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When A Book Knocks At Your Door...

When A Book Knocks At Your Door...

The Thirteenth Tale - SPOILER ALERT

Por Mag, em 14.03.19

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SYNOPSIS:

Angelfield House stands abandoned and forgotten. It was once the imposing home of the March family - fascinating, manipulative Isabelle, Charlie, her brutal and dangerous brother, and the wild, untamed twins, Emmeline and Adeline. But Angelfield House conceals a chilling secret whose impact still resonates ...
Now Margaret Lea is investigating Angelfield's past - and the mystery of the March family starts to unravel. What has the house been hiding? What is its connection with the enigmatic author Vida Winter? And what is it in Margaret's own troubled past that causes her to fall so powerfully under Angelfield's spell?

REVIEW
(5 STARS)

This is an ode to the book lovers.
The story is extremely captivating and the writing is phenomenal. Honestly, it's what made me give it five stars because I have to admit the pace is sometimes a bit slow for my taste. Diane Setterfield can write about whatever she wants with an ease I haven't seen in a while. It's like she doesn't dwell on words or with her thoughts - she writes simply, beautifully and yet not with many flourishes. She doesn't go around in circles to get to the point: she goes straight to it, saving you time.
Although sometimes I found some bits too descriptive, I don't think I ever felt too bored to continue (mind you, this is my personal taste - I don't like long descriptions of things).
My favorite moments were the ones about Vida Winter's life. I liked to know about Margaret Lea as well, about her life at the shop, her love for classic literature and her moments with Shadow, but she was an extremely heavy character for a narrator and I found this heaviness, more than once, transferred to me. She was sad, grieving still (as one should after the death of one's sister) and I felt her sadness and grief since I too have a sister and I can't even imagine the pain I would feel were I to lose her.
However, this was not the only factor that made me prefer Winter's story. Margaret often "saw" her dead sister and that killed the vibe for me E-V-E-R-Y time. Everything else in the story made sense and was "plausible", so these "paranormal" moments (maybe I'm exaggerating, but I hate creepy stuff and it doesn't take much to scare me) were a bit too much.
Even so, this was not enough to persuade me to give this book less than five stars and the plot twist at the end assured me, not only because of its unpredictability but also because it didn't give us all the answers. Usually, I hate this, but with this particular book I loved not knowing who survived the fire - every other loose end was tied except for this one, which I found beautiful. Does it really matter who died? In the end, they both needed help to survive because of their psychological problems and their inability to take care of themselves. Winter took care of her sister because she was always unsure of who she was - if she did, maybe things had gone differently. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
Setterfield mastered the ability to weave a mystery that didn't end with her story and kept on living beyond it. She thought about every detail, every piece of this chess game and before I knew it, she checkmated my king and I lost to her wonderful mind.

TOTAL: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

War Horse (NO SPOILERS)

Por Mag, em 23.07.18

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SYNOPSIS:

Joey is a warhorse, but he wasn't always. Once, he was a farm horse and a gentle boy named Albert was his master. Then World War I came storming through and everything changed. Albert's father sells Joey to the army where the beautiful, red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off of battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns and slogging through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again?

 

REVIEW:

Before going into this, I had never heard of it (I didn't know it was adapted into a popular movie) and I didn't know it followed the perspective of a horse, otherwise I would've thought twice before buying it. Not that I have any issues with books told from an animal perspective (although I haven't read many), but I would've tried to know more instead of impulsively buying it.
 
