holes in my brain

review to come...

FINALLY read this :) Loved it. So excellent, and highly recommended. Why is the author such an asshole though? But hey, I'm a book reviewer though, right? No attacking the author.*ahem*

The middle dragged a bit but once we reached Haert, it was full steam ahead. I may have had a few issues with the perfect-ness of Kvothe, but hey. Whatever. Also, I disliked Denna.

 

I loved this book. It's a monster of a book and it's so, so excellent. Patrick Rothfuss' poetic writing swept me off my feet and the tales of Kvothe made me more and more concerned for the present-day, parallel story of Kvothe of Waystone Inn.

 

This sequel left me craving for more and left me with more questions than I could fathom. Rothfuss is a fantastic storyteller, no matter how insane the adventure may turn, he keeps it in check with deft writing and well-placed humour. The worldbuilding is pretty much unparalleled as I was completely immersed once again.

 

This series is smart. Enchanting. Wonderfully written. Hugely imaginative. It has well-written characters and has adventure, charm, and wit to fill thousands of pages. The Wise Man's Fear is over 900 pages long, and as I was closing in on the last page, I found myself reluctant to keep turning the pages. I've now joined the ranks of fellow readers eagerly awaiting book 3, but I'll sit here and wait patiently. I know I'll be in for a treat.

There's something endearing and beautiful about a boy who wants to save someone yet desperately needs his own saving.

 

There's something thoughtful and realistic about writing about imperfect people trying to do their best in life and life nonchalantly swatting them back.

 

There's something sad about books that portray lives as less than ideal we hope for and trick ourselves into believing.

 

There's something that makes me smile and tugs at my heart when characters are flawed and real and drink too much, who crave people and love and passion, who think about futures and think about nows, and there's something so deeply wonderful about books that can assure you that life isn't a fairy tale but there are individuals in life who make it worth living.

 

I loved the ending. I loved the writing, Sutter's narration (he'll be a hit-or-miss for readers), and Aimee's portrayal. The dialogue is fantastic and Tharp really understood the idea of showing not telling, especially when it came to Sutter Keely. Readers end up forming a clearer picture of him than even he can fathom, and I think that is the heart of the story and that is the reason why this book was so touching.

 

I'll just leave you with a few quotes.

 

"...Let me repeat, she is not a girl I'm interested in having sex with. Not now or any time in the future. I will not have sex with her in a car. I will not have sex with her in a bar. I will not have sex with her in a tree. I will not have sex with her in a lavator-ee. I will not have sex with her in a chair. I will not have sex with her anywhere."

 

 

"Oh right, I forgot. You're out to save her soul. Give me a hallelujah for Brother Sutter and his messianic complex.""My what?""Messianic complex. That means you think you have to go around trying to save everybody.""Not everybody. Just this one girl."

 

 

"Yeah," she says. I'm beginning to see that her "yeahs" are almost always two syllables, one for "yes" and the other for "but I don't know if anything will ever come out of it."

 

 

"...But I don't want just Thursday afternoons either. I don't want just moments. I want a whole life."

LOVED it! So much escapism fun, this trilogy is turning into one of my favourites :) I remember reading a review somewhere the mentioned this series is like a sci-fi version of Harry Potter, and I think that analogy is awesome because Kincaid really does well to explore so many different aspects of growing up. Whether it is friendship, romance, family, the petty squabbles to changing the world, Tom Raines is completely caught up in it and these themes are developed wonderfully. The narration is smooth, very readable, funny when it needs to be and serious when necessary. I adore the dynamic between Medusa and Tom, as well as Wyatt Enslow, a severely underrated yet brilliant mashup of Ron and Hermione. One of the biggest compliments I can give is that I was reading A Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, and The Ocean at the ENd of the Lane by Neil Gaiman at the time... then I read 100 pages of Vortex and couldn't get it out of my head. I knew I had to finish this book before I went back to the others (and trust me, the others are fantastic). Go read this series :)

Fantastic. Honest, super-readable, and brilliantly funny in an understated sort of way. The type of book where you fall in love with the characters from page one. Writing is beautiful, I adored Rafe, Ben, Claire Olivia, Toby, Albie, and Coach Donnelly. And Rafe's over zealous parents. And the touching (b)romance. The self discovery, the tribulations of life, and the wonderfully-captured, bizarre, random, funny moments that make our teen years memorable.

A lot of those "almost but not quite" feelings when i was reading, regarding both the romance, friends, and family aspect. I wanted more from this book, but as usual, i enjoyed the distinctly Dessen vibe, Colby, dialogue, and writing.

