sam

I hadn't read the first Susan Ryeland book (I bought this one because it sounded good and was on sale, but didn't have any indications it was part of a series... oops) but I enjoyed this one! I feel like I understood everything without having read the first. I was a bit frustrated with the book-in-a-book style because it felt like a 200+ page deviation from the plot, but I actually came to enjoy it more than I expected. The ending came together well, so it's a solid mystery read.

Was gifted this by Reggie (love you!!!!) for my 20th birthday and she told me it gave her hope during dark times in the pandemic and the transition between teenage years and your twenties. I totally agree. The series of essays made me smile, taught me many new things about the world, and brought more than a few tears to my eyes. John Green gives such thought to decidedly mundane aspects of life and gives them heart and hope. Definitely one of the most interesting nonfiction books I've read. Could get a bit repetitive in structure, but since I loved it, it didn't bother me. Highly recommend!!

I haven't read a book like this in a while and it was super refreshing! I really love Schwab's style and I flew through this book in like two days. The characters were very interesting, not necessarily likable but definitely interesting, and the power system was very creative. Loved it and immediately bought the next one.

WOW. Flew through this and loved every page. Within the first 20 pages, I knew it would be one of my favorites. It's been a while since I read a book that I felt was truly something special. This memoir was gorgeous and immensely creative. Each chapter brought a new cliche/trope/genre that functioned as a lens through which Machado told her story. It was heart-wrenching and deeply personal. My jaw dropped more times than I could count, astounded at the pure genius of her writing. The discussion of queer abuse and the history of silence regarding it was extremely refreshing and necessary. She incorporated outside sources and stories, situating her experience within the context of queer history. A must-read for everybody. Love, love, love.

Wowowow. Such a heartfelt and gorgeous book. I've read a few Albom books before and this one is definitely my favorite. All his characters have so much depth and are truly beautiful subjects. This book brought together so many eras of music history into one concise, incredible story. I highly recommend and I will definitely be reading this again soon.

Read this insanely fast considering it's the middle of the semester. It definitely kept me engaged, but was a little frustrating. I hate when books/films/whatever spoon-feed the theme or message to you, and this book did that about a million times. I can point you to a passage or two that tell you exactly what you should get from the book. That should be something you come to on your own, not be directly told multiple times. Let the story speak for itself. SO basically, I gave it 3 stars because I was definitely extremely engaged and curious about what will happen, but I did have some issues.

This is easily the best book I will never recommend to anyone. It was so real and vivid and beautifully written, but also intensely difficult to get through. The events that take place are so painful for the characters and so graphic in their description that I felt viscerally uncomfortable. While I understand they are supposed to be difficult and supposed to be painful, I also don't think it is something everyone needs to read nor should read. However, this book is so well-written and so human that it took my breath away. I read for hours on end, feeling deeply invested in the lives and traumas of these characters. Their thought processes, decisions, feelings, and actions were so thoroughly explained and described that each character felt so real. I loved this book, but it was also one of the most upsetting and depressing reading experiences. It's not an easy experience to explain.