Goose Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 (edited) Animal Farm – George Orwell (political, fable, thought-provoking) 3.5/5 I don’t really think there is much more I can say about this book that hasn’t already been discussed and analysed over the years. Its obvious commentary on totalitarianism is done in such a fantastic way that I would maybe even go so far as to say it is a must read. I never usually describe books as ‘must reads’ as I think reading is such a unique and individual thing that no book will ever be right for everyone. However, I think it’s different with Animal Farm. It is done in such a simple way that I think anyone can connect with it and what it’s trying to say. I’m sure most are aware of what Animal Farm is about, but for those that don’t the book follows a group of farmyard animals as they rebel against their human keepers and form their own society. At first, they all work together to build better lives for themselves, until the greed of a few takes over. I wouldn’t say that I loved the book, it wasn’t a book that I found enjoyable in the way I do most books, for their characters or interesting world building for example, however I came away from it just feeling so glad I had finally read it. I don’t really know how else to explain it. One of my favourite aspects was the depiction of how ordinary citizens can be made to continue faith in a regime if they are fed the information that everything is as it should be. How those in power use the loyalty of their people to further themselves. I do think that anyone who gets the chance should read this book, its very short but still manages to pack a punch. Opening line: Mr. Jones, of Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. Format: ebook 128 pages Published in 1945 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 (edited) I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Ian Reid (unnerving, psychological, philosophical) 3/5 I’m Thinking of Ending Things is about an unnamed narrator who goes with their boyfriend to visit his parents. The narrator is having seconds thoughts about the relationship and is contemplating ending it. However, things get a bit weird when the narrator starts to notice unusual things. This was definitely a gripping story. I did find it took a while to get going, although there are hints at odd things early on, a large portion of the first half of the book is just the narrator and their boyfriend having very deep philosophical discussions. I am not usually too keen on this sort of thing, however the intrigue of wanting to find out what was going on was enough to keep me reading. Once in the second half of the book where its obvious something was not right I really enjoyed it and just didn’t want to stop until I had finished. I would recommend, I think some things could have been done a bit better to keep the flow of the plot going a bit better but overall, I enjoyed it. Opening line: I’m thinking of ending things. Format: audiobook 241 pages Published in 2016 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) Magpie – Elizabeth Day (psychological, contemporary, mental health) 3.5/5 Marisa has the perfect life with her boyfriend Jake, they have just bought a house together and now they are about to have a baby. Then, however they get a roommate who turns everything on its head. I overall enjoyed this book; it touches on the really difficult topic of infertility and the struggles associated with it. This is an area I am fortunate enough to not know much about and therefore it was interesting and eye opening to learn about. As for the mystery element to the story I at first thought this was done really well and it kept me reading, however once it is revealed what is actually going on (this is done about a third of the way in) the book kind of loses its edge a bit. Although still interesting it did start to drag towards the end and I felt that the controlling mother-in-law character was mainly there to try and plug the gap that the reveal had left behind. There is a mental health element to the book that I did find a little problematic at times in its depiction. I worry that the way it was depicted could lead people to fear those with mental health conditions. I would however still recommend the book if it sounds like your sort of thing. Opening line: The house was perfect. Format: print 336 pages Published in 2021 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) Room – Emma Donoghue (touching, contemporary, mother-hood) 3.5/4 Room is about a young woman who has been held captive by a man for seven years. The story is told from the perspective of her five-year-old son Jack who has never seen the outside world and who has no understanding of what real life is like. I was unsure at first when I realised that the story was told from a child's point of view, I thought this might irritate me a bit, however it did not. I thought it was a very unique way of exploring the very adult topic that the book covered and I think it was done very well. Jack was such a sweet character that I grew to love and feel a connection with. In the second part of the book Jack and his mum manage to escape the room and to me this was where the book really came in to its own. We watch as Jack tries to grasp what the outside world is like and we see through his eyes how his mother struggles to adjust also. Its not exactly an action-packed story