Even though the perspective didn't bother me, the plot that was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E as the same thing kept happening time and time again: horse meets human, human loves him, the human is forced to leave him behind / give him to someone else. This throughout 180 pages was no fun at all! It bored me to death, it didn't teach me anything about the first World War and on top of that, it wasn't accurate. For instance, I know our main character is a horse, so we have to stretch the line of what is possible, but HOW DID THE FREAKING HORSE UNDERSTAND THE GERMAN AND THE FRENCH SOLDIERS? This angered me so much and it's so common in English literature: being lazy and self-centered they end up disrespecting other cultures. If you were a tourist and you didn't speak the native language of the country you were visiting, you wouldn't understand a thing of what the people were saying and that's okay. It's part of the experience. In a book that's supposed to "celebrate" the World War, the only respectful thing to do would be to homage other languages, embracing this as an opportunity to educate people – since the book is so simple in terms of vocabulary, creating simple dialogues in German or French wouldn't be that hard. It angers me, really, how everything must be "englishified" – it's like the horse had a translating machine with him at all times.
 
Lastly, the pace of this book was so fast that despite making it an easy read, it made it impossible for me to get attached to the characters or feel any deep connection with the story. The author tried so hard to create drama and sad moments that none of those were believable or heartbreaking. This was a mediocre read for me.

 

TOTAL: ⭐️⭐️

On The Other Side - SPOILER ALERT

Por Mag, em 31.01.18

SYNOPSIS:

A love story like no other, this is the debut novel from Carrie Hope Fletcher, author of the Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller All I Know Now.

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.
Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love...

 

REVIEW:

* Idea (15/20):

The idea of this book is interesting, concerning life beyond death. It's something all of us think about eventually, even if we don't believe there is one. 
The thing I enjoyed the most was Carrie's conception of "heaven" and how she explains that limbo Evie gets caught in: to pass it, you have to leave all the things that weight you there, and finish your unfinished business. To do so, you must pass through a magical wall that gets you wherever you want to go as soon as you give it an object or an action that links you to the person you want to visit on earth. As fictional as it is, I found it original and amusing. 
 
* World (8/20):
I don't think this book falls into the category of magical realism. I think it's straight up fantasy, to be honest. Even so, there were a few things that bothered me: the fact that Evie literally removes her heart from her chest and later from it grows a tree which fruit ends up killing Vincent; the fact that the words Little One had in its body are something you can make a book with (weren't they WASHED OUT); and how in the end, when Vincent is at the Summer's residence, the drawing Evie drew of them both tells him to share the dream he had with her family.
Not that I have any problem with magic, I just don't like when it's arbitrary and stops "making sense". Sure, in fiction all is possible, but there's a thin line between what's "plausible" and what is "ridiculous" and I think Fletcher crossed it a few times. For instance, the limbo is well explained and it makes sense, I had no trouble with it. But these things I wrote above really got into my nerve.
 
Another thing you should know is that this book has no timeline (Carrie doesn't deal with days, months, years or centuries) nor space (it's set in Limbo, Heaven and "The Real World" but where in the real world no one knows). All I know is that all the characters are Caucasian, so probably in a Caucasian part of the world. 
Apart from that, the real world works pretty much like ours (that's why this book could fall into magical realism), even though Carrie doesn't describe it much. 
 
* Characters (5/20):
Something I already knew before starting this book was that the characters had surnames related to the four seasons of the year (Winter, Summer, Spring and Autumn). I thought all the characters would, but "bad characters" or unimportant ones (except for Lieffe, who is important AND good) have normal names and surnames, which makes them more outcasts than what they already are. This gives this book a bit of inconsistency and it was something that didn't work for me.
 
Something else that didn't work, was that Carrie wrote her main characters based on herself and Pete, there's no doubt in my mind about that. For instance, Evie Snow is described as "a woman in her twenties, blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders in an unruly fashion (...) chocolate eyes, full of life and vibrancy". Her fashion style is pretty much the same as Carrie's (the dresses, the green coat); and she is an artist (Carrie is a singer and an actress), so Carrie is writing about a reality that's familiar to her. While the relationship with her family is not related to the author's, there's something I couldn't help but wonder: Evie comes from a wealthy family and everyone around her knows that. However, she tries to fend for herself and build a life of her own aside her family's shadow. Tom Fletcher, Carrie's brother, is pretty famous, and she also tried to build her own life without leaning on her brothers success to achieve her dreams. 
Vincent has "scruffy raven-black hair and matching black coat, (...) wildly untamed eyebrows" and "he was handsome in a funny sort of way. His nose had a notch on his bridge, presumably from where it had been broken, and the tip was large and rounded." Vincent plays the violin, and Pete sings and plays several instruments as well. He's bisexual and has curly hair (and so is/has Pete). 
However, both of them are flawless, which is so unrealistic it hurts. The only bad character in this book is Evie's mother, everyone else is cute and has their actions justified somehow. 
 
