Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated All the Summer Girls in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Renegades
Book
From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure,...
Fantasy Young Adult
Popular Mechanics SA
Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Be the first to know how things work, read about the latest launches and what makes them drive the...
Quilter's World
Lifestyle and Magazines & Newspapers
App
30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL - Download and read the current issue for FREE for 30 days. Cancel within...
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) in Books
Sep 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 23, 2019)
The Testaments is written from three different perspectives. I was delighted to see the return of Aunt Lydia - and she seems to have hit her stride. She’s much more sure of herself here, even though she is still having to watch her back. Gilead may be ultra-religious, but that doesn’t stop the literal back-stabbing. Aunt Lydia shows just how high the poison has spread. We see more than the subservient Aunt that she seems to be in front of The Eyes, and her backstory is fascinating.
Then there is Agnes, a child brought up in Gilead in a high profile family. We see how girls are ‘educated’ in a world where women and girls aren’t allowed to read and write. Agnes is contrasted with Daisy, a teenaged girl living in Canada, who was smuggled out of Gilead by her mother as a baby. There are obviously some pretty big differences. I don’t actually want to say too much, because I hate having my own reading experience ruined.
I loved this book. I really liked that by the end we couldn’t actually be sure whether Aunt Lydia’s records were genuine or fabricated. The symposium at the end (just as there was at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale) casts doubt on the authenticity of the papers that were found. Just like any written records found in this situation, historians have to be open minded about who could have written them. So we’re left wondering at the end whether what we’ve just read is actually what happened.
So does this deserve to be on the Booker Prize 2019 shortlist? Yes, I think it does. I believe it’s well written, I finished feeling thoroughly entertained and emotionally exhausted! I liked the open end too. Whether Atwood does anything with this open ending is up to her really, isn’t it. But I won’t be disappointed if she decides to leave the world of Gilead here. This book is a great way to end the story.
Tails and Fixers
Book
Tails and Fixers is a Sci-Fi novel that deals with survival on a far distant hostile world. In the...
The Terrible Business of Salmon & Dusk
Podcast
In this podiobook: Part film noir detective story, part fantasy adventure, part East End gangster...
Forbes Indonesia
Business and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Forbes Indonesia is a world-class business magazine of uncompromising quality and scope, providing...
Too Brave to Live, Too Young to Die: Teenage Heroes from World War I
Book
World War I was a slaughter on an unprecedented scale. Nevertheless there was no shortage of young...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Adventure Time Vol. 5 in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Familiar characters dominate the stories as usual, including Jake, Finn, BMO, Princess Bubblegum, Ice King, Marceline and even Lemongrab. The relationships between the characters are nice in this, especially regarding PB and Marceline.
The stories are funny, weird and super enjoyable, full of humour and colour and adventure (duh). The fourth wall is, of course, practically nonexistent, as the commentary along the bottom of the pages addresses the audience directly. It really immerses you in the world of Finn and Jake, as well as adding another layer of humour. The commentary makes these comics unique from most others.
The art is awesome. I still love looking through the gallery of covers at the end. The colours are so vivid and the styles are all so wonderful. It's one of the nicest comics to just look at.
Of course, it is kinda childish. But it's an easy and relaxing read, and there are some very subtle jokes and comments that only older readers will understand.
4 stars. It's a really fun read, and I love all the characters so much!