The Night Swim was a dark, emotional, and compelling read that quickly solidified Megan Goldin as one of my favorite authors of all time. Sensitive, hThe Night Swim was a dark, emotional, and compelling read that quickly solidified Megan Goldin as one of my favorite authors of all time. Sensitive, heavy topics such as rape played a central role in the plot, and Goldin addressed these topics respectfully and with painful honesty. Consequently, The Night Swim also provided a social commentary on rape and the subsequent treatment of rape victims, particularly within the confines of a small, close-knit community. It was incredibly eye-opening to read about the unfolding court proceedings in addition to the perspectives voiced by the court of public opinion.
I loved the format that Goldin utilized throughout the book, switching between a traditional narrative structure and a podcast transcript. The latter broke up some of the heavier scenes that were more challenging to read, helping to alleviate the building tension. The novel also provided an intriguing look into the behind-the-scenes of running a podcast, highlighting some of the logistical challenges that aren’t readily apparent from the standpoint of a listener. I enjoyed this unique format more than I had initially anticipated, and it provided a refreshing change of pace.
Goldin’s writing style was simplistic yet captivating, completely immersing me in the tale while I was reading. She very skillfully executed dual perspectives throughout the book, ensuring that each narrator had a distinct, unique voice. Each point-of-view provided invaluable insights into current and past events, providing readers with crucial context and background. The transitions from one perspective to the other were seamless, and their placement within the narrative generated cliffhangers which added to the air of suspense, mystery, and uncertainty throughout the novel.
Furthermore, the inclusion of two intertwining mysteries was masterfully executed, and neither mystery suffered at the expense of the other (as is often the case when authors try to complicate a book by including multiple mysteries simultaneously). The mysteries built upon one another, and each received suitable page-time and attention from the protagonist. Both were adequately resolved by the conclusion of the book, which imparted a necessary sense of closure and finality.
Despite my love for this book, I disagree with its marketing and classification as, first and foremost, a thriller. Very little in this book was truly thrilling, and it read like a slow-burn mystery or crime novel. It was considerably more character-driven than plot-driven, which resulted in slower pacing and minimal buildup of suspense or tension throughout the book. It was written to evoke discomfort and unease in readers, but it was a far cry from a fast-paced, nail biting thriller that had me perched on the edge of my seat and anxious to continue reading.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review....more
One of my goals of 2017 was to work my way through some of the historical fiction books that have been sitting on my bookshelves and collecting dust. One of my goals of 2017 was to work my way through some of the historical fiction books that have been sitting on my bookshelves and collecting dust. While historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, I go through spurts of reading solely historical fiction versus picking up only one or two books from the genre per month. In an attempt to rectify this unbookwormly habit, I've been incorporating historical fiction works more regularly into my reading. Therefore, I decided to kick off the summer by tackling Code Name Verity.
With respect to my tastes in historical fiction novels, I have a fascination with Victorian Era London and World War II settings (yes, I'm aware, the two couldn't be more different). Nevertheless, I expected Code Name Verity to be right up my alley, and due to all of the hype surrounding the series, I was looking forward to reading it. The beginning 50-100 pages, however, rubbed me the wrong way and established the not-so-pleasant tone for the remainder of the novel.
First and foremost, I was completely lost - Verity's narrative jumps headfirst into the middle of her story, providing little context for readers to orient themselves. To make matters worse, the full picture wasn't revealed until the conclusion of the book, leaving me utterly confused and brimming with a host of unanswered questions for the majority of the novel. Furthermore, the book was rather detail-heavy, primarily honing in on aircraft specifics, technicalities, and mechanics that went straight over my head. These unnecessary descriptions only served to bog me down while reading. They could've easily been excluded, and the novel would've captured the same messages and themes while adopting a more interesting tone that placed additional emphasis on the plot and characters.
Based upon Code Name Verity's summary, I was expecting a significantly more action-driven plot, rather than a confusing, far from chronological recollection of seemingly unconnected events interspersed with all too frequent and entirely unrelated details and tidbits of information regarding the war. All in all, the pacing was painfully slow, the narration boring, and both my attention span and interest waned quickly. And yes, I seriously and repeatedly contemplated marking this book DNF, yet I continued pushing onward in the hopes that the ending would serve as the novel's redeeming quality.
Despite my best efforts and intentions with respect to reading Code Name Verity from cover to cover, I was far from enthralled with the ending. While I appreciated the concluding plot twist and its emotional appeal, neither was substantial enough to salvage the book as a whole. And, being the cold, cynical, emotionless human being that I am, it was far from a "heart-wrenching" read for me. The unexpected turn of events was both sad and incredibly unfortunate, yet it didn't leave me with any strong, lasting impressions.
