sara_berlin's reviews
270 reviews

I think the only reason it wasn't as addictive as the first book is that I was just so stressed by it sometimes and felt so bad for Jude that I just had to put it down. I almost wish I didn't like her so much. Definitely lives up to the hype; this book just kept on breaking me. Holly Black always manages to do things that make sense but are still completely shocking and unexpected, and even if I do miraculously predict some small element, it's like two pages before it happens or was just one fleeting thought out of a dozen like it. 
One thing I really like about the romance is that it isn't linear. It's not "hates, gets closer to, tolerates, loves." The hatred/love balance from both of them goes up and down throughout the books.

I liked it. The historical dual timeline was a new thing for this series, but I think it worked and made the story more interactive with the reader, as we’re trying to figure out what’s going on before the characters do. I flew through it, which is especially impressive considering it’s a long book. Daniel O’Malley is really good at getting the pacing just right; it’s not exhausting and numbing from too much action, but it also doesn’t drag at any points. He’s so underrated. All in all, I was very satisfied with this third installment, and I can’t wait to see if there will be more!

Candice Iloh definitely has a lot of potential and I’m excited to read any new books she releases. This felt very personal and real, almost like a memoir, but it’s fiction.  Ada was a very sympathetic, and brave, character and the multiple timelines gave me a better understanding of her and what and who makes her who she is. The descriptions of her feelings and her dancing were beautiful. I just found it very moving and inspiring. 

It was really interesting to see this story told in the graphic novel format, and I feel like it gave the character of the Darkling more dimension as well. 

It was very interesting and informational. I didn't know much about the Black Panthers before this, so I learned a lot. It was inspiring but also kind of saddening, I didn't realize how quickly they developed and then broke apart, and how huge of a role the media and the FBI played in it. 

Persepolis is a very personal story; it almost feels wrong to rate it, but I will anyway because it's deserved. I think that graphic memoirs are so unique in how they can show you how people change over time directly, and it's just generally a very conducive medium for those kinds of stories. I personally know almost nothing about Iran nor it's multiple revolutions, so this book was quite informative in that sense as well. I think that the Middle East's conflicts are ones where we don't see the perspectives shown nearly as much as things like WW2, not that those shouldn't be shown, but that everyone deserves to have their voices heard and I'm glad this author has managed to accomplish that. 

feel like it was a little too late for me to read this book. Most of the conclusions and thoughts drawn in it are things that either don't apply to me or that I have already understood previously, but it was still fun to seen it all written out
It also made me want to visit Memphis, so I guess that’s a bonus. 

It somewhat shocks me that I've never seen anyone recommend this before, considering what a beautiful book this was. Yet another sign to trust your instincts when it comes to everything, including which books to read. 
This is a kind of memoir written in letters to Akwaeke Emezi's friends, relatives, lovers, strangers, just people in their life, and it's so honest and visceral, and frankly, fascinating. I won't say it's changed my life, since my life is still the same for now, but it's probably one of the most inspiring and deep pieces of literature I've read so far, maybe that I'll ever read. It feels corny to call something deep, but I can't think of a better word. It does get dark at times, but not in a very morbid or excessive way. I know most of us have had similar feelings. 
With Pet I admired that they don't mind being brief, same goes for this one. It was also spellbinding to see how they use metaphorical and literal language, and blur the lines between the two; sometimes you can't tell if what's said is completely literal or if it's meant in an allegorical way, but honestly, I got so lost in the lyrics of this wonderful song that whether something was meant to be taken at surface level or required some interpretation didn't change much for me. It really made me think of Untitled God Song by Haley Heynderickx. I don't think a musical piece that is like, three minutes long, could encapsulate the entire text, but it reminded me of some aspects of it. 
Everything ends, including this book, but that doesn't mean we cannot mourn it.