laurennoel's reviews
73 reviews
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book wasn't bad but it also did not live up to what I expected and I found the writing stilted and awkward at points, which could very well be because of the translator. The plot was also predictable and not in a fun way. I liked the first two stories well enough but found the last two tedious, especially the last one because I hate the trope that was utilized. Kawaguchi also toes the line of men writing women. All the women are pretty and makeupless while the men just get to be obscure figures in the background with characterization reduced to their body mass.
All in all, the book was significantly simpler than expected and not really my cup of tea (coffee).
All in all, the book was significantly simpler than expected and not really my cup of tea (coffee).
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I need El to shut up and kill people.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3.0
3.6 stars. This book is.. okay. My friend/biggest enabler/book pal is iffy about this book, but it's his best friend/recent friend of mine's favorite book that they both encouraged me to read so I could give my thoughts. And it was okay. I don't really care much for it either way.
I think I would have liked this book more if I read it as a kid, but at 22 it just... doesn't do it for me. That whole premise that we each have a purpose we're working towards just doesn't appeal to me in this capitalistic nightmare we're currently watching burn to the ground.
It also reads as one of ~those~ self help books. The cringey ones that finance bros swear by. Like 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' which I did briefly begin reading out of curiosity before chucking it aside and wondering just how it is that people manage to say so much without actually saying a damn thing.
This book is worth reading if you're interested in knowing what it's about because you've seen it literally everywhere. It's incredibly short and can easily be read in one sitting. Just be prepared to be completely underwhelmed.
I think I would have liked this book more if I read it as a kid, but at 22 it just... doesn't do it for me. That whole premise that we each have a purpose we're working towards just doesn't appeal to me in this capitalistic nightmare we're currently watching burn to the ground.
It also reads as one of ~those~ self help books. The cringey ones that finance bros swear by. Like 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' which I did briefly begin reading out of curiosity before chucking it aside and wondering just how it is that people manage to say so much without actually saying a damn thing.
This book is worth reading if you're interested in knowing what it's about because you've seen it literally everywhere. It's incredibly short and can easily be read in one sitting. Just be prepared to be completely underwhelmed.
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
3.0
3.5 stars.
I liked the book well enough. I think at this point I've come to the conclusion that I don't like first person present point of view in fantasy novels. It always comes across as stiff and stilted and just... not great. The Cruel Prince is another example of this. The writing style just isn't the best and it reads like a teen writing fanfiction for the first time. It just doesn't flow correctly.
The plot was intriguing and the world building was also great; except it also fell short. It had the potential to be really good, but it misses its mark. The characters are too one-dimensional, and the pacing of the novel is off. The book tries to be too much while simultaneously not being enough. The characters undergo a lot of change, but we're only privy to when that change occurs when the narrator tells us it happens. There's not much internal conflict when there should be. The development between the characters is also off and could have been delved into deeper. The relationship between Eelyn, the narrator, and Fiske while expected, also came out of no where with very little development. There's so little interaction between them and then boom! He's risking his life for her and literally a day after telling her he has to make it back to his family, he's telling her he'd leave them to come and stay with her in her hometown and professing his unwavering loyality. It was just weird and not well developed at all.
Furthermore, the ending was rushed. The romance, the alliance, the final battle, and the resolution all take place within 40-50 pages, which might seem like enough time for all of this to happen, except these pages are short and the text doesn't take up much space. I made it through the entirety of this book in just under three hours. It's incredibly easy to read in one sitting, but the ending leaves you lacking and thinking "that's it?" The resolution between the Aska and Riki also doesn't make a lot of sense politically. The best way to put it is the book itself is naive. Like I said, the plot itself is interesting; but the lack of development in all areas of the book leaves the book lacking and falling short of what it set out to do.
Another point is dialogue. The dialogue often feels forced, and stiff, and reads as someone''s first attempt at writing conversations between people. Essentially, it just doesn't read as natural conversations. In relation to the plot, the characters/dialogue work for the plot, not the other way around. It's incredibly easy to tell that the things that happen, and the small snippets of conversation we do get, are meant to propel the plot, instead of the natural flow of the characters' actions carrying us forward. Hopefully that makes sense. It's all just to say that everything just feels quite forced.
All in all, I don't know how to describe this book other than a "pick me" girl's fave?? It's a quick read, and it's not horrible. If you liked the Cruel Prince, you might like this, and if you didn't like the Cruel Prince, don't read this. I personally do not like the Cruel Prince series, as it holds a lot of the same faults as this book.