The format of the narration also influenced my perception of the book, as I found the non sequential "diary entry" retellings of past events to add another layer of confusion to the novel. It was difficult to discern past from present events, and the frequent swapping between code names and the characters' actual names did nothing to simplify matters. The writing style, although unique, didn't lend itself well to clarifying an already bewildering plot in which I felt that I was always twenty steps behind and would never fully grasp what was transpiring. The writing itself was haphazard and informal, featuring odd phrasing and the occasional sentence fragment masquerading as a complete sentence.
Additionally, I couldn't distinguish between the narrators' two voices - both seemed identical, sharing similar mannerisms, patterns of speech, and dry senses of humor. Consequently, the two felt interchangeable and nondescript, and I had difficulty connecting with either. To further compound my utter indifference to both protagonists, they exhibited frustratingly minimal growth or character development throughout the novel, remaining disappointingly static and flat. They also had a rather enraging habit of telling rather than showing in their narration. Instead of obscurely hinting at the underlying emotions or tensions in a scene and allowing readers to infer these characteristics, the narrators outright explained these aspects. They might as well have written them in neon highlighter and attached some blinking lights for good measure.
Overall, Code Name Verity was well-researched, historically accurate, and had an intriguing premise, but I couldn't see the appeal. While I was intrigued by both the plot and the characters, the book's execution heavily influenced my rating and my enjoyment (or lack thereof) while reading. I enjoyed what little of the plot I could discern, but the remainder of the book struck me as a tangled web of somewhat related tales that the author had attempted to shove into a cookie cutter plot. The result was not pretty, to say the least.
I decided to pick up a copy of Me Before You shortly after the movie trailer began surfacing on Facebook, and I can attest that the 2 minute clip, howI decided to pick up a copy of Me Before You shortly after the movie trailer began surfacing on Facebook, and I can attest that the 2 minute clip, however captivating and intriguing, does not do the book justice. As in, you do not get the full-fledged fit of uncontrollable sobbing as your heart is shredded into tiny pieces and then trampled by a herd of buffalo from watching the trailer. For me, the hysterics were reserved for the book alone, and they managed to sneak up on me when I was least expecting it. I have one recommendation: buy your tissues in bulk.
I haven't been one for sappy romance novels, particularly the ones that quickly rise to fame and quickly capture the hearts of the masses. And yes, this is a rather salty jab at The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both of which I found disappointing and was overall entirely unmoved. Therefore I was understandably apprehensive when I began seeing countless advertisements and raving reviews of Me Before You. I'm so glad I finally caved and decided to ignore my instincts. Amazingly, Me Before You avoided all of the stereotypes and pitfalls that are generally associated with overhyped love stories.
Most importantly, Me Before You wasn't cheesy and fluff-filled. Many of the quotes that have been frequently surfacing on Goodreads as well as in the blogging and booktube communities give a very different and unflattering impression of the novel from this respect. When taken out of context and interpreted by someone who has yet to read the book in its entirety, yes, the quotes can come across as sappy and insincere. After reading the novel, however, these same quotes assume an entirely new, often emotionally painful, meaning.
The plot is rather slow initially - the first 125 pages had me far from the edge of my seat. It's difficult to discern where exactly the story is headed, and there are few shocking, heart-stopping scenes initially. While the novel maintains this unusually slow pacing, Moyes utilizes it to build up to the jaw-dropping, emotionally wrecking conclusion. The stark distinction in pacing between the final chapter and its predecessors fulfills its intended dramatic effect and results in an even more shocking finale.
Moyes was able to address a very serious reality with a necessary, yet respectful, dose of comic relief. This helps to alleviate the oppressive, depressing atmosphere associated with the subject matter that otherwise would have been very prominent. Her smooth, effortless writing style presented multiple challenging and sensitive topics in the best possible light without overlooking the multitude of stereotypes and difficulties associated with each.
Me Before You portrayed an array of unique, lifelike characters who displayed a very wide range of raw, unmasked emotions. It was interesting how different each of their perspectives were on the issues that were raised in the novel, as well as how they went about expressing these opinions. Each character had his or her own eccentricities, personal faults, and very realistic fears, all of which contributed to their comprehensive characterizations, allowing them to gradually win over readers' hearts.
