotic, and just annoying. and it also made it feel like separate stories rather than storylines that all connected and intertwined together. so, kudos to the first third! but didn't really enjoy much after that...
number four: plot holes!!! there are SO many plotholes, especially in the beginning, so even though the beginning was more intriguing, the obvious plotholes kept me from enjoying it.
number five: despite all the negatives i've stated thus far, i did enjoy the overarching message that we should be aware of the things happening in our world. ignorance isn't bliss, ignorance is neglecting the suffering people are going through. the only critique i would have is to have explored it even more and explained it further! :)
overall, it was nothing as i expected. it was originally one of my most anticipated releases, and i was so happy to have gotten a hold of a copy at my library, but i just didn't ultimately enjoy it very much :(
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