allioth's reviews
61 reviews

¿Quién diría que el libro que rompió mi maldición de leer puros 3 estrellas fuera Macbeth?

Tantos años desde su concepción y sigue siendo intrigante, divertido y adictivo. Dudo mucho que Shakespeare vuelva a ser tan increíble como lo fue este libro.

Amo especialmente el contraste entre Lady Macbeth al inicio y al final de la obra.

Al principio se nos la presenta como una mujer formidable, que tomaba las decisiones que su esposo, con débil carácter, no podía tomar por su cuenta; un personaje irremediable, con ansias de poder y cero empatía por los demás, lo contrario a Macbeth.

Pero al final, es ella quien sufre todas las noches por la culpa; es ella quien termina suicidándose por su corrompida conciencia, mientras que Macbeth le da casi nula importancia a su muerte y busca mantener su régimen, convirtiéndose en un personaje irremediable, con ansias de poder y cero empatía por los demás.

Y esto solo es un análisis increíblemente superficial de lo que es esta magnífica obra; la palabra "clásico" le queda corta.

Well, that was something.

I like Fantasy, so color me surprised when it took me more than a month to finish this book.

I thought the plot was interesting enough (even though the medieval-fantasy-spies-for-the-king plot has been done much better), but when you can't particularly care for any of the characters, none of this matters.

The thing that I hated the most, though, was Cardan.

He is complex, alright, but you don't start feeling sympathy for him until about 50% of the book ((view spoiler)). Then he disappears, and when he appears again, we're suddenly supposed to find the average toxic-hot-annoying-ya-male-mc, who bullied Jude for years, likable!!

Isn't that awesome?!! (No, it is not.)

And while I already knew this book wasn't strictly focused on romance, this part still feels severely undercooked, and the supposed "groundbreaking enemies-to-lovers chemistry" that all those booktokers were talking about is nowhere to be seen. As an avid slow-burn lover, I couldn't be more offended.

Anyway, I blame 1/3 of my overall distaste towards this book on the book itself, 1/3 on booktok recommendations, and 1/3 on me for trusting said recommendations.

(ALSO, AUTUMN SOLSTICE??? My astronomy lover heart broke up a little) 

La mujer - 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Los amos - 2.75 ⭐⭐
La Nochebuena de Encarnación Mendoza - 4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are 2 kinds of people when it comes to their opinion of this book:

1 – Loves Holden, loves this book, relates to the protagonist's struggles, and if a teenager, there's a high chance they think all people are liars and hypocrites except them.

2 – Hates Holden, hates this book, doesn't understand its purpose, and hates the teenagers that think all people are liars and hypocrites except them.

I'm neither (I know, how un-phony of me).

I don't love Holden or this book, but I don't hate them either. I like the way Salinger portrays the fear of growing up and this idealistic memory of childhood, showcased through Phoebe. Holden's love of her is not only that of a big brother to his little sister, but also to the innocence he thinks is distinctive of a kid, even when Phoebe shatters that idea. She understands Holden's depression, she knows he seldom enjoys things, and she wants to escape with him not because she needs him, but because he needs her.

Another aspect I really liked was Jane Gallagher. She's never shown aside from what we hear from Stradlater, who only sees her through the lens of classic juvenile lust, and Holden, who sees her through the lens of classic childhood love, impossible of wrong and, more importantly, change, that he's afraid to face if he calls her and sees that he probably didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

Other themes such as grief, PTSD, and loneliness are also well written and probably relatable to many. That's why I'm afraid to say that I can't possibly give this book more than its current rating...

It served its purpose; it's a story that opens the doors for others. (For example, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which, surprise! I also thought was meh.) But I didn't connect with Holden, even when I'm just the right age, and that feels essential for even remotely caring about anything that happens in this story (which isn't a lot, to be honest).

I feel like the only reason it's this popular is because of the author's way of writing teen angst in such a realistic manner (or at least at the time—I can see why currently the way the protagonist talks can be quite annoying).

I appreciate the book's contribution, I understand why Salinger is seen as a "genius," and it is certainly a fairly easy-to-read classic. However, aside from that, I feel like it carries a not-so-deep or thought-provoking message about growing up that more young readers or adults who also had their rebellious-I-hate-everything phase might appreciate more.

Maybe I just don't get it.
I like Phoebe though, she's cool.

This was such a fun and emotional book that I wish I liked more. The story is a very common one executed in a unique manner; a girl who can't solve her own problems distracts herself by solving everyone else's.

The characters are really likable (minus Holly—she was such an annoying hypocrite, every time she appeared, I prayed Meabh would kill her right there and then), and they go through a lot of relatable stuff like bullying, alcoholic parents, toxic friendships... you get the gist.

