Okay, I'm going to be brief (for once). If you're looking for a more in-depth review, I recommend the one by Phuong ✯. She did amazing work her reviewOkay, I'm going to be brief (for once). If you're looking for a more in-depth review, I recommend the one by Phuong ✯. She did amazing work her review.
Fair warning, this might be slightly spoilerish.
So, I do like Remo and Serafina. However, I've had enough. We do not need another point of view on their book; we already got like four. (And we are probably getting another one because I can just expect Samuel to spend half of the book on how Serafina betrayed him and half of the book being a flashback taking place during Serafina's book. EDIT: oh, and also Adamo. His book is totally having flashbacks to the torture in Twister Pride if not the kidnapping of Serafina as well. And then the mom plot. I really need fewer flashbacks in these books. Especially on plot, we've seen through a different POV.). I mean just enough. And if it was not enough that it was another POV on the Twisted Pride, Serafina was mentioned so much that it was making me uncomfortable. And I repeat, I actually like Serafina and Remo, yet the constant mention of Serafina was making me sick. I cannot imagine all those who actually do not like her having to read this book and having Serafina mentioned every other page.
Well, me being brief probably just went out of the window, it seems.
If I were, to sum up, this book, it's just watered-down version of Twisted Hearts. (view spoiler)[And the terrifying thing is that Samuel and Emma seem to be heading the same way. (hide spoiler)]
I did know that Sofia had a crush on Danilo based on Serafina's book. But to this extend? She and Gemma could have exchanged some pointers. However, I have to say that the "confrontation" at the party went better for Gemma than it went for Sofia. And I'm saying it now that I'm still not okay with that scene. (view spoiler)[Well and a couple of others, mainly Sofia flashing her boobs at Danilo. (hide spoiler)] Which is the main issue with a large age gap when the story starts at the time when one of them is underage (and Sofia being underage for half of the book did not help), it just tends to cross certain lines. And yes, age gap story can be done well but this is not it.
As for Danilo, I'm actually surprised. Before reading this book I've expected that he would still have Serafina issues (view spoiler)[Okay, he has Serafina issues but different than I've expected. (hide spoiler)] I really thought that he would put pressure on Sofia not being like her sister and actually same with Sofia's family. I don't know. Based on the blurb and everything I really expected Sofia to be forced by her family to be like Serafina. (I even expected someone to suggest that they can remake Serafina's old wedding dress for her).
Maybe you should stop mentioning her." (Anna to Sofia).
But no. From what I read, it felt like that only Sofia was putting the pressure on herself to be like Serafina. (view spoiler)[The whole dying hair to look like Serafina? Using her perfume? (hide spoiler)] I have to say that most of the characters in books by this author had some serious issues and traumas. But the whole time reading this book there was a voice in my head that was screaming that someone needs to get a good therapist for Sofia. (Or maybe I was just watching too many videos by Kirk Honda).
Even if I was ashamed to admit it, I barely missed Fina anymore and often even forgot all about her - until someone reminded me. Well, not true.
Oh, yeah, I was talking about Danilo. I mean, I liked him better in Twisted Pride or even Bound by the Past. He gets major extra points for his relationship with Emma, and I mean major! (view spoiler)[I expected him to be angry. Very angry. But that sort of went out of the window after the wedding and he was actually kind of a softie - which admittedly felt a bit fake and out of character. But where he lost me was when he said that he never thought about Sofia in a "sexual" way before... A chapter or two before that he was totally checking her out. A bit of consistency? (hide spoiler)] Also, I felt like he did suddenly a one-eighty. He was all so suddenly extremely committed to Sofia and felt like he was the one wanting a Disney fairytale.
So, I called this book Twisted Hearts 2.0 and same with that book, here they actually get married pretty late in the book. I believe it was around the halfway mark, which then also leads to the problem that their relationship post-wedding feels a tad rushed. A plus compared to Twisted Hearts the pre-wedding section felt less jumpy.
But the issue was that it felt that nothing much in the book really happened. If you take Serafina out of the story, you're not left with much. And while I get it that this was sort of stand-alone, it's then strange that it so heavily relies on Serafina drama. But there is nothing besides Sofia and Danilo finding a way to work as a couple. No additional drama. No additional plotline. It even got to the point that I wanted to know more about Marco and even his issues with Bria.
To conclude, yeah, it wasn't great, but Twisted Hearts were worse. EDIT: A few days later I'm not sure it compared that well even to Twisted Hearts. At this moment I think that both were terrible. So, one star may go missing from this rating pretty soon.
