I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and while I didn't dislike this one, it didn't have the same charm for me. I also stand by what I saidI really enjoyed the first book in this series, and while I didn't dislike this one, it didn't have the same charm for me. I also stand by what I said at the end of the first book - this would have been better as a standalone instead of a series. I did like that we saw more of their friends and family in this one though. And the ending was predictable but cute....more
This was fine but I am so tired of reading about the Wolcott twins. Especially when it's literally nothing new.This was fine but I am so tired of reading about the Wolcott twins. Especially when it's literally nothing new....more
I have read all of the Robert Langdon books now, and I have enjoyed them all for what they are - fast paced, mysterThis is actually a 3.5 star rating.
I have read all of the Robert Langdon books now, and I have enjoyed them all for what they are - fast paced, mystery/thriller novels that often feature Langdon running for his life as he tries to solve the mystery at hand using his vast knowledge of art and symbology. While it has been years since I have read the other 4 novels, I remember how much I loved reading them and how hard it was for me to put them down. While I still enjoyed this one, I didn't have that same sense of needing to know what was going to happen as I did with the others (in fact, the main reason I read through it quickly was so that I could then give it to my parents for them to read as well).
Don't get me wrong, it had everything that you would expect from a Robert Langdon book - mystery, life threatening scenarios, a lead up to a big reveal at the end. However, I felt that something was missing from this one that the others had. I found that there wasn't really the same sense of urgency that I felt in the other books, the need to have to get answers as quickly as possible because they constantly had people searching for them and they were in danger. While there was definitely a need for them to act quickly because they knew they couldn't stay hidden for too long, it didn't feel as urgent when I was reading it.
Origin begins with Langdon attending a special presentation at the Guggenheim Museum by one of his first students and friend, billionaire Edmond Kirsch, who claims to have solved the mystery of where do we come from and where are we going. Just before Kirsch gives his big announcement, he is assassinated, and Langdon and museum director Ambra Vidal go on the run to try to find where his presentation is stored so that his discovery can still be announced to the world.
I think the premise behind the story was really good, especially as these questions are highly common for people to wonder about, but I felt the execution fell a little short, which made this the least enjoyable Robert Langdon book for me. I think the reveal at the end fell short, and while it definitely gave me things to think about, I was almost disappointed that that was the end result.
There are also some questions I still have because maybe I missed something, but certain plot points seemed a little pointless to me ((view spoiler)[I still don't really understand the point of the king claiming that Langdon kidnapped Vidal and ordered Garza's arrest? It seemed more like a way to move the plot than something that made sense in the story. Unless I missed something (hide spoiler)]).
My other complaint is probably something that occurs in all of the Langdon books, but as it's been awhile since I've read them, and I read a lot more now, it seemed to stick out more to me. It really was frustrating when there were multiple instances of a character reading something and having something revealed to them, only for the reader not to learn of it for several more chapters. For example, at one point Langdon handed Vidal a paper to read, her eyes widened in shock as she read it, there were several more sentences to end the chapter, yet the words on the paper weren't revealed to the reader till later. I understand that this is a way to keep the mystery alive but I was also frustrated that the reader wasn't allowed to see something that was clearly visible to both the protagonists.
While these issues did affect my overall view of the book, the story itself was still a fun, fast-paced mystery novel, and so I did enjoy reading the book. I also recommend it to people who are fans of Dan Brown, and Robert Langdon specifically, but it is not his strongest work, and I still prefer the earlier Langdon novels to this installment.
Merged review:
This is actually a 3.5 star rating.
I have read all of the Robert Langdon books now, and I have enjoyed them all for what they are - fast paced, mystery/thriller novels that often feature Langdon running for his life as he tries to solve the mystery at hand using his vast knowledge of art and symbology. While it has been years since I have read the other 4 novels, I remember how much I loved reading them and how hard it was for me to put them down. While I still enjoyed this one, I didn't have that same sense of needing to know what was going to happen as I did with the others (in fact, the main reason I read through it quickly was so that I could then give it to my parents for them to read as well).
Don't get me wrong, it had everything that you would expect from a Robert Langdon book - mystery, life threatening scenarios, a lead up to a big reveal at the end. However, I felt that something was missing from this one that the others had. I found that there wasn't really the same sense of urgency that I felt in the other books, the need to have to get answers as quickly as possible because they constantly had people searching for them and they were in danger. While there was definitely a need for them to act quickly because they knew they couldn't stay hidden for too long, it didn't feel as urgent when I was reading it.
Origin begins with Langdon attending a special presentation at the Guggenheim Museum by one of his first students and friend, billionaire Edmond Kirsch, who claims to have solved the mystery of where do we come from and where are we going. Just before Kirsch gives his big announcement, he is assassinated, and Langdon and museum director Ambra Vidal go on the run to try to find where his presentation is stored so that his discovery can still be announced to the world.
