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melissasreads's reviews
302 reviews
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
"It was as if Elantris was committed on dying, a city committing suicide."
I honestly don't even know where to start when it comes to Elantris. I recently became intrigued by Sanderson's Cosmere universe after seeing so many raving reviews by other readers. The majority of them surrounded the Mistborn trilogy and after research I found that Elantris would be the best book to start with. I read that Elantirs was the first of Sanderson's novels and by starting with it, I would only see a improvement in the writing in later books instead of being let down by going backwards. All I have to say is - how could it possibly get any better than this?
Elantris is nowhere near my comfort zone. 600+ pages, deep rooted world building, 20+ characters to follow and remember, and important themes of religion set throughout. I was petrified when I began and I'll admit that it took me a while to settle down and figure out what the hell was going on. But once I did, I didnt want to put the book down.
The pacing of the book is very surprising. After hearing it was 600+ pages, I was worried that there would be a lot of empty pages, 5 pages straight describing the way the forest smelled. But, every chapter has a purpose. Every chapter has something new, exciting, and important to add to the story. The last 100 pages especially is so nailbiting and intense it could drive you mad!
The characters are absolutely fascinating. Following our three primary characters in their POV, we follow Raoden, a prince who is cursed by the Shoed. A disease that once turned man into a mystical Elantrian, but now was inflicted with pain and death. We follow Sarene, the princess who has arrived from Teod to marry the prince, only to find out her husband is dead. And lastly we follow Hrathen, the religious man who has arrived in Arelon in hopes of converting the land to his religion. Their stories begin separate, but the deeper we get the more intertwined their journeys become and it is so great to read about.
I feel like any review I write of this book would never do it justice. It has become and instant favourite of mine and will hold a special place in my heart as the first Sanderson book I have read. If this is the "worst" in his cosmere series, then I cant imagine where he could take me from here! I am so excited to hear of a sequel which I hope I don't have to wait to long for!
Please pick Elantris up if you are looking to get into fantasy! It was so much easier to follow than I expected and will have you hooked from beginning to end. đź’€
I honestly don't even know where to start when it comes to Elantris. I recently became intrigued by Sanderson's Cosmere universe after seeing so many raving reviews by other readers. The majority of them surrounded the Mistborn trilogy and after research I found that Elantris would be the best book to start with. I read that Elantirs was the first of Sanderson's novels and by starting with it, I would only see a improvement in the writing in later books instead of being let down by going backwards. All I have to say is - how could it possibly get any better than this?
Elantris is nowhere near my comfort zone. 600+ pages, deep rooted world building, 20+ characters to follow and remember, and important themes of religion set throughout. I was petrified when I began and I'll admit that it took me a while to settle down and figure out what the hell was going on. But once I did, I didnt want to put the book down.
The pacing of the book is very surprising. After hearing it was 600+ pages, I was worried that there would be a lot of empty pages, 5 pages straight describing the way the forest smelled. But, every chapter has a purpose. Every chapter has something new, exciting, and important to add to the story. The last 100 pages especially is so nailbiting and intense it could drive you mad!
The characters are absolutely fascinating. Following our three primary characters in their POV, we follow Raoden, a prince who is cursed by the Shoed. A disease that once turned man into a mystical Elantrian, but now was inflicted with pain and death. We follow Sarene, the princess who has arrived from Teod to marry the prince, only to find out her husband is dead. And lastly we follow Hrathen, the religious man who has arrived in Arelon in hopes of converting the land to his religion. Their stories begin separate, but the deeper we get the more intertwined their journeys become and it is so great to read about.
I feel like any review I write of this book would never do it justice. It has become and instant favourite of mine and will hold a special place in my heart as the first Sanderson book I have read. If this is the "worst" in his cosmere series, then I cant imagine where he could take me from here! I am so excited to hear of a sequel which I hope I don't have to wait to long for!
Please pick Elantris up if you are looking to get into fantasy! It was so much easier to follow than I expected and will have you hooked from beginning to end. đź’€
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4.0
*4.5 stars
wow!! I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale! I stepped outside of my comfort zone and am so glad I did :)
a future society that is not far fetched and very scary to think about!
a little hard to get into but once I was, I was hooked!!
Final Review:
The Handmaid’s Tale was a book that I decided to pick up for a number of reasons. At the time, I was trying to get into different types of books and to leave my comfort zone of YA. I had heard of the Handmaid’s Tale as being extremely powerful and and popular within the adult reading community as well as being labelled as a classic. At the time I purchased it, the TV series was also doing really well. I picked this one up with hesitation as it was surrounding a more serious topic that I am accustomed to and I had seen others talk about the writing style being a little difficult to follow. When I started the book, I had to re-read the first chapter like 3 times. I was a little lost in what was happening and the writing style was definitely something I wasn’t used to but by slowing down I was able to catch on much better. After the first 50 pages or so I was totally hooked.
