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one4ale's reviews
45 reviews
The Sign of the Four by Peter Ackroyd, Arthur Conan Doyle
4.0
Only just barely a four.
Another good one, though it felt like less of a mystery and more of a sensational story. The actual detective work was interesting, though, and was grounded and believable by the facts of the story. If I re-read this, I'm sure I would see where all the clues and hints were hidden before the reveal.
The man critique I have is that it's late 19th century Britain, so it has some bad, racist depictions of Indian & aboriginal cultures. It doesn't take up anything more than a few scenes, but it is glaring.
Another good one, though it felt like less of a mystery and more of a sensational story. The actual detective work was interesting, though, and was grounded and believable by the facts of the story. If I re-read this, I'm sure I would see where all the clues and hints were hidden before the reveal.
The man critique I have is that it's late 19th century Britain, so it has some bad, racist depictions of Indian & aboriginal cultures. It doesn't take up anything more than a few scenes, but it is glaring.
Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes (Illustrated): Arsène Lupin 100th Anniversary Collection by Maurice Leblanc, George Morehead
4.0
4.5 stars, a very near 5.
This is one of the funniest and most entertaining stories I have ever read. Leblanc is a master of his craft, and perfectly captures the importance of a petty rivalry of geniuses.
The actual capers of the Blue Diamond, Blonde lady, and Jewish Lamp themselves were entertaining in their own right and Sholmes' investigation made sense as a reader, in that it didn't feel like it could only have been solved via deus ex machina.
The best aspect of this book was the dynamic between Sholmes and Lupin. Lupin especially, despite not being the main character of his own book, really shined. I must critique, however, the portrayal of Sholmes. It was clearly meant to be comedic and somewhat removed from the real Holmes, but the issue is that he was more or less the same as his real-counterpart save for his treatment of Watson/Wilson. At times, it felt like Leblanc had a personal vendetta against Watson as he constantly depicted him as a useless, simping sidekick.
tl;dr: One of the best stories I've read all year, save for one or two critiques.
This is one of the funniest and most entertaining stories I have ever read. Leblanc is a master of his craft, and perfectly captures the importance of a petty rivalry of geniuses.
The actual capers of the Blue Diamond, Blonde lady, and Jewish Lamp themselves were entertaining in their own right and Sholmes' investigation made sense as a reader, in that it didn't feel like it could only have been solved via deus ex machina.
The best aspect of this book was the dynamic between Sholmes and Lupin. Lupin especially, despite not being the main character of his own book, really shined. I must critique, however, the portrayal of Sholmes. It was clearly meant to be comedic and somewhat removed from the real Holmes, but the issue is that he was more or less the same as his real-counterpart save for his treatment of Watson/Wilson. At times, it felt like Leblanc had a personal vendetta against Watson as he constantly depicted him as a useless, simping sidekick.
tl;dr: One of the best stories I've read all year, save for one or two critiques.
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
4.0
What a great story. I love the little mystery, and was pleasantly surprised by
If I had to give a critique, some of the conclusions Holmes draw seem to come from nowhere that I could've known, but they do make sense for him to have known. This doesn't really take me out of it, though.
Spoiler
how enjoyable the latter half was considering the shift in tone and setting towards a "Western" prairie.If I had to give a critique, some of the conclusions Holmes draw seem to come from nowhere that I could've known, but they do make sense for him to have known. This doesn't really take me out of it, though.
The Odyssey by Homer
5.0
One of the best translations of any work I've read. I've always been a fan of The Odyssey, since I was a kid, but Emily Wilson's translation really takes it to a different level. It's very thorough and well put-together. The introduction, which was very long, was chock full of info that added a lot to the experience of reading this. The translator's note specifically was great, and I appreciated Wilson's efforts to make this a somewhat modernized and woman-led perspective of a classic.
tl;dr: This was wonderful, everyone read this version now!
tl;dr: This was wonderful, everyone read this version now!
The Stranger by Leo Lionni, Albert Camus
3.0
Even though it wasn't bad I can't shake the feeling that I should feel more about this book, but it was good.
I didn't really get it at first and I was ready to write it off as nihilist nothing but the ending wrapped it up and I get it's not about how nothing matters but about how our present lives matter. I liked that, it really turned me around on how I felt about the MC and his relationships. I also get why this is one of the existentialist works (even if Camus didn't agree). The book could've used a better representation of women, though.
The narrator was really good, especially during the final chapter.
tl;dr: Good book with an interesting message.
I didn't really get it at first and I was ready to write it off as nihilist nothing but the ending wrapped it up and I get it's not about how nothing matters but about how our present lives matter. I liked that, it really turned me around on how I felt about the MC and his relationships. I also get why this is one of the existentialist works (even if Camus didn't agree). The book could've used a better representation of women, though.
The narrator was really good, especially during the final chapter.
tl;dr: Good book with an interesting message.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
4.0
I can't believe it was as good as it was.