A couple of notes on the side: - Well, I wasn't sure about Anna in Bound by Past. She seemed very timid, and I actually felt really sorry and sad for her. In this book, she is nothing like that. This Anna and Anna from Bound by Past feel like different characters. And honestly, while Anna was saying some hard truths, she was kind of annoying. - And while I like her more, I'm still not sure with the whole Santino/Clifford thing. - With each book, I like Samuel less and less. He does not deserve Emma at all. - I still have hopes for Nestore's book and Greta's and Amo's book. - And clearly, I was not brief, but I still recommend Phuong's ✯ review....more
I read this book after watching the movie because it was the first time I heard about it.
First, I have to say that I liked the movie very much and I'I read this book after watching the movie because it was the first time I heard about it.
First, I have to say that I liked the movie very much and I've seen it several times. The scenes from In-Between are one of my all-time favourites. And the moment when Susie's father destroys the ships in bottles is just the best; it keeps popping on my Youtube because I just watched so many times. So, if I go a couple of moths without watching it, Youtube is like: "Here, watch it."
Usually, I'm not much of an audiobook gal, but if there is a version which was narrated by Saoirse Ronan, I'm gonna listen to it!
My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.
Anyway, why am I talking about a movie here, right? Because I saw it first, I did not compare it with the book, and I believe if I knew the book previous to watching the movie, I would see it in a different light. However, right now, I see them as two separate entities, there is a movie I enjoy, and a book which is fantastic and both have the power to break my heart.
“And I was gone.”
It's very hard to describe this book without spoiling much. All I'm going to say that even reading quotes gives me the "tension" feeling in my jaw, which I usually have right before I'm about to cry. It just breaks my heart. Because of Susie. Because of the real Susies who go through the same thing she did. Because of their families. And because Georges Harveys exist in the real world.
“The living deserve attention, too.”
But I have to say that this book is right up my alley, I enjoy books when people die and get a chance to relive their last day to make things right, where they are still there and watch their families. It might not be for everyone — definitely something to consider before picking up this book....more
EDIT: This book maybe did not win the Goodreads Choice Awards but it's my winner the Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction category and that's enoEDIT: This book maybe did not win the Goodreads Choice Awards but it's my winner the Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction category and that's enough for me. EDIT: Finding out that this book did not make it into the final round of the Goodreads Choice Awards. [image]
EDIT:
[image] IT WORKED! YES!YES!YES! You cannot imagine how happy I'm when I go to see the second round of the Goodreads Choice Awards and The Shadows Between Us are nominated in the Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. The write-in worked!
EDIT: Wow, I have to say that I was quite surprised that I did not see this book nominated in Young Adult Fantasy for the Goodreads Choice Awards. So, let's see if there is some power in the write-in option.
ORIGINAL: Was this book perfect? No. Did this book deliver on everything I've expected from it? No. Do I care? No. Why? Because it was such a long time since I enjoyed "YA"/fantasy book so much as I did enjoy this one.
As I previously mentioned, I was sold when this book was labelled as "Slytherin".
If only he knew I have my sights set a bit higher than that.
Yeah, I was hyped when I started this book, and the beginning was so good, I had problems to remember to breathe, and then I was close to hyperventilating. It was everything my Slytherin heart wanted.
"People are staring." "That's the point, isn't it?"
Alessandra was the kind of character I wanted. I'm so over the shocked girls who have no idea why people think that they are pretty or don't want to be in the situation 'cause they just want a nice simple life. Who are shocked by the evil people and don't get it why people are just so mean. Finally, a character who is very self-aware, has a goal, is ambitious and does not care what it takes to get what they want. Love it, and I need more books like this. I also loved every single time Alessandra chewed up someone or schemed.
What I did not expect was to get more characters like that in the book.
See that all the men who accompanied us on our outing are hanged.
The King is just as ambitious. And at that point, I practically want to propose to this book.
Plus the fact that Alessandra has an obsession with pretty dresses which she creates for herself, (Which made me realise how rare it is for female characters to have hobbies besides reading.) and that the friendships are a surprisingly fun and great addition to the story are not helping to me not being obsessed.
There were several side plots which kept the story moving, so, I never really felt like nothing was happening.
So, where did it go wrong? Because yeah, I love this book, but there are things which irked me, to say the least.
First, the main "villain" (if you do not count Alessandra as the villain of the story) was very obvious. Plus the reason or explanation behind their actions was pretty easy to guess as well. I'm not angry by it, just disappointed.
Second, Alessandra started great, but then I felt like a bit of her disappeared. The part which had a plan and was ready for everything. (view spoiler)[Like, please, if you get poison to kill someone and then change your mind, don't just chuck it somewhere. (hide spoiler)] The dumb move is the season.
Third, I did not really feel like we got a good grasp on the background, on the setting, and sometimes things just felt a bit confusing. But yeah, I get it, it's standalone, and while I may have some grief with the lack of world setting, I love the author for keeping it a standalone.
Fourth, Kallias just sometimes felt a bit too mushy.