I think the premise behind the story was really good, especially as these questions are highly common for people to wonder about, but I felt the execution fell a little short, which made this the least enjoyable Robert Langdon book for me. I think the reveal at the end fell short, and while it definitely gave me things to think about, I was almost disappointed that that was the end result.
There are also some questions I still have because maybe I missed something, but certain plot points seemed a little pointless to me ((view spoiler)[I still don't really understand the point of the king claiming that Langdon kidnapped Vidal and ordered Garza's arrest? It seemed more like a way to move the plot than something that made sense in the story. Unless I missed something (hide spoiler)]).
My other complaint is probably something that occurs in all of the Langdon books, but as it's been awhile since I've read them, and I read a lot more now, it seemed to stick out more to me. It really was frustrating when there were multiple instances of a character reading something and having something revealed to them, only for the reader not to learn of it for several more chapters. For example, at one point Langdon handed Vidal a paper to read, her eyes widened in shock as she read it, there were several more sentences to end the chapter, yet the words on the paper weren't revealed to the reader till later. I understand that this is a way to keep the mystery alive but I was also frustrated that the reader wasn't allowed to see something that was clearly visible to both the protagonists.
While these issues did affect my overall view of the book, the story itself was still a fun, fast-paced mystery novel, and so I did enjoy reading the book. I also recommend it to people who are fans of Dan Brown, and Robert Langdon specifically, but it is not his strongest work, and I still prefer the earlier Langdon novels to this installment.
Merged review:
This is actually a 3.5 star rating.
I have read all of the Robert Langdon books now, and I have enjoyed them all for what they are - fast paced, mystery/thriller novels that often feature Langdon running for his life as he tries to solve the mystery at hand using his vast knowledge of art and symbology. While it has been years since I have read the other 4 novels, I remember how much I loved reading them and how hard it was for me to put them down. While I still enjoyed this one, I didn't have that same sense of needing to know what was going to happen as I did with the others (in fact, the main reason I read through it quickly was so that I could then give it to my parents for them to read as well).
Don't get me wrong, it had everything that you would expect from a Robert Langdon book - mystery, life threatening scenarios, a lead up to a big reveal at the end. However, I felt that something was missing from this one that the others had. I found that there wasn't really the same sense of urgency that I felt in the other books, the need to have to get answers as quickly as possible because they constantly had people searching for them and they were in danger. While there was definitely a need for them to act quickly because they knew they couldn't stay hidden for too long, it didn't feel as urgent when I was reading it.
Origin begins with Langdon attending a special presentation at the Guggenheim Museum by one of his first students and friend, billionaire Edmond Kirsch, who claims to have solved the mystery of where do we come from and where are we going. Just before Kirsch gives his big announcement, he is assassinated, and Langdon and museum director Ambra Vidal go on the run to try to find where his presentation is stored so that his discovery can still be announced to the world.
I think the premise behind the story was really good, especially as these questions are highly common for people to wonder about, but I felt the execution fell a little short, which made this the least enjoyable Robert Langdon book for me. I think the reveal at the end fell short, and while it definitely gave me things to think about, I was almost disappointed that that was the end result.
There are also some questions I still have because maybe I missed something, but certain plot points seemed a little pointless to me ((view spoiler)[I still don't really understand the point of the king claiming that Langdon kidnapped Vidal and ordered Garza's arrest? It seemed more like a way to move the plot than something that made sense in the story. Unless I missed something (hide spoiler)]).
My other complaint is probably something that occurs in all of the Langdon books, but as it's been awhile since I've read them, and I read a lot more now, it seemed to stick out more to me. It really was frustrating when there were multiple instances of a character reading something and having something revealed to them, only for the reader not to learn of it for several more chapters. For example, at one point Langdon handed Vidal a paper to read, her eyes widened in shock as she read it, there were several more sentences to end the chapter, yet the words on the paper weren't revealed to the reader till later. I understand that this is a way to keep the mystery alive but I was also frustrated that the reader wasn't allowed to see something that was clearly visible to both the protagonists.
While these issues did affect my overall view of the book, the story itself was still a fun, fast-paced mystery novel, and so I did enjoy reading the book. I also recommend it to people who are fans of Dan Brown, and Robert Langdon specifically, but it is not his strongest work, and I still prefer the earlier Langdon novels to this installment....more
The first time I tried reading this book, I put it down because the 2nd person POV threw me off. I am not a fan of things writActual Rating: 2.5 Stars
The first time I tried reading this book, I put it down because the 2nd person POV threw me off. I am not a fan of things written in the 2nd person POV, and I was unsure if I even wanted to read this once I realized that would be the majority of the book (there are two other POVs in this book, both in 1st person). However, I did pick it up again, and I don't regret it, but I did still struggle with that aspect of the book.