Things I Liked:
- The characters were very interesting; I didn't get to see a lot from the side-chars. but was given just enough to like them
- The power system is really interesting
- The ending was great, no feelings of loose ends
- Quick to read, never felt dragged out
- The back-and-forth timelines weren't all that confusing, and the plot overall was engaging and fun to read about
Things I Didn't (Nitpicks):
- Not their fault, but I don't care for academia in books (esp. if a character says they think it's pretentious, you go there!)
- I wish the characters used their powers more
- The story felt very tumblr, but it's 2013 so not their fault either
-
tl;dr: Good book, I liked it. Will likely pick up the rest of the series.
Things I Liked:
- The characters were very interesting; I didn't get to see a lot from the side-chars. but was given just enough to like them
- The power system is really interesting
- The ending was great, no feelings of loose ends
- Quick to read, never felt dragged out
- The back-and-forth timelines weren't all that confusing, and the plot overall was engaging and fun to read about
Things I Didn't (Nitpicks):
- Not their fault, but I don't care for academia in books (esp. if a character says they think it's pretentious, you go there!)
- I wish the characters used their powers more
- The story felt very tumblr, but it's 2013 so not their fault either
-
Spoiler
Angie Knight was so wasted. Literally got fridged after only being used as a plot device to make Victor a "scorned ex-best friend/nice guy"tl;dr: Good book, I liked it. Will likely pick up the rest of the series.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
3.0
Something about this guy...
Something about this book makes it feel like it was supposed to be really good but I can't justify rating it higher than it is. A lot of the choices were really weird, like putting in 2 different slurs, even if they kinda made sense in context. The premise is pretty cliche but I felt that he still made it fun to read instead of hashed out. All in all, I'd recommend this as like a "finish in a day" filler book.
Things I Liked:
- I liked her relationship with Jay, it was cute.
- The scene where Ashley dies was hilarious. "Am I immortal?" *Dies of headshot wound*
Things I Didn't:
- Darby dying was insane, Darby surviving was ridiculous and came out of nowhere
- MCU dialogue, especially with scenes regarding Ashley
- The villains got cartoonishly evil, and also it's implied Lars was the bad guy because he was ugly??
Something about this book makes it feel like it was supposed to be really good but I can't justify rating it higher than it is. A lot of the choices were really weird, like putting in 2 different slurs, even if they kinda made sense in context. The premise is pretty cliche but I felt that he still made it fun to read instead of hashed out. All in all, I'd recommend this as like a "finish in a day" filler book.
Things I Liked:
Spoiler
- The action was written pretty good. It was exciting watching Darby fight the guys and use her surroundings. It read like I could see it happen in motion.- I liked her relationship with Jay, it was cute.
- The scene where Ashley dies was hilarious. "Am I immortal?" *Dies of headshot wound*
Things I Didn't:
Spoiler
- Too many twists. My God, the last ten pages had like seven twists alone.- Darby dying was insane, Darby surviving was ridiculous and came out of nowhere
- MCU dialogue, especially with scenes regarding Ashley
- The villains got cartoonishly evil, and also it's implied Lars was the bad guy because he was ugly??
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5.0
4.5/5, closer to a 5 than a 4.
I loved this book, it was so interesting and well-written. The VA for this particular audiobook really added to it as well. I think what I liked best were the dialogues between Lord Henry and Dorian, even if what the former was saying was wrong. The ending was good too; I expected it but was not disappointed by it.
If there was one thing I would've liked to see it would be It's not a dealbreaker though, obviously.
I loved this book, it was so interesting and well-written. The VA for this particular audiobook really added to it as well. I think what I liked best were the dialogues between Lord Henry and Dorian, even if what the former was saying was wrong. The ending was good too; I expected it but was not disappointed by it.
Spoiler
I especially like that he had so many chances to reform/escape death and remained a hypocrite through and through until the end, which is why I think he got that end and not Lord Henry. He, at least, was not a hypocrite - just a bad person.If there was one thing I would've liked to see it would be
Spoiler
more of a focus into his specific sins. There were many allusions to them, the lives he'd ruined and addictions/vices he accrued, but it would have been nice to see them in real time besides the opium and Sybil, etc. etc.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
4.0
This book almost lost me around the first five chapters. I thought it was trite, I thought it was fake, I thought it was meant to be screengrabbed for a few pretty lines and posted to go viral. Around Ch. 6, I realized the book was actually good. It really starts running from this point on, and from there I thought it was a very romantic story. More than that though, it didn't rely on the romance to make it good. I was invested in Red and Blue's story beyond just the development of their romance, and that let me appreciate it more retroactively.
The Mantis by Kōtarō Isaka
5.0
Incredible. I could not have expected how touching this story is. There is very little "action" that takes place throughout the book (especially in the start) but it remains thrilling the entire time anyway. It's a great conclusion to the Assassins Trilogy, acting as a perfect standalone with various references to the older works. It makes me want to reread the series from the start, just to see Kabuto love his family one more time.