but I would definitely recommend. Opening line: Today I’m five. Format: audiobook 321 pages Published in 2010 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted December 5, 2022 Author Share Posted December 5, 2022 (edited) Six of Crows Duology (#1 Six of Crows & #2 Crooked Kingdom) – Leigh Bardugo (YA, fantasy, character-driven) Books 1 & 2 4/5 Six of Crows has been on my reading list for quite a while. It is a very popular YA fantasy and I had heard lots of praise for the books. This did put me off reading it for quite a while as I was worried my expectations had been set too high and it would disappoint me. It didn’t disappoint me, I thoroughly enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as others have but overall, it was a great read. The story follows six main characters who join together to complete a job that will win them a hefty reward if they succeed. They live in a world where there are people called Grisha who have particular magical gifts but who are often exploited by those with money and power. It took me a little while to warm to some of the characters, for some reason I just didn’t click with the character of Cas, the leader, straight away. I think it could partly have been the voice actor of the audiobook I listened too but I just didn’t really buy Cas being a teenager and I think this just got in the way at first. However, in the second book, Crooked Kingdom I grew to like him more, as well as the other characters too. One of my favourite tropes is found family and I found this slightly lacking in the first book, the characters didn’t seem to have each other’s backs as much as I would have hoped. But in the second book this developed a lot more. Looking back however I do think this worked out better as it made the connection between the characters feel more genuine. I also liked that the characters were morally grey. I get frustrated sometimes when characters stop committing a crime at the last minute because ‘it’s the right thing to do’, but that certainly didn’t happen in this story! Another aspect I liked was the magic system. There are three types of Grisha who can each do a different type of magic, those that can manipulate biology, those that can manipulate elements and those that can manipulate materials. I liked that there were limits to the magic and it was described as more of a science than magic. I found my like of the magic system refreshing. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and therefore I often find I struggle to get behind other magic systems so it was nice to come across one I equally enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s worth the high praise it gets. Opening line: Johst had two problems, the moon and his moustache. Format: audiobook Book 1 - 465 pages Book 2 - 561 pages Published in 2015 - 2016 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted December 5, 2022 Author Share Posted December 5, 2022 (edited) Perfectly Preventable Deaths Duology (#1 Perfectly Preventable Deaths & #2 Precious Catastrophe) – Deirdre Sullivan (witchy, YA, sister-hood) Book 1 3.75/5 Book 2 3.75/5 Perfectly Preventable Deaths is set in a small town in Ireland called Ballyfran, a very strange place where very creepy things happen. Madeline and Catlin are twin sisters who have just moved to Ballyfran with their mum and new step dad. Its not long before Madeline starts to notice how weird things are and that her twin sister’s new boyfriend does not seem right. I loved this story. The first book was a little slow, but the second book, Precious Catastrophe was fantastic. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting really, other than the general ‘witchyness’. Sullivan managed to keep a book written about witchcraft in an ancient town in the middle of nowhere feel fresh and modern. I am not particularly in to historical fiction in general and unfortunately for me fantasy books are usually set in worlds in line with the Victorian times! These books however are set in the modern day and the characters are very believable modern-day teenagers. I really enjoyed the style of witchcraft explored in the book. It was one based in nature and revolved around using herbs, plants and other natural ingredients to perform spells. I also really liked the two main characters Madeline and Catlin. I wouldn’t necessarily go so far as to say the book is funny per say, but it definitely didn’t take itself too seriously. The first book follows Madeline whereas the second book switches between both girls POVs which I liked as it was nice to see the story from Catlin’s POV also. I would highly recommend these books; the witchy vibe was perfect. The story was seriously creepy but somehow fun and light-hearted at the same time! Opening line: Our father died in flames when he was twenty six and we were two. Format: audiobook Book 1 - 368 pages Book 2 - 418 pages Published in 2019 - 2021 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted December 31, 2022 Author Share Posted December 31, 2022 (edited) The Maze Runner - James Dashner (dystopian, YA, sci-fi) 2.75/5 I was initially going to review the whole Maze Runner Trilogy in one however I never finished the second book. I did enjoy what I read however it obviously didn't keep me interested enough to keep going. I was a bit disappointed as I was in the mood for good old dystopian, I hadn't read one in a while and The Maze Runner is on all the