DNF - 30%. I wanted to read this for old times' sake, but it just proved I've outgrown this type of YA novel.DNF - 30%. I wanted to read this for old times' sake, but it just proved I've outgrown this type of YA novel....more
I waited months for this at my library and I can say now it wasn't worth it. I'm glad I didn't give in and buy it.
The critical acclaim for Trespasses surprises me, and I can't help wondering if it's primarily because the book deals with such a difficult time and subject matter. Ireland's recent history is a miserable one, full of terror and bloodshed, so it feels as though a certain amount of respect is required towards anyone tackling it in historical fiction. But without the historical setting, I think Trespasses would have found itself cast into that pile of banal, surface-level literature labelled generically-- and a bit insultingly --as "Women's Fiction".
The Troubles forms the backdrop to an all-telling, no-showing tale about a Catholic woman's affair with a married Protestant. I found the third person narration boring and distant. The author neither delves deep enough into the historical aspect and horror of 1970s Northern Ireland, nor ignites a passionate romance. In one scene, it took me a while to realise the characters were having sex. Also, Cushla is flat as a crepe.
Obviously I didn't finish it, which will surely be unforgivable to some. But I honestly think I gave it more than enough of a chance to change my mind. One star seems harsh, but then... what did I like?...more
Can't do it. I read The Tommyknockers years ago and remember thinking it was an overlong, meandering piece of waffle, but as I've grown more toDNF 30%
Can't do it. I read The Tommyknockers years ago and remember thinking it was an overlong, meandering piece of waffle, but as I've grown more tolerant of King's verbose works in recent years, I decided to give it another go.
What I should have done is read the quote by King himself from Rolling Stone, which basically sums it all up:
“I mean, The Tommyknockers is an awful book. That was the last one I wrote before I cleaned up my act. And I’ve thought about it a lot lately and said to myself, “There’s really a good book in here, underneath all the sort of spurious energy that cocaine provides, and I ought to go back.” The book is about 700 pages long, and I’m thinking, “There’s probably a good 350-page novel in there.”
This reads like someone off their head on drugs published a book without editing it first. I guess that might be exactly what happened....more
I would usually give a book more of a chance than this-- especially one written by an author I've enjoyed before --but the first few chaptersDNF - 15%
I would usually give a book more of a chance than this-- especially one written by an author I've enjoyed before --but the first few chapters are putting me to sleep. I'm not interested in the protagonist; I don't care what happened to Gabe. Also, I've been underwhelmed by Ware's last couple of books and I don't have it in me right now to persevere for what is probably going to be a three star read at most....more
I tried, for old times' sake, because it's Marie Lu, but I have definitely outgrown stories like this. I'm too old, grumDNF - 20%
Yeah, I can't do it.
I tried, for old times' sake, because it's Marie Lu, but I have definitely outgrown stories like this. I'm too old, grumpy and sleep-deprived to suspend disbelief for teen secret agents whose beauty we need to be constantly reminded of. The last straw was:
Everything about him—dark eyes and thick lashes, the rich black hair that looked effortlessly perfect, the pillow-soft lips, the tattoos that decorated his forearms down to his left hand, the grace in his stride, the lines of his figure—drew the eye.
Come to think of it... I'm pretty sure I disliked descriptions like that at sixteen too. Not to worry. There's plenty of folks who'll love this....more
I gave this as much of a chance as I could to change my mind, but I know at this point that Rosewater is not going to be my next Queenie or SDNF - 25%
I gave this as much of a chance as I could to change my mind, but I know at this point that Rosewater is not going to be my next Queenie or Such a Fun Age as the blurb promises.
It comes down to either subpar writing or subpar editing, hard to say which. Rosewater is awkwardly overwritten, each superfluous adjective making the sentences clunky and disrupting the flow. I think this slowly decreases as the novel progresses (at least, as far as I've read) but it is replaced by stiff unnatural dialogue and an overuse of slang.
Sounded like a gritty, interesting story but I can't get past the writing....more
I can't do this one right now. I'm a big fan of the author's Kim Jiyoung but this wacky dystopia is not doing it for me. It reads like a seriDNF - 25%
I can't do this one right now. I'm a big fan of the author's Kim Jiyoung but this wacky dystopia is not doing it for me. It reads like a series of vignettes, snapshots of different characters and themes. And I think that last word there is key-- this is a story that focuses more on themes and ideas than on creating memorable characters and an engaging story.
I can see the capitalist critique emerging, which is not uninteresting, but I need something a bit more engaging and immersive at this moment....more
Sorry. Bit too cute and twee for me. I saw someone compare it to the whimsical The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I also could not finish, DNF - 45%
Sorry. Bit too cute and twee for me. I saw someone compare it to the whimsical The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I also could not finish, and that seems about right. I'm still on the search for one of those old school adult urban fantasy stories with drama, mythology and sexual chemistry. They must still exist somewhere, right?...more
I like Hendrix's writing-- light, entertaining, very easy to read --but I can just feel already that this story is not for me. I'm not gettinDNF - 25%
I like Hendrix's writing-- light, entertaining, very easy to read --but I can just feel already that this story is not for me. I'm not getting sucked in and I struggle when authors (or filmmakers, for that matter) combine horror and light comedy/whimsy in this way. It always feels a bit... daft. Like not quite fluffy enough, but definitely not scary either.
Can anyone tell me if this book picks up again? I was really enjoying Part 1, up until about page 80, and now we've skipped some time and DNF - pg.192
Can anyone tell me if this book picks up again? I was really enjoying Part 1, up until about page 80, and now we've skipped some time and introduced several new characters who are constantly talking about winning battles. It's very dry and boring. Does it get any better?...more
I attempted this several times before my netgalley arc expired, but it sadly wasn't to be. I'm not sure exactly what went wrong because I loved ShuggiI attempted this several times before my netgalley arc expired, but it sadly wasn't to be. I'm not sure exactly what went wrong because I loved Shuggie Bain and, in many ways, this is a very similar kind of story with a similar tone.
In fact... could that be it?
Maybe Shuggie Bain ate up my quota of misery and gloom for the next ten years or so. All I know is that I really struggled to get into this. Maybe I'll try again when I'm in a different mood....more
DNF - pg. 100. I really liked Ward's The Last House on Needless Street. It was creepy, subversive and sad. But... well, I don't know if I just have a pDNF - pg. 100. I really liked Ward's The Last House on Needless Street. It was creepy, subversive and sad. But... well, I don't know if I just have a poor memory, but I do not remember being bothered by super flowery, kinda awkward language like I was with this one.
Maybe it just worked better with the story being told in the author's previous book. Here, I found it jarring on multiple occasions. Sometimes the author would use nonsensical metaphors that I assume are supposed to sound clever and interesting.
I'm finally getting ready for bed when Irving yells my name. There is something sticky in his voice.
Or similes that read awkwardly to me.
My insides curl up like baby mice
Other times it would be the characters performing weird actions to, I think, make the book seem edgier, grittier.
Irving reached out and pinched the bridge of my nose so hard I heard the cartilage squeak.
To be fair, if this is anything like The Last House on Needless Street, there may very well be a weird yet completely sound explanation for all of this. But, unlike Last House, I'm really struggling to make it through this one. Guess I'll wait for other readers' verdicts....more
I tried to push through, but this one just isn't holding my interest.
I really loved Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune, and I am interested in pre-Code Hollywood and especially enjoy tales of actresses fighting for themselves in that cutthroat environment... but this is no Evelyn Hugo. Very little has happened so far beyond Luli pining for stardom and, with less time to read than I used to have, I don't have the patience to sit through a book that bores me this much....more
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