freddie's reviews
295 reviews

The book really only moved me in the last chapter; for the most part I saw the MC being anxious, yet I didn't really feel anything from the writing. The writing style, in general, is pretty but pretty much it. Overall it's a nice book but not so memorable. Lovely ending, though.

Yes I do not give this one five stars - does not mean it is bad, though. Naturally, being a middle portion of a story, this book contains most of the "frustration" stage of the entire series and when this boom ends, the frustration has yet to be resolved. This book focuses more on Elena, and we see her experiencing some regression / "reverse development" and doing some stupid stuff - which really isn't a flaw of narrative - we all go back to our bad habits sometimes too.. I'm liking the unpredictable storyline of the series and I'm excited to see how the final book will wrap things up.

I'm not going to pretend I got everything in this book. Many parts seemed disjointed, and yet I felt a sense of connection and coherence between them. But what I loved the most about this was the warm Christmas-y atmosphere. The main family fiction plot was simply lovely.

The novel certainly has its humorous moments, and I giggled a few times while reading it. But it's not really a page-turner - I did not feel the urge to keep reading.

Elizabeth Acevedo's narration presentation is powerful and strong. In general the story is both relaxing and moving. Some parts feel like strange sudden diversions, like the main character Emoni's thoughts on her own culture's history when visiting Spain, and could have benefitted from stronger buildup. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this novel - like other Acevedo's books that I've read, there is a feeling of timelessness to it. Her books have the potential to be nostalgic in the future for some people (like me).

The audio performances are wonderful and capture the feel of each narrating characters so well. Some of the themes the story explores include plastic surgery and K-pop obsession, and that made me think - before I read the book - that the book was going to be superficial. I was wrong! Very nice exploration of women's struggles from the eyes of four (or five if you count the non-narrating Sujin) young women in modern Korean society. I really want to see a movie adaptation of this - preferably in Korean!

I think I'm gonna have to give this 5 stars mainly because of how this story ends with a bittersweet note that is low-key dramatic. I am convinced that the entire Neapolitan Novels series is the story of how the character Elena grows and matures. She does many silly things, many of them because of her incredible talent in comparing herself with her brilliant friend Lila (#relatable). She is also a good mental gymnast because whatever Lila does, she always arrives to the conclusion that Lila is better than her. This series is epic.

The pace of Spring is much faster than Autumn and Winter. Just like the two preceding books in the series, this one is filled with interconnectedness between the elements contained in it. I'm excited to begin Summer!

The book is pleasant although some parts feel a little rushed. It is a story about a woman who is trying to search for a definition of "God" that fits into her life. The philosophical aspect of the book is entertaining, though feels more like "pop philosophy" compared to the philosophical ruminations in, say, Rumi's plot in The Forty Rules of Love.

Absolutely wild, psychedelic, and spectacular. A nameless bride is preparing for her wedding at a hotel, but then her dead grandmother visits her as a bird and tells her not to get married and to find her estranged brother. The grandmother-bird also poops on her wedding dress. It's a universal fact that a story featuring an avian and wedding dress-pooping dead grandmother is bound to be good. This novel is a lovely mix of comedy and tragedy - later we find out that the bride has some unresolved issues from her unpleasant past.