"It’s okay to take art that’s out there and make it part of your own story, to read into it what you want, desire, need—it’s inevitable, really. Maybe"It’s okay to take art that’s out there and make it part of your own story, to read into it what you want, desire, need—it’s inevitable, really. Maybe that is the only kind of universality possible."...more
"Sometimes, it'll never be the right time. And sometimes we aren't the right people yet.
This was such a bittersweet read because we know from the start Viv will not be staying long in this town but oh how perfect that was. Every moment seemed even more precious knowing the end will bit at least a little heartbreaking. The setting was so well fleshed out and I'm already partial to seaside towns so I couldn't help but sink into this book more and more with every page. I was really taking my time with it because I didn't want it to end!! Travis Baldree just knows how to carve out a story and a place that just makes you feel warm and comfortable. What a joy it is to read every page!
If you were ever wondering if the perfect character exists, his name is actually Satchel <3...more
this was fun! it had lots of very touching moments and i think was wonderful in how it handled brad's ocd. but at times it felt a bit unfinished or lithis was fun! it had lots of very touching moments and i think was wonderful in how it handled brad's ocd. but at times it felt a bit unfinished or like some of the ideas weren't quite fully formed. the whole competitive camping into the woods for a scholarship really didn't play into this as much as i thought it would for example. you can only do so much within a single book though!...more
i think this was entertaining and the concept is fun but it was all over the place. it needed a couple more rounds of edit to tighten up the plot and i think this was entertaining and the concept is fun but it was all over the place. it needed a couple more rounds of edit to tighten up the plot and pace, and strengthen the individual voices of each character and perspective. at times it really felt like the narration didn't quite match up the dialogue. i also could've done without ever having to read that much about tyler and his character. a magical nyc is always cool though and i'd like to see more horrific beings pop into existence in this universe!...more
the most fun book i've read in al lonnnng time. maybe not a perfect piece of literature but the enjoyment was 11/10 !the most fun book i've read in al lonnnng time. maybe not a perfect piece of literature but the enjoyment was 11/10 !...more
many times reading this felt like pulling teeth but a few kernel of good kept me hopeful the tides may turn. that didn't happen for me unfortunately. many times reading this felt like pulling teeth but a few kernel of good kept me hopeful the tides may turn. that didn't happen for me unfortunately.
this book felt like it was trying so hard to be deep and quirky but everything fell pretty flat in its storytelling and insufferable characters. one true shining light was Claudia and the story could've been so much more interesting (and a lot more like the synopsis promised it to be) if she didn't appear so late in the book. the "trip across the country" which i assumed would take up a huge chunk of the narrative and be the catalyst of Clover's arc ended up being a throwaway plot point to get her to meet The One Guy. and he was a great guy! probably! i don't really know because we don't get to see much of him either. instead we have the displeasure to read a lot more about Sebastian, Claudia's grandson and the type of man who makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little.
while this story could've been very relatable dealing with the topic of adulthood loneliness and sometimes the difficulty to make friends and get out of your comfort zone once life becomes a habit, the inconstancies in what it actually tried to achieve made me roll my eyes more than once. just like the cliché descriptions of some places that wouldn't feel out of place coming out of the mouth of the particular groups of tourists you would side eye.
i won't say it didn't instigate any emotional reactions from me because the way Clover talked about her grandpa and his passing was was very touching as was a few things at the end of the book. some of these while heavily foreshadowed still felt like a gimmick when put in the context of the story.
overall this was not for me at all but i can see it has found the people it needed to so i guess that's good!...more
2.5 / 5 ✦ for a book based on horror movies and occultism this was surprisingly boring.
we get lost in a sea of movie titles and directors name droppi2.5 / 5 ✦ for a book based on horror movies and occultism this was surprisingly boring.
we get lost in a sea of movie titles and directors name dropping which could incite curiosity if it didn't feel like a patronising info dump. there were tendrils of intrigue but i didn't really feel drawn in by it, the supposed mystique attraction and appeal of the occult simply wasn't there. i didn't feel spooked or goosebumps rising and all of the exciting magic was shoved at the end without much buildup so it almost felt like a completely different book.
what i actually enjoyed a lot was the dysfunctional dynamic between Montserrat and Tristán and the absolute mess of their lives but then their ending??? i thought that the entire point was their horrifically codependent relationship and entirely selfish natures and exploring that. not landing on a vague HEA. i also wanted to see more of the slow unraveling the madness of this magic should've caused and the actual issues they had in their lives because there were many and would've played so well into the plot. there was surprisingly very little struggle for a story where power and hunger for magic comes FROM it.
i think there was great potential in this story, something deeply sinister about Ewers and his manipulative tactics and the bone-chilling realisation of how far people can go for power. unfortunately some aspects were very heavy handed while the real interesting parts were rushed through in an attempt to speedrun a classic horror movie script....more
i wanted to like this SO BAD- there were so many good ideas in there but the execution was very poor & all the characters have the personalit☆ 2 / 5 ☆
i wanted to like this SO BAD- there were so many good ideas in there but the execution was very poor & all the characters have the personality of a wet blanket :') it was a pretty quick read though and i kept myself engaged hoping for it to redeem itself (it didn't)...more
loved the premise but i truly could not form a connection to the characters and the story so while this is a novella it felt too long. i'm pr☆ 2 / 5 ☆
loved the premise but i truly could not form a connection to the characters and the story so while this is a novella it felt too long. i'm pretty disappointed because i love Fonda Lee but i found that even the writing itself was not on par with what i love in her books....more
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