Ella Gillen
Not My Problem is a pretty standard YA novel. But it is by far the best one I’ve read. I’ve heard this is related to Derry Girls, and I think that it is a good comparison. Beyond the Ireland setting, the sense of humor is similar. Aideen, the main character, was delightfully hilarious. All the characters as a whole were well written and entertaining. The plot was medium-paced, and I can’t say I was bored by it and I don’t feel like the book dragged. The book addressed difficult topics such as toxic friendships, alcoholism, and poverty, and they were handled gracefully, balanced evenly with the joy and humor of the rest of the book. If you are looking for a romance novel, this is not it, but I was satisfied with that aspect of the book too. As a whole, this is a delightful read and I’d recommend it to anyone.
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Ella Gillen
"Some things are too terrible to grasp at once. Other things - naked, sputtering, indelible in their horror - are too terrible to really ever grasp at all. It is only later, in solitude, in memory, that the realization dawns: when the ashes are cold; when the mourners have departed; when one looks around and finds oneself - quite to one's surprise - in an entirely different world." (pg. 261 - 262) This is my third "dark academia" book in the last few months, and it is the one that defines the genre. This book is eerie, and only once I'd finished did I have the time to reflect on each character's questionable decisions. There were literal jaw dropping moments of horror due to actions taking place in the book. Richard was the perfect choice for the narrator - an innocent college student who gets sucked in to the Greek department at Hampden College. I almost felt like I'd make the same mistakes as he did. Almost. this book is satire (I think) but it is easy to forget, until you can't. Some things are so absurd that you roll your eyes. The drug use, incest, and emotional manipulation was a lot. And truthfully it dragged in places that should have been fascinating. And the ending was just ok. But the writing was brilliant, and I still feel unsettled. Other observations: - This book is very white, and the fake "Isrami" conflict and slurs against Arabs was competely unnecessary. - Bunny and Henry, as well as Richard, were well developed characters. Charles, Camilla, and Francis? Not so much. Ella Gillen
Cemetery Boys is a cute novel! The pacing and plot was a little slow for my taste. And the twist, which surprising, seemed cheap. In addition, this is not a romance novel by any means. Not even a slow burn. I prefer Yadriel and Julian as friends, which was disappointing. Otherwise, this book was very good. It addressed Latine culture, gender, family, friendship, and death very gracefully. I also really liked the concept as a whole and the entire Brujx/Supernatural element was cool and well integrated. However, the book as a whole lacked something that I can't quite identify. Ella Gillen
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was cute! I read it super quickly and I just love queer non-white fluffy teen romance books. It covered hard things too, like homophobia, racism, islamophobia, toxic relationships. Some of the writing made me cringe a little, especially as an audiobook some sentence flow was not good. But overall it didn't detract from my experience. I didn't "pick it up" expecting beautiful, lyrical prose. The plot was interesting, and the pacing was decent. Hani and Ishu had lots of flaws and made tons of mistakes, but I really liked both of them. Ishu gave some minor "not like other girls" vibes which was kind of annoying. And god, Hani's friends were unbearable. But they were supposed to be. It was rough listening to Hani let them treat her so poorly. Overall, this book was really enjoyable and a great first book of 2022! :) Martha Savage The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller, is an honest story of love, passion, bravery, and morality that resides within the world of the Ancient Greeks and their Gods. It is told from the point of view of a young misfit prince, Patroclus, who is exiled from his home. He finds refuge only within the walls of a small kingdom, Phthia, where he meets the young, half-god, Achilles, who is the son of Phthia’s king, Peleus. The two quickly form an impenetrable bond, despite the contempt Achilles’ wicked sea-nymph mother has for Patroculus and his loving relationship with her son. We meet Achilles and Patroclus when they are quite young, only thirteen, yet follow them throughout their lives, most of the book taking place during their late-teens and twenties in the Greek city of Troy. I admire Miller’s storytelling craft in the way that she is able to skillfully summarize large portions of the character’s lives into mere sentences, without making the reader feel as though they have been deprived of the ability to fully experience the story. Even though introducing the characters when they are young calls for the elimination of parts of the narrative (or else the book would be thousands of pages long), this choice allows the character's later actions to be more meaningful, providing the reader an increased intimacy with the novel. I am not often a fan of fantasy novels, and although I learned about the Greek myths in school, I was never one to become highly invested in them. For this reason, I was not expecting to fall as deeply in love with the characters in The Song of Achilles as I did. The subtlety in the way