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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
A short fable about greed set in the same world as Pantomime but separate to those characters.
No one paid much attention to the Georgia Flu at first, thinking it was localised to Russia. Day One, it arrives in Toronto. One week later, civilisation is collapsing. The death rate is estimated at 99%. Year Twenty, a band of travelling musicians and actors perform to the scattered towns of the survivors. This is the world now, few even remembering when planes flew and electricity brought light to the dark.
I read this excellent post-apocalyptic tale in a day; one of the things that kept me glued to the pages was the mystery of the dog. How did one of the same breed and name come to be there? This web of connections is a defining feature of Station Eleven. We are told the story of a man who died the day Georgia Flu hit North America, but he did not die from the plague. We know he is connected to Kirsten, one of the Travelling Symphony, but why is his backstory so prominent when he is no longer alive?
The motto of the Travelling Symphony is “survival is not sufficient” taken from an episode of Star Trek. I liked that the story focused on a time after the chaos of the plague had subsided and people had found ways to live to some extent. That maybe they could start to think about doing more than just surviving and the arts being part of that. They perform Shakespeare, plays from a time of a different plague, that also prove more popular than more modern offerings. Maybe they provide one small connection to the lost past.
Of course, after society collapses there will always be less than good people who rise up and take advantage. Sometimes the symphony meet these people on their travels. They would normally avoid these towns in future; their philosophy is to not get involved in the politics of others. But sometimes that’s easier said than done.
The title comes from a series of comics, produced on a small scale, which struck a chord with Kirsten who was given them as a child. They serve as a connection to the before but the content shares characteristics with the after. As a side note, the UK cover is in the same hues as the comics (and is so much more inviting than the US offering).
The narrative jumps around between Year Twenty, which is the present and various points in the past. Much of it in the before but as the story progresses and the connections start to snowball, some of the immediate after is revealed. It’s not a story of heroes but of normal people, working out how to live their lives when nearly everything they know is gone.
Review copy provided by publisher.
I read this excellent post-apocalyptic tale in a day; one of the things that kept me glued to the pages was the mystery of the dog. How did one of the same breed and name come to be there? This web of connections is a defining feature of Station Eleven. We are told the story of a man who died the day Georgia Flu hit North America, but he did not die from the plague. We know he is connected to Kirsten, one of the Travelling Symphony, but why is his backstory so prominent when he is no longer alive?
The motto of the Travelling Symphony is “survival is not sufficient” taken from an episode of Star Trek. I liked that the story focused on a time after the chaos of the plague had subsided and people had found ways to live to some extent. That maybe they could start to think about doing more than just surviving and the arts being part of that. They perform Shakespeare, plays from a time of a different plague, that also prove more popular than more modern offerings. Maybe they provide one small connection to the lost past.
Of course, after society collapses there will always be less than good people who rise up and take advantage. Sometimes the symphony meet these people on their travels. They would normally avoid these towns in future; their philosophy is to not get involved in the politics of others. But sometimes that’s easier said than done.
The title comes from a series of comics, produced on a small scale, which struck a chord with Kirsten who was given them as a child. They serve as a connection to the before but the content shares characteristics with the after. As a side note, the UK cover is in the same hues as the comics (and is so much more inviting than the US offering).
The narrative jumps around between Year Twenty, which is the present and various points in the past. Much of it in the before but as the story progresses and the connections start to snowball, some of the immediate after is revealed. It’s not a story of heroes but of normal people, working out how to live their lives when nearly everything they know is gone.
Review copy provided by publisher.
When Chaol sent Ardolan’s Assassin to the land of Wendlyn, it was supposed to protect her. As Calaena plans to destroy the king from afar, the magic inside her threatens to take her as well. In this new land, magic is not so forgotten, even if it is hidden, and she must learn who she really is in order to protect the land and the people she loves.
I’ll confess, I can’t give you a very in depth review. I read Heir of Fire on holiday over 2 months ago, loved it and then didn’t write down a single word of thoughts. Except I know I loved it and… DRAGONS! I was expecting this to be a conclusion, for some reason I thought it was a trilogy (YA series assumption) but there’s another book due next year, A Court of Thorns and Roses.
