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veganecurrywurst's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Kerstin Gier ist für mich Nostalgie pur. Sie war die erste "ya-fantasy"-Autorin, die ich je gelesen hab. Das Wolkenschloss ist zwar kein Fantasy-Buch, aber echt so angenehm zu lesen. Die Chraktere sind super liebenswert. Das ganze Buch fühlt sich wie eine Tasse heiße Schokolade mit Marshmellows und Sahne an. Das Cover ist auch total knuffig und so schön illustriert.
Kerstin Gier schafft es echt tolle schlagfertige weibliche Hauptcharaktere zu schreiben, die realistisch sind.
Was ich auch häufig an YA-Büchern kristisiere ist, dass männliche Hauptcharaktere sich oft in moralischen Grauzonenen bewegen. Das ist bei Kerstin Gier nicht so. Die Charaktere sind zwar manchmal arrogant oder gemein, aber nicht mehr als die üblichen Teenager sind. Man hat nicht, dass Gefühl das Charaktere etwas absolut moralisch Verwerfliches tun.
Toll fand ich auch, dass hier angesprochen wurde das viele Schätzte (hier der Diamant) unrechtmäßig in die Hände Europas und die von Oligarchen gelangt ist. in diesem Buch wird der Diamant ja sogar zurück gebracht
Ein Kritikpunkt: asiatisch ist kein Beschreibungsmerkmal für das Aussehen. Der asiatische Kontinenent wird von Menschen verschiedener Ethnien bewohnt (indisch, russisch, japanisch, koreanisch). Das auf einen Typ zu stereotypisieren ist falsch. Man kann Charaktere auch anders beschreiben.
Abschließend möchte ich noch auf eine Sache hinweisen: EAT THE RICH. Es gibt keinen Menschen der ohne Ausbeutung und Korruption an seine Milliarden gekommen ist.
Kerstin Gier schafft es echt tolle schlagfertige weibliche Hauptcharaktere zu schreiben, die realistisch sind.
Was ich auch häufig an YA-Büchern kristisiere ist, dass männliche Hauptcharaktere sich oft in moralischen Grauzonenen bewegen. Das ist bei Kerstin Gier nicht so. Die Charaktere sind zwar manchmal arrogant oder gemein, aber nicht mehr als die üblichen Teenager sind. Man hat nicht, dass Gefühl das Charaktere etwas absolut moralisch Verwerfliches tun.
Toll fand ich auch, dass hier angesprochen wurde das viele Schätzte (hier der Diamant) unrechtmäßig in die Hände Europas und die von Oligarchen gelangt ist.
Ein Kritikpunkt: asiatisch ist kein Beschreibungsmerkmal für das Aussehen. Der asiatische Kontinenent wird von Menschen verschiedener Ethnien bewohnt (indisch, russisch, japanisch, koreanisch). Das auf einen Typ zu stereotypisieren ist falsch. Man kann Charaktere auch anders beschreiben.
Abschließend möchte ich noch auf eine Sache hinweisen: EAT THE RICH. Es gibt keinen Menschen der ohne Ausbeutung und Korruption an seine Milliarden gekommen ist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Violence, Kidnapping, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
Minor: Alcohol
massivepizzacrust's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Yeahhhh this was cute. But that was about it for me. I didn't think it was particularly memorable and the tone shift towards the end of the book was surprising to me. It's a bit disappointing because I wanted to love it but I found most of the characters kind of flat and most of the plot twists too sudden.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Bullying and Kidnapping
kathabooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Classism
bexi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Contemporary YA is not a genre I read often, especially if there's romance involved, but I really enjoyed this one! There's a dash of fantasy or magical realism as well, and a mystery in the second part of the book. I've been in a reading slump for the past couple of weeks and this helped bring me out of it. It was cute, cozy, fun, and a little ridiculous.
It takes place around the last week of Christmas up to the first week of January, but there's not a huge emphasis on the holidays. I would definitely recommend it for a general winter read, or if you're looking for a holiday read that's more subtle.
The romance was a little cringey for me at a few points as an adult reader, but I still thought it was cute and it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, the audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life with all the different accents, but I sometimes found the accents she used for the main character and a few of the side characters hard to understand (German or Swiss I think?). I had to listen to most of the book at a reduced speed to understand it. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of, which I find difficult to do when listening to audiobooks.
It takes place around the last week of Christmas up to the first week of January, but there's not a huge emphasis on the holidays. I would definitely recommend it for a general winter read, or if you're looking for a holiday read that's more subtle.
The romance was a little cringey for me at a few points as an adult reader, but I still thought it was cute and it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, the audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life with all the different accents, but I sometimes found the accents she used for the main character and a few of the side characters hard to understand (German or Swiss I think?). I had to listen to most of the book at a reduced speed to understand it. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of, which I find difficult to do when listening to audiobooks.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
m4rtt4's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
the forbidden cat <3
i've now read this book around christmas for two years in a row, might make it a tradition since the vibes are immaculate <3
i've now read this book around christmas for two years in a row, might make it a tradition since the vibes are immaculate <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
let me start with my cover review. all the pieces are there: i love the illustrations, the typeface of the title, the background color. the typeface and color for the author's name aren't my favorite but i don't hate it. my main issue is with the arrangement. like placing the hotel above the title looks wrong. with some repositioning, it could be so good.