This is a story about a serial killer and the woman he hasn't killed yet, as well as his teenage daughter and a woman who believes to be in love with him. It had a very interesting premise, but I think it fell a little short due to constant repetition of the same exact things happening over and over, while just made a lot of the story feel a little too boring instead of thrilling. I was curious to see how it all ended though, and this might have been rated a little higher if we got a little more at the end just in the aftermath of what happens.
Overall, it was fine, but I wish we saw a little more of an actual thriller, instead of 'Rachel' just constantly reciting her day or Emily acting like a lovestruck teenager. It might have also been nice to get Aiden's POV from time to time, because that might have helped add to the story, and we could have also gotten some more of his motivation, because honestly, his character felt so underdeveloped - we see what the town sees and we see what Rachel sees and he never really feels like a complete person.
I feel like if this is something that you think you might be interested in, check it out because you might like it more than I did, but I don't know if I will specifically be recommending it to anyone.
Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc to review....more
This was a really cute read, and I enjoyed it but I think it was just missing a little something. Not totally sure what it wasActual Rating: 3.5 Stars
This was a really cute read, and I enjoyed it but I think it was just missing a little something. Not totally sure what it was, but the first half/two thirds of the book, while really sweet, were pretty uneventful. The last third was a lot more interesting, which kept me intrigued, but it just seemed a little too late in the book. I liked the characters and the development we saw with Wren as her relationship with Asher grew. And I did think it was a sweet read. If you are a Kasie West fan or like sweet YA romances, this is a perfect book for you.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc for review....more
This had such an interesting premise, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I really liked the setting - the whole sleepy beach town that feThis had such an interesting premise, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I really liked the setting - the whole sleepy beach town that felt removed from the real world, and I like that the POV all be in from the outsider's perspective. I do think the mystery was a little weak, and while I didn't really see the twist coming, I think that some of the conclusions made to get to that point were a little far fetched, even in the scope of a mystery novel. However, I probably would have still rated this higher if all the characters weren't completely insufferable. I honestly didn't really care for any of them, and maybe that was part of the point, but even Linden (the MC) was really annoying. It's funny because I sort of got Catcher in the Rye vibes at times with Linden trying to fit in, but I love Catcher in the Rye and Holden, and I struggled so much with Linden, and I am not totally sure why I even really compared them. I also hate (view spoiler)[how there is this whole side mystery (not really a mystery but clearly kept from the reader) with Greer and the accident they were in, but not only do we not find out about it, it's only used as a plot device to set up for a possible sequel, which is very annoying (hide spoiler)]. Overall, this was fine, but not my favorite.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc to review....more
I wanted to love this. The premise was so interesting, but the execution just fell short for me. There were multiple issues I had, and I truly feel thI wanted to love this. The premise was so interesting, but the execution just fell short for me. There were multiple issues I had, and I truly feel that most of these could have been solved if this book had gone through a couple extra rounds of editing. The whole first half of the book was basically the same three scenes on repeat, Spencer and Nick studying, Spencer and Nick at the coffee shop, Spencer and Nick (or Reese and Hunter) having a movie night. I also am not really sure any of the characters actually liked each other. They only ever seemed to snap at each other (I searched the word 'snapped' on my kindle and it was used 118 times) and were often mad or downright mean to each other. Speaking of the characters, none of them really had any personality, and were very one dimensional. There was also an underlying theme in this book that women literally cannot do anything there without a man around for their protection. There was a scene when two of the women were in one of their homes, having a girl's night, and they called a man over because they didn't feel safe without a man there with them. A woman was not allowed to open or close the coffee shop without a man there as well. I am all for promoting safety, especially since it can be very dangerous to be places alone as a women, but it just seemed overkill. All the male characters were also so quick to anger and to want to murder any man who even looked at one of the women wrong, and it just was a little too over the top for me, making it a bit icky.
The one thing I loved, and why I kept reading, was the asexual rep. I think that was SO well done, and I really enjoyed reading a book with an ace main character, as she also learned more about it and what it meant for her and her life.
I struggle to recommend this to anyone because of the issues I had, and how I truly think it needed more editing, but if you want good ace rep (and a bi male main character), it could be worth checking out. ...more
After how much I enjoyed the first book in this series, I almost was a bit disappointed with this one. This was a perfectly fine read. I didn't hate iAfter how much I enjoyed the first book in this series, I almost was a bit disappointed with this one. This was a perfectly fine read. I didn't hate it by any means, but I also didn't love it. And I think a huge issue was just how long the book was. I felt it dragged at times, and there was simultaneously a lot happening while also nothing was happening. I think some of the character growth (especially with Daphne) was really good, and I enjoyed certain characters and scenes, but together, I felt that it really didn't need to be as long to get the same story out in this book. Perhaps part of the issue was the 3 POVs, especially when some of the characters overlapped enough that maybe we didn't need to get quite as much from each POV.
Overall, I'm still interested in the story, and I am very intrigued to see how it all ends. I just wish that I enjoyed this one more overall.
Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc to review....more
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