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rachelmerrie's reviews
373 reviews
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
So many things to say, but it was overall a poor experience.
Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Quite boring in comparison to the first.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m going to need to watch BookTube to figure out why so many people thought this book was significantly worse than the first. Though it felt like the book was never ending, there was never a dull moment. I have many many questions, but have to remember this is only part 2 of 5, things will circle back. I do believe a few scenes were extremely challenging to follow, whether that was because too many names were thrown around or there were intense fight scenes with creatures I couldn’t quite envision in locations I couldn’t comprehend, but that could absolutely be a me problem, as visualizing specifics has always been a challenge for me.
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this and will probably end up purchasing it in the future.
The “he can do x number of impossible things before breakfast” threw me off at first, I wasn’t sure if I was about to read an Alice in Wonderland spin-off.
Lady Mourningwood.. really?
The “he can do x number of impossible things before breakfast” threw me off at first, I wasn’t sure if I was about to read an Alice in Wonderland spin-off.
Lady Mourningwood.. really?
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’m not entirely sure what I just read or how to rate it. I’ve never read anything like it; it was beautiful and sad, but I don’t think I fully grasped the purpose.
Update:
I’ve never read anything like this and it is something that continues to come to mind even weeks after finishing it. I believe it was beautifully written and I loved the way he viewed the House as a place to be loved and cherished and nurtured. I loved his admiration for everything the House had to offer and the way he felt blessed by everything the House gave to him, even the dead.
Through my Book Club meeting on this book, a conversation was sparked asking if we believed the House was real, or if Piranesi was going through a psychotic break. It was in that moment I realized the House very easily could be the result of his experiencing extreme trauma, but of it being his only true comfort and of him finding the beauty in what he is given from the House. I believe if the House were to represent his mind and the way he copes with trauma, that the police officer was the only one able to “find” him because she was the only one willing and able to ask questions in a respectful way that allowed him the ability to share the beauty that came from the trauma. An example of this being the Other frequented the House, yet he never respected it or saw the beauty of it, therefore, Piranesi has no way of sharing his truest deepest gratitude toward it with the Other.
Now that I’m writing this review, I almost wonder if his encounter with the Prophet wasn’t Piranesi’s way of remembering his abuser in the vaguest sense and refusing to villainize him for his own sanity? Maybe he forgot about the traumas he was put through because of the Prophet and when it was brought to his attention, he chose a different mindset over reliving the mental agony of remembering his abuser and what was done to him?
I love the way he associates his two names with the two different times in his life. Before the House and during the House. After we go through traumatic events, we lose pieces of ourselves (or sometimes our entire selves) and the person who is going through the thick of the trauma is not the person who has yet to endure it. And those who come out on the other side are neither of the two and evolve into an entirely new person, which he did. I love that he holds his past selves in his heart for safe keeping to always love and protect.
Disliked (?):
-Piranesi felt very young to me and it was strange picturing him as a 30 year old educated man. But now writing this review and thinking of the book as a psychotic break, I can see how the character wouldn’t have the same mindset he had before everything happened. He is navigating this new world and re-wiring his brain to cope with his losses and it’s as if he has to start this new path from infancy and crawl before he can walk.
-I wish there was more backstory on Arne-Sayles, why he went to prison, what his crimes were, and how Piranesi got to the House. However, those are mainly questions I’d have if I chose to believe the House was real and not part of Piranesi’s mental health journey (unsure what to believe at this point). With the mindset of believing the House is in his head, maybe it doesn’t matter how or why Piranesi became involved with Arne-Sayles or what he’s done to deserve his imprisonment. Maybe the author left this piece vague so everyone who has been through a trauma event could see the world through Piranesi’s eyes without the specifics of what he went through segregating the reader?
Unsure, but overall I believe this book will forever be flowing and crashing through my mind.
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Everything I loved in the first book is missing in this one, but hey, there’s a 6’4” giant man with a giant … so I guess that makes up for the lack of communication. Also, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more if I didn’t listen to the audio. Cindy Kay’s voice is unbearable. LOVED the ending though.
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Just what I needed, right when I needed it.
I really loved all of the characters and the open lines of communication between each of them. None of that “I’m mad/sad/frustrated, but not going to tell you why, and won’t talk to you for a few days with absolutely no explanation.” No awkward tension for months on end because they wouldn’t let situations get to a place of resentment.
The ending GUTTED me.
I really loved all of the characters and the open lines of communication between each of them. None of that “I’m mad/sad/frustrated, but not going to tell you why, and won’t talk to you for a few days with absolutely no explanation.” No awkward tension for months on end because they wouldn’t let situations get to a place of resentment.
The ending GUTTED me.