And now, fifth and last, the ending. What is it with endings? I hoped for a different ending. More original. (view spoiler)[ It was again way too roses and pink. Everything was well and happy. And I just felt like something had to give. Something bad. Or just some huge power move. Just something which would leave me speechless the moment I would close the book. Only being able to say WOW. But this was a very forgettable ending. Average. (hide spoiler)] And while I had four more issues with this book. The ending is the reason why I took one star away.
------------------------------------------------------------------- Honestly? I'm still sad that I was declined for an ARC. ...more
So, when I went to sleep last night (more like this night since it was after midnight), I kept thinking about what I'm going to say about this book. ASo, when I went to sleep last night (more like this night since it was after midnight), I kept thinking about what I'm going to say about this book. And I was drawing a blank. But let me just tell you, fantastic debut! This author is definitely staying on my radar. Plus massive praise for a stand-alone.
So, let's start at the beginning; my interest in this book started when I saw the gorgeous cover! It's just so pretty. Then I knew there were twelve sisters and a curse. And that's it, I know, I know, I pretty bad at knowing what's the book about before reading it. That's just the story of my life. It was actually pretty surprising for me when at around the 34 % mark, I realised that this book was actually a retelling. And of one of my childhood favourite fairytale. The 12 dancing princesses, I adored that fairytale so much, if only because we had an illustrated book of the Grimm's fairytales and I loved just to look at all the pretty dresses the princesses had. Of course, this book is getting extra points for being a retelling of this fairytale, plus some extra points because I never saw a retelling of this fairytale, you see all the cinderellas, beauties and beasts but this was rather original as far as retellings go.
We start right in the action... okay, I know it's pretty bold of me calling a funeral action, but it does throw you into the story right away. It gives a space for the main character to reflect on all the dead sisters and on those of them who as still alive. I have to say that I found it easier to distinguish the dead ones than the living one. Ava, Octavia, Elizabeth, Eulalie all died in more or less suspicious ways. And now Camille is the oldest one, the heir to their father's estate. Annaleigh is our main character and has the worst timing ever! She asked her father to talk about something always in the worst moments possible. But then the issues start. You have Lenore, Rosalie and Ligeia who are triplets. And the rest were Honor, Mercy and Verity collectively called the Graces. I have to say that I had a problem to remember all of these characters and especially to distinguish between them.
The girls live with their father, who recently married a very young girl named Morella, she is not from the island, and she does not know their culture and customs. Generally, Morella was just so clueless that I had a very hard time deciding if she's truly that "stupid" or if she's secretly an evil step-mother. (view spoiler)[ She went on to announce that she was pregnant with a boy at the wake after Eulalie's funeral! Plus she had a very rude awakening when she found out that no matter how many sons she had, they would go to the back of the line when it came to the inheritance. (hide spoiler)] I was also unsure when it came to daddy-dearest. Annaleigh said that her father was nice and never violent right at the beginning of the story. However, his behaviour was anything but nice.
Then we got Fisher who I disliked. He seemed like the friend who did not care about the girl until there was another guy interested. I feared a bit that it would end in a love-triangle, but thankfully it did not. And as for Cassius, he was a cutie, but I wish he had a bigger role in the story. Or maybe not. Because this way, the romance did not become the most important part of the story, rather the sprinkle on top.
And now to the important part. I loved this story so much! It was sometimes so scary (especially when I wanted to read the last chapter before going to bed) that I even had to look under my bed. It left me speechless, worried to take a breath and wanting to get more. And then the rhythm would shift to a soothing one. And then a shock once again! And then the last 25 % got so scary and crazy that it's a true retelling in a Grimm fashion! The end of the story is just the best; it got so mysterious and really creepy. Yeah, here I wish this mysterious aspect was introduced much earlier in the story. You could see little bits dropped here and there, but I never grasped the whole thing. Because I did not see the ending coming at all, I was pretty much freaking out and thinking "What's even going on?!" And then the whole story flipped and all I knew or thought I knew crumbled under my eyes. I'm not even going to say what the huge plot twist was, not even under the spoiler tag, it was just that crazy, but I may say that it reminded me a bit of the Mara Dyer series in the sense that nothing could have been trusted.
But you know me, I have to have little grievances with the story, and this time it's that I could actually do without the epilogue. If I'm going to re-read this book, I'll skip the epilogue. ...more
I am very pleasantly surprised here! For a debut? It is pretty damn good!
And also the fabulous buddy-read with Mary helped me to enjoy this book even I am very pleasantly surprised here! For a debut? It is pretty damn good!
And also the fabulous buddy-read with Mary helped me to enjoy this book even more!
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- This was me while reading all the time! Since we were reading only 5 or 6 chapters per day (okay except for the last but one when we read 12 but WE NEEDED ANSWERS!)
- Mary had to suffer through numerous of my conspiracy theories and since I had so much time to think about those theories. Some of them were crazily correct! I have to say; my theory game was on point with this one!