This instalment sees Celaena’s story move away from Dorian and Chaol. Whilst a little disappointing not to see some resolution to their parting on bad terms, it meant Celaena got a whole load of development that had nothing to do with romance, but much more to do with magical powers. She really comes into her element in this one. The king has been a very naughty boy, and a lot of the back story is revealed as Calaena comes to realise how bad things have become in the kingdom.
Anyway, where do dragons come into it I hear you ask? There are witches (iron witches maybe, they had talons at least - I told you I'd forgotten details) who have historically ridden dragons into battle. There’s a lot of sniping and backstabbing between clans as it’s time to claim the best dragons once again. The best bit of this is a wonderful underdog (underdragon?) story that grabbed my heart and made me whiz through a storyline that had little to do with the characters I’d already met and fallen in love with.
It’s a long book by YA standards, but all this meant that I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t end so quickly. If you're not a YA reader, don't be put off at all, it's such a complex world with engaging characters, filling a gap in the epic fantasy market. Fantastic characters, fantastic world-building and the story still feels fresh and new by book three. If you haven’t read Sarah J. Maas yet, go out and get a copy of Throne of Glass right now!
Review copy provided by publisher.
I’ll confess, I can’t give you a very in depth review. I read Heir of Fire on holiday over 2 months ago, loved it and then didn’t write down a single word of thoughts. Except I know I loved it and… DRAGONS! I was expecting this to be a conclusion, for some reason I thought it was a trilogy (YA series assumption) but there’s another book due next year, A Court of Thorns and Roses.
This instalment sees Celaena’s story move away from Dorian and Chaol. Whilst a little disappointing not to see some resolution to their parting on bad terms, it meant Celaena got a whole load of development that had nothing to do with romance, but much more to do with magical powers. She really comes into her element in this one. The king has been a very naughty boy, and a lot of the back story is revealed as Calaena comes to realise how bad things have become in the kingdom.
Anyway, where do dragons come into it I hear you ask? There are witches (iron witches maybe, they had talons at least - I told you I'd forgotten details) who have historically ridden dragons into battle. There’s a lot of sniping and backstabbing between clans as it’s time to claim the best dragons once again. The best bit of this is a wonderful underdog (underdragon?) story that grabbed my heart and made me whiz through a storyline that had little to do with the characters I’d already met and fallen in love with.
It’s a long book by YA standards, but all this meant that I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t end so quickly. If you're not a YA reader, don't be put off at all, it's such a complex world with engaging characters, filling a gap in the epic fantasy market. Fantastic characters, fantastic world-building and the story still feels fresh and new by book three. If you haven’t read Sarah J. Maas yet, go out and get a copy of Throne of Glass right now!
Review copy provided by publisher.
OK, I’m a little late to this book, and I went in knowing that everyone loves it to pieces. That can sometimes be problematic but I really enjoyed Geek Girl, the tone is friendly and engaging, with several laugh out loud moments. It was just what I needed at a point where my brain was distracted.
I liked the silliness of the fashion world, and Holly’s short career in modelling clearly hasn’t blinkered her. There’s a bit of a romance but it’s very much in the background, and it’s always nice to have a story about finding your place in the world where a boy isn’t the central focus. It’s also not an ugly duckling story, not really. Harriet doesn’t have one of those geek to swan make-overs, she’s picked because she’s awkward looking. She doesn’t magically fall in love with fashion or radically change herself.
I did however think the lying aspect went a bit too far for me not to get annoyed with it. Everyone has little white lies, but why on earth would a teenager and her father lie to family, friends and school for such a big thing. It was so obvious they’d get caught out. It didn’t really seem logical. Your best friend is going to be so much more annoyed by lying than you getting to do something amazing, even if she’s a little bit jealous. I’m sure all of us have been jealous of our friends at some point in our lives. We get over it.
I did get a sense that being a geek was a bad thing in Harriet’s world. Are schools really still like that, considering geek jobs are now the cream of the crop? Maybe I can understand nerdiness still being out and Nerd Girl doesn’t have the same ring to it, but the whole we don’t like you because you’re a geek and only one of two in our class thing didn’t ring true.