lists of must read dystopians, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. The Maze Runner follows a group of boys who live in a glade surrounded by huge stone walls that open during the day to reveal a dangerous maze. All the boys have had their memories wiped and have no recollection of who they are or how they came to be in the glade. When the main character Tommy arrives he seems to spark the beginning of 'the end' and time is running out for the boys to figure out how to escape. I have seen the film so did know what to expect however it was a long time ago so I couldn't remember any details. I found the characters a bit frustrating, we find out that the boys are all apparently geniuses that are being monitored to see how they cope with the obstacles they face however I couldn't buy into the fact they were geniuses as they were seemingly unable to find the solution to the maze. Particularly as the solution was, not obvious, but not exactly that hard to figure out, especially considering some of the boys had been there for 2 years already. I was also frustrated by the use of telekinesis. A big pet peeve of mine is the use of magical/supernatural power being used in a story that is presented as 'real world'. They do begin to explain in the second book a way that this power has scientific grounding however for me it just didn't work. I may eventually read the rest of the trilogy but I don't plan to any time soon. Opening line: He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air. Format: audiobook 384 pages Published in 2009 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted December 31, 2022 Author Share Posted December 31, 2022 (edited) 2021 & 2022 Highlight Reel and Stats I thought I would pick out my favourite books of the year with a quick reason as to what I liked the most about them. I am going to try and stick to only five (and maybe a few honourable motions) but I am not usually very good at narrowing things down! I have included 2021 here as well as I didn't do this last year. They are in no particular order and I have taken the liberty of including whole series as one if I so wish! 2021 Top Five: Ready Player One - Ernest Cline: completely immersive and the perfect depiction of a futuristic world gone to shhhhhhh but in a believable way. Roxy - Neal Shusterman: unique and heart-breaking with mythological vibes. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers: character driven space opera that makes sci-fi feel fresh and modern. The Sad Ghost Club - Lize Meddings: an accurate depiction of anxiety and depression. The Constant Rabbit - Jasper Fforde: a twisted reality that is well thought out and believable and doesn't take itself too seriously. Honourable Mentions: Bunny - Mona Awad: totally weird, creepy and intriguing. Stats: Shortest book: Emergency Skin - N. K. Jemisin - 38 pages Longest book: A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas - 626 pages Oldest book: A Brave New World - Aldous Huxley - 1932 Newest book: Roxy - Neal Shusterman - 2021 Most read author: Neal Shusterman - 4 books Books completed: 31 Books DNF'd: 0 2022 Top Five: Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers: interesting to see how humans have adapted to living in space. Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde: cleverly creates a well thought out society based around colour perception and how that determines an individuals place in the world. Heartless - Marissa Meyer: wonderfully whimsical. The Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews: a unique premise full of different alien planets and species. Precious Catastrophe - Deidre Sullivan: a modern feeling fantasy with a super witchy vibe grounded in nature. Honourable Mentions: The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune: a sweet group of outcast kids, each with their own unique character and story. Stats: Shortest book: Summer Frost - Blake Crouch - 75 pages Longest book: The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon - 848 pages Oldest book: Animal Farm - George Orwell - 1945 Newest book: Precious Catastrophe - Deirdre Sullivan - 2021 Most read author: Ilona Andrews Books completed: 44 Books DNF'd: 4 Edited August 3, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) Good Omens – Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (biblical, humorous, urban fantasy) 3.75/5 Good Omens is about the coming of the end of the world, triggered by the anti-Christ being born. Aziraphale, an angel and Crowley, a demon are living on earth doing the work of their leaders, God and Satan, when they both realise that the end of the world means an end to the comfortable lives they have grown accustomed to. They decide to try and carefully divert the direction of destiny but things don’t go exactly according to plan. I both loved this book, as well as finding it pretty boring. I loved Aziraphale and Crowley and thought their relationship was wonderful, however I wished that the book stuck more closely to them. What I found a bit boring was that the book spent an awful lot of time with lots of different characters, some of which were only relevant for a very small proportion of the story. Now, I do on one hand appreciate this and the effect it gives, particularly the sense that seemingly small events can have an impact on many people, however I just found I was uninterested in these other characters. Apart from the