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Books, You Guys!
I read a lot of everything. Mostly fantasy and sci-fi, or speculative fiction or Slipstream or New Weird or whatever we're calling it now, some comics, some literary fiction, mysteries, la dee da. And...well. I do like a kissin' book.
I thought that maybe sleeping on this one would change my opinion of it, but not really.There's a lot going for this book. The premise is intriguing. The writing itself is very vivid and full of great images, once you adjust to the dialect and occasional phonetic spelling. There's at least one lovable character. Just the one for me, but maybe you'll like some of the others more.But. The plotting is thin to the point of non-existence. The kids run to a set piece, have a brief, unsatisfying action beat, and then run off to the next set piece. Why? Who knows? Certainly not us, or them! We get something like an answer in the last chapters of the book, but not really. Now, I hung with LOST for its entire run. I know that it's not always about answers. But if you're going to subject your reader to the kind of senseless, unrelenting misery that this book provides, you have to give them some kind of payoff. Throw us a freaking bone, Ness. And really, after the third or fourth person says "I'll tell you later" for no discernable reason besides maintaining the suspense (I'm looking at you, Hildy!), we're gonna start to notice.The reason that LOST got away with not answering questions is that the characters were fully realized and interesting in their own right. The characters here are mostly one-dimensional, and the kids themselves are pretty effing boring. Most of the big emotional moments feel unearned, including the Big Deaths.I intend to keep going with the series to see if things get a little better now that the kids aren't just running running running, because I've heard such good things and the premise really is very interesting, but so far I'm pretty disappointed.
I really, really hated the first half of this book. Gregory seemed so stupid and shallow and pointless, and I think if I hadn't known for certain that he would come around (Thanks, back of the book!) I never would have made it through. And the set-up is so gross--I mean really, who doesn't love taking second place to her best friend?--that it's hard to believe that his change of heart is sincere at first.But eventually I was convinced, and it's Gregory's annoyingly believable flaws that make him such a good hero. He turns out to be the sweetest of the Bridgertons in the end, and he positively made me weep at the wedding. The last third or so of the story is Very Dramatic Indeed, and great fun. It's a bit of a shift in tone after all the mopey unrequited love, but a welcome one.It's in His Kiss is still my favorite Bridgerton novel, but this is one of the best. A satisfying end to the series, and I have a feeling it would stand alone just as well. Definitely worth a read!
What an adorable book! Hyacinth is my favorite Bridgerton, now and forever. It doesn't hurt that she's made an appearance in every book thus far, and I started this one feeling like I already knew her. And Lady Danbury is, of course, the best! I couldn't get enough of their snarking over Miss Butterworth. Hilarious. And Gareth's misbehavior at the "recitation," oh my god. Hilarious!The chapter introductions are very cute, and the book strikes just the right balance between humor and feeeeeelings. When I wasn't giggling, I was busy relating to Hyacinth's insecurities, or wanting to pet Gareth's hair. I even teared up once or twice, and I'm a very cynical reader indeed. So everything you need in a kissing book, really, and the last line is just perfect. It's fun to watch Quinn's writing get stronger and stronger as the series goes on. I'd recommend this one!
There's a lot to like in this book. Everyone is as clever and lovable as usual, even though there are far fewer laughs. Understandably, as the problems the protagonists face are a lot heavier than most of the previous entries in the series. The dialogue and plotting, although not perfect, are both much improved over earlier books. And I know I've been known complain about Quinn's snoozy sex scenes, but that's not an issue here. I confess I clutched my pearls a time or two!On the boo side, there's very little Bridgerton action. This book's timeline is parallel to the two previous, and there are fleeting references to let you know where things are. But Francesca's spent very little time with her family throughout the course of the series, and she spends even less with them here. Penelope Featherington feels like more of a Bridgerton, frankly. A little more interference from Francesca's family might have lightened the mood a bit and broken up her tediousness some. Oops, did I say that out loud? Sorry. She IS tedious, though. While I certainly believe a woman in her situation would feel confused and paralyzed, there's really only so many pages a body can read about it without wanting to throw something. "I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!" Ye gods. And maybe it's because she's been so absent from the previous books and we don't know her very well, but a large portion of what she does and says and feels comes off as completely arbitrary.Still, this is a fun one. Well, maybe fun isn't the right word. But I'm definitely not sorry I read it!
