After reading the second installment of The Magicians, I wanted something light and easier to read. Thinking back to what I’d read in the past year, I remembered how amazing the book All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven was, so I decided to see what else she had in her catalog. With that research, I stumbled upon her 2016 novel, Holding Up the Universe. While not as devastating as All the Bright Places, this book still hit me in my feels.
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Book Review: The Magician King
I think after almost a year I finally got around to reading the second book in The Magicians trilogy, The Magician King. Holy hell was this a slow read. Despite it being better than the first, it still took me a good while to finish, and I’m not particularly looking forward to reading the last installment. But I’m going to finish it because I feel like I have to if I want to watch the show.
Read moreBook Review: Me Before You
It’s been a long time coming for me to read this romance novel by Jojo Moyes, and I can see why I put it off. It’s freaking sad! Like devastatingly sad! And if you haven’t seen the movie that came out based on this novel three years ago, then shame on you and too bad for spoilers.
The book starts with Louisa, “Lou,” losing her job at a cafe. After failing at some oddball jobs she finally lands a job as more of a companion for quadriplegic Will Traynor. Will is as bitter as ever against Lou’s typically sunny outlook on life that she almost quits. But she’s the sole financial provider for her family, so she is determined to stick it out. That’s when she overhears some jarring news: in six months time, Will is heading to Switzerland to end his life with dignity. After learning this, Lou fights tooth and nail to get him to change his mind, but rather unsuccessfully for the most part. Cue the romance part of this novel: they fall in love. Then cue the awful part of this novel: he still chooses to die! Talk about making yourself feel shitty! I will say I was glad I watched the movie when it came out because otherwise there would have been a lot more tears.
Despite its seriously depressing ending, I do feel compelled to read its two sequels: After You and Still You. I’ll be sure to review if I do!
Book Review: Boy Erased
After watching Boy Erased this past December, I decided I wanted to read the memoir it was based on. I’ve got to say for the most part it was pretty spot on. There were certainly some more dramatized moments in the film, but it covered everything else accurately. It was a little hard to read with some names removed, and sometimes I wasn’t too certain to what time flashbacks were taking place, but otherwise the flow was nice.
The novel touched more on Garrard’s internal punishments, like not eating a lot and running more so he could “disappear,” which is something maybe the movie was lacking. I also got a strong sense of the relationship with his mother, as well as how religious he actually was. It was also touching to read how his experiences in conversion therapy essentially destroyed any relationship with God he had, but how he is still diligently trying to find it again.
All in all, I felt the memoir was maybe a bit long-winded. I’m not saying there probably wasn’t more to tell, but that he seemed to repeat himself a lot. Maybe the point was to draw this experience out for the reader just like the experience was probably an eternity to him.
Book Review: Fallen & Torment by Lauren Kate
Every year I try and at least read two books a month. I think that’s pretty good considering how many shows and movies I watch in my spare time! Either way, the last two novels I read in 2018 were Fallen and Torment both written by Lauren Kate. The first book in the Fallen Trilogy, it was definitely less than. I wasn’t expecting much since it was young adult, but I just feel like I’ve read much more compelling young adult novels as a not young adult anymore. The premise is a bit Twilight-y except you can replace the vampires and werewolves with Angels and Demons (fallen angels).
In the first novel, Fallen, the only thing described in great and visual detail was the setting of the Sword & Cross campus. Other than that, the characters were flimsy at best. By the very end of the 400-plus page novel I finally learned that the main character, Luce, is a human who has apparently lived hundreds of lives. She dies every time she turns seventeen, which is when she meets her angel-lover, Daniel. Every death is almost always bursting into flames, and it seems like he doesn’t actively seek her out, but needs to? Like I said, the last fifty pages is really when any of the action occurred. It was frustrating how out-of-touch Luce was with her surroundings and reality, and not being told any other important details.
Which makes sense why there would be a second novel. I am still just shy of finishing it, but this book, despite it being another 400-plus pages like its predecessor, still hasn’t really gotten me anywhere in the way of plot. The author does a great job of shifting around and talking about everything except what the angel Daniel’s ultimate purpose is. And I’m pretty confident I won’t find out until the last page. Hence the third novel I will undoubtedly read at the start of 2019, Passion. I almost have to! But perhaps that’s what Lauren Kate wanted, and well, goal achieved I guess!
Overall, a frustrating and not very well done start to a trilogy. I think I’ve read wattpad stories better than these! Oh well, onto the next book.