characters of War, Famine, Pollution and Death, I really like those four. I also found the jumping between many different characters hard to follow and I would find it hard to keep track of what was happening a little (I think that is probably due to my ADHD brain though!). But there are aspects of the story I loved. As I have said already, I really liked the two main characters and loved reading about them. I also loved the concept of how angels and demons live among humans and do things to either cause happiness or suffering. But it would sometimes be things like the M25 ring road being created to cause frustrating commutes, or automated telephone voices. I just liked this subtle way in which they were having an influence on humans. Overall I would definitely recommend Good Omens, I don’t think the things I didn’t like about it are anything that make the book bad, just that maybe it wasn’t written in the best way for me. Opening line: It was a nice day. Format: ebook 491 pages Published in 1990 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller (Mythological, tragedy, historical fiction) 2.75/5 The Song of Achilles is set in ancient Greece and follows the love story of Patroclus and Achilles. It is told from Patroclus’ point of view and spans over many, many years, from when they are children, right up to when the Greeks go to war with Troy. I have seen a lot of reviews of this book where people have said that it broke their heart and it is a new favourite of theirs. Whilst I did enjoy it overall I wouldn’t say I have the same strong feelings about it as others. I think however this is probably mostly because I am not particularly interested in Greek mythology and also don’t tend to read historical books. That’s not to say that you need to know about or have an interest in Greek mythology in order to enjoy this book, quite the opposite actually as Miller does a good job of explaining everything. However I think for me it was mostly the fact of it being a historical fiction. I didn’t particularly like the character of Achilles however this funnily enough was an element of the book I liked, seeing his character change over time and the consequences of that. A few content warnings for the book as it talks about sexual assault, rape and sexism. Opening line: My father was a king and the son of kings. Format: ebook 378 pages Published in 2011 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 (edited) The School for Good and Evil – Soman Chainani (fantasy, middle-grade, fairy tales) DNF at 40% The School for Good and Evil follows best friends Sophie and Agatha who could not be more different, Sophie is beautiful and does good deeds whenever she can whereas Agatha lives in a graveyard and likes to wear black. Sophie has heard of the School for Good and Evil and is desperate to be taken there where she is convinced she will be top of the class in the School for Good. However although Sophie’s wish of being taken comes true she didn’t bank on her being put in to the School for Evil and Agatha being put in to the School for Good. I was excited to read this book, I love the concept of pupils going to classes to learn various skills to help them the become fairy tale heroes and villains and I do think the book does this well. I didn’t however end up finishing the book, I DNF it at about 40%. I think unfortunately because I had seen the film and therefore knew how the story ended it kind of ruined it for me. I do however recommend the book (from what I read) and I am looking forward to reading it to my children one day. Opening line: Sophie had waited her whole life to be kidnapped. Format: ebook 488 pages Published in 2013 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 5 hours ago, Goose said: I also found the jumping between many different characters hard to follow and I would find it hard to keep track of what was happening a little I absolutely love both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman but I also remember feeling a bit confused at one point with Good Omens. It’s been a long time since I read it, so I had kind of forgotten! Have you read any of the Discworld books? War, Famine, Pollution and Death appear there too 😄. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted February 18, 2023 Author Share Posted February 18, 2023 On 2/11/2023 at 10:27 PM, Hayley said: absolutely love both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman but I also remember feeling a bit confused at one point with Good Omens. It’s been a long time since I read it, so I had kind of forgotten! Have you read any of the Discworld books? War, Famine, Pollution and Death appear there too 😄. I've read The Colour of Magic and thought it was fantastic. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to some more of them. Are there any that you suggest reading next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 13 hours ago, Goose said: I've read The Colour of Magic and thought it was fantastic. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to some more of them. Are there any that you suggest reading next? Since you liked the character Death, definitely Mort and Reaper Man 😄. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted February 19, 2023 Share Posted February 19, 2023 Hello Goose. Another Terry Pratchett fan here, and I remembered there was a reading order/favourite characters list somewhere for his Disc World series. I had a look, and found this. Hope it helps when you come to choose your next TP book. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted March 15, 2023 Author Share Posted March 15, 2023 On 2/19/2023 at 9:18 AM, Chrissy said: Hello Goose. Another Terry Pratchett fan here, and I remembered there was a reading order/favourite characters list somewhere for his Disc World series. I had a look, and found this. Hope it helps when you come to choose your next TP book. 🙂 Wow that's fantastic thank you! Will definitely be using this to chose my next one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 (edited) The Red Queen – Victoria Aveyard (dystopian, YA, political) DNF at 25% The Red Queen is set in a world where people are divided in to Reds and Silvers. Reds are those whose blood is red and are the lowly workers in society who serve the Silvers, the rich and powerful who have silver blood and magical abilities. Mare is a Red who somehow has magical abilities and is taken in to the royal household as a means of covering up this impossibility to avoid a rebellion. This book was okay but it didn’t interest me enough to keep reading. It’s the predictable plot of commoner who has rare abilities leads a rebellion to overthrow those oppressing them. I love dystopian books but find it frustrating that a lot of them use this same format. Opening line: I hate First Friday. Format: ebook 388 pages Published in 2015 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 (edited) Flawed – Cecelia Ahern (dystopian, YA, political) DNF at 50% Celestine lives in a time when people can be branded as Flawed if they are deemed to have done something of questionable morality, but not illegal. Celestine is an upstanding citizen who agrees with the system, that is until she is the one being accused. Similar to The Red Queen, I just found this book nothing special, I felt like it had been done a hundred times over. I found the characters a bit irritating and overall just lost interest. Perhaps I should have given the book a chance but I just found I could easily predict what was going to happen. I did however like to commentary on what it means to be a good member of society and how it's easy to judge others when you are not in their situation. Opening line: I am a girl of definitions, of logic, of black and white. Format: ebook 324 pages Published in 2016 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 (edited) Dorothy Must Die – Danielle Paige (re-telling, fantasy, YA) 3.75/5 Dorothy Must Die is a sort of sequel re-telling of The Wizard of Oz. Amy is swept up by a tornado and taken to the land of Oz where she finds that Dorothy has returned and is not the sweet girl she is thought to be. Dorothy has enslaved the people of Oz and is working with her evil army to harvest all the magic for herself. Amy is recruited by a rebellion group whose aim is to kill Dorothy. I really enjoyed this book. It was wonderfully creepy but at the same time sort of whimsical. I liked to the descriptions of Oz and how it has changed since Dorothy has come back and taken over. The only thing I would have preferred would be for Amy to be a native to Oz rather than her being a normal human. Or perhaps a normal human who has lived in Oz for many years. I appreciate that the way she gets to Oz is a nod to the original story however I think I would have found Amy’s dedication to overthrowing Dorothy as well as her ability to use magic more believable this way. Overall however I loved the book and will at some point be reading the rest of the series. Opening line: I first discovered I was trash three days before my ninth birthday. Format: audiobook 452 pages Published in 2014 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 (edited) How to Buy a Planet – D. A. Holdsworth (sci-fi, humorous, adventurous) 3.75/5 This book follows a group of people who, after an announcement from the Prime Minister informing the world that planet Earth has been sold to aliens, realise that this is not good news and go about trying to stop it. This book was fab! I found it took me a little while to get in to it but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It reminded me very much of Douglas Adams’ The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy as it has the same sort of light-hearted humour. I really liked it once the group had travelled to another planet and seeing through their eyes as they comprehended that there was life outside of planet Earth. I would highly recommend this book, particularly if you prefer your sci-fi to be more on the funny, light-hearted side. Opening line: The world’s press were wriggling with excitement. Format: ebook 441 pages Published in 2020 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 4/2/2023 at 2:05 PM, Goose said: Dorothy Must Die is a sort of sequel re-telling of The Wizard of Oz. I’m intrigued by this but also not sure whether I like or hate the idea of Dorothy becoming the villain who has to be killed! Does it feature the other characters from the original, like the tin man and scarecrow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 On 4/6/2023 at 9:26 AM, Hayley said: I’m intrigued by this but also not sure whether I like or hate the idea of Dorothy becoming the villain who has to be killed! Does it feature the other characters from the original, like the tin man and scarecrow? Yes it does. The tin man, scarecrow and the