I cannot imagine that this won't be my favorite Bridgerton book. I know I have lots to go, but I really can't imagine it. It's definitely the lightest one so far, with a low stakes mystery and a refreshing lack of angst. Colin is less chauvinistic and, blessedly, far less emo than his predecessors in the series. He's a romantic hero, so of course he's got hang-ups, but they're very relatable and nowhere near as melodramatic as Anthony Bridgerton's death fantasy or, ahem, everything about Simon Hastings. Penelope is a rare and special sort of romantic heroine: a wallflower who still has a strong sense of self and of her own value, and accepts her blessings joyfully when they come instead of spending all her time convincing herself she doesn't deserve them. Even when convinced her hero is ashamed of her, it's him that she's disappointed in, not herself. Lady Danbury is a riot, the Bridgerton clan is as lovable as ever, and the antagonist is plenty nasty without landing in Disney villain territory. And Lady Whistledown, of course! So great. It's got almost everything I like in a Regency.It's not perfect, of course. Like every romance novel ever and historicals in particular, there are plenty of passages that will (or should) make your inner feminist vomit. Quinn's dialogue is often extremely clever but almost never believable, and when the characters aren't quipping (mostly hilariously, it must be said) it's often stiff and cliche. And, sigh, the sex scenes. They're not the worst I've ever read, and I'd even go so far as to say they're the best in the series. But they're totally unimaginative and pretty much interchangeable with the ones in every Julia Quinn book I've read so far. It's like Quinn only wrote three sex scenes, and just cuts and pastes them in a different order in each book. And the dialogue in them is just excruciating.The flaws don't detract much from the fun, though, at least for this reader. I'm calling it a win!
This is a very, very soapy retelling of Cinderella, and it is this reader's opinion that a very, very soapy retelling of Cinderella is sometimes exactly what one needs. :) The dialogue is witty but infected with cliche, the protagonists are mostly likable but a bit cardboard, and the plot is somehow completely nutty and completely predictable all at the same time. Overall, I had a great time with it. Plus, you guys, how rad is Violet Bridgerton? And Posy? And Mrs. Crabtree? I feel like the story gave far more time and weight to the relationships between the female characters than the somewhat by-the-numbers romance, and I have no complaints.
Whew. This one was a stinker even by my generous, hormonally driven standards. A pathetic heroine who spends her entire life pining for a completely self-centered, unlikable hero, who has almost zero respect for her and treats her like a child at almost every turn. She's so precocious for a little lady, teehee! The plot is thin even for a Regency, and there are no real stakes or even any real conflict. The "happy ending" is the most unromantic thing I've ever read in a romance novel, and even the smutty parts are tepid and repetitive. Once they start happening, that is. I've enjoyed other Julia Quinn stories, and I'll probably continue the series in hopes that the Olivia book is better (There's an Olivia book, right? She was the only secondary character with any personality at all so I assume so.), but this one really misses the mark.
This is one of the most beloved Julia Quinn novels, and there's a reason for that. It's formulaic to be sure, and the dialogue in some of the smutty scenes is almost embarrassingly bad, but it's a fun read and it had me laughing almost from page one. The characters are likable while still being relatable, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with the rest of the Bridgertons--especially little Hyacinth! A great sample of what Julia Quinn can do when she's on her game.
Really, you guys? Four stars?This is a very thinly veiled Twilight rip-off that somehow manages to hit every single hallmark of crappy YA fiction. Stupid names? Check. Half-baked plot that's little more than an excuse for some lukewarm kissing scenes? Check. Dialogue that sounds like your grandmother's idea of how kids these days talk? Check. Passive, unlikable Mary Sue protagonist? Arrogant, high-handed love interest whose idea of protecting someone mostly consists of lies and emotional abuse? Check PLUS. The only people in this book I'd want to be friends with are the bad guys.It's a quick read, but that's about all it's got going for it.
One of the most practical and useful guides to usage I've come across. Every once in a while I like to flip to a random page, just to see what I might learn today.
A pretty charming little fantasy story, built around real, vintage found photographs. The photos are a lot of fun, the world is interesting, and there's a lot of humor. I can see why it's being compared to Harry Potter, but I wouldn't go that far. It's too uneven, particularly the dialogue--which is often clever, but seldom believable. Still, it's a good enough time that I'll probably continue the series.
Reliably clever and enough of a departure from the twitter feed that spawned it to feel fresh. If you're a journalist or an avid media consumer, there's jokes in here for you!
I wasn't expecting a straight up romance novel, and this was a pretty predictable one. It's quite funny though, and the steampunk touches add atmosphere without distracting from the story. The characters are likable and well-drawn. Even the by-the-numbers romance is comforting in a way, and the mystery was interesting and even a little tense. After adjusting my expectations a bit I was able to enjoy it for what it was--a tasty little piece of brain candy!
It's really difficult to find good horror novels these days, but this is one of them. Well paced and genuinely scary.
I think I understand what Doctorow was trying to do, and the story was pretty compelling. However, it was a bit messy- I felt like it lacked a proper climax & the ending felt rushed and tacked on as a result. I also came away with the feeling that it could have gone so much further and said so much more. Lots of unrealized potential!It's a quick read, so I don't see why you shouldn't give it a shot. I'm certainly planning on checking out some more Doctorow, if only to see if/how he's developed since.