samiism's reviews
1196 reviews

I finished this book in under an hour, and spent another reeling from what I had just read.

We Are the Goldens features close sisters Nell and Layla. It is written in a way that makes you think it is a letter from Nell to Layla. The tone is overall sad, as Nell "talks" to Layla throughout the changes that the latter goes through. Nell's teenage voice is quite believable, so I didn't feel a disconnect unlike some books written from a teen's perspective but coming out too "aged" or wise beyond their years. This book isn't pretentious, and I liked that.

While endings that offer no concrete closure don't float my boat, the end of We Are the Goldens is apt. A bit sad, but perfect.

* Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This is one of those books that will leave you horrified and awed. I had to read this twice to fully absorb what I just read. Very descriptive and well-written. And I suggest listening to Deadmau5's "The Veldt", a track inspired by this story. It will get you into the mood.

Like I said in my first update, the book started out with a lot of "look I made a funny comment!" type of stuff. It was a bit off-putting, but that's just me. When I read something clever or hilarious, I don't want it pointed out to me because it defeats the purpose.

However, the rest of the chapters eventually grew out of that and the stories got funnier. I was surprised at how quick of a read this book was. The illustrations are definitely crappy, but that's what gives this book character.

Would I read it again? Yes. When I finally have my own kid.

I read this surprisingly short book with very little knowledge about Stalin and the Soviet Union. So I tried reading this book the way it is, except it's hard to when you kept hearing about how it's a political satire before you even opened a page. So there I was, imagining not farm animals, but Hitler-like farm animals.

I got emotionally invested in the book. I was enraged when the pigs kept greater rations for themselves because they're pigs and they need to power their brains or else Jones will come back. And the other animals (or at least majority of them) are gullible enough that they'd just nod and accept the bullshit.

I especially hated Squealer. Napoleon is evil, but Squealer is a whole 'nother level of evil. My blood boiled every time Squealer had a dialogue.

And poor, poor Boxer. :(

The grim ending certainly didn't make anything better. This was a dark but enlightening book. I'm glad I wasn't forced to read this in school. I would've hated it. I have a great appreciation for this masterpiece, and I can't believe I put off reading this for years.