Published November 30th 2006 by Penguin Classics (first published -720)
Genres: Classics, Fantasy
Pages: 541
“The Odyssey, Homer’s best-loved poem, recounting Odysseus’ wanderings after the Trojan War. With wit and wile, the ‘man of twists and turns’ meets the challenges of the sea-god Poseidon, and monsters ranging from the many-headed Scylla to the cannibalistic Cyclops Polyphemus – only to return after twenty years to a home besieged by his wife Penelope’s suitors. In the myths and legends retold in this immortal poem, Fagles has captured the energy of Homer’s original in a bold, contemporary idiom.” -Goodreads
My review:
I always believe school books are going to be good….
Well as you can probably infer, I did not like yet another school book. Again I don’t know if it was the pressure and the fact that I was being forced to read this book super fast and not take the time to fully understand it or if it was that it was a bad book. I think my age makes me hate the book. I don’t know many people my age who enjoy that book. I think I am to into very fantastical books so these classical books about life and teaching you lessons don’t thrill me as much as I hoped they would. I know this story is more fantastical than any of the other classics out there and maybe that is why I liked it better then some of the ones I have read. But this book predates all the classics. Its language was super hard to read. I don’t know who wrote the translation I read but it was very confusing. Maybe another translation will be good enough.
So I love mythology and creatures like satyrs and the Minotaur etc, so I enjoyed that part about this book. I liked seeing how people lived in another time period. It was interesting to see the different ways people lived and what they believed back when this story originated. I loved learning about gods and other legends and myths during this unit in school. It helped me understand the story more.
Odysseus was a pretty cool character. I didn’t get to see much of him until near the middle even though the story revolves around him. I loved how he was really set on getting home and he kept fighting to get there. He wasn’t all to loyal to his wife but the road to hell was paved with good intentions. I mean he really had no choice when you’re trapped on an island with someone and you don’t think anyone is gonna save you. Telemachus was pretty cool to. He had a lot of trust in his dad. He never even met the guy and he sets off to try and find out if he is alive. Penelope is the most loyal of them all and she never marries anyone and waits for her long lost husband to come hope. Athena a.k.a Athene is super awesome in helping Odysseus get home.
The plot was good I guess. It just was so much packed in to so little. The descriptions of places were long and sort of dull but then the action came out to descriptive for how fast paced it went.
As I review this I see that is wasn’t a terrible story but I just didn’t get into it like I felt like I wanted to.
Well, thank you for reading another one of my short school book reviews. I know these probably aren’t as entertaining as the rest of my reviews but I would feel weird not giving you guys all my opinions on all the books I read.
Thanks for read. Tell me what you thought of this book.
“With the witch of Doon on the throne, Jamie believed dead, and Duncan and Mackenna trapped in Alloway, Veronica has no choice but to put her grief aside and prepare her remaining followers for the impending battle against the false Queen and her forces. But while on a covert mission to steal a powerful elixir from the castle, Veronica discovers her true love may actually be alive and fighting a battle of his own.
With the Brig o’ Doon destroyed and the portal fragmented, Doon’s forces are not only divided but also isolated in different dimensions. With the help of a storyteller as ancient as the witch herself, Kenna and Duncan learn they must rebuild the bridge to have any chance of crossing back into Doon with their ragtag army. But when Mackenna insists on fighting as well, Duncan soon realizes the only way he can ensure her safety is to turn her into a cold-hearted killer.
For Vee, Jamie, Kenna, and Duncan, saving their kingdom while keeping their lives intact will take a miracle.” -Goodreads
Review:
My poor heart.
The series is up. It has ended. This amazing series which such adventure and love. This series has been a crazy ride. Up and down and all around. I am sad to see the series end.
This book was difficult to read at first because of the sadness I had when I knew this series was ending. I eventually got over it and threw myself into this wonderful world Carey and Lorie created. The story had a ton of ups and downs. It was a huge rollercoaster. I mean they jumped from one issue to the next so quickly. It didn’t seem like the other stories. The problems went by so quickly like the solution basically fell into the characters lap after a few minutes of contemplation. I liked the way the story went but I feel like some more suspense and explanation would have helped. Especially in the ending.
This book was always interesting always kept me wanting more. I rarely had any dull moments. I was captivated by every action scene, torn apart by every emotional scene, and thrilled at every suspenseful scene. I enjoyed this book thoroughly. The authors made this book hard to read. They put all the characters under tremendous challenges that made my heart break. Luckily they pulled through and somehow overcame many challenges that I would have just fell over and cried if put in their place.
The characters were extremely annoying in this book. I am just going, to be honest. Veronica, I feel like was the only one who didn’t bug me with her decisions. Jaime was also not as annoying as Mackenna and Duncan. They just really irked me. Their relationship was falling apart but it would have been an easy fix. I mean they could have just talked to each other. And then they just dragged it on and on and on. I mean come on, it was ridiculous. I am not saying I am an expert in relationships but I feel like they would have talked about their issues way before they did. They irritated me with how annoying they were. Jaime and Veronica were strong as ever I believed. They really balanced each other out. They supported each other. They influenced each other to be stronger and fight better. They honor each other’s strengths and help each other with their weaknesses. I love them too as a couple. Mackenna and Duncan are amazing too but they just need to communicate.
It was kind of depressing honestly. Lots of death and lots of heartbreak which don’t get me wrong are important in stories for motivation or to create emotion but the Doon series for me was a good empowerment series. I didn’t really think some of the unnecessary deaths were needed. The other books didn’t have so much destruction which gave this book a little more depressing feel to it. Also they, all four of the main characters, go through some serious trials which aren’t bad but I felt like the authors just decided to shove so much down into the characters and developed these sides you never saw until the last book. I think the authors could have spread some of the behaviors that were exhibited into other books. It just seemed so sudden.
Other than that the book was fantastic. I loved the growth from each character as we went through the book. It was a pretty quick fluid read. I was never confused once which I believe is very important in stories. The finale was a great book even with the flaws. Carey and Lorie were amazing and I love that they took me through such an incredible journey.
I am so ready for this month. The books I plan on reading are ones I have been wanting to read for a really, really, really long, long time. I am not gonna waste time chit chatting but instead am going to jump right into it.
Books on my TBR:
These next two books I am currently reading and I didn’t finish in February but one is because it is a school book and the other because I was procrastinating reading the other books.
These are the books I plan on reading this month and I am only choosing two so it is much easier to meet the goal. I have wanted to read these for months now so I am excited to have these on my list.
I think that is it for my blog today. I want to know what everyone plans to read this month and if these books are good in the comments below so go comments. Thank you for reading. Look out for my reviews of these books.
What books are you reading? Do you have the same books on your TBR?
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.” -Goodreads.
Review:
How do I begin a blog for such an amazing book?
I will start with my shame of course because we gotta get that over with. It took me so long to read this. I was not motivated and I really didn’t feel like reading it at times. I am such a bad book reader oh my goodness. I always do this and then I finish the book in a marathon session in the middle of the night like two nights ago. I also am ashamed that this is my third attempt to write this review. I cannot find the words to describe this book.
It wasn’t as good as it predecessor Heir of Fire but it came maybe close. I will probably say a lot of negative things about this because I have some negative feeling about it but I hope I can say god things because this book was good, just some of the story made no sense entierly. (Spoiler Alert: some things from the other books are said within this book so if you don’t want to be spoiled on the other books then don’t read this post)
Let me just say one thing that made me kind of mad and I think what made me not read the book quickly; the rivalry that occurred between Aelin and Chaol. I mean come on. He didn’t do anything wrong. Maas pitted Aelin and him against each other for no reason and then made Chanel look terrible by always bringing up Nehemiah’s death and how it was his fault and blah blah blah. Aelin blames him for everything wrong with Adrian and Dorian but if he would have done anything other than run we would have been killed and then where would you be Aelin, hmmm HMMMMMM. She was also a little hypocritical in saying he should have killed the king like so should’ve you. I mean you worked for him too sweetheart. What made me the maddest was that there wasn’t even any reason for it. When she left for Wendlyn they weren’t really that upset with each other. Yes he bit like her heritage and she hated him for what happened to Nehemia but they seemed to end it on terms where yes they have issues but when she came back I would have expected a little run to each other in a field of flowers with that one music that is always in that scene. I did not think what happened constituted utter hatred. There was nothing to even hate. Chaol doesn’t seem like he knows why he is mad. He goes under the pretense that she is a monster and that while she was off “flaunting” that she was Aelin in Wendlyn, he was working his butt off with the rebels. For one she sent her there to try and save her, two he hardly got any work done himself so…Also, I don’t know what aelin is mad about. From where she stands at the beginning she knows nothing of Dorian or Chaol to even hate him for doing anything. She just acts mad about nothing. Also, I would have loved to see some love triangle action going on but sadly that didn’t happen. I also thought Nesyrn was kind of an excuse to not have it which not saying I don’t want Chaol to be unhappy but I did wish to see a little more of the old feelings the two used to have. Also, the way she wrote Chaol completely unlike his character and when did Nesyrn even come in like I feel I would have been more okay with her if she had come into his life during Heir of Fire and they had grown close but she was just a random girl. They said she was from his past but that was coming from the guy who was blushing when the girls waited outside in the mornings to see him. Chaol Westfall deserves better than this. (I still support Rowaelin though but she could have played more with the Chaolaena plot more)
Aelin was amazing. I want to be mad at Maas for taking away my Celaena but I really can’t be. I read other reviews and they said they took Celaena away but really I feel like she is exactly the same if not stronger. I don’t think Aelin could do away with her completely I mean she spent ten years of her life disguised as she and she have been trained to be her. I really like Aelin during this story. I did think that her swooning over Rowan was a little unlike her but I mean you can’t blame a girl for loving someone like you have to let her live for liking a boy. She is only 19 like she still got hormones and stuff. I am wondering what Maas is gonna do about the whole Rowan-is-immortal-Aelin-is-not or if she will even address it which will be a major plot hole if she doesn’t, just saying. I know people hated Aelin because she doesn’t go to save Dorian or she doesn’t do things that make her seem queenly which may I remind you that she does think about Dorian a lot but he is not of total concern because she doesn’t know what to do about him because of Chaol forbidding her to kill him and she wasn’t raised to be a queen she was raised to be an assassin so…Aelin I am here to support you because I like you. I like you almost as much as I like Celaena. I do have to agree that Celaena and Aelin are completely different characters.
I am gonna stop bashing the book for a bit and talk about the plot because I haven’t talked about it yet. I thank Sarah for making this book wonderful and for giving a thrilling last 300 pages. The first 300 pages needed work see above but if you look past all the issues above then it was good. I am glad she tied all the characters together. I was so scared she wasn’t going to add then we would just have all these loose ends. As always in her book the first half of the book is slow paced and you can usually get pretty bored pretty early but then halfway through the real action kicks in and BAM all this action gets thrown at you and if you’re like me you marathon 300 pages in the middle of the night. I almost cried a few times near the end due to either relief, sadness, sweetness, and happiness. I think the end of the book was good. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping ending like I was hoping for but that was alright because the book did leave the story open for the next book (sidenote I don’t know when I will get around to the next book because I want to get a dent in my TBR list).
Okay, I am going back to talk about characters. I have already discussed Aelin so I won’t talk about her but let me talk about the others. First up is Rowan. He is a hunk okay I am saying it and he is like every man you could dream of. He is big, strong, sweetheart, in love with Aelin, and is a magical Fae prince. How could you not like him? I see why people hold a grudge against him because he ruins Chaol’s chance with Aelin but really people get over it. You knew that was over the moment he walked into Aelin’s life and I didn’t see you complaining about him in Heir of Fire. I am excited to see where he takes the story. I like him a lot because he is predictable but also mysterious. I don’t really know what I mean about that but it is a good thing. He just makes me happy that he is there for Aelin.
Chaol Westfall did not deserve what came to him all throughout the book. I know he made some mistakes but I jeez give the guy a break. He already lost Aelin because of his mistake but now he has to get hit after hit about it. I find him so sweet and so caring because he cares so much about Dorian and all her wants to do is save Dorian. I don’t know what else to say about him because I already ranted up above about him so…
Manon Blackbeak story made me mad this time around. I don’t think she gets that many times on the playing field. I wasn’t really that happy that I didn’t get to see more action between her and the Thirteen. I felt like she was just there to be there. The spotlight was more around Elide a new character in the series. I felt like Manon didn’t have too much real importance until about the middle of the novel and then that was it. I think she did learn a lot and had a lot of growth throughout the story.
Now to Elide which is a girl whose father I think was on the court of Terrasen. I don’t want to spoil anything for her so I won’t talk about her with specific details. I found her to be a really nice character. At first, I was confused if she was acting nervous or she really was. I think as her story progressed Maas decided to drop it. I am glad she was in the story. I didn’t see her significance, like all impacting significance, until the end, not to say she wasn’t important but she didn’t seem as important as I thought she would be. I probably thought that because all I wanted to hear was Manon’s story instead of hers.
Sweet Dorian oh sweet sweet Dorian. You don’t hear much from Dorian when it is his chapter you get maybe a page sometimes two but not much. He isn’t given much spotlight because (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU AINT READ HEIR OF FIRE OR THE OTHERS I GUESS) of the collar around his neck which holds a Valg prince in. The thoughts we do get from him are just short ones illustrating his struggle with the demon inside him and I feel like he wasn’t too necessary to hear from but I feel that Maas didn’t want to leave out. And it is good to hear what is going on inside the castle and to see what having a demon inside you feels like.
Lastly, I guess I should include Nesryn. We don’t get her narration but now that she has taken Chaol’s heart which that a bit of a spoiler but hey I knew if from the moment I started reading the book. She kind of just follow Chaol around the place and she doesn’t really do much. Not to say she isn’t a strong female character just in book terms she doesn’t do much to affect the plot. She is just there to give Chaol an excuse to get over Aelin. I feel like she was suddenly put in there randomly just to close up his love story. I think if she wanted to make readers happier she would have started making her evident in Heir of Fire or slowly brought her into the story not just make her Chaol’s sidekick in the short break of time between stories. I mean really how do you just decide to trust someone like he does when he meets her. I mean he only had a week or two to bond with her but that doesn’t seem like enough time to gain anyone’s trust especially Chaol’s trust. She wasn’t introduced to the story until this book and as I said to make her less random and more believable Maas should have put her in Heir of Fire somewhere even if it was just for a little while.
Anyways, I think that is all for characters and now onto romance. I know I have already talked about that a lot, like a lot, a lot. But I need to talk about it some more because this book’s major flaw is with the couples. I mean Rowan and Aelin are perfect like they are the dream couple (sorta) and Chaol and Nesryn are cute too but they only really are out in the end. I don’t really have much to talk about really. I just love romance and talking about book characters in love so her goes nothing. Rowan and Aelin are the best. I do still in the deep down parts of my soul believe Chaol and Aelin should still be together but I know that with Rowan and Nesryn in the picture it will never happen which is good. Chaol didn’t love certain parts of Celaena/Aelin and as people said multiple times: he couldn’t choose which parts to love and which parts to love. I think Nesryn is a better fit for him because she is more Chaol’s type. She isn’t his mortal enemy or a “creature” (if that is the right word for what Aelin is). She is just a warrior type of girl and I think that is what Chaol wants. Rowan and Aelin are beautiful together. I don’t know how they are gonna work out in the long run. He is a LOT older than her but we will see how that plays out eventually ~maybe~.
This ends my blog. I have written this and there are about 2500 words on this page which are flipping awesome so if you stuck around to read this then you’re awesome. Thank you so much for reading this blog. Go check out this book and this series because this lady named Sarah J Maas writes amazingly. Now I am going to die in a hole because I don’t know when I will get my hands on Empire of Storms. I hope you all have a good day and a great weekend.
Star Rating: 4.5 (would have 5 if Chaol wouldnt have been so attacked)
Have you read this before? What was your favorite part? If you said no, what are you waiting for? Have I influnced you into reading this book? Please comment down below.
“My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster” –Goodreads
Review:
Well, let me just say that THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. NICOLA YOON HAS KILLED ME AGAIN.
Okay, okay I am done freaking out…maybe.
But seriously this book started well proceeded well and ended well and when I say well I mean OUTSTANDING with capital O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G (you know just in case you didn’t notice that the first outstanding was in all caps already I just had to spell it out for you again ugh). I mean how does she do it. I read The Sun Is Also A Star and that book was the book to end all books. Now, this is a book to end all books. I realize that I say this about a lot of books in my reviews but I tend to only read really good books because of other people’s review (don’t let me lie to you I am a shallow book lover and most of these books I have read based on the cover and people’s awesome IG pictures). Anyways, this books was great.
For a debut novel, I believe it was the best one anyone could have (other than but close to Harry P) and rightly so. I mean I saw this book everywhere, all over IG, all over Youtube, and it seemed like everyone was reading it. I bought the book back in January after I read Yoon’s second novel which left me as dumbfounded as this book did. I didn’t read it right then even though it was short and easy and fun. I had other priority’s and other books I needed to finish which I didn’t until this month but that is beside the point (#eternalshame). Then one marvelous day this month I was scrolling through Twitter when the trailer for this movie comes up. when I started watching it I didn’t know what movie it was but it seemed familiar and the at the end BAM the title popped up. I was so in love with the trailer it motivated me to read this book which if I just would have picked up the book I wouldn’t have needed the motivation from an outside source. So that is the story of why I decided to pick this book up today.
I opened this book up this morning after just coming off of another book which that blog post will come after this one because I thought I could make this a quick and easy blog post but of course I am ranting about this book but that is a good thing because I only have a lot to say about a book when I really like a book. Anyways you may be thinking what she only opened up the book today. No, that isn’t right, she procrastinates too much to read this in one day which is SOOO true but no I read this book in one day. If you are familiar with Yoon’s writing then you would see that a lot of her books are white space. She has lots f pages but a fifth of then are one lined or short little fragments of writing. This book even has drawings and pictures and diagrams and such. So it was a really quick and sweet read.
The plot of the novel is what makes this story the most amazing. A girl sick and can’t leave her house falls in love with a boy on the outside world. I mean it would be a pretty generic love story if she wasn’t sick but adding her disease into the story brings this whole new rebellious and dangerous vibe to the story. And then the ending of the story just left me in shock. I was dumbfounded by the events that occurred and couldn’t believe what happened. It was similar to the heartbroken but hopeful feelings I had at the end of The Sun Is Also A Star. Everything that occurs in this story makes you feel every type of emotion. I wanted to cry, laugh, dance, and love with these people in the story because of how amazing their story is.
Their story could have only been made amazing by Nicola Yoon. She has a really unique writing style that I find the most intriguing and why I can eat up her books in minutes. She keeps it clean and simple but still vividly detailed and always interesting. She also leave you begging for more at the end of her books which I think really gives her a greater appeal because when the books end all I know is that I want more but I know that her books are standalone books and there will never be more but that makes us desire more which I think give the greater appeal aforementioned. That may have made no sense but I am going to leave it there because this is my blog and I do what I want. Anyways, Yoon just engulfs you into the story and I don’t remember one moment today that I wasn’t begging for more.
Now to talk about what I hate talking about the most: the characters. I never really know what to say cause I always think characters are awesome even the bad ones because I don’t hate. I always end up just saying that the characters are amazing which in this book they were. I have four characters I am going to talk about because they to me are the main characters.
To start, we got Madeline a.k.a Maddy. Maddy is the girl that is sick and has lived her entire life in her house. The sickness is all she knows until Olly shows up. Olly flips her world upside down and makes a rebel of an angel child. Maddy is amazing. She is this strong girl but she is trapped in a cage. I feel sorry for her because she missed out on so much in her life because of this sickness. I thought her actions throughout the book are exactly what I would have done. I thought her to be a really good actual earthly character. Lots of characters are always doing things and making decisions I wouldn’t think I would do if I was stuck in the situation and I assume that I am a pretty normal girl that I am an average person like most of the authors portray their character to be. Anyways Maddy is a great character and I love her a lot.
Now to talk about the hunk of the bunch, Olly. Oh, Olly. I think I have a new fictional boyfriend. He was what every girl would dream of. he cared for Maddy, he wanted to be with Maddy, and he was so sweet with her. I wish I was Maddy. He treated her so right and genuinely cared about her sickness. His background was sad and I was fighting for him the whole time because I was afraid of what Yoon might do to him. Olly was just a perfect guy and you don’t meet many of those in books anymore.
The next two on the chopping block are Carla, Maddy’s nurse, and Maddy’s mom. I don’t have much to say about them because one Carla is only in the novel off and on for a short time and secondly because I don’t like her mom that much. Carla was probably what you hope a nurse to be, a best friend, especially when she has to watch her 8 hours a day every day. I feel like she was a real rock for Maddy when she is going through so many drastic changes and she is really there for her. Get yourself a best friend like Carla. Maddy’s mom to me was just kind of over bearing. I mean I get that all she wants to do is protect her daughter but sometimes I feel she could have been a little (or a lot) lenient on the rules and allowed some things and maybe her daughter wouldn’t have been so rebellious but hey I don’t have kids so I am not an expert on how to rule your teenager but I feel like I am an expert on being a teenager so… Also, I felt that she was just so crazy about her staying inside I don’t think she even thought about Maddy’s life and how what she was doing the wasnt living.
Love is the big motivation for this whole book. I mean love fuels all the action. Maddy, Olly, Mom, and even Carla are all motivated by love. But the love I am focusing on is the biggest one, Maddy and Olly’s. Okay, so most people on their reviews say they hate the instalove thing which is why I think this story is perfect for them. I don’t think it is instalove since they haven’t talked and then haven’t even met when they first see each other. It is only the fascination of a young girl who probably hasn’t seen many boys in real life before for a long time. I just wanted to say that before anyone knocks this before the try it due to their hatred of instalove which in my opinion is great and I love a little cheesiness now and then or all the time. Olly and Maddy have a love so rare it is amazing. Like you can chalk it up to hormones and such but I really do think they are in love because you can’t have such an epic journey together without love forming. At the beginning, they remind me of Romeo and Juliet ut don’t worry it doesn’t end the same. I am not going to talk about it anymore because you need to read it for yourself if you haven’t already.
Okay, I think that is it for today. I don’t have much else to say about this book except that it is AMAZINGLY AWESOME. I hope you all read this book or have read it. I really like this book and I highly recommend it to anyone. So this is the end of my post. I hope you enjoyed the post and I hope you have a swell day/evening/afternoon or whatever you may call the time your reading this. Thank you for reading!
Star Rating: 5
Have you read this book before? If so what was your favorite part (no spoilers)? Why haven’t you read it if you answered no? Will you read it now that I have written an amazing review on it? Please comment your answers below.
“In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.” –Goodreads
My review:
Well after four weeks I have finally finished this book and what can I say
IT WAS AMAZING!
I knew this book was gonna be good. I guess it didn’t fully come to par with my expectations due to its slow beginning but t came close.
I have been waiting to read this novel for a very long time. I was so excited to read it and I had it on my shelf waiting for so long. I mostly wanted to read this book because if the sequels cover (yes I am shallow) and its own cover. I also wanted to read it because everyone was raving about it. So I ordered this book so I was able to read Wayfarer the second installment when it came out. Obviously, that didn’t work out so well for me because obviously it’s February and I just finished.
This book took me FOREVER to read. I don’t know why it took me so long. I wasn’t even that busy these past four weeks. I think maybe it is a combination of school and the fact that I was reading two books at a time which I said a wouldn’t do but of course I did it anyways. I just never had the time or felt like reading I guess. I hope I can finish my TBR this month. I mean seriously this is the first book I finished in February and it’s almost over.
Okay, so let’s stop talking about how I fail at life and how amazing this book is. I don’t know where to begin so I am just gonna start with the plot. At first, I was really disinterested. I think it caught up with too much action way too early for my liking. I mean I didn’t hate it but I guess we didn’t really get a sense of Etta’s life before her sudden turn about. I would have liked a little more developments but all I got was about her relationship with her mom which I guess fuels a lot of her motivation during the story which was alright but I just wished for a little more of a slide into it rather than a shove off a cliff right into the action. Other than that I loved the story.
The concept of the story was good. I haven’t really read a time travel book before but this one was really good. I thought that some of it was confusing but I guess it doesn’t matter because the story was really good. I was held in suspense in many moments and not in others. I think Bracken could have made a little more sense with the fight scenes and even strung them out. Most of the parts I think she really could have taken sometimes one were choppy and one page or less (like the tiger I expected more(not a spoiler)). That is just my opinion, though. Otherwise, I thought the story was intriguing. With all the hype around it, it came close to expectations.
Now to Bracken. As I said above she could have elaborated more. Lots of things during fight scenes or chase scenes were repetitive. She shortened them a lot with no real suspense. It was like you started getting hyped up and then bam it was over. Lots of scenes were like that and could have been elaborated on more. It wasn’t just action scenes. Cute scenes could have been elaborated on more. Again it is just my opinion. Also, she went quickly through the end. I didn’t really like that. I wished for the last 40 pages to be 70 because it would have given room for some elaboration. I also thought she could have had a little more fun with the book instead of having this whole sense of urgency throughout the novel.
Etta was an okay character. She was kind of mediocre and basic. I thought at times she was to okay with what was going on around her. She didn’t act like she was shocked at all by the sudden change in her life. I don’t really think I liked her as much as other book characters. She just wasn’t written for the part. I do like how she is a strong figure and tries to do the right thing. I can’t get over the fact that she wasn’t freaking out because I know I would be if I ended up in a different time.
Nicolaus also was basic and kind of boring. The story wasn’t good because of the characters let me just say that. I mean they were good characters but they weren’t anything special. Nicolaus was just another guy who fell in love with the main girl. I didn’t really feel like he provided much other than to create a love story.
I know that those were pretty negative reviews of the characters but honestly, they weren’t unique, they weren’t exciting. I like books with exciting and unique characters. Usually, a story gets made by the characters.
I don’t have much else to say about this book. It wasn’t one of the best but it also wasn’t one of the worst. I am hoping the next installment will be a little better. I want to end this post here. I am sorry I haven’t really posted anything this month. I really have been buying and not gonna lie this is the only book I have read so far this month and I only have a week left. So now I am going to have to read right after reading this to attempt to meet my goal for this month. So I hope you enjoy this blog.
Star Rating: 4
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
“milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.” -Goodreads
Review:
After about two months of searching and trying to find the cheapest price, I finally got this book. Right, when I opened the package I had hardly taken a picture to put on my Instagram story before I dove in. I know you are supposed to read a poem book slowly, or maybe you’re not but I feel like that is the right way to read one, but I devoured that in two days. I absolutely loved it and after I try and finish the two books I am reading I think I am going to start just slowly indulging myself by reading one or two every once in awhile.