- When I first found out about this book, it really reminded me about Three Dark Crowns. With the title, with the cover (I know it's blue, now but my screen colour is always so much down that it seemed black). And I even thought that this was the last book in that series. And now I just hope that people won't mistake it for TDC because this is worth reading!
- You get action from the first page! Somethings happening all the time and you're trying to connect all those dots, and then you find out that you completely overlooked something. (Or you did not think that it was important!)
- I like Kera! She's snarky, rude and resourceful! She's fun, and I really liked her, it was a long time since I liked the main female character that much!
- This book made me laugh at the most inappropriate moments!
"To be safe, she emptied half the bottle."
“So no to breaking into the palace, but yes to stealing more clothes?”
- Varin is cute and everything... but I'm not here for the cute!
“Go, you stupid Eonist!”
- Talking about Eonists, I could not imagine living in Eonia! That Quadrant freaked me out! (view spoiler)[ The moment you're born they determine when you'll die. But not determine, they set the date! Like finding that you have an illness, but you will be fine for the next 20 years, so they give you the 20 years and then set your death date because you would be a burden on the society! Or if you fail at your job, they can move the death date closer! (hide spoiler)]
- And Mackiel? That's what I'm here for! I loved his character! Loved to watch his plans!
- The timeline of the story was a killer!
- Romance: (view spoiler)[Not a fan of it. Kera is going to eat Varyn alive! I still don't get it how they got "in love". (hide spoiler)]
- And obviously the one thing I did not question (but messed every my theory) came to bite me!
- This book made me slightly paranoid!
- And huge thanks to the author that she made this a stand-alone! Because most would try to make a trilogy out of this, but thankfully this was not the case. Instead, we got actioned packed one book which is totally worth it!
But, you know me, I have to point out some things that I did not like. Four quadrants and the kingdom (or should I say queendom?) is called Quadara? A bit originality, please! (view spoiler)[ The end is a bit too happy for me! I know, three Queens are dead, but it's written in such a way that you know that the things will move towards the better. That the one Queen will unite the Quadara and will be Queen for everyone! She will try to remove the death date for Eonist and stuff like that! Kera's father is healed; she will reunite with them, they will love her again. And she'll live happily ever after with Varin... (hide spoiler)] --> This would be minus 0,5 ⭐....more
***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Romanov family fascinates people for a century. Well***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Romanov family fascinates people for a century. Well, mainly their end does. And I was curious what Nadine Brandes would do with the story. And mainly how she's going to end the story, that's what I'm always curious to see.
I believe that the book had great potential. However, it seems a bit like a miss. Like the story is always the one note away for me to really enjoy. But it's still an enjoyable read, and I think that you won't be disappointed reading this.
Roughly the first 60% follow the Romanov family from Tobolsk to Ekateringburg. Here, it seems very precise. The author then said that she did a lot of research. However, it seemed like she mainly used the Wikipedia article about the Execution of the Romanov family. There are some sentences that seem very similar. Or they might have the same source. (No judgement, only stating my subjective feeling). However, the result is that it seems a bit textbook said from the POV of a teen girl. And I'm not sure this is the desired result.
Then the last 40% is a fiction. Following the myth that Anastasia and fully developing the fantasy element of this book.
Strangely enough, I prefer the textbook beginning. Why? Because it at least makes sense. Unfortunately, the author seems to be lost when she suddenly does not have a history to follow. What to do now? And suddenly there are so many problems for me to unsee.
I have several things I need/want to point out.
- There is a lot of Russian words used to describe things. Budenovka, fortochka, droshky. I understand all of them. But, I really doubt that someone who does not speak a Slavic language will know all of them. And unfortunately, it is not a good thing to be forced to google things, especially in fantasy. Also, I saw that several times the Russian was done wrong as well. In a basic sentences. If I remember correctly the "Good morning" was wrong.
- The Romanov family was shown as the nicest people ever. And while I understand that of course, Anastasia would love her parents... It does not work. The author claims extensive research, but here I believe she fails. Nikolai was very much a family man who loved his wife and children. But, he was a very bad tsar. Meek. Under the influence of his wife who was HATED by the Russian people. But here Nikolai is suddenly the perfect leader who leads his family and supposedly was a devoted leader to his people. It seems fake. Romanticised. (But I have to say that I loved the relationship in the family! Well written).
- The book should have started at a different point; not everyone is familiar with the Revolution and the Romanov family. If the book started maybe with the abdication, it would make more sense. Explain why Nikolai was forced to abdicate. Why people hated him and his wife. Explain Bolsheviks, Mensheviks. Why the revolution started, how badly the Russian people were affected by the First World War. And I wish Grand Duke Michael was at least mentioned in the book.
