Adventures in Public School (2017)
Movie
A socially awkward home-schooled kid forces his way into public-school against his suffocating but...
The Room (2019)
Movie
Matt and Kate buy an isolated house. While moving, they discover a strange room that grants them an...
Never Hurt Me (The Wish Makers, #3)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Everyone has a wish. Desiree’s just got real. For years, hippie-genie Desiree has been living...
Young Adult Fantasy
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen, #2) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
I found Gauri and Vikram to be more likable main characters than Maya and Raja, from the other book. Gauri is tough, she had to be to grow up with the cruel Skanda as her brother and King of Bharata. She trained with warriors and keeps her emotions tucked away. Vikram is the adopted son of the King of Ujijian, but despite his mind, his lack of blood relation to the monarch will force him to be a puppet king. He wishes more than anything to be taken seriously and rule his people fairly, not via a corrupt cabinet.
Vikram was definitely my favourite character in this book, he was witty and cheerfully went out of his way to get under Gauris skin. The relationship and interactions between the two of them went from mutual disdain to begrudging respect authentically. It was nice to see them support one another, even if they didnt have any reason to beyond being partners for the Tournament of Wishes.
The story was more engaging than its predecessor, continuing to build the magical Otherworld but including scenes with faster pacing and action. The Tournament of Wishes was intriguing, as each contestants role and journey were different. No two people experienced the same trials or puzzled through the same clues. It was interesting to attempt to discern what each clue referred to before Vikram inevitably worked it out.
The beautiful prose and flowery writing definitely lent itself to the story. It helped to build a magical and unusual world for readers to slip into. Each vibrant fruit, eerie tree, and terrifying creature come to life in vivid detail. As long as you dont mind words that you really must pay attention to in order to absorb, I believe you will enjoy this book. It might not be your style if you tend to skim and breeze through stories, as this does require a degree of concentration to appreciate. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of Renee Ahdiehs or Laini Taylors style of writing.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Labyrinth (1986) in Movies
Jan 8, 2018
Microcosm
Book
A searing new play by a Bruntwood Prize-winning playwright. Alex has his flat. His home. He's...
The Isolator: Vol. 1: (Manga)
Reki Kawahara and Naoki Koshimizu
Book
Mysterious objects from space have landed, embedding themselves within human beings around the world...
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated How I Met Your Mother in TV
Aug 22, 2019
I actually hated the ending of this so much - watched the whole series for it to end up being essentially obsolete. I like the series a lot but the ending ruined it for me.