I am really excited to do this review because there isn’t any possible way to spoil it so I can talk about all parts beginning through the end. So to start this blog of I would just like to say that Rupi Kaur is amazing. She has made poems about so much uncomfortable (or at least other people think they are uncomfortable) problems. I thought how she wrote her poems was so full of emotion (duh) and spoke to me on so many levels. Even the ones with less than ten words were masterpieces. I don’t know who she is or how her life has been lived but through her poems, I feel as though we have sat down and had this long personal chat about her life and know all her deepest emotions.
I have never read a book of poems before but I think after this book I have a whole new world opened up to me. Ever since I heard about this book and saw its beautiful cover I knew I wanted it and I knew I had to have it. I also read some of it in Target once in December and instantly fell in love and was on the hunt for a cheaper one ever since. the poems were deep and even though lots were short they spoke very deeply about men and women and relationships and love. It was split into four sections: the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. I want to review each section with you guys.
The Hurting:
So this little I guess chapter is about I am thinking her teen years and having abusive/absent fathers, submissive mother, rape, and other things. I thought it was very deep but mostly just random, unlike the other sections which were exactly what I was expecting so I don’t care that much but I did like how everything in the other three sections of the book was very storylike and a progression. I did however like these very much. My favorite poem in this section was:
“You pinned my legs to the ground with your feet and demanded I stand up.”
and since I can’t just choose the one here is another one:
“You have sadness living in places sadness shouldn’t live”
The Loving:
this was my second favorite sections. I really loved how it went from happy to dark and disastrous really quickly. I thought how it basically came off as a story was really beautiful. she had some really deep poems in here, some more graphic ones, and some emotional ones. My favorite was:
“no it won’t be love at first sight when we meet it’ll be love at first remembrance cause i’ve seen you in my mother’s eyes when she tells me to marry the type of man i’d want to raise my son to be like”
Honorable mentions:
“my favorite thing about you is your smell you smell like earth herbs gardens a little more human thanthe rest of us”
“i know i should crumble for better reasons but have you seen that boy he brings the sun to its knees every night”
“you might not have been my first love but you were the love that made all the other loves irrelevant”
*just wanted to add that I am only including shorter poems but there are longer ones that are my favorite I just don’t want to type that much
The Breaking:
This was very heartbreaking. I feel like that was pun because this section is of heartbreak. I don’t really know. All I know is that I was left feeling sad and depressed after reading this because it was about heartbreak and heartbreak is tough. I felt like she did a great job conveying her feelings in the story. One of my favorites was:
“you musn’t have to make them want you they must want you themselves”
The Healing:
This was my absolute favorite section. I loved everything about it. I thought there were good mottos to live by. I saw a lot of strength through this story. I thought the author did well to show us her growth and how even though it hurts it will not hurt forever and when it stops hurting you can turn your life around to being the most epic person you really are. one of my favorites were:
“accept yourself as you were designed”
“the thing about writing is I can’t tell if it’s healing or destroying me”
To wrap up this blog post, I want to leave saying that everyone should read this. I mean it is pretty easy if someone doesnt like to read long novels becuase it is a poem book. I believe it was very inspirational and touching and emotional. I loved it so much. The hype about this book was true. It was a stunning read. Hope you enjoyed this blog.
Star Rating: 5
Have you read this? What is your favorite poem? If you haven’t, what is stopping you?
“Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.
At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.
Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.” -Goodreads
“Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?” -Goodreads
“The story of a mother, her son, and daughter, and her daughter’s suitor that brings to life human beings who cling to a dream world that can so easily be shattered into jagged pieces.” -Goodreads
Author: Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Author: Nicola Yoon
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Author: Rupi Kaur
Author: Marissa Meyer
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Author: Tennesse Williams