Offred gets her name because she belongs to a man (and subsequently his wife I assume) named Fred. All of the handmaid’s (women with viable ovaries and eggs) belong to a “Commander”. These women must perform sexual acts with these men (while the wife is in the view of the man, not the handmaid) it hopes of getting pregnant. The handmaid’s whole purpose is to provide the family with a healthy baby and their worth is based on their ability to do so. The women have no say, and their babies are taken from them at birth and introduced to their “parents”, the Commander and his wife.
The novel follows Offred and her journey as the handmaid to the Commander and his wife Serena. It follows her struggles as she comes to terms with her new life and she remembers her previous life, full of happy memories of her husband and daughter. Offred comes across other handmaids, some of which aren’t as submissive or compliant with the way things are. We get glimpses of all aspects of her life, from the training camp she is at first, where all the handmaids learn to act like proper ladies, to the once a month night she must spend with the Commander, to the walks to takes to the stores with other handmaids in which subdued talks take place. We get to see every aspect of her journey.
I was so interested in Offred’s story, and was extremely connected to her well being. I found myself worried for her while also feeling very empathetic to her situation. The scary part about this book is that with everything going on in our real world, surrounding women’s rights, and the right to our own bodies and reproductive rights, I could see this truly being the way of the future. The book is a dystopia so of course I’m not saying within the next 10 years or even 50, but I didn’t find the plot far fetched and that’s what will bring a chill to your spine!
I was a big fan of the Handmaid’s Tale and I’m really glad I picked it up. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who may be upset by the loss of women’s rights or the belief that women are inferior to men. The subject matter can get pretty graphic and disheartening but the underlying message was very strong and important to me, and I believe others should also be offered a glimpse into a very scary but possible future.
wow!! I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale! I stepped outside of my comfort zone and am so glad I did :)
a future society that is not far fetched and very scary to think about!
a little hard to get into but once I was, I was hooked!!
Final Review:
The Handmaid’s Tale was a book that I decided to pick up for a number of reasons. At the time, I was trying to get into different types of books and to leave my comfort zone of YA. I had heard of the Handmaid’s Tale as being extremely powerful and and popular within the adult reading community as well as being labelled as a classic. At the time I purchased it, the TV series was also doing really well. I picked this one up with hesitation as it was surrounding a more serious topic that I am accustomed to and I had seen others talk about the writing style being a little difficult to follow. When I started the book, I had to re-read the first chapter like 3 times. I was a little lost in what was happening and the writing style was definitely something I wasn’t used to but by slowing down I was able to catch on much better. After the first 50 pages or so I was totally hooked.
Offred gets her name because she belongs to a man (and subsequently his wife I assume) named Fred. All of the handmaid’s (women with viable ovaries and eggs) belong to a “Commander”. These women must perform sexual acts with these men (while the wife is in the view of the man, not the handmaid) it hopes of getting pregnant. The handmaid’s whole purpose is to provide the family with a healthy baby and their worth is based on their ability to do so. The women have no say, and their babies are taken from them at birth and introduced to their “parents”, the Commander and his wife.
The novel follows Offred and her journey as the handmaid to the Commander and his wife Serena. It follows her struggles as she comes to terms with her new life and she remembers her previous life, full of happy memories of her husband and daughter. Offred comes across other handmaids, some of which aren’t as submissive or compliant with the way things are. We get glimpses of all aspects of her life, from the training camp she is at first, where all the handmaids learn to act like proper ladies, to the once a month night she must spend with the Commander, to the walks to takes to the stores with other handmaids in which subdued talks take place. We get to see every aspect of her journey.
I was so interested in Offred’s story, and was extremely connected to her well being. I found myself worried for her while also feeling very empathetic to her situation. The scary part about this book is that with everything going on in our real world, surrounding women’s rights, and the right to our own bodies and reproductive rights, I could see this truly being the way of the future. The book is a dystopia so of course I’m not saying within the next 10 years or even 50, but I didn’t find the plot far fetched and that’s what will bring a chill to your spine!
I was a big fan of the Handmaid’s Tale and I’m really glad I picked it up. I wouldn’t recommend it to people who may be upset by the loss of women’s rights or the belief that women are inferior to men. The subject matter can get pretty graphic and disheartening but the underlying message was very strong and important to me, and I believe others should also be offered a glimpse into a very scary but possible future.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4.0
4.5 stars.
Beautifully written and would have never guessed the ending. I'm surprised I was able to stay away from spoilers for so long.
Beautifully written and would have never guessed the ending. I'm surprised I was able to stay away from spoilers for so long.
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
3.0
* 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot. I really liked Mindy on the office which was a big reason I picked this up and i found it extremely witty and funny but also found inspiration and advice in it.
I enjoyed this a lot. I really liked Mindy on the office which was a big reason I picked this up and i found it extremely witty and funny but also found inspiration and advice in it.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
5.0
Salt to the Sea was such a gripping, heartbreaking, and devasting journey. I found it very refreshing to read a historical fiction told from the point of view of people in my age range but it made it so much more heartbreaking to read. I'm glad I was able to learn about the Wilhem Gustloff as I had never heard of it before. This is an instant classic and will be on my favourites list and one I will recommend to everyone I know.