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I had picked up this book hoping that it was a murder mystery because of its title and cover featuring a skull, and in a way it was. But I feel like this book is less about an outright mystery (like a whodunnit) and more of a lore buildup. I would definitely recommend reading this book with a warm cup of coffee and some nachos (or Doritos) on a windy and slightly chilly evening. The Maine setting was quite nice, since the descriptions were vivid and I remember how calmly chaotic northern cities and towns can be (for different reasons than Texas is). I think I read this book well into the night, since I fell asleep at around 23:33 and I only dreamed of red envelopes and a farmhouse that blows up (you'd understand why if you read the book too). I kinda feel bad about Jackson though, since he suffered so much and we didn't even see him live the rest of his life in peace. I feel like Iris was a big reveal and will also somehow be relevant to the plot of the sequel.
Reviewed by Baguette Mendez
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I've actually read this book about three times, each at a different age and stage of life. Earlier, I just thought it was a nice little animal book about circus animals going to a zoo (which is technically correct), but the latest time that I've read this, it's had a whole new meaning. Ivan is probably one of my favorite characters, because he learns to care despite everything he's gone through and how much of his life he's been deprived of. The simple stanzas and lines that Ivan says has all the more effect on me, and I even cried when he said he couldn't let Ruby be another One and Only. The suffering and the hope in this book is honestly just immaculate. I really appreciate the author for delivering such a message in such a powerful and simple way.
Reviewed by: Baguette Mendez I really like all the Asterix books, but this one is one of my favourites, especially since it shows the different kinds of foods and lifestyles around Rome at that time. Every time I read an Asterix book, I enjoy it for different reasons. For example, earlier I used to just enjoy the Roman soldiers getting beaten up, then I enjoyed the small references in the names (a bard named Cacophonix, Fullyautomatix's dad being called Semiautomatix, a really muscular Roman soldier being called Gluteus Maximus, etc), and now I got some of the political references too (Asterix complaining about the traffic in Rome, the fact that they accurately represented our government as crazy, chaotic, and confusing using a Roman governmental building as the representation). This particular book was especially nice since it was a bit of a thriller (since they were on a timer).
Reviewed by Baguette Mendez I really liked the story as a whole, but I think my favorite part (apart from the way the author showed how color would be a foreign object/thing to Jonas, and how it was described as a "glitch" or something that he couldn't quite put his finger on) was the author's notes at the end. She noted that since the ending was left moderately vague, the readers often either saw themselves in Jonas (like that one kid who liked how he was frustrated with being forced to take care of his younger siblings) or interpreted both Jonas and Gabriel as reaching heaven (a response given by a boy who apparently didn't even realize that the author never even outright mentioned the two dying). I like to think that Jonas and Gabriel entered a different town, like the one hinted at in the third book of the series (I've only read the first two, but I really want to read the third and fourth as well). It was a little disturbing to read the book refute the ideas of the Elder Counsel, though, since I actually lowkey agree with their goal and agree that nobody should ever know what the bad things were like. It really made me take a good look at myself and what I consider most important both in society and myself.
Reviewed by: Baguette Mendez It's a non-fiction book, so there isn't really an ending...In any case, the viewpoint was fresh and there was a lot of interesting support for specific evidence. For example, apparently nuclear bombs were not the entire reason or even a major reason that Japan surrendered in WW2: it was actually due to continuous and precise regular bombing. I think the global and more use-based view that was introduced in this book is actually quite useful to take into account when looking at global politics and economics, since "creole" technology used in the poor world are actually quite important when considering technology use and innovation. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone who isn't willing to get through some pretty verbose sentences, though. Edgerton takes a lot of ideas and says them in a sort of complicated way to better tie in his points and overlook a few key loopholes or fallacies in his logic, like how human labor is used in wars and how deterrence technology, although not cost-effective, was definitely useful in preventing further warfare.
Reviewed by: Baguette Mendez I really likes the nerdy humor and little quips made throughout the book, which kept me interested and engaged throughout the reading. There were a lot of drawings done in a comic style, which I discovered were made by one of the authors, which is super cool. The book itself covers a variety of topics, like the origin and exact knowledge about dark energy, dark matter, gravity as a force, anti-particles, quantum mechanics, and what exactly time and space are. The topics are arranged so that they flow relatively smoothly, so I found the information weirdly easy to digest. I think this book has not only given me more context about space and universe and physics stuff, but also about nerd humor like using pet hamsters and pet cats to experiment on shooting particles faster than light (no hamsters or space cats were harmed during the making of the book, probably), and using belligerent pet weasels to explain why things cannot work without causation (leading to weasel and water balloon chaos).
Reviewed by: Baguette Mendez Ghosts is an amazing story that really brings out the message to always appreciate your family, because you may never know when they may be gone. This story in particular also shows how adolescence is really a learning experience.
Reviewed by: SS The Someday Suitcase was a very powerful book that really moved me. I really love how the main character stayed strong throughout the entire book, and knew that cherishing memories is sometimes all that we can do to heal.
Reviewed by: SS Teddy and Company is a regular day in the life book, but there's a twist. All the characters are toys that live in a village island with a forest. I loved the design of all the characters because it was extremely creative, Teddy is a bear with no legs who is moved around by a wagon; I thought that this idea was very inclusive and interesting to see how the story would unfold around this character. I also loved how all the characters had very unique personalities, Sid the snake always thinking about eating, Umpah the elephant always worrying, Peng the penguin always trying to get away from all the other toys, and Prinny the pig who is a happy go lucky piggy! The addition of new toys to the book created some interesting drama and made the ending very satisfactory. Teddy's curiosity really created the story to be an adventurous yet relaxed story! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to just relax and unwind with a casual book that doesn't strain your brain when you read.
Reviewed by: Sahana S. The Thing About Jellyfish was a really heart-touching and powerful book. A friend seeking answers about her best-friends death as the main character really intrigued me. I thought that this was a unique and creative idea to display the fragility of young adolescents. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to relate to trying to find answers to questions that sometimes can't be answered.
Reviewed by: SS |
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