witches feature also, most of them as villians. I actually found it worked really well, Dorothy is portrayed as very vain and a bit of a bimbo which somehow I found fitted really well haha! I guess it might depend on how attached you are to the original story and its characters. I havent read the original book and have only seen the film once or twice so I found it fairly easy to re-imagine them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 30, 2023 Author Share Posted April 30, 2023 (edited) Wyrd Sisters – Terry Pratchett (fantasy, humorous, witchy) 3.75/5 I really loved this book. I loved the witches; I thought them as individuals were great but I mostly liked the way they all interacted together. The story follows these three witches who end up getting involved in the fate of a kingdom after a stranger leaves a baby in their possession. Thinking back on this book not an awful lot really happens, but I just love the feel the story gives. We follow a variety of different characters and see how each of their storylines eventually join together. This is the second book I have read of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and am really looking forward to my next one! Opening line: The wind howled. Format: print 265 pages Published in 1988 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 30, 2023 Author Share Posted April 30, 2023 (edited) Payback’s a Witch – Lana Harper (autumnal, witchy, LGBT) 2.5/5 Payback’s a Witch follows the main character Emmy who, after moving away from her magical childhood town is returning for a month to play her ancestral role in a historical tournament. When Emmy finds out that the guy she left town because of has also broken the hearts of two of her friends she decides to team up with them to get revenge on him. Overall, this book fell pretty flat for me. I appreciate it is supposed to be both a fantasy and a romance however I found the two genres weren’t melded together well enough, the two sides felt too separate. One big thing that bugged me was that it was like it was trying to be deep but it just wasn’t. The reason Emmy ends up leaving town is because the boy she was dating decided she wasn’t good enough for him. Now, yes okay, this is a pretty rubbish thing to happen to someone but this happened nearly ten years ago when she was a teenager and she is still hung up on it now. There are parts where she is talking to people about what happened to her as if it were something as serious as SA/R*pe and made me think that okay maybe there is a bit more to this, but no, it was just all a bit cringy. The revenge plot was also a bit pathetic, one for the reason behind it, but also that once they get revenge nothing really happens. It all seemed a bit pointless in the end, especially as the whole book (including its title) is based on the revenge element! The other main aspect that I didn’t like was that I didn’t believe Emmy when she said she didn’t like the town and that she didn’t want to be there. She spent the whole time describing how great the town was and how much she missed it, therefore every time she mentioned she would be returning to Chicago after the tournament it just wasn’t believable. I wouldn’t really recommend this book, it was a YA that tried and failed to be adult. Opening line: As soon as I crossed the town line, I could feel Thistle Grove on my skin. Format: print 340 pages Published in 2021 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose Posted April 30, 2023 Author Share Posted April 30, 2023 (edited) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey (mental health, emotional, thought-provoking) 3.25/5 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is set in a psychiatric hospital ward in the 1950s and is told from the perspective of ‘Chief’ Bromden, a supposedly deaf and mute patient. Through Bromden’s eyes we see the arrival of a charismatic new patient, R. P. McMurphy, who is determined not to bend to the ways of the ‘Big Nurse’. I really liked the way the book is told from the point of view of a character who initially plays no real participation in the story. Bromden clearly experiences hallucinations and these visions are portrayed as what is actually happening, which I liked. Although it is clear these events aren’t happening, to me they really help the reader to gain an understanding of Bromden’s experience on the ward. I feel the hallucinations help Bromden to rationalise the things that are happening around him. The character of McMurphy is portrayed as both a good and bad person. You want to like him however know that he is not all good. He greatly helps the existing patients to stand up for themselves on the ward however he is intrinsically an immoral individual, oftentimes manipulating the others for his own gain. The main theme of the book is to discuss the idea of individuality and how humans, particularly those that are vulnerable, can be manipulated in to certain actions and mindsets. I would recommend this book with some content warnings of suicide, abuse, mental illness as well as there being elements that have really not aged well, most noticeably the casual racism, misogyny and depictions of those suffering with mental illness. Opening line: They’re out there. Format: print 325 pages Published in 1962 Edited September 2, 2023 by Goose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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