This is basically the adult version of those choose-your-own-adventure books, enhanced with time-travel and mystery elements, all set on a reality TV This is basically the adult version of those choose-your-own-adventure books, enhanced with time-travel and mystery elements, all set on a reality TV show. It's an unexpected and fresh combination, but somehow it manages to work for the first half of the story.
However, the latter half was where things started to get redundant. The excessive "telling" and repetition undercut the most emotional moments, making it difficult to root for or sympathize with Marsh even when she was supposedly living her best life. And while I admire the concept, the weak writing style (& attempts at humor), unsatisfying endings, and dull cast of characters made it difficult for me to enjoy it fully.
Biggest takeaway? If I named my child Marshmallow because they're so "sweet and soft" I would not be able to live with myself. I'm sorry, Marsh, it's not you, it's me, but I could not bring myself to take you seriously....more
It's been a while since I've flown through a book like this one, so needless to say—it kept me riveted. It strikes the perfect balance between making It's been a while since I've flown through a book like this one, so needless to say—it kept me riveted. It strikes the perfect balance between making readers think we know what's going on and hinting that the truth may be far darker than we could ever guess. And my goodness, it is.
While some of the twists felt random, they weren't enough to pull me out of the story, and by the end, I was invested in seeing the main character get to a healthier place—regardless of her past—and find closure. Not to mention her chaotic, dark sense of humor matches mine in a lot of ways and functioned as a good way to keep certain scenes from feeling too dark.
Overall, did I absolutely love this story? Not really, but it was an enjoyable, quick read, and I'd be interested in reading more of Sager's books in the future....more
Books like these are confusing. Because how is it possible for something to be both intriguing and exhausting, immersive and pretentious at the same tBooks like these are confusing. Because how is it possible for something to be both intriguing and exhausting, immersive and pretentious at the same time?
Simply put, reading this book caused me to sacrifice my sleep schedule, but somehow I’m not sure if I regret it, though I probably do. As other reviewers have stated, it follows two unlikely friends and their business partnership to create a series of video games that speak on the struggles and moral questions they (& other humans) are faced with on a daily basis. Or is it? There’s a lot more to this story, as the pages are packed with scenes that range from extremely logistical to wannabe philosophical to hitting various social issues.
As someone who plays video games occasionally and is intrigued by the conceptual part of video game creation, specifically storyline or RPG-style ones, the logistical parts were what first caught my interest. I loved reading about the characters brainstorming game design and seeing the connections between it and brainstorming writing. Some of the struggles Sadie and Sam experienced are universal amongst most creatives, I think, and the author did a great job writing about the process in a way that made me excited (despite knowing nothing about the video game industry). The fictional games such as Solution (based on the game Train), Ichigo, Both Sides, and Mapleworld are all ones I would probably be absolutely obsessed with, were they games in real life.
On the other hand, the writing was probably one of my least favorite things about this book. It was so self-important and pretentious to the point of being ridiculous. Zevin seems to be quite fond of her thesaurus, as every few pages literally featured a word I’ve never heard of before in my life, and judging from the other reviews, I don’t think I’m the only one. ...more
This book is for the dreamers. It's a story about the new beginnings that can occur lifetimes after we expect them to. It's a story about how it's nevThis book is for the dreamers. It's a story about the new beginnings that can occur lifetimes after we expect them to. It's a story about how it's never too late to start again, to do what we love, to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into the new pursuits we find joy in.
It's an inspirational, beautiful message, and I only wish the writing style matched it. Because while I loved getting to see the characters come to revive their old dreams and continue living beyond stagnancy, I felt the writing style was the weakest point. It tried too hard to feel contemporary—dull and oversimplified—but ended up making it difficult to connect with the characters. It read more like a movie script, where we are told what happens onscreen but are unable to actually feel the emotions whatsoever.
Other than that, I enjoyed this story. It's fairly clean, with only a few swears and no sexual content or graphic violence. Some compelling scenes toward the end do express the possibility of hope and positive change in our communities. So overall, I'd say it's worth a read!
Of course there was so much more to her, so many different versions of Ro over the years. Of course, of course. It's hard to remember sometimes that no one is only who they appear to be at the moment. It's hard to remember sometimes all that goes into a life, all the different versions of a person throughout the years, all the ways in which people are capable of changing. ...more
The version represented here is only a guess, a wish, in some ways, that my uncle, and others like him—people who felt unimportant here on earth—real The version represented here is only a guess, a wish, in some ways, that my uncle, and others like him—people who felt unimportant here on earth—realize, finally, how much they mattered and how much they were loved.
It's hard not to love a novel that opens with a dedication as heartfelt as this. There's something about a story that's written from personal experience, or for a very real person in one's life, that resonates with readers in a way not many other stories do. But keeping this in mind complicates the rating, because this story isn't exactly perfect, or even close, but does it have to be to serve its purpose?
Simply put—thematically, this story felt like it bit off more than it could chew. It bears some similarities to plotlines like It's a Wonderful Life or Before the Coffee Gets Cold in the way that it attempts to use a cast of static characters to make sense of another's life, teaching him lessons along the way. The issue was because this book is only a little over 100 pages, most of the conclusions to those mini character arcs (in a way) either felt rushed or open-ended. I would've loved to see more time spent on each of the lessons so the growth would feel more gradual. The one that personally felt the most realistic was Eddie learning to forgive his father and see his actions from another perspective, which, not gonna lie, had me tearing up a bit.
However, the writing throughout each chapter was simultaneously simplistic and insightful (somewhat reminiscent of Fredrik Backman), and I appreciated the author's insight to detail in a way that made the book feel like a slice of real life even while it was intermixed with fantastical elements.
Overall, a solid story from Albom, and I'd probably read more of his books as they all seem to deal with complex questions and human emotions.
Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - a mother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives. ...more
So, I finally read King, and besides the fact that this isn't one of his most famous literary works and it's certainly not horror, I was able to catchSo, I finally read King, and besides the fact that this isn't one of his most famous literary works and it's certainly not horror, I was able to catch just a glimpse through this novel about what makes him such a standout author in the first place. His profound depictions of the many facets of human nature through his vivid characters speak volumes to his understanding of human conflicts and struggles. While I didn't love any of the characters, I came to understand them more deeply through the riveting (and at other times mundane) narrative.
The ending is interesting. It walks a narrow line between dreary and hopeful but somehow ends up neither. It just is. To some, it could be interpreted as justice served, but to others, it could merely function as a subtle reminder of how love endures in the end. Needless to say, I had very little emotional reaction to the ending and much of the novel, so maybe I'm a little biased.
Overall, not my favorite, but worth a read if you're willing to stomach much violence and face generally conflicting emotions (or in my case, lack of them) over the ending.
"Did you know that you could sit in front of a screen or a pad of paper and change the world? It doesn’t last, the world always comes back, but before it does, it’s awesome. It’s everything. Because you can have things the way you want and I want you to still be alive and in the story you are and will always be.� ...more
Spontaneously picked this up from the library and found it to be a realistic, coming-of-age depiction of the Chinese-American immigrant experience, deSpontaneously picked this up from the library and found it to be a realistic, coming-of-age depiction of the Chinese-American immigrant experience, despite the slight scattering of plot. The complicated father-daughter relationship and the conflict between total assimilation and embracing the nuances of one's home country felt authentic without being overbearing or redundant. Overall, a worthwhile, insightful read.
A new perspective clicked in: my dad wasn't just my dad. He didn't simply exist in relation to me. He was larger than that. He was Tony. He was his own person, and when I thought of the integrity of his life as a whole, I finally recognized it for what it was: a miracle. A foreign transplant who had toiled for years as a handyman, plunging toilets, then as a doorman, sorting mail. Bottom of the melting pot. Look at him now. A United States citizen. Leader of his own engineering team. Homeowner in a wealthy zip code. Daughter at Harvard. The true manifestation of the American dream. I had thought I didn't need him. Was better than him, knew more, was smarter. But now, as I gazed at his face—soft and fallen—I could see that everything I was, everything I could one day become, was only possible because I was standing on his shoulders. ...more
This book so beautifully sums up all that I love about cats—their loyalty, their sensitivity, and their sometimes snarky attitudes despite it all. It'This book so beautifully sums up all that I love about cats—their loyalty, their sensitivity, and their sometimes snarky attitudes despite it all. It's a lighthearted read with plenty of sarcasm and realistic, slice-of-life scenes, but under the surface, it's a lovely commentary on the bonds between pets and pet owners, the love of childhood friends and family, and the weight of ordinary moments that somehow mean everything.