-This is one of the problems. People need knowledge. One time Nicholai talks about his cousin King George V of the United Kingdom. But he does not say his name and people are left guessing. Or confused. (view spoiler)[From the book it sounded as if Nicholai was hurt that George did not take them to Britain to save them. But he did not know that George refused; he believed that it was the UK's government! So, do not try to be historically correct and then drop things like that. (hide spoiler)]
- There is a lot of talk about the White Army, but once again I felt like it was very confusing unless you know the history. And by the way, correct me if I'm mistaken. But wasn't it the Czechoslovak legion that was reaching Ekaterinburg? They were going East so that they could go back to Czechoslovakia if I remember correctly.
- Also, Maria went with her parents first and once they left her sisters sewed the jewels in their dress. So, how is it possible that Maria wore jewellery in her dress as well in the end? The jewels had to be put there before leaving Tobolsk but they started to do it once Maria left.
- Do I have any Russian friends here? If yes, please, help me here. Zash. I'm really confused by the name. I know the name Zasha exists, but I never saw Zash. I know that защитник (zashchitnik) means defender. But is there Zash as a name?
- Also, Zash is supposed to be from an aboriginal tribe from Siberia, but his description makes him sound more Scandinavian than Siberian.
- Talking about Zash. (view spoiler)[ The supposed romance between him and Anastasia does not work. At all. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[Oh my main issue! The anjin spell takes them into a shadow world or whatever and whatever happens to their bodies after that will be erased. But not before. Anastasia says it after the execution while lying in a car. And then when they come back, she only has bruised ribs. The way they were killed was a massacre. They were butchered; there is no way she would be shot only one time. They would put more bullets in her and then take a bayonet on her. This is nonsense! (hide spoiler)]
- And the ending: (view spoiler)[ Anastasia asks to be buried with her family. And it's true that she and Alexei were found in a different grave. But still, I don't like this because if they lived a long happy life and then they were buried with their family, their skeletons would be of old people. I know fantasy... but still. And talking about this I just want to point out that the point where Alexei tells the soldiers that he is now the tsar there is no way they would just let him go! If they were truly the Whites, Alexei is the most important thing to them. They would have stayed with him, protected him and tried to get him to their leaders. They would have not just waved goodbye and watched as they went back to the enemy. (hide spoiler)]
- Also, Anastasia is injured if only cracked ribs, but she was starved for months with a minimum of exercise. She's wearing a skirt, corset and heavy coat. But suddenly she's able to walk for a day while carrying her brother. Then she manages to jump out of the train on a horse and then from horse to the train... Oh, I almost forgot, MOVING train. I'm saying no. Making her a superhero is stupid and I hated this part.
- The problem with this book is simple. It tries very hard to be historically correct but always fails in small things which matter. And it does not work with the fantasy element. I want to believe that if it was fantasy all along, different names, different family, setting it might have worked. This book needs to be more fantasy, or more historically correct, the mix right now is very in between and seems artificial....more
I can certainly say that 2019 started way better than 2018 ended. And thanks to all of my friends who published fabulous rWell, this was interesting.
I can certainly say that 2019 started way better than 2018 ended. And thanks to all of my friends who published fabulous reviews for this book and pushed me to read it!
I adore mythology! I would like to say that I know quite a lot about it. I read The Greek Myths from Robert Graves, to begin with, and then more, much more. That's why I was so intrigued by this one, Circe is interesting, however, she is always on the background and it seems to me that often she is mistaken for Calypso by some people.
I honestly expected something like Percy Jackson. The mythology on the background, as the foundation of the world and then working with it freely. However, this is more of a... I do not know what to call it. It simply gives POV to Circe, which is something new.
And it worked amazingly at the beginning of the book before she was exiled to the island. Unfortunately, after that, it became slightly boring. Because I already knew all the stories that happened during that time. Minos, Minotaurus, Odysseus, Medea... (view spoiler)[Btw, I always thought that Circe and Odysseus had three sons not only one? But then again, it's mythology; I bet there are sources that claim otherwise. (hide spoiler)]
I would personally much rather have more of the "before exile" and "the last chapter of this book" than the in between. However, it is mainly caused by the fact that I was having mythology for breakfast as a little kid. I do not know if ma teacher at my primary school was more impressed or shocked when I told her that the homework she gave us was a Sisyphean task. 😂
Overall, the writing in this one is really good, and it is rather enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in Greek Mythology but does not have extensive knowledge about it.
Btw, I never liked Odysseus, and this book did not change that, at all. However, I'm currently harbouring a little crush on Hermes. Don't mind me. 😂...more
This was actually read for my university course. We were tasked to read a book (or watch a movie but...) and write a paper about how a journalist is pThis was actually read for my university course. We were tasked to read a book (or watch a movie but...) and write a paper about how a journalist is presented in the.