 

It's hugely unfair to the author for readers to constantly compare his/her books to others. But sorry, I'm human, I can't help it and because of my inability to judge The Moon and More as a simple "YA book" as opposed to a "Sarah Dessen book", my review is skewed.For example: I liked Morris and Daisy. But I liked the supporting characters from The Truth About Forever more (like Monica and Kristy). Those characters just felt more vibrant and fleshed out, and funner to read about. I liked Emaline's sisters. But I loved Whitney and Kirsten (from Just Listen) more. I liked Emaline's mom. But I liked Auden/Auden's mom's relationship more. I liked the Emaline/her father thing. But I couldn't help but compare it to Auden/Auden's father, which I had enjoyed more and was for some reason, much more invested in. And neither Theo nor Luke did it for me. I mean, no, you dont' have to make me swoon. But you have to make me care. And you didn't. I just never clicked with Theo, and I can't really put my finger on why-- I'm not sure if I thought he was just too flat, to predictably unique, too Superlative... but he just never did it. But I did adore Benji, and even appreciated Ivy after a while. Go figure.

 

Anyway, as you can tell, it's just not my favourite because I just come to expect a wee bit more from Dessen's books, and this one didn't deliver in the way I had hoped.

3.5/5

 

My Thoughts:

 

You’ve probably heard of Wild Awake. If you haven’t you’re probably like me and disconnected from the more modern YA news, or perhaps this is old news that I just was never informed about. The synopsis means to grab your attention (it works) but it also doesn’t nearly prepare you for the actual book.

 

Kiri’s days are urgent, manic, and feel like the passed both too quickly and too slowly. She’s erratic and talkative, frenetically dedicated to piano, sleepless, high, and unusual. She’s unlike any protagonist I’ve read about, and it’s a double-edged sword.

 

On one hand, different is good. It’s a breath of fresh air surrounded by a cloud of worry for her antics and well-being. On the other hand, different also meant unrelatable and I can definitely see her character being a hit-or-miss. It’s obvious that Kiri’s going through some sort of episode kick-started by news about her sister’s death five years ago, whether it’s a nervous breakdown or monomania like her friend’s well-meaning mother thinks, or hypomania. And I liked it, with reservations. Yeah. It’s one of those things, sorry.

 

I applaud the approach, I really do. It felt Smith stepped outside the boundaries of mainstream contemporary and fearlessly tackled a difficult topic of mental illness, but while I thought the representation of the character holds true, it made the novel, as a whole, very tangled, unfocussed, and frazzled. There’s not really a plot. There’s a lot of things mashed together, love, music, grief, and it lacked cohesion—yet I felt like this style was done on purpose. And regardless of the true intent or whatnot, I didn’t really love it. I was like “well, Kiri goes on another chaotic adventure, now what? Oh, she’s going to do it again? Okay. And again? Okay. What now? Where is this headed?” And well, imagine that, throughout the entire book even up till the end where too many things are left unresolved.

 

I’ve talked about character a lot (very interesting), and the plot (too unfocused for my personal tastes), but what about the writing? It’s… both good and not my thing. Smith clearly has great control of language as her prose is littered with metaphors…. but her prose is littered with so many freaking metaphors. It feels over-written at many points, as if they decided to keep in every description and simile that they were proud of instead of striking out needless text that cluttered the prose. Yes, these metaphors are pretty and flowery, but they were also glaringly obvious and within the first 20 pages I couldn’t stop noticing them, and not in a good way. That said, I really liked the way Smith embodied the show-not-tell, and well, being inside Kiri’s mind was definitely an experience.

 

There is an undeniable stigma attached to mental illness, but books like Wild Awake are a step in the right direction-- it shows us the tangled, complex, and imperfect nature of humans and life.

 

I haven't touched on a lot of things-- character relationships in particular, but I really just want to stop rambling. I liked most of them, though. Oh! And this book is set in Vancouver (HECK YES, CANADA!! THEY NOTICED US, FRIENDS!) which is awesome.

The rating may be harsh, but I'm just frustrated. I may be out of place discussing this but to me, Brown's books just feel like declining in quality since her debut. 5, 4, 3, and now 2 stars for her latest. I keep waiting around for that spark from Hate List because that book was beautiful and touching and real. But from this trend of her later books, I feel like I'm wasting my time when I dutifully pick up her newest book, and that frustrates me. I have a special connection to 2 authors in particular, Courtney Summers and Jennifer Brown-- because they debuted with FANTASTIC YA novels when first started blogging in 2009, and I've read every one of their books since. While Summers keeps impressing me, Brown has just disappointed me, much to my dismay. For a mini review of Thousand Words-- LACKED HEART (which just kills any book). Writing didn't stand out. I didn't care for the characters. It tried to tackle the "current issue" of sexting, but it didn't feel genuine. Ash was annoying and kept asking her parents stupid, naive questions that annoyed me. I want my time back, and I don't think I've said that about a book in ages. What was the Ash and Mack deal? I don't think I've read such a boring, uninspiring, non-sparkly relationship in a long time.