The romance, while bittersweet, was also undeniably perfect. Lou and Will were by no means always on perfect terms with one another - they fought and disagreed, yet were always able to reconcile and ultimately bring out the best in one another. Furthermore, they weren't completely obsessed with each other; they recognized that there were other equally important individuals in their respective lives and refused to sacrifice these relationships.
Needless to say, several boxes of tissues are in order if you're planning to give this novel a try. While the ending is a rather painful ordeal (I'd equate it to that of being stampeded by severely enraged buffalo - reread opening paragraph of review for full effect), it's simultaneously beautiful. Each character is able to come to peace with the finality of the transpired events in his or her own manner and ultimately accepts, on some level, the decision that concludes the novel, however heart-wrenching. I laughed, I cried, and just about everything in between, and I couldn't have asked for a book to evoke a more perfect combination of emotions....more
Over the past several years, I've certainly read my fair share of dystopian novels. And to be honest, INote: This book has a suicide trigger warning.
Over the past several years, I've certainly read my fair share of dystopian novels. And to be honest, I'm getting very tired of the genre in general. After you've read enough dystopians, they all start to sound similar - the oppressive government, the new rules and regulations, the unhappy teens who are trying to rebel, the unfortunate romance(s) that get torn apart, etc. Contrary to my preconceived notion of "I'm going to hate The Program because it's just another dystopian," I'm happy to announce that I absolutely fell in love with the characters, plot, and book in general. My heart is currently in several tattered pieces, and I've significantly depleted my supply of tissues.
Since there have been an exorbitant number of dystopian novels published within the last decade, it's challenging to craft an entirely original premise. Authors often unintentionally utilize similar themes, rules, etc. as their predecessors. Therefore, while reading The Program, I found that it reminded me of both Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. All three series revolve around a society which promotes a procedure that essentially brainwashes its teenage participants, turning them into shells of their former selves. Thankfully, the respective plots of these series differed significantly, so I was able to look past the subtle nuances that they had in common.
The plot was both original and exciting with quite a few twists and turns, as well as extreme backstabbing on several occasions (you've been warned!). The concept of not knowing whom I could trust and which characters were friends versus foes kept me on the edge of my seat. My one complaint was the painfully slow 150 pages in the middle of the book in which Sloane entered into a monotonous, seemingly never-ending cycle or daily routine. The beginning and end of the novel, however, completely entranced me.
One of my favorite components of the novel was the adorable, made-me-bawl-my-eyes-out romance. It wasn't the shallow, stereotypical, love at first sight phenomenon and consisted of heartfelt conversations and sweet gestures. Most importantly, it wasn't a one-sided relationship. Both Sloane and James were equally invested and dependent upon the relationship, relying solely on one another to make it through another day. I also enjoyed how open they were with one another - there was no intentional, underhanded deceit taking place, which likely contributed to the longevity of their relationship. Their romance utterly destroyed me. Perhaps reading this on Valentine's Day wasn't the best idea...
Sloane wasn't whiney, annoying, or a constant damsel in distress, all of which are hard to come by in the dystopian genre. She undeniably held her own and refused to give up on her opinions, beliefs, and loved ones. Her resilience was certainly admirable and served as one of the driving factors in the novel, which is extremely out of character for a stereotypical YA protagonist.
"James is the best at hiding the pain, disguising the feelings. He knows what it takes to stay out of The Program. He'll keep us safe. He promised."
James is my newest book boyfriend - he definitely made it into the top 5! He struggled to stay strong for those around him, particularly Sloane, and he sacrificed everything else in the process. He was a lifeline for Sloane, particularly after her brother committed suicide. He was kind, caring, and selfless, each of which broke my heart a little more with every page.
I loved Young's writing style, particularly her ability to draw a reader in and invest him/her completely in the characters and plot. I loved how she retold the past through a series of flashbacks that were interspersed throughout the narrative, providing a new perspective on Sloan, James, and Brady. Furthermore, Young did an excellent job of varying Sloan's narration when she was heavily medicated, presenting the world around her in an entirely new light.
Overall, I couldn't put The Program down and ended up finishing it within 24 hours. I would definitely recommend it, even if you're becoming tired of and reluctant to read dystopians. It has some unique twists and turns, complex characters, and a romance to die for, all of which landed it among my favorite books of all time....more
After hearing a host of negative comments regarding this book, I tried to approach it with an open mind, but I would likely rank this as one of the woAfter hearing a host of negative comments regarding this book, I tried to approach it with an open mind, but I would likely rank this as one of the worst books I have ever read. Review to come....more