If I had to choose a favourite character, though, it would probably be Jim, because he's the most altruistic, genuinely good and nice of them all. He's the one who truly sacrifices everything for the woman he loves. Sure, he ends up married to her and we can understand it wasn't an unhappy marriage. Yet, he knows Evie doesn't love him and abdicates true love for the rest of his life. Besides, Evie treats him with the utmost disrespect (at least that's how I feel, because she took her heart off) and he accepts it all in good faith, the poor guy. 
 
* Plot (7/20):
The first thing that struck me was how fast the pace was, sometimes too fast: for instance, there are only 10 pages separating Evie and Vincent's first date from their second and their second date feels like the tenth date or something, because of the way they act towards each other. Their relationship begins in the span of two days (besides those that it takes them to talk, mere weeks, which to us are no more than a few pages) so Carrie doesn't spend much time building it. I mean, it's obvious they're supposed to get involved and that Vincent is Evie's OTP, but I would like to see their friendship and love develop, so I too could fall in love with them as a couple. The way Carrie writes about it feels too sudden and gives us a sense of fakeness. I never experienced a romance that had more good moments than bad – what occupies most of the pages is the tragedy and the sadness behind love. However, you need to seduce the reader with that love and Carrie failed to do so, in my opinion. As the book goes on, I found it harder and harder to connect with these characters, their romance and their story. These are the reasons why, concerning the plot:
 
When Evie's mom goes to visit, our main character decides to keep this a secret from Vincent. For you to understand how hypocrite this is, I only have to tell you that (supposedly), this is a character that says she hates secrets and manipulation games at the very beginning of the story. However, she doesn't care about breaking her own rules – this is why I always hate main characters, because every action they make is presented to us as "the only choice" or "the right move" or "a sacrifice for the greater good".
Sure, we could argue this whole story exists because she lied to at least three people in her life. But if Carrie had presented Evie as a flawed character, more human, it would feel more "okay" because as humans we all make mistakes. However, she presents Evie as this perfect girl, justifying every wrong action and choice she makes. At the end, when Evie is asking Lieffe if she was wrong keeping these secrets from her children she concludes she wasn't, when in fact we read how sad it made Isla that her mother didn't show any appreciation for her drawings, making her think she wasn't good enough! Why was it so hard for Carrie to "blame" her character, then? 
Why couldn't Evie tell Vincent that her mother threatened her and their relationship, and instead chose to make him suffer? Why treat him so badly and make both of them miserable, instead of just telling the truth and enjoy the last three months they had together? It made me so angry!
However, not angrier than the fact that she's 27 and still lets her mother control her life.
I mean, her mother is not exactly stalking her so Evie could easily find another job to pay the rent, save some money and apply to her dream job while she goes.
This submission is such a rich girl's move and such a selfish decision: if she truly loved Vincent she would have done anything to be with him. She would fight, she would scream and she would tell her mother to f*** off. Using her brother as an excuse is just RIDICULOUS. Honestly, I rolled my eyes so much in this moment I almost got blind. 
This story doesn't have a specific timeline but you can understand from reading some situations that if we were to place it in any century, it would be the 21st (second half of the twentieth but no later)! Why? 
When Evie describes her night out with Isla the cook, who tells her she's pansexual, it got me thinking so I did a bit of research, only to confirm my suspicions: pansexual is a term first used by Freud in the 1900's but it's generalization is fairly recent. Mind you, before getting offended, I'm not saying that there weren't pansexuals until the word was made up, because of course there were, the spreading of this label and its adoption happened only recently as did the acceptance of LGBTQ orientations by our society. There are three characters in Carrie's book who fall into some of the LGBTQ labels and we can tell they live in a time of acceptance and understanding. The only two people who are prejudiced are Evie's mother and father.
Hence why I would place this book's timeline quite near ours, which leads me to me saying that Evie had thousands of other options instead of accepting a forced marriage. Evie could totally have told her mother to f*** off and run away with Vincent. I have no doubt in my mind about that. Carrie tries to make us think she doesn't have other options so we feel sorry for Evie, compassionate even, but the fact remains: there were other ways.
It's not a time of arranged marriages and social oppression. Her brother is openly gay, Vincent is openly bissexual and Isla the cook is openly pansexual – throughout history homosexuality existed, but only a few would publicly own it.
 
Another moment that made me close the book was when I read: "Then I will happily sit back and quietly live vicariously through her."
So, not only did Evie marry Jim when there were many other possibilities, she also stopped working altogether to live the life her mother wanted for her as a housewife? Argh, so absurd! Marrying Jim should be light and free and uncomplicated, since they are best friends. So why would she give up on her own dreams? This is another reason this book is so sad: it's not empowering, it's not romantic and it's not smart – Evie gives up her love for Vincent basically because she's a self-centered brat who can't do a job she doesn't like and likes her rich life too much to give it up; then she's not strong enough to face her stupid mother in order to live her own life; and finally because she gives up her dreams and career for a marriage she doesn't want with a man she doesn't love. And on top of it all (and I almost wanted to scream at the silliness of it) because she can't be with Vincent and doesn't want to give her heart to Jim (who is the most underrated character of this book) SHE BURIES HER HEART AT HER PARENTS' HOUSE. WHAAAAAAAAAT?? Besides the obvious question of HOW CAN YOU SURVIVE WITHOUT A HEART, there are the questions HOW WILL YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN WITHOUT YOUR HEART and HOW FREAKING SELFISH CAN YOU BE? Jim helped Evie EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, she does this and he still stays by her side for the rest of her life? Is he dumb or is he dumb? There's only so much one can take, right? Or am I the crazy one here?
 
Also, something I thought about: if this was a marriage of convenience, couldn't she be with Vincent anyways, as her lover? Couldn't the three of them come to an agreement? Couldn't they just be legally married and yet live separate lives without her mother knowing? Wouldn't it be the healthiest decision? The only justification I can think of is that Evie didn't love Vincent in the same way he loved her: when Jim goes to her house to tell her that her mother won't let her be independent and that she'll have to marry him anyways, she decides to tell Vincent and it's him who takes some action and proposes to run away. Evie is not willing to get another job or to say goodbye to her family's fortune. It's like she likes being rich more that she likes Vincent. If this love is so strong, she should be willing to make sacrifices. But time and time again she hides behind this fake altruism, where everything is justified – however, Evie's decisions just make everyone around her miserable: she's marrying a man who loves her but who she doesn't love back; she's leaving the man of her dreams because she prefers money and position; and she lets her kids think she was this incredible role model while all she did was lie.
 
Lastly, I have a question: if Evie's heaven is her apartment in which Vincent ends up; and if Jim loved Evie like Evie and Vincent loved each other; what is Jim's heaven? 
 
* Writing (9/20)
There were many sentences that were cliché like "she could feel she was actually living, not just existing" or "the laws of gravity had changed and she was no longer being pulled towards the earth, but towards him" but overall, Fletcher's writing style is simple, making use of short sentences and "basic" words. 
Sometimes though it feels like Carrie is tiptoeing around her own thoughts, afraid of crossing a line and offending someone. When her characters do something that can be perceived as a critic to someone's lifestyle or when she voices an opinion that isn't politically correct, she uses sentences like "not that it would be wrong if someone did it, though". It was something that annoyed me, this worry of proving to her audience she's not criticizing, that she accepts whatever someone chooses. I'd like that she owned her words more. I'm tired of living in a world where everything you say is offensive, where your thoughts and feelings are manipulated, a place you're only right when you think and feel like the majority. Everyone is allowed an opinion. If Evie doesn't like being lady-like, so what? What's wrong with that? The need to justify is pointless and irritating. You don't have to make sure the ladies aren't offended. If you don't like something, it's okay! People need to start understanding that: we're not all the same. We're individuals, each with its likes, dislikes, prejudices, obsessions, opinions... We should be proud of our uniqueness. We should appreciate it and respect it. I wish Carrie didn't feel this need of "apologizing". 
 
Overall, it was an easy read, but not the best. I fought with this book and I tried to finish it as fast as I could because I progressively got sick of it. I understand it's a YA and that it's supposed to resonate with that type of audience, but I usually like YA and don't get as fed up as I did with this book. It's not, like the cover says "a love story like no other". In some ways, it like every other, the only original thing being the idea behind it. 
I think I'll let some years pass to let Carrie's writing style develop a bit more and then I'll try to read one of her books again. 
 
Quick question: on page 241 there's an inscription on the elevator of Evie's apartment that says "CB luvs PF" and it got me wondering: could this have been a playful love dedication to Pete Bucknell, Carrie's ex-boyfriend? A little joke with in which she swapped their last names: Carrie Bucknell loves Pete Fletcher? Because if it was, that was the cutest. 
 
TOTAL: 44 = White Medium Star on Google Android 8.1White Medium Star on Google Android 8.1

High Fidelity

Por Mag, em 30.07.17

SYNOPSIS:

Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. But Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex. He's got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behave as if Laura never mattered. But Rob finds he can't move on. He's stuck in a really deep groove - and it's called Laura. Soon, he's asking himself some big questions: about love, about life - and about why we choose to share ours with the people we do.

 

REVIEW:

(3 STARS)

I don't know if 3 stars is an accurate enough rate of how I felt about this book. If I were to rate it from 1 to 10, I would probably give it a 5. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I had high expectations for this book when I started it and I really enjoyed the beginning, but then it turned out to be a bit dull.

On the first chapter of the book, we get to experience our main character's breakups throughout the years, a short but sad list that contributes to the loss of his faith in love.
However, these breakups also turn him into a bitter man, conformed with his life - wishing to be something he is not but not doing anything to change it.
His indecisiveness angered me, as did his lack of purpose and his lack of loyalty. Rob is selfish, a narcissist and a hypocrite. There's nothing to like about him.
And that's basically what happened with every dingle character of this book - Hornby makes you dislike each and every one of then. I actually praise him for it: life is not a fairy tale. Jerks also deserve a story or two and realistically, how big are the odds of them learning something along the way? Sometimes, people can't change, sometimes there's no silver lining or great lesson to be taken. Most times, life is life. Period.

This is what I enjoyed, how raw this book was, how typically british - the jokes, the way Hornby approaches sex and disappointment, how marriage and commitment is perceived, the unpolished way he writes about mourning, depression and ambitions -, for it is a London versus the suburbs type of novel.
Culturally, this book is interesting, especially because of the satire.

I didn't find the plot that amusing, though. We spend too much time watching Rob trying to break the cycle of his life, trying to become a different man and failing over and over again. It's boring and it becomes predictable - we know he's going to fail and we know he'll never do something because it makes him happy, but because it's what it's expected of him. There was no character development, just an acceptance of his circumstances. He's the same man, from beginning to end, only he forces himself to settle. It didn't felt like an organic decision, but like he had to.
I reckon that's how life is: sometimes, we just have to accept the outcome, to accept who we are and stop fighting to change. But Rob didn't fight, not really. I have no sympathy for him and I'm not sure what this book has taught me. It did, however, broaden my musical culture.