Miller develops their personas makes you feel as though they are truly two human beings you are just getting to know, however, by the end, Achilles and Patroclus are two dear and familiar friends. I believe this book will prove itself to be timeless, as the characters are continuously confronting the questions that come with being human (or apparently half-god), making it a story to which each individual can relate. However, Miller addresses these topics not in a way that makes it feel as though she is overcompensating to incorporate revelations about societal pressures into a novel, but rather in the everyday way that we come in contact with choices and morals in our lives. She discusses the class, privilege, discrimination, wealth, power, and romance of Anceient Greek societies (in a clearly well researched and informed manner), leading the reader to realize that the essence of the the issues they faced in the ancient world are in some respects no different those we encounter today. There are certain constants throughout all of humanity. For this reason, The Song of Achilles is a story that will be pertinent at any moment in time. Additionally, this book is relevant to our current moment as it is a great example of LGBTQ+ representation in literature. Because the LGBTQ+ movement is one that has taken stride relatively recently, I find that we sometimes forget that queer people have been a part of all of history, not just the years in which it has been more openly accepted. Despite this story being fantasy, I believe that having a gay couple within the context of the ancient world is an important part of how this novel benefits society’s mindset as a whole. Miller is a master of “show don’t tell.” She uses prose inventively to capture the essence of a moment and feeling without explicitly narrating it, while also making sure not to excessively employ overly complicated or poetic language that inhibits the flow of the read. Additionally, I praise The Song of Achilles as it produced some of the most vivid imagery of any novel I have read. As I was reading, I would often find myself thinking wow this would make a great movie, then telling myself I only believed that because it already felt as though I was watching one each time I turned the page. I can now only imagine that a movie would diminish the beauty of the story, as it would remove much of Miller’s delicate narration, however, would probably also do pretty well in the box offices due to the fundamentally exciting and emotional nature of this tale. I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their preferred genre. Ultimately, it is the story of two people who deeply loved, and struggled, and cared, the myths acting as a means by which to discuss the human condition. Next time you are looking for a book to fully envelop you within a world from which you will not want to return (despite the fact that half of it takes place during a decade long war), I would eagerly direct you to The Song of Achilles. However, I will first warn you that you will not leave Troy without shedding a few tears. Letter of Recommendation Ella Gillen Photo: https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/movies-tv/a21238098/kissing-booth-fun-facts/
I have bad taste in movies. No, I have horrendous taste in movies. As a result, I have more fun watching them. And in my completely horrible opinion, The Kissing Booth is the most enjoyable movie of all time. The Kissing Booth has a score of 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. I have never heard one positive word about the film (and I have heard lots of words about the film). The plot is garbage. The characters are toxic. There is not a single redeemable quality about it. Which is why I love it so much. When I was little, I was terrified of movies. I tried to watch Tinkerbell, but a huge bird tried to attack the fairies in the movie and I got too scared to continue. I tried to watch Cars, but I found it too unsettling. Until the age of ten, I had never seen a movie start to finish. This was extremely disruptive in my life since I went to countless birthday parties at which watching a movie was one of the main events. I was often isolated and alone in these circumstances, and I wanted nothing more than to get over my fear. Finally, when Frozen came out when I was ten years old, I watched my first movie. I watched it nearly a dozen times, and I started to watch more and more films. But this childhood fear still affects me. I am constantly told I “never had a childhood” since I did not watch any kid’s movies, and I will forever be playing catch-up with Disney references. Now, seven years later, I have completely gotten over my fear of movies. However, I still tend to gravitate towards lighthearted movies over dark and serious ones. I refuse to watch The Titanic because the idea of a three-hour-long film about a doomed romance seems like a waste of my tears and time. In addition, I refuse to watch horror movies and the scariest thing I’ve ever watched was Stranger Things. (I don’t find it scary, though!) Especially during a pandemic, I do not want to end a movie feeling worse than I did when I started it. So, lately, I’ve watched comedy after comedy, rom-com after rom-com, teen romance after teen romance. This is where The Kissing Booth comes in. The Kissing Booth is not special in any way. The film stars Elle Evans, who has a crush on the—very much subjectively—”extremely hot” Noah Flynn. The problem: Noah is the brother of Elle’s best friend