3.5/5I've had this book for about 2-3 years, and I *finally* finished it. It's a nice coming-of-age story. The characters were nuanced and loveable, but the overall plot arc felt slightly too short or too shallow. Everything that happened felt "almost, but not quite" despite me enjoying it. It's a quiet read. It's got some lovely Aussie flair to it, solid prose, and great character relationships. Tiff (our main character) gives interesting insights into people and life, and well, I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single character that I disliked. But really, this is the good stuff:I lean back against the gold stone and gaze around me. In among the dead there must be girls who were once like me and Kayla. They probably lived this very scene before us; asked the same questions about friendship, about life; wondered if it was all worthwhile. I think it is. Hope it is.-We must have had a thousand moments like this, being together and happy. Not one of them stands out from the rest. I suppose it's like eating chocolate. You love it at the time, but after you've liked the last trace from your lips, it's just gone.-Tiffany,I like you but you mightn't feel the same about m, and I wouldn't blame you. To save us both from any awkward moments I've figured out an easy way to do this. Nod if you're even slightly interested in getting to know me. Write me a ten page explanation if you're not.Davey-If you can't get a boy, get a book, that's my motto.Mine too, Tiff, mine too.

Whee, so much fun! Like nothing compares to Harry Potter, but the setting is kinda similar and we've got a hot-headed, slightly arrogant, yet loveable protagonist and interesting premise. Sometimes a bit jumbled with the vast array of terminology introduced, but I adored the futuristic aspect of Insignia. I thought the world building was impressive, but the delivery sometimes felt WAY to expository, and very tell not show. Not perfect, but very, very enjoyable. This one kept me up reading late into the night.

4.5/5I haven't read a book I really loved in months, and I've been picking up and putting down countless books recently. Until this one. And I loved that as I was reading it, I was realizing that it was going to be a new favourite of mine and let me tell you, I was never so disappointed to see the "Acknowledgements" page after that last chapter. Two things: That's not how it ends at all.It ends with us killing each other behind rows of empty beer coolers in the dying light of a late-summer day.I went up to him before the last of the light was gone. Not to see if he was dead. I knew he was dead. I wanted to see what he was holding in his bloody hand.It was a crucifix.That passage near the beginning made me sit up and take note. This was not a book that was to be ignored. "It's hopeless. And it's stupid. It's suicidal. But love is a weapon they have no answer for. They know how you think, but they can't know what you feel." Damn, RIck Yancey, I like your book a lot.---This one took me by surprise, I'm usually one to ignore the hype and I've done my fair share of wandering around bookstores and reading 50 or so pages, then leaving. However, I took this baby home with me ;) Before we get to the brilliance of the writing, can we just talk about the freaking plot? It's so well crafted and builds a solid foundation for the series. Everything from the 1st wave to the Arrival, from Camp Ashpit to Camp Haven, I loved the way Yancey really thought through the Others' plan of attack. It allowed for much better rapport between the protagonist and the actions of the antagonist instead of one directional volleys. Okay, but if plots aren't your thing, maybe writing is. It really is gorgeous, I really picked up on some of the colour imagery (because it was reminiscent of The Book Thief), as well certain distinct features like the Eye and the Mothership. Some passages were breathtaking and haunting, and definitely made my mind turn over on itself; he fleshes out the complications and pain of war, loss, family, and love, yet still maintains an action-packed atmosphere and a tense feeling of impending doom. So then there are the characters, where I loved and like the whole bunch. Another thing I didn't expect-- the switching POVs (okay, okay, maybe I didn't thoroughly research this book before reading it) but it was such a pleasant surprise. There was a point where Yancey switched between 1st and 3rd POV which I found interesting and enjoyable. My problem is that the central romance was lacking for me, I mean, okay, hopeless devotion is only romantic to an extent. I much more enjoyed Cassie throwing meat at his head. Yancey leaves an aura of mystery around many of the characters that leaves me eager to find out more. I found one or two of the POVs slowed down the story and I definitely felt a lull during the middle portion of the book; however, there's enough heart-pumping action in the third act to make me forget all about it ;) Overall, it was an exhilarating, addictive book and I'm still smiling about it. A well-developed, intricate plot paired with characters who you want to see make it through really seems to be a winning combination. Fabulous writing, and hugely recommended.

Eep! LOVE!!

