Edition Read: Kindle edition
Started: January 11, 2021
Finished: January 24, 2021
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Started: January 11, 2021
Finished: January 24, 2021
Rating: ★★★☆☆
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Edition Read: Kindle edition
Started: January 11, 2021 Finished: January 24, 2021 Rating: ★★★☆☆
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Edition Read: Audible audiobook edition
Started: January 10, 2021 Finished: January 11, 2021 Rating: ★★☆☆☆ I started writing this review at around the halfway point of the book, because I needed to start getting my thoughts out before I forgot. And I doubt that my opinions on the book would change after finishing the last four and a half hours of it. The main complaint is the way the book is written. I've never enjoyed stories that changed the POV character every chapter, because that alone can break my focus, even if we're just looking at the same scene from two different view points. However, this is coupled with the book changing from third person omniscient to first person and I think the first person sections are written in the (book's) past and the third person sections are written in the (book's) present (as, I think those scenes are set in the 1970s/1980s, but it jumps around so much I couldn't even tell.) that I'm totally lost and it just hit me, approximately 50% into the story, that the first person narrator is the husband of one of the sisters. It probably makes more sense in the original Arabic and there were things lost in the translation to English, and the audiobook narrator made a good attempt at trying to help make sense of it (changing her vocal register during the first person chapters, for starters) but it was a futile attempt. I think this book would have worked better pitched as a short story collection, or as two separate books in a series: one with the first person parts, and one with the third person parts. I was far more interested in knowing more about Mayya, Asma, and Khawla anyway. Edition Read: Hardcover edition
Started: January 7, 2021 Finished: January 8, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★ This is exactly the type of book I would have gobbled up 25 years ago as an insatiable nine/ten year old who spent her school day lunches in the library looking for books that would have landed and kept her in her school's illustrious "200 Club" (made up of students who read books with 200 or more pages) and her afternoons with her nose in her book. And while I wasn't nearly as smart as Nikki when I was a child, I did have a knack for science and math. But even as an adult, I appreciated the writing and it definitely kept me engaged, so I can see it absolutely keeping a young reader engaged. Edition Read: Audible audiobook edition
Started: January 7, 2021 Finished: January 8, 2021 Rating: ★★★★☆ The audiobook edition of this has been in my Audible library for I don't remember how long, and finally had the opportunity to give it a shot because it fit a task for one of my reading challenges, and I'm glad I did! Most of my experience with omegaverse fiction is on the fanfiction side of it (since that is where omegaverse started), and there's a lot that the fanfiction side of omegaverse has that hasn't, for the most part, translated into the professional omegaverse fiction, but Amy Bellows encapsulated everything I love about omegaverse in this novella (basically: the characters aren't secret werewolves who shift when it comes to mating. The only difference between this world and our own is the alpha/beta/omega dynamics). A lot of other reviewers balked at Rhett being such a softy of an alpha, but that was one of the things that endeared me to him (call me a romantic, I guess). I've never liked the overly demanding alphas (neither reading nor writing them), so Rhett was simply perfect. I also really enjoyed Isaac taking charge of his own sexuality and commenting on how he didn't play to the "normal" rules of being an omega (Okay, I like my both my alphas and my omegas not playing into stereotypes of their dynamics, thinking on it.) The only reason this is getting four stars instead of five is for the audiobook narration. It felt like the narrator was phoning it in a lot of the time, and while there were points where I felt like he could embrace Isaac's thoughts and motives, for the most part he felt not articulate enough for a story where the POV character is a poet by profession. I do recommend the book, but I recommend getting it on eBook (it's free with Kindle Unlimited, after all!) Edition Read: Audible audiobook edition
Started: January 3, 2021 Finished: January 10, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★ Edition Read: Google Play Books edition
Started: January 5, 2021 Finished: January 5, 2021 Rating: ★★★☆☆ I never thought I'd say this, especially given the love I have for Voltron and for Shiro (so I am going into this with a lot of bias), but unless you're getting this for its intended age demographic (which I put at around 6 to 8 years old), just go ahead and watch the show. For people who have watched the show, there isn't anything that in here that isn't touched upon there, as well as some inaccuracies (in the book, Shiro states that part of being a leader is training when the others are having fun, but Shiro was shown in the show having fun alongside the others quite a few times — namely the asteroid dust "snowball" fight, and making laser noises with Pidge, Lance, and Hunk. I also scoffed a bit at the book calling Keith's shack a "hiding spot," because it was his childhood home!) I also agree with other reviews in that it's disappointing the book was released prior to season 7, so Shiro's LGBTQ+ status and relationship with Adam weren't touched upon. I think it would have been good for representation, especially given that this is a children's book, to have this included but what can you do at this point? But I can't fault it entirely, hence the middle of the road three star rating. It's perfect for the demographic its designed for (newer young readers who may or may not have watched the show), but will frustrate anyone outside of that. What's this? I've been reading? Yes, I certainly have! I'm currently doing two (2) reading challenges: My third attempt at the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, and the Reading Women Podfic Reading Challenge, and as usual when I take these challenges, I've dived right into them, and we'll see how badly I peter out as the year goes by, as I am wont to do.
Anyway, one of the Read Harder challenges was to read a fanfic, hence the reason why this is kind of maybe not a book review sort of? Since it isn't a book in the traditional sense, but long enough to be novel length, and read for the challenge so I'm counting it here. Edition Read: Online edition Started: January 1, 2021 Finished: January 3, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★ Review, however, behind a read more since it is spoilery, and originally posted on Archive of Our Own as a comment to the author, hence the language used, I was addressing the author directly: |
AuthorErika. 36. Aquarius. January Baby. Lefty. Tucson, AZ. Grad Student. Fangirl. Fanfic Author. Slasher. Fanmixer. Iconer. Podficcer. Archives
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