Unfortunately, there was a blacklist as well and all the books I had in my mind were on it. So I had to look for a new one. And I am a bit angry that I did not know this book before! Graham Greene has a unique way how to tell a story and I really liked it.
“Death was far more certain than God.”
The most interesting was the difference between Fowler and Pyle. Fowler is cynical, he saw all of it, he has no illusions. Pyle is new, full of hopes, believing in pretty theories he read about. Pyle is naive to a point where he is delusional.
“Sooner or later...one has to take sides. If one is to remain human.” ...more
Oh! Full circle. So, this book was the reason why I started using NetGalley and while I almost stopped. (Yup, got declined).
Anyway, now, two years laOh! Full circle. So, this book was the reason why I started using NetGalley and while I almost stopped. (Yup, got declined).
Anyway, now, two years later, I'm using NetGalley pretty often, and I decided to finally read this book. (Just checked my e-mail, I received the declining e-mail on 17/8/2018. Why did I read this so fast? It could have been a fun anniversary.)
So, what did I think? (I mean, you already know based on my rating but still...)
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In all honesty, this would be a 4,5* from me, but since I enjoyed it reading so much, I'll round it up to five!
Not gonna lie, I love fashion as much as the next girl. So, this topic basically won me over before I knew anything about the book.
And as much as many of you know, I love the villains in most stories or the anti-heroes. Anya is just that, this story is told from the POV of the villain of the story. Or is she? Maybe all of them are villains?
Anyway, Anya is crazy, to say the least. And she wants to be Sarah's BFF, so, she fakes her way into the fashion magazine La Vie. (Ehm, Dan Humphrey much?)
"Fashion people never let you forget that you don't belong."
But being in is not enough. When Anya and Sarah start competing for a promotion, things go south, I mean, Sarah cannot be a BFF with her employee, right?
However, Sarah is not the only competition, no, no, no, there are interns who pity Anya, who want to be Sarah's BFF, Sarah's current BFF who is digging in Anya's past. So many people are standing in Anya's way.
"You know what they say—if you can't join them, beat them."
I did not expect this book to turn so... gruesome in a way. For some reason, I expected it to be more comedic without the bodies piling up. ¨
Everyone started at Anya like this:
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And Anya went:
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And trust me, she knew how to you them.
Some of the things I did not necessarily like or I just wanted to point them out: - Huge thank you to the author for making this a standalone! - Also, can we get another book from Amina? She needs to write another book. - It was quite easy to guess the outcome. (view spoiler)[ Not sure if "guess" is the right word but I just kept screaming "frame her! frame Sarah." (hide spoiler)] - The thing with Doctor M. became obvious quite fast. - Sometimes I felt like some things were mentioned for no apparent reason. Like when someone spilt coffee on Anya during Fashion Week. (view spoiler)[Did it really happen? (hide spoiler)] - (view spoiler)[ Also, I wish that some things that happened had some impact. Like Anya giving Sarah a necklace from her victim's hair. Or even the nails of a victim being found inside Sarah's desk. Or the teddy bear? (hide spoiler)] - (view spoiler)[Since Anya was not all there, I keep wondering what really happened and was just her imagination. With the doctor, it was easy, but later on, it was becoming a bit of a guessing game which is a pity. (hide spoiler)] - Can we talk about Jack? He's 'totes' cute! - I totally get why some people may not enjoy this book and that it contains a lot of things which may be triggering to some....more
The national government was like the brain of a dinosaur: an insignificant mass of neurons inside a gigantic body.
It was pretty great. I was almost suThe national government was like the brain of a dinosaur: an insignificant mass of neurons inside a gigantic body.
It was pretty great. I was almost surprised how much information can be stuffed in such a short book. I'll definitely read more from Lawrence Friedman in the future. And if you are looking for a book that gives you an overview of the evolution of the American Law, definitely pick up this one!
The most memorable information from this book? That you can import an ostrich under 36 inches in height or/and 30 pounds in weight without having it inspected by a veterinarian.
Though, I have to take one star down because I fell asleep while reading the part about marriage....more
I don't want to say that I am disappointed. Because I'm not! But I am!
“Loki was not evil, although he was certainly not a force for good. Loki was . .I don't want to say that I am disappointed. Because I'm not! But I am!
“Loki was not evil, although he was certainly not a force for good. Loki was . . . complicated.”
I can relate to this. My stance towards this book is... complicated. This book was amazing. There is probably nothing the Neil Gaiman cannot write and make it amazing.
However, I feel that this book is a great introduction to the Norse Mythology. But if you already know something about it; it may sometimes feel slightly dull. Thanks to Gaiman's master writing everything is still fun to read. Still, I could not stop thinking that somehow I've expected a bit more from this book.
"Of course it was Loki. It's always Loki."
Yeah, even back then when I first read about the Norse Mythology, I disliked Thor. And somehow Neil Gaiman managed to make me hate Thor even a bit more than before. I'm still rooting for Loki. I sometimes wonder if he was the first bad guy I started to root for.
“It is a long story, and it does no credit to anyone: there is murder in it, and trickery, lies and foolishness, seduction and pursuit. Listen.”
I love any mythology. Because the gods are always a little crazy, angry, cunning and out for revenge. My favorite combo! And even though I always preferred Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Chinese mythology to the Norse one. It is still pretty amazing.
"None of this matters. The world is burning," says Loki. "The mortals are dead. Midgard is destroyed. I have won."...more
Genuine Fraud. I cannot say about the "genuine" part, but this book is definitely a fraud.
It pains me to say this because I was blown away by We WereGenuine Fraud. I cannot say about the "genuine" part, but this book is definitely a fraud.
It pains me to say this because I was blown away by We Were Liars. It's in my TOP 10. But this is like someone else wrote it. Okay, I could feel a certain similarity in the plot twist, but it's nowhere near We Were Liars.
I read several reviews, and it seems that pretty often people who liked We Were Liars were disappointed by this one. But on the other hand, people who were not impressed by We Were Liars found this one to be better. So, if you did not like We Were Liars, this might be a better one for you.
And I want to write a long review, explaining what went wrong for me but... it seems like everything went wrong. ...more
... Lituji toho, že jsem tohle vůbec četla. (Alespoň můžu vinit mamku, která to dotáhla domů).
Může obsahovat náznaky spoilerů
Můj první problém začal ... Lituji toho, že jsem tohle vůbec četla. (Alespoň můžu vinit mamku, která to dotáhla domů).
Může obsahovat náznaky spoilerů
Můj první problém začal hned na první stránce: Jmenuji se xy, jsem yyy a tohle je můj příběh. Sorry, ale tohle je amatérština. Jenom to ukazuje, že osoba neumí představit postavu, příběh nenuceně v průběhu.
Hned na první stránce se mi postava taky znechutila, když se popíše jako megální krásku a jak je strašně super! Pak se přirovná snad k Selmě Hayek? Tuším. Nevím, někdo jí zjevně zapomněl říct, že skromnost udělá divy.
Furt mává tím, že je profesorka (a lidi kvůli tomu ohýbají pravidla) a učí francouzštinu. Sice je to už pár let, co jsem ji aktivně studovala, ale stejně jsem tam našla několik chyb a párkrát to vypadá, že hodili větu do překladače, protože takhle by tu větu Francouz fakticky neřekl.
A hned z toho vyplývá další vět. Když dělali překlad, tak jim nevadila hromada textu ve FJ, ale museli počeštit Quiche. Přiznávám, že když jsem viděla poprvé napsané slovo kiš, tak ta knížka málem letěla z okna!
Spisovatelka si zjevně něco kompenzuje. Já jsem mega žrout, o jídle přemýšlím furt. Ale co se dělo v té knížce? To už fakticky byla nějaká nemoc. Brácha na to koukl a říká: "Jasný, ženská se hladoví, aby byla hubená, tak se nají aspoň na stránkách." A doopravdy to tak vypadalo.
Jistě, nikdy o Smithových neslyšela, ale bude je hned obhajovat, jak to byli super lidi. A vezme slovo sousedky za daný fakt a žene se za svou pravdou.
Ten konec? Nebyl realistický ani trochu. Vypadalo to tak, že vzala výčet na začátku a jediná chyba v hlavní postavě byla, že to není žádná Lara Croft, tak to musela napravit. Bylo to doslova směšné.
Stejně jako celý románek s jejím doktorem. A sorry, že ti řekne, že k doktorovi moc nechodí, tak to stejně nevysvětluje, že má najednou o ni zájem, jen co se zjistí, že má v "hlavě" kulku....more
Tady fakt cesta nevede. Asi po 70stránkách jsem musela googlit, o čem ta knížka vůbec je. Ale ani na 200 stránce se to nedalo číst. Žádná z postav nebTady fakt cesta nevede. Asi po 70stránkách jsem musela googlit, o čem ta knížka vůbec je. Ale ani na 200 stránce se to nedalo číst. Žádná z postav nebyla nějak atraktivní, aby člověka zaujala. Děj byl prazvláštní. Ani si nejsem jistá, o co přesně v něm šlo. Ale nejhorší byl jazyk, kterým to bylo napsané. Dvakrát nedával smysl, autor něco vždy pojmenoval fancy odborně a hlavně vymyšleným názvem nebo takovým, co ma normálně jiný význam. Minimálně 10 různých věcí bylo nazýváno ''Manitou'', kdo se má v tom vyznat? ...more
Co s tímhle peklem? Příběh mě ke konci začal aspoň trochu bavit. Nicméně to rozhodně nemohlo zastínit, jak je ta kniha odfláknutá. Bohužel za to může Co s tímhle peklem? Příběh mě ke konci začal aspoň trochu bavit. Nicméně to rozhodně nemohlo zastínit, jak je ta kniha odfláknutá. Bohužel za to může české nakladatelství a kniha v originále by asi působila lepším dojmem. Upozorňuji, že nejsem Grammar Nazi, taky umím udělat pěkné boty, ale tohle bylo hodně už i na mě.