I still admire Adrienne Young. I've bought each of her books as they've released, and am just now getting around to reading them, and I wholeheartedly support Young as an author. I just also recognize the faults of this book, but also contend that this was Young's first published book. I look forward to reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back next.
I liked the book well enough. I think at this point I've come to the conclusion that I don't like first person present point of view in fantasy novels. It always comes across as stiff and stilted and just... not great. The Cruel Prince is another example of this. The writing style just isn't the best and it reads like a teen writing fanfiction for the first time. It just doesn't flow correctly.
The plot was intriguing and the world building was also great; except it also fell short. It had the potential to be really good, but it misses its mark. The characters are too one-dimensional, and the pacing of the novel is off. The book tries to be too much while simultaneously not being enough. The characters undergo a lot of change, but we're only privy to when that change occurs when the narrator tells us it happens. There's not much internal conflict when there should be. The development between the characters is also off and could have been delved into deeper. The relationship between Eelyn, the narrator, and Fiske while expected, also came out of no where with very little development. There's so little interaction between them and then boom! He's risking his life for her and literally a day after telling her he has to make it back to his family, he's telling her he'd leave them to come and stay with her in her hometown and professing his unwavering loyality. It was just weird and not well developed at all.
Furthermore, the ending was rushed. The romance, the alliance, the final battle, and the resolution all take place within 40-50 pages, which might seem like enough time for all of this to happen, except these pages are short and the text doesn't take up much space. I made it through the entirety of this book in just under three hours. It's incredibly easy to read in one sitting, but the ending leaves you lacking and thinking "that's it?" The resolution between the Aska and Riki also doesn't make a lot of sense politically. The best way to put it is the book itself is naive. Like I said, the plot itself is interesting; but the lack of development in all areas of the book leaves the book lacking and falling short of what it set out to do.
Another point is dialogue. The dialogue often feels forced, and stiff, and reads as someone''s first attempt at writing conversations between people. Essentially, it just doesn't read as natural conversations. In relation to the plot, the characters/dialogue work for the plot, not the other way around. It's incredibly easy to tell that the things that happen, and the small snippets of conversation we do get, are meant to propel the plot, instead of the natural flow of the characters' actions carrying us forward. Hopefully that makes sense. It's all just to say that everything just feels quite forced.
All in all, I don't know how to describe this book other than a "pick me" girl's fave?? It's a quick read, and it's not horrible. If you liked the Cruel Prince, you might like this, and if you didn't like the Cruel Prince, don't read this. I personally do not like the Cruel Prince series, as it holds a lot of the same faults as this book.
I still admire Adrienne Young. I've bought each of her books as they've released, and am just now getting around to reading them, and I wholeheartedly support Young as an author. I just also recognize the faults of this book, but also contend that this was Young's first published book. I look forward to reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back next.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
4.0
3.5 stars but I rounded it up to 4 because I love Casey McQuiston and she deserves all the love and praise. The only reason this book ranked lower than 'Red, White, and Royal Blue' is because it was slower paced and my ADHD addled mind struggled to make it through portions of the book. But it's good and it's cute and it's so freaking queer and I love it. Just the perfect little comfort read, and McQuiston has a grasp over sassy and sarcastic dialogue like no other. I love her style of writing and can't wait for more rom-com styled books from her in the future.
Find Me by André Aciman
4.0
This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I actually really liked Find Me as a book in an of itself. As a sequel it's pretty eh, and when I first heard a general outline I was iffy - the beginning with the father and the young girl and them eventually having a child together was weird, and personally I would not have minded if Elio and Oliver never found their way back to each other. But Aciman's redeeming points are his ideas and the philosophy he slips into his writing. I loved the portion of the book where the father is at the girls place and her father is there, and they're talking about the idea of parallel lives. And then later on the discussion between Elio and his lover and the idea of some of us being dealt certain cards in life that may not be completed by us, but by future generations (and if any of these aren't the correct scenes I'm thinking, it's been a year since I touched this book, so I'm going off of memory.) Everything in this book is connected in some subtle way, so while the general plot and outcome is not my favorite, Aciman's writing makes this book a worthwhile read. I would just go into it with an open mind and maybe try to appreciate it as something separate from Call Me By Your Name.