gitadine's review against another edition
3.0
The reason I found this book a bit boring is because I already watched the episodes, so I knew about the side stories (except for the third one). It was still the same straight-forward style though, and I like it that it felt like fan fiction (which is not a bad thing!).
wyvernlordthor's review against another edition
3.0
Ah, the second volume of SAO. If you didn't read my review of the first one, let me fill you in on what it said: don't read volume 2. It's not a terrible book, and some of the later chapters I actually quite enjoyed, but it is completely unnecessary. The thought experiment of the first volume has been fully explored, so all that's left to do is go back and tell a bunch of pointless side stories about various girls falling in love with the main character, who is already in a relationship. It is also told from these girls' perspective, which gives Kirito a lot more credit that he deserves. The series is much more interesting when we can see his thoughts and can tell how much of a socially awkward teen he really is.
phantomreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aryn456's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
Interesting for the most part but it felt very rushed at times. I also don’t see why these short stories weren’t in the first novel, especially after it ended with such a big cliffhanger. I stopped reading because of that.
mercury20's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
andrew23825's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fangirlsbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
Tbh these short stories were way better written than the main one, and they were quite fun to read. The first story with Silica was the only one that I didn't particularly like, but the remaining three were pretty good. I liked how each story explored different themes and situations and had POVs other than Kirito's, and I honestly wish there were some more.
caribbeanprncss's review against another edition
5.0
A collection of short stories that bring more depth to the first novel and delight my poor heart.