This was a good, solid read, and honestly, if I hadn't previously read and loved A MAN CALLED OVE, then I possibly would have given this book 5 stars.This was a good, solid read, and honestly, if I hadn't previously read and loved A MAN CALLED OVE, then I possibly would have given this book 5 stars. It's just that in comparison, the other story is a much stronger character study than this is, which makes this book feel almost like an imitation or copy.
Overall, I did enjoy both reads in their own way. The story of Ove has a lot more humor and charm, and the story of Truluv leans more towards the sentimental side of things. It would be interesting for people to read them back to back and compare, though I do think if I had done that, then it might have led to a lower score for Truluv. However, it would have made for interesting discussion, since there are so many similarities between the two stories.
If you're thinking about reading both, I recommend you start with this, then follow up with A MAN CALLED OVE. Then you can just appreciate this for what it is and the charm that it has, without having to compare the two, as once compared, I feel Ove comes out on top.
So Alex George is a Missouri author, which is fantastic! (Go, Missouri!) I read this book with the full plan to love and adore it. Unfortunately, I shSo Alex George is a Missouri author, which is fantastic! (Go, Missouri!) I read this book with the full plan to love and adore it. Unfortunately, I shouldn’t have had so many expectations, because it made it hard for the book to live up to those.
I will say, that there are some things that I did really like, connect with, and found to be well-written, which means I definitely will try out more of his novels. It’s just that the important moments were too few and far between for me to stay invested in this story.
I do think this is likely a polarizing novel, which often happens with literary fiction. Either you are along for the random ride, or you aren’t. I thought at first that I was, but then I had to force myself to just stay on the train and not jump off at every stop. And there were more stops the further I got in the novel, which made it increasingly more difficult to push through to the end.
Honestly, up until that last 25% of the story, I probably would have given this book 3 stars, but the end just didn’t work for me on any level. I got over the rough start, and in the middle, I started to see more of the charm of the story, but I almost threw my hands up and quit reading at the final 2 chapters.
Because I was reading this as part of my work for a committee, I tracked things I liked and didn’t like about the book. Instead of rehashing it all, I’m just going to post them below, so you can decide for yourself whether or not this story might work for you.
For the sake of understanding, neutral items are things that are not necessarily cons, but that might have been reasons why this book might not be the best fit for my committee work. Since you aren’t on my committee, that’s probably not particularly relevant to you, but since the comments might be of interest, I have left them.
PROS: • Friendship story of two boys • Quirky setting • Sometimes amusing • Writing is okay overall and has engaging moments • Original/Unique • Diversity, especially in terms of medical issues • Interesting themes for discussions: friendship, loyalty, grief, etc. • The kind of story where everyone reads it differently and takes away completely different perspectives, so that makes for interesting conversation
NEUTRALS: • Not particularly memorable • It’s too literary fiction oriented to be YA, but it’s also somehow too YA to really be literary fiction. It’s like straddling the line, which is unusual, sometimes in a good way and other times in a less than good way. • Could be slightly more challenging for librarians to book talk this one, but it could be done. • On more of the dark and tragic spectrum, but with some occasional heartfelt moments
CONS: • Story lags at times • Has a slow start with lots of backstory (which is often unnecessary to the story and disrupts the flow) • Sometimes crams important lessons down your throat, so they don’t feel organic or necessary to the story. • Sometimes gets bogged down in too many mundane details • Sometimes the voice is off, and the dialogue seems far too young for actual the age of the MC • Potentially lacks widespread appeal, only because it feels like literary fiction and lacks a clear, straightforward sort of plot. More of a character study, which is fine for avid readers, but it can be harder to engage those that don’t read often, or at all, with this kind of a story, especially as sometimes the character development is not strong enough. • Progression between scenes doesn’t always seem fluid/logical, but I got more used to it as the story progressed---or maybe it improved as the story progressed • Ending is frustrating and ridiculous, and unfortunately, for me, it was emotionless (which is the worst, IMHO). I think it was supposed to have a big dramatic effect, but because I felt so disconnected from the characters and story by that point (due to the random inserts of unnecessary backstory taking up space that could have been used for character development), I just found it to be annoying. I was discouraged that I read so long just for that. It was trying to make a point that I just couldn’t care about, and the MC’s reactions were so off that I found it to be completely off-putting.
OVERALL: Not for me, but it is going to appeal to a certain type of reader, probably the one who gets lost in nostalgia and cares less about the actual writing style and story development. Teen appeal is low, so it’s probably best suited to adult readers who enjoy literary fiction and don’t mind reading about younger characters. This would make for some interesting discussions, particularly the middle of the story, which becomes richer and more captivating. It’s the start and end that are the roughest and most likely to lose readership.
I was surprised by how much I liked this one, and it was more of a stressful read than expected. I listen to the audio, which I thought was good and eI was surprised by how much I liked this one, and it was more of a stressful read than expected. I listen to the audio, which I thought was good and expressive.
All I wanted was just a bit more of the really sweet moments, surrounding all the hard times and tragedy, but this tackled a lot of issues that women, families, and marriages deal with. It felt authentic, and it was well-written.
So I picked this up in an Audible sale, saw that it had a billion reviews, and decided to give it a try without even knowing what it was about.
It turSo I picked this up in an Audible sale, saw that it had a billion reviews, and decided to give it a try without even knowing what it was about.
It turns out the title, cover, and story don't feel in any way related to me, so I was in for a lot of interesting surprises with this story. I liked it far better than I expected, based on the title and cover, because this dealt with the impacts of a false conviction. Even though it is called An American Marriage, it's more about the family you're dealt, the family you find, and the family that you make, and how often those are not the same.
There was some extra drama at the end that didn't always seem helpful or to make much sense to me, but I really enjoyed the story overall. It's not really a feel good kind of story, but it definitely gives you things to think about.
I'm really glad I bought this and read it, and I think if you find the cover or title off-putting, just ignore them, as they don't really match what I feel are the truths of this story.
This is awkward and quirky, in the best sort of way. I confess, I was along on the ride more for the amusing character interactions and relationships,This is awkward and quirky, in the best sort of way. I confess, I was along on the ride more for the amusing character interactions and relationships, rather than for the mystery, but the mystery was interesting, overall.
This was very different than what I expected, which tends to be a good thing.
This was touching and emotional. It’s beautiful and painful, both the story and the artwork.
It’s the story of a young woman, and her wife, who want tThis was touching and emotional. It’s beautiful and painful, both the story and the artwork.
It’s the story of a young woman, and her wife, who want to have a child but are struggling to successfully do so. This graphic novel is so well done that it takes very few words, paired with the gorgeous and easy to understand illustrations, to help tell a strong, emotional story.
The artwork uses color and shading as a tool to help indicate shifts in mood and tone, which is very interesting and effective.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review an early copy of this graphic novel, which will release on May 7, 2019.
With the diversity, emotional artwork, and excellent storytelling, this should be an automatic purchase for all adult graphic novel collections. It brings something new to the table, and I could see this drawing in new and different readers who have never experienced a graphic novel before.
Overall, I found this fascinating, and it went in all sorts of unexpected directions. I was able to predict a lot of the outcomes ahead of time, but tOverall, I found this fascinating, and it went in all sorts of unexpected directions. I was able to predict a lot of the outcomes ahead of time, but there was one thing that caught me off guard and surprised me.
There are some things that happen at the end that are a bit ridiculous, though they definitely make the story more dramatic and intense. I just occasionally wanted to shake a few characters for making such poor choices in such a serious situation, but such is humanity.
Overall, this is a captivating read, and I'm glad I picked it up on Audible, as the audiobook narration is excellent.
It took me forever to read this book, due to personal reasons. In fact, it’s the only book I’ve read in print all fall, though I’ve listened to a lot It took me forever to read this book, due to personal reasons. In fact, it’s the only book I’ve read in print all fall, though I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks. Typically, I devour a book within a day, but I experienced a health hiccup this fall that made reading a physical book a more challenging activity than usual, for various reasons. That meant I frequently took breaks while reading this, sometimes for weeks at a time, depending on my current state of health.
Under the circumstances, I crept my way through this story, which actually worked out great, because it’s so distinct. Yoerg does such a great job of creating a strong sense of place and memorable characters that it stuck with me, no matter how many days I took off between reading sessions. I was always able to pick it back up and jump right into the story, which would not have been the case with many other novels.
My current plan is to buy the audible book on release day, so I can go back and listen to this story straight through, since that’s one of my favorite ways to consume stories.
Now, enough about me, let’s talk about how much I love this story. It’s like when it comes to words, Yoerg can do no wrong. She creates complex relationships that are difficult and evolve, and because they are never simple or easy, they feel real in ways that some stories can’t deliver. They are never stereotypical or idealized. She has a real grasp for what makes people tick, and it’s so gorgeous to watch these characters evolve.
The concept is captivating: girl stumbles out of the woods, starving and ill, and has no understanding of the modern American suburban lifestyles.
This story unfolds around a recurring theme of botany, so all fellow science and plant nerds, as well as those with brown thumbs who wish they were plant nerds, and even those who aren’t sure they like plants at all but can keep an open mind, will likely find that fascinating.
This story is the intermingling of two different types of existence: materialism versus idealism, suburbanites versus survivalists, wealth versus poverty, appearances versus realities, and even confidence versus comfort zones. As these collide, the characters are left to either adjust and seek balance, or to learn to accept their different extremes, which makes for an interesting read.
At the heart of this story is a reminder that what we want may not always be what we really need, and something even more important to consider is that we can't expect to get what we need from others, if we don't bother to ask or fight for what we need for ourselves.
This was another gem, and as far as I'm concerned, Yoerg is one of those authors who consistently produces excellent work, regardless of topic.
Perfection. The setting. The characters. The nonlinear format. The way it traces the lives of women through time. The LGBT representation. The commentPerfection. The setting. The characters. The nonlinear format. The way it traces the lives of women through time. The LGBT representation. The commentary on race.
This seemingly casual and almost conversational story contains so much that I'm still surprised. It's full of honest, endearing, small town stories that I think many people would be able to relate to, and I didn't expect to enjoy it so much.
This is an adult fantasy novel that starts in the Middle East in the 18th century then runs sideways into an Arabic fantasy world complete with an encThis is an adult fantasy novel that starts in the Middle East in the 18th century then runs sideways into an Arabic fantasy world complete with an enclosed city made of brass and 6 djinn tribes with a history of cultural clashes, social and political warfare, and servitude. Throw in a wily con artist with some unexpected abilities who is on the run in the human world, and a parallel POV of the highly moral second son of the djinn king in the parallel world, and things get interesting.
The story is delicious, with the perfect amount of world building, good pacing, a solid and interesting magical system, a unique setting, and strong character development.
This book came highly recommended by a room full of adult services librarians, so I knew immediately that I would pick it up. My only regret is that I didn't wait until November 2018 to start this, as now I'm desperate for book 2, which is not yet published.
This is an epistolary novel. It was an early text by Jane Austen, though she did not consider it to be a finished work. It bothered me, at first, to rThis is an epistolary novel. It was an early text by Jane Austen, though she did not consider it to be a finished work. It bothered me, at first, to read an unfinished work, simply because as someone who likes to write, I wouldn’t want the world reading an unfinished work (same reason why I won’t read Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee).
But then I got over it, and I decided to listen anyway, out of curiosity. Okay. That’s a terrible lie. I’m reading it, because it’s short. I’m dreadfully behind on my Goodreads 2017 Challenge, and this was on a list of short books that people should read.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk about how the protagonist for this book is actually the antagonist. She’s quite the bad girl, which makes her fascinating, indeed. She’s not particularly enjoyable, and I don’t like her at all, which I think is a positive for this short story. In fact, she is definitely an antihero.
The letter format is a bit hard to follow at times, but that is typical of the writing from this time period. Also, let’s not forget that this is an UNFINISHED work. It’s not a must read, but if you like the time period, the epistolary format, Jane Austen in general, frivolous characters, fancy dialogue, and/or a combination of immature and manipulative adults, this might be interesting to you.
This is one instance where I watched the movie years before reading the book. I love the movie, in the kind of way you love something that cracks openThis is one instance where I watched the movie years before reading the book. I love the movie, in the kind of way you love something that cracks open your chest, rips out your heart, throws it on the ground, and the stomps it into nothing.
So needless to say, it's a favorite movie that I watch when I want to cry my eyes out and feel sullen for the rest of the night.
The book is good, and it reminds me a lot of the movie. I actually think this is one instance where the movie might portray the story better, because the book is so short that there isn't time to create the same level of emotion. Surprisingly, a lot of the dialogue is the same, and they stayed really true to the story.
I guess I'm going to have to throw away my "The book is always better" shirt. . . My hypothesis has been disproven.
This is a delicious and mysterious psychological thriller by a debut author, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
This story will have you seThis is a delicious and mysterious psychological thriller by a debut author, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
This story will have you second-guessing every character and every event that occurs from start to finish. There’s so much suspense that it deserves all 5 of the dark, twisty, and murderous stars that I awarded it.
Here are my 10 favorite things about it, with no spoilers:
1. This is Dexter level on the murderously creepy scale.
2. I love a potentially unreliable narrator, especially when I desperately want him to be somewhat reliable but can’t be sure if he actually ever is or not.
3. It’s so layered and nuanced. I feel like I need to go back and read it again right now, so I probably will. I want to take everything in again, since so much happened so fast.
4. Heard does some amazing things with description. I feel like I’m right there seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and hearing it all.
5. The characterization is so complicated and fascinating.
6. The mom. Wow. She’s something else. Talk about an intense side character.
7. The audiobook is also amazing, and I love the narrator, Tim Chiou. I wish he would narrate more books.
8. Talk about kicking a character when he is down…repeatedly. There are no easy fixes or lazy solutions in this story. Sean just has to cross all of the muck to get to the other side, and it just keeps getting deeper.
9. Here’s what it felt like to read this one: “Okay, I know exactly what is happening now”. . . twist. . . “So I was wrong before but now I’ve got it”. . . Twist. . .” I’m pretty sure”. . . twist. . . “It just has to be”. . . twist. . .”Oh, my God! It’s totally”. . . twist. WTF???
10. The cover is perfection. I adore it. I have some bookmarks, and I really want to cut one of them apart to highlight book quotes from this novel between the title, kind of like the cover. That may happen.
As far as I’m concerned, this book is A+ from start to finish, and you should all go out and snatch it up for some murdery holiday reading (come on, we all know how you really feel about those in-laws).
It would also make a great present for your favorite book nerd friends, your least favorite family members, and all frenemies. Books like this can be a great way to say, “Hey, everything is fine. I just might want to murder you today,” or even, “I swear, I’m not trying to frame you. Mostly.” ;)
Such a clever masterpiece. I am in awe of how well this nonlinear format was juggled, so that everything worked out and progressed in a way that was bSuch a clever masterpiece. I am in awe of how well this nonlinear format was juggled, so that everything worked out and progressed in a way that was both fascinating and satisfying.
Now, I'm going to go watch the movie, which I might regret, but I can't help myself.
I received this free from SYNC, and since it's a play, it transitions well to audiobook. It's dramatic and heart wrenching.
This takes place in the 19I received this free from SYNC, and since it's a play, it transitions well to audiobook. It's dramatic and heart wrenching.
This takes place in the 1960s-1980s and is based on a true story. Back in the 60s, a well-meaning (but rather misguided) doctor convinces 2 parents to raise their infant son as a girl, after a tragic accident. They don't tell the child that he was born a boy, like his twin brother, and instead, they try to shape him into girl using sterotypical "girl talk" and "Girl activities" to try to cultivate "female" interests.
This play explores gender identity, and the understandings of gender, from past perspectives, which were less than accurate. It's a short, painful read with touches of humor and hope.
This book was slow for me, especially in the first half. I enjoy the many different story lines, but they drug a bit. It lacks strong forward motion fThis book was slow for me, especially in the first half. I enjoy the many different story lines, but they drug a bit. It lacks strong forward motion for a while, and that left me with a feeling of random wandering. In return, my attention wandered, and I cheated on this book with other stories, which slowed my pace.
However, I do love many other things about the story lines, characters, and world, so I am still debating whether or not to continue reading this series. I think I need to take a break before moving on to book 3. I want to know what happens, but I feel exhausted.
This is a novella to a series I read. I like everything by J. Lynn/ Jennifer L Arementrout. This story isn't particularly memorable, but it is still aThis is a novella to a series I read. I like everything by J. Lynn/ Jennifer L Arementrout. This story isn't particularly memorable, but it is still an enjoyable read overall, if you like the series.
I didn’t realize there was another book after Me Before You. That story was emotionally brutal, so obviously I decided to further torture myself by reI didn’t realize there was another book after Me Before You. That story was emotionally brutal, so obviously I decided to further torture myself by reading the follow up.
It doesn't touch book one (Let's be realistic though--nothing was going to touch that. It's in a realm of its own), which has me wondering now if maybe it would have been better not to continue this story.
However, that being said, I did "enjoy" this novel, as much as you can enjoy any novel that is about grief and moving on with life after hard times. I read it quickly, but I wasn't wowed by the last 1/4 of the book.
If there isn't going to be a 3rd book, I probably should have been stingier with my stars. Although, now that I reflect back on the impact the 1st book had on me, I'm questioning if it actually would have been better to leave this at 1 novel.
One thing to note if you listen to the audiobook is that it is cued to such a low volume for Overdrive that I struggled to hear even at the maximum volume for my headphones and my phone. Also, the narration is good but drags, which is typically not an issue. I listen to most audiobooks at double speed or faster anyway, but this is one that is very difficult to speed up due to the dips of volume in the speaker's voice, her accent, and a general lack of clarity in words and across sentences that becomes even more present at a higher speed. If you want to try the audio, maybe try Audible (instead of using Overdrive from your library), as they have more options and their files tend to play back at a level where you can at least differentiate all the words in a sentence without some falling away. I almost had to give up on the audio and switch to ebook, because it was so frustrating.
Holy. Fucking. Wow. I am 1,000% undeniably and irrevocably invested in and obsessed with these characters and this world.
This whole book just blew myHoly. Fucking. Wow. I am 1,000% undeniably and irrevocably invested in and obsessed with these characters and this world.
This whole book just blew my mind and tugged at my heart from start to finish. While I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, this is a complete and absolutely satisfying story with full resolution of the plot. I can't wait to see what is next for these characters, and in this world, but I appreciate it so much that we weren't left with a dissatisfying and unnecessary cliffhanger. Instead, we got a fully wrapped up story, with some interesting hints at what may lay ahead.
This was so good that even though i just finished, I kind of just want to go back and start it all over again, immediately. Even the thought of rejoining the real world has left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and just writing this review is starting to burst the glowing bubble of joy, satisfaction, and relief that I was feeling.
And so the separation anxiety begins. Once again. Thank you, Sarah J. Maas, for making it so difficult for me to quit your worlds and walk away from them. I both hate you and love you for that....more
This is not the last book in the series. I don't accept that is the case, based on the ending. If it is, then my rating should lose a star.
However, dThis is not the last book in the series. I don't accept that is the case, based on the ending. If it is, then my rating should lose a star.
However, despite Fine's penchant for trilogies, I don't think she's done with this series, which makes the end of book 3 completely logical and understandable. Fine has a way of ending series that is complete and satisfying, so I think perhaps this series needs 1 or 2 more books, as we don't seem to have come to the end of the Mattie's story.
I remain hopeful and will patiently wait for Fine to write book 4, even though that might not have been the publisher's original intention for this series.
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