and that's also generally how i felt about the actual contents. its plot summary makes for a very good story, but the way it was executed into a 300-page novel was rocky due to an uneven pace. the first 75% is largely uneventful, more slice of life, then the last 25% turns into an intense mystery/thriller. if it's not going to commit to being a slice of life, then i wish it would get to the actual conflict much earlier than three-fourths of the way through. also irritating that the peak climax of the book abruptly ends with "and then i went unconscious" while the day is saved by someone else. all the dissatisfaction of a deus ex machina, compounded by the fact that we don't even get to see it play out in real time, only the recap Sophie gets from others after the fact. and what ever happened with thechandelier falling ? did it lost its relevance to the plot immediately? then what was the point of all that? talk about "some fake moment of suspense that all gets resolved two pages later"…
this is a reread for me. having some recollection (most of it i forgot) plus this time the ebook made it a lot easier to follow, but there were still a few too many characters for me to remember. like Mara Matthäus and Jaromir—they came up again at the end and i had no idea who they were. on my first read, i liked Tristan better than Ben. this time, i started on Ben's side because Tristan's vibes were a little too close to fuckboy for my liking, but at least he's hot and mysterious and anti-imperialist; Ben just becomes possessive and bitter. go home. also it was a little cringe to hear a character say, "I've fallen in love with you"—i know trauma bonding and all but it's been like a week, dial it back. but i have this issue with so much YA romance so maybe it's just me ??
as others have mentioned, the portrayal of women isn't great. Ella, Gretchen, Hortensia, Camilla, Ava, Ariane ("Whatsername"), Mrs. Smirnov/Yegorov , and Mrs. Ludwig are all portrayed negatively, with Fräulein Müller somewhere in the middle. like damn. i don't think Sophie herself had an "i'm not like other girls" mindset, but the writing definitely showed that she was not like other girls and therefore better and more worthy of romance.
and that's also generally how i felt about the actual contents. its plot summary makes for a very good story, but the way it was executed into a 300-page novel was rocky due to an uneven pace. the first 75% is largely uneventful, more slice of life, then the last 25% turns into an intense mystery/thriller. if it's not going to commit to being a slice of life, then i wish it would get to the actual conflict much earlier than three-fourths of the way through. also irritating that the peak climax of the book abruptly ends with "and then i went unconscious" while the day is saved by someone else. all the dissatisfaction of a deus ex machina, compounded by the fact that we don't even get to see it play out in real time, only the recap Sophie gets from others after the fact. and what ever happened with the
this is a reread for me. having some recollection (most of it i forgot) plus this time the ebook made it a lot easier to follow, but there were still a few too many characters for me to remember. like Mara Matthäus and Jaromir—they came up again at the end and i had no idea who they were. on my first read, i liked Tristan better than Ben. this time, i started on Ben's side because Tristan's vibes were a little too close to fuckboy for my liking, but at least he's hot and mysterious and anti-imperialist; Ben just becomes possessive and bitter. go home. also it was a little cringe to hear a character say, "I've fallen in love with you"—i know trauma bonding and all but it's been like a week, dial it back. but i have this issue with so much YA romance so maybe it's just me ??
as others have mentioned, the portrayal of women isn't great. Ella, Gretchen, Hortensia, Camilla, Ava, Ariane ("Whatsername"), Mrs. Smirnov/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, and Classism
hayley_bourn's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Castle in the Clouds is a YA novel set in an isolated grand old hotel in the Swiss Alps over the Christmas-New Year holiday period. At the heart of the story is 17 year old Sophie who is working as an intern. The books has a soapy feel with a cast of rich and famous guests, some of whom behave badly. It also features a sweet romance as well as a mystery involving a jewel heist and a kidnapping. Lots of concealed identities, chase scenes through the hotel’s many rabbit warrens and a shoot-out as well. A great setting, with the hotel and its quirky staff being lovingly depicted in great detail. The plot is perfect if you are in the mood for a fun romp and aren’t bothered by it’s implausibility.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
kaetheluise_nckl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
geschrieben am 17. Oktober 2018
Das Wolkenschloss muss ein magischer Ort sein. Die Beschreibungen im Buch lassen das Hotel wirken, wie ein realer Ort, und ich finde, das ist Kerstin Giers Magie.
Sie weiß einfach, was sie tut.
"Wolkenschloss" ist mal wieder eins dieser Bücher, zu denen ich nicht viel sagen kann, denn ich denke, die Reise zum Wolkenschloss muss man selber machen. Es ist also Zeit, die Koffer zu packen.
Ja, es ist etwas langatmig, aber ganz ehrlich, das fällt nur auf, wenn man zu lange darüber nachdenkt.
Ich kann nur sagen, dass das Wolkenschloss Geheimnisse hinter seinen Türen birgt, und dass ich es nur wärmsten empfehlen kann, eine Taschenlampe und Schuhe mit gedämpfter Sohle einzupacken, denn eine dieser Türen wird aufgehen - und dann geht das Abenteuer los!
Das Wolkenschloss muss ein magischer Ort sein. Die Beschreibungen im Buch lassen das Hotel wirken, wie ein realer Ort, und ich finde, das ist Kerstin Giers Magie.
Sie weiß einfach, was sie tut.
"Wolkenschloss" ist mal wieder eins dieser Bücher, zu denen ich nicht viel sagen kann, denn ich denke, die Reise zum Wolkenschloss muss man selber machen. Es ist also Zeit, die Koffer zu packen.
Ja, es ist etwas langatmig, aber ganz ehrlich, das fällt nur auf, wenn man zu lange darüber nachdenkt.
Ich kann nur sagen, dass das Wolkenschloss Geheimnisse hinter seinen Türen birgt, und dass ich es nur wärmsten empfehlen kann, eine Taschenlampe und Schuhe mit gedämpfter Sohle einzupacken, denn eine dieser Türen wird aufgehen - und dann geht das Abenteuer los!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail