Jenny

4.5 stars

So I wasn't expecting most of the last like, 20% of the book or more! Very surprising. I was not expecting this book to have so much heart, but it did. Loved it.

It is a little in your face with the on-the-page SA and R. But it adds to the story mostly, so I'm not against it- it isn't gratuitous I don't think.

There is a lot of misogyny to unpack, so be prepared for these TWs and you'll enjoy it, I am sure!

This book was fantastic! I love to add to my lexical knowledge, and the use of language within this book was just the ticket. I only have one question, and it isn't covered in the book as far as I could see: what made her decide she wanted to taste that first liver? I understand that she is a foodie and was probably curious, and that she is also a Psychopath, and so was probably free of compunction when it comes to this sort of thing, but I would still have liked to read about her thoughts immediately preceding the decision to remove his liver, whatever process switched her mindset from ‘accidentally killed someone” to “but this liver though...”, in her own words.

So refreshing to have a 30 something cast of characters and a main character who is a mother. It's been said about this book countless times but it is so true. A great read, exciting, plenty of twists and some heartache for sure. And the ending? Please can I have the next one now? Not for the faint hearted, check TW, and remember it is a marathon, not a sprint!

Definitely ahead of its time, as has been stated many times before. I would definitely recommend reading the Appendices, wherein the concept of “Newspeak” and a rough dictionary of the propagandistic language is explained. It's darkly humorous in places, and deeply disturbing throughout. Winston is not a very deep character, however I get the impression that this is not through poor writing or by accident; Big Brother and The Company are very intentional in their machinations, and part of that is their deliberate suppression of independent thought and individuality of mind in members of the company. I would think that this would naturally lead to rather a shallow citizenry. What is left of Winston's personality is not likeable, but that somehow makes him more real. And the ending is both harrowing and, in a strange way, beautiful.

I was updating the wrong entry in Goodreads for this book!

3.5 stars, rounded up for the beautiful cover.

I loved the second half of this book; the first half I found rather slow. However, I felt appropriately shocked at some of the twists, some of which I didn't see coming! All in all, worth reading but perhaps not going to blow you away.

To be fair, I actually listened to this one as an audiobook and i hate to say it but the narration wasn't for me. This led to me not rewinding each night after going to sleep before the end of my timer (hope that makes sense- at least to anyone with audible!) so while I did finish the book technically, I missed some of it. So not a DNF but might have been had I been reading a physical copy. Again, I should note that this may be down to narrator and/or me missing something from skipping parts (although I didn't skip that much).

The biggest marker of a great read for me is when I am enjoying the plot so much that I forget I'm reading. No checking to see how many pages left in the chapter or book, no thinking ahead to the sweet, sweet satisfaction of marking it as ‘read' on Goodreads(!), just pure enjoyment. This book is so smart, and fantastically gory. And the mechanism used for the Denouement was just

Excellent short read. Asimov's theory of reality shifts would explain many of the strange “glitch in the matrix” and “Mandela Effect” phenomena we experience today. It elegantly conveys complex problems and poses thought provoking questions while still managing to make sense. Plenty of aha! moments, despite its fictional nature!! Definitely worth a read!

I loved everything about this story. A lot of main characters come across as a little holier-than-thou, which is fine because we often love them despite (and sometimes because of) this! Tarisai, however, just feels genuinely good, rather than goody-goody.

I loved the magic system, the lore and the beautiful imagery. The characters al had flaws and strengths which brought them more to life than many fantasy books which rely on overly perfect characters, for whom flaws are not really flaws at all but rather, quirks- Tarisai is easily led for much of her life, naive and too trusting. She is also kind, fiercely loyal, and dedicated. Dayo is a little spoiled to begin with, is very accepting of his treatment by his elders and does not much question their decisions or their actions. He is also loving, a little silly, and fair (or at least tries to be). There are many other qualities both good and bad for each of the characters, and all are an enjoyable read.

I liked that there was some LGBTQ+ representation as well, as I am LGBTQ+ myself, I appreciate that there were a few diverse sexual orientations to read about, although they were not explored much, but it didn't feel exclusionary- just that it may have been superfluous to the story.

And “Tarisai Ibajo”? Are you kidding me? I sobbed!! This may be my new favourite fictional world.

A wonderful sequel and very much a credit to the first book. I read this first and then went to download the audiobook, but was sad to find that the narrator had changed; not because the new narrator wasn't good, but because I had gotten used to and loved the first narrator's voice and pronunciations.

Wowed again really. Finished 1 & 2 and on to book 3 in under 24 hours. They are unputdownable.

I rated 3.5 and rounded up, only because I felt the ending was a little “and they lived happily ever after” for this particular story. I don't feel like the second book should've been the one to have this; we shall see how that plays into book three though.

I've been giving a lot of five stars, but honestly, if a book manages to hook and transport me so completely as to allow me to forget that I'm reading, it's an automatic 5 stars in my estimation. Provided it doesn't have issues preventing that!

Ninth House was a ride! And I actually didn't see the twists coming, unusual for me. Highly recommend; it's worth the hype!