Lee, and they have a pact to never date each other’s siblings. After they kiss at the school kissing booth, Noah and Elle start dating but must keep it a secret because Lee would be furious. For its genre, it’s mediocre, and that is generous. Truth be told, its portrayal of relationships in the movie is fairly problematic. But as long as the audience is mature enough to recognize the movie’s faults, I can let this slide. The plot is simply absurd, and the whole concept of a kissing booth is disgusting when you really think about it. (Students stand on a stage blindfolded while a random classmate kisses them). But worst of all are the characters. Elle is “not like other girls,” Noah is a toxic “bad boy,” and Lee is an overly possessive best friend. It is so atrociously bad that I can’t help but laugh. The Kissing Booth is the best comedy movie I have ever seen. Nothing makes me feel smarter than watching a dumb movie. I notice all of the flaws and the horrible decisions that each character makes. In contrast, when I watched Inception, I felt incredibly bored and overwhelmed with the amount of information thrown at me about time travel, alternate universes, and more. With The Kissing Booth, there is no substance. I spend the 1h 45m of the film overanalyzing Elle’s horrible relationships with Noah and Lee. There is so much there that by the end of the movie I feel like I could be qualified as a relationship counselor. Aside from my overanalyzing, The Kissing Booth does not challenge my brain. It does not make me reflect. It simply makes me laugh. And for entertainment, that is all I truly ask for. Ella Gillen I am someone who spends a lot of time on TikTok and Goodreads, making lists of books more often than actually reading. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a book I have seen recommended again and again, and I finally caved. I wish I did sooner. As someone who does not particularly enjoy young adult fantasy, I did not have high expectations. But there is a reason this book is so popular. Six of Crows is everything it set out to be and more. In short, it is a fun heist novel. There is more to it than that, though– complexities that make the book interesting and worth reading. Six of Crows follows six teenagers on their journey to kidnap a man who created a dangerous drug. The concept is simple, and it works. It starts out slow and mildly confusing, as the world and plot are set up and the characters find their way to each other. This did not bother me, because once the six main characters are all together, the story explodes into action. The dynamic between Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan is outstanding. Their dialogue, while on the verge of cheesy, makes the book what it is. Overall, the characters are well developed. Each character has their own personality, baggage, and goals. They are all complex and likable, with the notable exception of Matthias. Matthias used to be a drüskelle, a soldier who hunts and executes Grisha, a group of people with magical abilities. By helping his five teammates, he is betraying his nation, yet he clearly prejudiced against the Grisha. Matthias is portrayed as a morally gray character, and his feelings about Grisha develop throughout the book. It is impossible to not compare the drüskelle versus Grisha plot to Nazi Germany, and with that in mind, sympathizing with Matthias is impossible. Matthias is easily the weakest part of the story, and he is central to the main plot. This is easily the biggest flaw in Six of Crows. I was disappointed when I reached the chapters from his perspective, and Matthias often pulled me out of the magic and wonder of the story. Six of Crows is successful on all other accounts. While the writing is good, it is not anything special. It does not need to be. The story and dialogue are stellar. The structure of the book is predictable, but it has enough twists and turns that it stays exciting to the very end. Bardugo writes from multiple perspectives throughout the book. Ultimately, this was a good decision. It allows the reader to understand the history of each character in a natural way. The pasts of the main characters are the heaviest parts of the book, and they are handled with delicacy. For example, Inej was a victim of sex trafficking, and she struggles with trauma from it throughout the book. It affects her character and her behavior, and yet it does not shape who she is entirely. Each character has their own trauma and struggles, and they all handle it differently. The burdens that each character has enhances the story. While reading, I felt the weight of every decision they made and every interaction they had. I could feel their tension and anxiety when they had to face their trauma. I could trace all of the conflicts they faced, both collectively and individually, back to their personal history. Every decision a character made was understandable due to their past and personality. I feel like I know Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan better than they know each other. Beyond a fun heist story, each character has motivations related to their past. It gives the book depth that I have not found in many other fantasy novels. All in all, Six of Crows is one of the most fun books I have read this year. The characters are written phenomenally, making it stand out among the other fantasy books I have read. This book yanked me out of a month-long reading slump, and I cannot wait to dive into the sequel and the other series by Leigh Bardugo. |