-Pomlčky mezi slovy. Jednou z každé strany měla mezeru, podruhé ne. A když je mezi tím jen jedna řádka, člověk si všimne. A nevypadá to dobře. <-- navíc se tohle stalo hned na první stránce. Toto se opakuje v celé knize, někdy je mezera z jedné strany a z druhé ne. Párkrát je pomlčka zaměněna za spojovník.
-Mezery. Další neřest. Někdy mezi slovy chyběla, někdy byla pro jistotu hned dvakrát. Nebo dělání mezer v trojtečce (samozřejmě jenom někdy, aby se nedalo říct, že to je schválně). Přesně takhle: . . .
-Uvozovky. Pro ty zjevně neexistují pravidla. Ne vždy se povedlo dát je z obou stran přímé řeči. Což byl zvlášť problém, protože v dialogu byly věty psané hned za sebou. A když chyběly uvozovky, tak asi dialog nedával moc smysl, když si člověk myslel, že stále hovoří stejná osoba. (Což bylo zmatečné, i když uvozovky byly. Nevybavuji si knihu, kde by naflákali přímé řeči dvou osob, co spolu mluví hned za sebou).
Někdy se jim teda taky povedlo dát za sebou hned troje uvozovky: ..." ""...
-Odstavce. Nový odstavec byl klidně vytvořen uprostřed věty.
-Překlepy. "rpzcuchané"
-Rody. Na začátku telefonátu je Tara ženská, se kterou má i děti. Ale v průběhu rozhovoru mu Tara odpovídaL.
-Chybějící slova. "...Trinitin vzhled mohl nějaké potíže, ale opatrnosti není nikdy dost."
Navíc jazyk a vyjadřování úplně nesedělo k hrubým motorkářům na hraně zákona. A když už mluvili sprostě, tak to znělo až téměř vtipně. Zvlášť, když vzápětí se objevila, tak spisovná věta, jak z Komenského.
Asi bych našla další věci, co mi vadily a byly odfláknuté, ale pro ilustraci to asi stačí. ...more
První kniha v roce 2017 a hned zklamání? To se docela děsím toho, co mě letos čeká.
Mělo to poměrně pomalý začátek, kdy člověk neví nic jiného, než že První kniha v roce 2017 a hned zklamání? To se docela děsím toho, co mě letos čeká.
Mělo to poměrně pomalý začátek, kdy člověk neví nic jiného, než že spadli. Pak se konečně něco dozvíme a začne to být aspoň trochu zajímavé. Jenomže cokoliv zajímavého je zabito koncem, který je nudný, zdlouhavý a utopicky otravný.
Ani tomu moc nepřidávají hlavní postavy. Harper a Nick jsou totálně na pád letadlo. Vlastně z těch pěti, co to dotáhnou do konce, je snesitelný pouze jeden. ...more
Ze začátku autor na nás vybafne ze zásobou hned několika postav, které zdánlivě ne první pohled spolu vůbec nesouvisí. Teď jsem zvědavá na ten seriál.
Ze začátku autor na nás vybafne ze zásobou hned několika postav, které zdánlivě ne první pohled spolu vůbec nesouvisí. Až postupem času, když se příběh začně odvíjet, tak potom člověku dojde, jak moc je to promyšlené a všechny postavy se navzájem ovlivňují.
Nebudu říkat, že je to kniha, která se bude líbit každému, protože to rozhodně není, ale přesto stojí za přečtení. A to i z toho důvodu, že nabízí spoustu otázek k zamyšlení.
Čekala jsem, že se o samotném obsahu oné knihy (Kobylky nebo jak se to jmenovalo) dozvíme víc, ale až na pár útržků a shrnutí tam toho o ní moc není. Takže bych potřebovala, aby ještě byla dovydána Kobylka.
A konec přišel v tom nejlepším. Strašně moc bych chtěla, aby bylo pokračování, protože tohle by mohl být i jenom prolog nebo prequel a až teď by mohla začít ta pravá jízda!!!...more
It was okay, after several "stories" it got boring. For me, it would be better just as a blog, to read "story" or two per week, not all at once.
My faIt was okay, after several "stories" it got boring. For me, it would be better just as a blog, to read "story" or two per week, not all at once.
My favourite part was the Weird (and Worrying) Questions From the What If? Inbox.
Sometimes I even felt like it had to be me who posted those questions - I believed no one had as crazy ideas/question as I do... It turns out I got a lot of soulmates out there. :D...more
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