I liked the silliness of the fashion world, and Holly’s short career in modelling clearly hasn’t blinkered her. There’s a bit of a romance but it’s very much in the background, and it’s always nice to have a story about finding your place in the world where a boy isn’t the central focus. It’s also not an ugly duckling story, not really. Harriet doesn’t have one of those geek to swan make-overs, she’s picked because she’s awkward looking. She doesn’t magically fall in love with fashion or radically change herself.
I did however think the lying aspect went a bit too far for me not to get annoyed with it. Everyone has little white lies, but why on earth would a teenager and her father lie to family, friends and school for such a big thing. It was so obvious they’d get caught out. It didn’t really seem logical. Your best friend is going to be so much more annoyed by lying than you getting to do something amazing, even if she’s a little bit jealous. I’m sure all of us have been jealous of our friends at some point in our lives. We get over it.
I did get a sense that being a geek was a bad thing in Harriet’s world. Are schools really still like that, considering geek jobs are now the cream of the crop? Maybe I can understand nerdiness still being out and Nerd Girl doesn’t have the same ring to it, but the whole we don’t like you because you’re a geek and only one of two in our class thing didn’t ring true.
Twelve-year-old September is lonely and bored in Omaha where there are no adventures to be had. When the Green Wind turns up at her window on a leopard that flies, she accepts his invitation to go to Fairyland. But all is not well in this magical world; now ruled by the Marquess who shackles creatures in chains and demands her laws be followed. Being a good and kind girl, she soon offers to retrieve a spoon that was stolen, a spoon that is now in the possession of the Marquess.
There’s a little bit of Narnia and a dash of Oz in this otherwise original and creative fairytale. It’s full of charm and the most amazing, fantastical creatures. In fine fantasy adventure style, September is on a journey which leads her to strange lands and even stranger people. It feels like a fine fairytale for grown-ups (though younger readers with good reading skill will also be charmed, I’m sure).
My favourite characters included A-Through-L (Ell for short) the Wyverary; that’s a cross between a wyvern and a library. Though Ell had only read from A to L and therefore couldn’t answer questions on subjects starting M to Z. Also the soap golem, whose story is so sad but also gives September some wise advice like to not be ashamed of her naked body. I loved the fact that the story included some great morals that weren’t preachy and felt just like part of the story.
Oh that little lantern. It was so expressive in its simplicity and I felt so much for it. There are so many characters it feels like it should be too many, but somehow it all works. Each had their part and the style meant they didn’t need to be fully evolved individuals.
I liked that it looked at fairytales from different sides. Does anyone stop to think what happens to those children who stumble into other worlds only to have to go back to their monochrome lives? It cannot be an easy psychological adjustment. Especially if, like the children of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you’ve grown into adults while you were gone, only to be thrust back into children’s bodies.
If anyone tries to tell you girls don’t have adventures, give them The Girl Who Navigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It’s simply wonderful.
There’s a little bit of Narnia and a dash of Oz in this otherwise original and creative fairytale. It’s full of charm and the most amazing, fantastical creatures. In fine fantasy adventure style, September is on a journey which leads her to strange lands and even stranger people. It feels like a fine fairytale for grown-ups (though younger readers with good reading skill will also be charmed, I’m sure).
My favourite characters included A-Through-L (Ell for short) the Wyverary; that’s a cross between a wyvern and a library. Though Ell had only read from A to L and therefore couldn’t answer questions on subjects starting M to Z. Also the soap golem, whose story is so sad but also gives September some wise advice like to not be ashamed of her naked body. I loved the fact that the story included some great morals that weren’t preachy and felt just like part of the story.
Oh that little lantern. It was so expressive in its simplicity and I felt so much for it. There are so many characters it feels like it should be too many, but somehow it all works. Each had their part and the style meant they didn’t need to be fully evolved individuals.
I liked that it looked at fairytales from different sides. Does anyone stop to think what happens to those children who stumble into other worlds only to have to go back to their monochrome lives? It cannot be an easy psychological adjustment. Especially if, like the children of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you’ve grown into adults while you were gone, only to be thrust back into children’s bodies.
If anyone tries to tell you girls don’t have adventures, give them The Girl Who Navigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It’s simply wonderful.