I saw the bright-red car driving down the road. The color of the berries on the mountain ash, the color you taught me. But I get the feeling the mountain-ash berry is a deeper color, the kind that takes your breath away. Humans are good at making colors, but they can't seem to reproduce the power of natural ones. ...more
Schmidt's books always have a way of subtly evoking a sense of childhood coziness, immense wonder, and bittersweet nostalgia I can't adequately descriSchmidt's books always have a way of subtly evoking a sense of childhood coziness, immense wonder, and bittersweet nostalgia I can't adequately describe with words, and this book is no exception. So much of it reads like a warm hug for a heart that can't sort through the tangled emotions of grief and isolation just yet. Through two realistic but also resilient (and sometimes understandably irritating) eighth-grade characters, Schmidt depicts the diversity of individual journeys to heal from occurrences out of one's control—which is something that, though I wish my younger self had discovered Schmidt's works earlier—resonates with me still.
All this to say, I will be officially adding this to my list of books to read to my future children/nieces/nephews. It's just that kind of read.
Suppose two people start out at very different places, and one heads in a small boat to a small cove in a small harbor from one direction and he's running because he has to, and the other heads to that same small boat and that same small cove in the same harbor from a completely different direction and she's not running but she goes anyway. How long will it be before they find each other? The answer? It doesn't matter, as long as they found each other. ...more
The Wednesday Wars felt like the briefest of moments where everything is right, when the sky is bright and blue and you feel the hint of childhood wonThe Wednesday Wars felt like the briefest of moments where everything is right, when the sky is bright and blue and you feel the hint of childhood wonder and you're surrounded by those you love.
The Labors of Hercules Beal felt like those moments when the hurt gets too much but there are arms outstretched, waiting and ready to catch you when you fall.
Just Like That felt like a warm hug from people you didn't know who cared, and those moments when you start to pick yourself up, start to slowly stand on your own two feet.
And Orbiting Jupiter? Well, that book's all in a category of its own.
Okay for Now feels like breathing again. It feels like those moments when you can feel your lungs expand, and your world with it. Those moments you begin to recognize that your world can grow beyond your current circumstances. That there's more to your life than just surviving and grieving circumstances just out of your control.
It's a beautiful book with a beautiful message, and once again Schmidt follows the main character's healing journey in his signature simplistic style with an underlying layer of gentleness. Using the most precise of details, he paints vivid characters that feel as authentic as real middle schoolers—snark and all. Not to mention the little Audubon & ornithology nerd in me was so excited about the significance of the birds scattered throughout and how they tied into Doug's arc.
That Saturday afternoon, I finished my Arctic Tern. He was beautiful. He was diving into the water because there was so much for him to find. The waves rolled all around him and were already starting to break, but he was going to be fine. He had so much to do. He had so much to see. He was going to go wherever he wanted to go. And he wasn't alone, you know. If you could see the picture like I saw it, there was a whole flock of Arctic terns all around him, all flying above the waves. And I'm not lying, there were a sight. ...more
A short, heartfelt little story with an interesting cast of characters and a writing style that's vaguely reminiscent of coming-of-age classics. I simA short, heartfelt little story with an interesting cast of characters and a writing style that's vaguely reminiscent of coming-of-age classics. I simultaneously found Lucy endearing and annoying (particularly her character changes), and while the plot progressed relatively slowly and the ending was a trifle too idealistic for me, I enjoyed the author's honest portrayal of the emotions associated with adjusting to a new family situation.
She felt as if her happiness were bubbling up and running over the top of her heart, like a pot forgotten on a stovetop. Nothing would ever be the same again, and she didn't want it to be. She had never before known what the world could be like. ...more
I cried reading this book, probably for the wrong reasons.
Regardless, it was very heartfelt, and the fact that the author could take the true experieI cried reading this book, probably for the wrong reasons.
Regardless, it was very heartfelt, and the fact that the author could take the true experiences of his life and turn them into something simultaneously packed with wisdom and the confused emotions of childhood naivete makes me want to write a memoir of my own one day.
I stared into Mr. Sheep Sheep's eyes and wondered if he was still alive in there, or if the journey—all the ugliness he'd seen—had killed the light in him. ...more
I believe this book was supposed to be nostalgic and thought-provoking in its symbolism and commentary on childhood, but I personally found it disorieI believe this book was supposed to be nostalgic and thought-provoking in its symbolism and commentary on childhood, but I personally found it disorienting, and the ending—while poignant—wasn't enough to redeem it for me. Which was unfortunate, considering this was one of my most anticipated magical realism reads this year.
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