I don't think the author does a bad job portraying this or anything of the sort; it’s just the conclusion that is lacking. Only 1/4 of the issues the characters go through are resolved in a satisfying manner (and that is being generous), and the rest are shoved down your throat in the last 15 pages or directly not shown at all.

The romance was cute, I guess. It doesn't play that big of a part, so I suppose I'll refrain from saying it was undercooked. It feels very teenagerish; maybe that's why they got together in like a month, tops, of being actual friends.

I care a lot about good endings (and well-developed romance), so realistically, I should be harsher, but I love Kavi. This book was funny in a juvenile way without being cringey, and Kristen Stewart was mentioned—that's enough for me.

100% recommended if you are a lesbian overachiever or a lesbian underachiever; otherwise, maybe skip this one.

I don't know if it's because I've been reading lots of, to put it simply, trash lately, but *The Potionmaster* feels like a refreshing glass of water on a sunny day.

(Can't think of a better metaphor right now, don't judge me...)

It has fairly simple world-building, and the author knows exactly how and when to explain things that may be confusing to the reader, without ever doubting their intelligence. It's certainly refreshing in a world where infodumping and zero-nuance novels feel like the norm.

The characters are also well thought, distinct from each other, and their motivations are clear. I especially liked how the way they approached the challenge—creating a potion that symbolizes the greatest good—speaks a lot about who they are as people. (What I didn't like was how quickly they forgot about the challenge itself, but due to the events that transpired, I guess it should be expected.)

But among the good, there's also the bad. I wish the protagonists' relationships with one another were more fleshed out. Considering the incredible amount of potential due to their clashing personalities, it strikes me as odd that their interactions felt very short and superficial, and the evolution of these relationships was too fast (Isla and Waldo, for example, had like three encounters?? Even when Isla thought he saved her life, lol).

But aside from that, the book is amazingly great. It's one of the few novels I've read that manages its time properly. It makes you want the sequel not because it didn't have time to develop, but because the world presented by Gould is just that interesting.

Fun, creative, and a must-read if you like urban fantasy. Can't wait for part two!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Spiderhead press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

˗ˏˋ꒰⭐⭐.5 ꒱

If the words “nothing burger” had a picture to come with its definition, that picture would be of this book.

I don't know how to feel about this book. Whether that's good or bad, I also don't know.

I'll try to organize my thoughts as coherently as possible, but don't expect too much from me lol.

If you don't read a lot of fantasy and want a story set in a medieval Europe-ish country with a chosen one protagonist, then this book is for you.

I don't think it does anything exceptionally bad, but also nothing exceptionally good either.

I couldn't bring myself to care for literally any of the characters (except Sashe, who is a cat, so it is to be expected). Bea, the MC, has depth to her; she's torn apart in her loyalties, she wants to please her family but also doesn't think the monarchy is as bad as it seems. However, she's so incredibly dumb that the only reason she has not been killed yet is thanks to the power of the script. She's also very rude toward the royalty, which you'd think would have real consequences for her actions, but naaaah, some talking here and there and everything's forgotten!

Prince Oscar, on the other hand, is good—great even. He's not a good person by any means, but he's also not as terrible as the first impression might suggest. He wants to learn and be better; he's reckless and stupid and suffers the ramifications of his actions. I found him so much more enjoyable than Bea, even at his worst.

The other characters are meh; I can't even bring myself to hate the ones I'm supposed to hate.

The romance isn't any different. I couldn't believe for a second any sort of relationship that the book wanted to sell to me. I don't think I need to say that the "betrayals" and "plot twists" felt as empty and boring as they seemed, for anyone who has read more than two fantasy books in their lifetime.

Aaaand the plot...

I am really trying hard to think of something interesting to say about it without resorting to the cheap "here's a copy and paste of the blurb written on the back of the book that I am intending to pass off as my own original thoughts" technique.

It's boring, that's how I would describe it. I don't think there's anything wrong with using an overused series of clichés or plotlines, as long as you bring something new to the table.

This book didn't do that.

It was a cut-and-dry story about a (very bad) spy trying to overthrow the government, with a love triangle involved and plain-as-hell characters. The most interesting part, Bea's connection to Sashe, is so secondary that it is almost infuriating, and that's the most emotion I've ever felt reading this.

I'll still read the second book, Flare Bound, because I think Ronan has potential, even when he's predictable and boring as gods know what.

I have a lot of nitpicks though (

like how Bea technically dated her stepbrother, or how her mother married her father's murderer and she doesn't think a lot of it until it's required by the story, or how Bea's brother is mentioned so little that I forgot he even existed when he is supposed to be important??

) that I honestly think could've been solved with a little more world-building and time with the Egals. I would say that's one of the problems of book series, but it really isn't, as more books should give you more time to introduce the world you built in the first book. But oh well...

An overall meh if there's ever been one. Maybe I would've given this 3 stars if I didn't know better about the genre.




Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange of an honest review!