Kenzi thinks she has her life sorted, a successful career and newly engaged to Bradley, she can’t wait to plan her fairytale wedding. The her boss tells her the firm is struggling and if she can’t close the deal with their newest client, her job’s on the line. Little does she know that the client is her ex and he has very specific ideas on how the brief will go. He gives Kenzi a list of ten movies and makes her promise to re-enact scenes from all of them. Or the deal’s off.
The hook of Love Like the Movies is one you’ll most likely appreciate if you’re a fan of 90s chick flicks, such as You’ve Got Mail, Pretty Woman and Sleepless in Seattle. There are a few more modern ones thrown into the mix, including at least one I hadn’t seen, but mostly it made me want to re-watch all those old, indulgent favourites. It was a bit forced how she always pointed out the scene and which film it was from, I would have preferred the reader to be left to make the connections. There is a list after all, it’s not that hard to match them up.
Kenzi seeks approval from her family, her engagements seems to be more about scoring points with them than marrying someone she loves. I never felt any love between her and Bradley, it was as if he was chosen as someone her mum would approve of. I didn’t quite understand why her mum was more attached to her daughter-in-law than her actual daughter either. It was a bit over the top.
However the point of these sort of scenarios is for the protagonist to realise their life isn’t going so well and to make changes. It was a bit predictable, but once I got past her family issues, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
The list of movies is:
Sleepless in Seattle
Pretty Woman
Bridget Jones’s Diary
27 Dresses
Dirty Dancing
Sixteen Candles
Love Actually
Say Anything
You’ve Got Mail
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Review copy provided by publisher.
The hook of Love Like the Movies is one you’ll most likely appreciate if you’re a fan of 90s chick flicks, such as You’ve Got Mail, Pretty Woman and Sleepless in Seattle. There are a few more modern ones thrown into the mix, including at least one I hadn’t seen, but mostly it made me want to re-watch all those old, indulgent favourites. It was a bit forced how she always pointed out the scene and which film it was from, I would have preferred the reader to be left to make the connections. There is a list after all, it’s not that hard to match them up.
Kenzi seeks approval from her family, her engagements seems to be more about scoring points with them than marrying someone she loves. I never felt any love between her and Bradley, it was as if he was chosen as someone her mum would approve of. I didn’t quite understand why her mum was more attached to her daughter-in-law than her actual daughter either. It was a bit over the top.
However the point of these sort of scenarios is for the protagonist to realise their life isn’t going so well and to make changes. It was a bit predictable, but once I got past her family issues, it was a quick and enjoyable read.
The list of movies is:
Sleepless in Seattle
Pretty Woman
Bridget Jones’s Diary
27 Dresses
Dirty Dancing
Sixteen Candles
Love Actually
Say Anything
You’ve Got Mail
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Review copy provided by publisher.
Make sure you don’t need the bathroom when you start reading Say Her Name. There’s some seriously creepy moments all interspersed with nuggets of wisdom and wit from the newly crowned Queen of Teen. The story still manages to touch on a number of real world issues without them being the focus.
It’s interesting to see a horror story with some compassion for the ghost, whether or not they’re doing evil things, they are supposed to be troubled spirits. Maybe they had a tough time in life. I liked that Bobbie investigates who Mary was and the events that trapped her in the mirrors.
As always. James’ characters feel like real people, the kind that you went to school with (or are at school with now). They’re easy to relate to even if they are at a private school. They’re all imperfect, even those who might like to project otherwise.
The ending, from the main characters’ point at least, all felt a little too easy. After Cruel Summer, which is brilliant, I suppose I was expecting something else. That’s my only fault of this otherwise entertaining and unsettling read.
It’s interesting to see a horror story with some compassion for the ghost, whether or not they’re doing evil things, they are supposed to be troubled spirits. Maybe they had a tough time in life. I liked that Bobbie investigates who Mary was and the events that trapped her in the mirrors.
As always. James’ characters feel like real people, the kind that you went to school with (or are at school with now). They’re easy to relate to even if they are at a private school. They’re all imperfect, even those who might like to project otherwise.
The ending, from the main characters’ point at least, all felt a little too easy. After Cruel Summer, which is brilliant, I suppose I was expecting something else. That’s my only fault of this otherwise entertaining and unsettling read.
Bit undecided about this one, some things I liked but also plenty that was a bit meh. Full review to follow.