4.5/5, I might change it to 5/5 later because that's how much I adored it. I just have all these feelings. Like it feels as if my chest has swelled up and I'm both happy and sad and just so..... yeah. It's hard to explain.You know what is the best thing about this book? I mean, the thing that's just ridiculously refreshing and caught me off guard. It's this:The book is about Eleanor. And Park. And their relationship and nothing greater than that (well, immediate family excluded). There is no grand plan. There is no greater good, there is no war, no impending apocalypse, this was a story about two teenagers who fall in love and fall in love in a ridiculously adorable way. There's intimacy to this type of storytelling in which the reader is wildly consumed by just two people-- it's a small story, but maybe that's what makes it feel so much bigger.Plus, this book had the best references. Rowell referenced Dicey Tillerman for goodness sakes, that's some quality stuff. Han Solo, too.And the writing was dreamy. And the freaking metaphors were to die for. Eleanor thought of Park as a protagonist to a story and I was just like hallelujah what is this perfection.. it was the little things like that. I wish I had sticky notes as I was reading because they would have been everywhere. I love the two characters. I love love love love loved them. They were both so beautiful. And I LOVED Park's parents SO MUCH omg. They actually deserve an entire paragraph's dedication. Because I loved them and their story and their conflicts and their relationship with Park. Everything. So wonderfully written (and cute).I'll be thinking of this book for days. Do read it if you get the chance. It's different. It's quirky and soft but also tragic and unfair. Kind of like life. Except I wish life had more guys like Park and more girls like Eleanor.

Hale? HALE! This is a HALE book, much to my excitement. There is plenty of Hale, and not just the one you're thinking (have I mentioned Hale's name enough? Because really, what more of an excuse do you need? One more time? HALE!) The Heist Society series is honestly just pure escapism and fun times for me, and that's why I adore it so much. Teens planning and executing cons could not possibly be more entertaining, especially with such a kick-butt protagonist and a loveable supporting cast. It's the type of book where I don't give a crap that there's one too many tropes.My only issue with this book (because as usually, I love the delightful characters and smooth writing) is that I felt the plot lost the "it" factor towards the end. I ended up questioning the author's decision to "trick" the reader for a page or two, and the shift (BEING VERY VERY VAGUE, HOPEFULLY NO SPOILERS) between the 'bridge' and the 'train' was really.. confusing? Like after reading the part on the train, the transition felt very clunky.Okay, these are spoilers:Like the part when "Reginald" died, that whole part I was on board, but then when Carter was writing Kat and Hale's reactions, I didn't like the forced emotion (considering Kat must have known the plan). It felt tacky and manipulative. Also, to expand on the bridge and train thing, how did Garrett like, leave prison? I thought he 'killed' a guy. Don't they lock you up for that? What?Anyway, there were also parts of the plot that I wasn't a huge fan of (we know the antagonist's plan too early on), or that the heist was underwhelming (it was sneaky, but not... heist-y enough for me, or imaginative enough). --HOWEVER, it's still getting 4/5 from me because although there were some parts I wasn't the most pleased with, I still had and wonderful time reading it and escaping into Kat's world. I thought Ally Carter dealt with so many great themes in an impacting way (I really adored the way Carter wrote about Kat stealing Hale), the themes of family and friendship really stood out and I greatly enjoyed it.

awww this one made me smile. I think I was too ambivalent on too many aspects of the book, but it was definitely enjoyable as a whole. The writing and voice were engaging, and I feel Gayle Forman always does well when writing about universal feelings in a connected type of way. I liked that she made the protagonist older, and the way Allyson dealt with her parents and her independence was interesting. Allyson's personal journey was depicted excellently in general.I also adored the small quirky things that made the novel more rich, things like the French lessons, the macarons, Babs, and the part with the watch :)I had a few minor-ish issues: the college experience-- while the feelings I thought were authentic, it skimmed over some academic things (is no one stressed for exams or is it just me?). Apart from Dee, every other character fell flat and/or were predictable (the "simpering girls" in class part could not possibly be more condescending. I'm judging you as hard as you are judging them, methinks.) The last chunk felt rushed and too coincidental, and instead of lifting me inside some type of fairytale adventure, I was kind of bogged down by it. And lastly, it felt...methodical. Maybe a bit too planned, I don't know why such an aspect is sticking out for me (I know, it's called a plot, things are planned, Audrey you're being ridiculous) but I didn't feel the rush during the "just one day" part, nor did I fall in love with Willem the way I think most readers did. --Nevertheless, this novel gets 4 stars from me, and I'd highly recommend it. I'll be among the masses of people looking forward to the second part, and I'm definitely looking forward to knowing Willem better :)