Salt To The Sea (SPOILER)

Por Mag, em 16.07.17

SYNOPSIS:
Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.
Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.
As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.
Yet not all promises can be kept.

 

REVIEW

(4.3 STARS):

Salt by the sea may be one of the best books to get you out of that awful reading slump.
I had been stuck on Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel for six months (yes, you read it right. This had never happened to me before - sometimes it was harder to finish a few books, sometimes I didn't felt like reading for a week, but this one was the longest I was "currently reading" something) and a few days ago I decided enough was enough. I looked at my tbr pile and went through​ the titles to see what caught my eye.
I ended up picking Salt by the Sea solely because it looked small, hence quicker to finish.
As soon as I opened it, I realised how fortunate I had been with my choice - it was written in four alternating points of view, each really small, never longer than two pages. On the first day, I had read half of the book. The reading slump was officially over!

The writing was simple but fluid. Pleasent and easy to understand. So why did I gave this book 4.3 stars? What was missing?

1. Joana and Florian's writing was very similar. There was nothing distinctive between their way of talking and thinking. While Emilia is sweet, fragile yet perceptive; and while Alfred is egomaniac, sociopathic and suffers from a superiority complex; Joana and Florian are too alike. Sepetys' writing doesn't change from one to another. Their word choice is alike, their phrasing is alike, their line of thought is alike... We only know they're different characters because we're told so at the beginning of each chapter and because they're constantly apart, otherwise, we would falsely think they were one.
2. The ending was too quick, too rushed, like Sepetys was tired of writing - she knotted all the lose ends as fast as she could and washed her hands from this story. It felt unatural.
3. I didn't like how some parts didn't quite fit with others, like when Florian and Emilia were arriving at the house the group was staying in, the change of perspective, the way things lined up... It didn't feel natural, but forced. It seemed one of those "too good to be true" moments. 

Those three things make it impossible for me to give this book five stars. However, I praise Sepetys for giving voice to such a tragic event no one talks about anymore. I praise her for writing about history, even though with a sprinkle of fiction.
There are a few things that are based on true stories, and Sepetys leaves us with a biographical list of books and movies she read and watched. I also want to thank her for that, not only because I'm a History student, but also as a History lover. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of so many people. Thank you for teaching us something that was long forgotten. 

Lastly, there's only one thing left for me to say: I loved how well Sepetys could portray the Nazi spirit on Alfred. She kept me wondering 'till the very end if he had some good in him. I kept wanting to see a glimmer of compassion, of love, of solidarity and empathy. But it didn't come, and that's raw and real: some people are bad, no matter what. It doesn't matter what you throw at them, what life tries to teach them... their chore is broken.
Alfred is broken, damaged. You see how he sees himself and you pity him. You see how he treats his loved ones and you shiver. No, his father didn't love him, treating him like a disappointment. But people always have a choice. And the war, instead of changing him for the better, made him worse, less humane.

Attachments

Por Mag, em 09.06.16

SYNOPSIS:

This is the story of two journalist women who, despite being discouraged to use the intranet to talk about their personal lives do so and of a man, Lincoln, who has the job of reading said e-mails when they’re flagged. When things start getting out hand and Lincoln can’t stop reading their correspondence, his life changes 180º degrees.

REVIEW
(3.5 STARS):

“Attachments” is written in three different points of view: Jennifer’s, Beth’s and Lincoln’s, and while we read the first two in e-mail format, Lincoln’s perspective is a narrative told in the first person. These POV worked for me, giving the story a bit of life and pace.
However, when I first started reading this book, it felt weird. I never enjoyed books in other formats besides plain text because it always felt "wrong" to me. I don't read plays. I don't read diaries. And when I opened this book I was almost sure I wouldn't be able to finish it since half of it were e-mails.
Besides, I'm not the biggest Rainbow Rowell's fan: her stories always end up disappointing me *cough* "Eleanor and Park" *cough* or, like "Fangirl", I'm left with the feeling that something's amiss. So, to be honest, my expectations were low and I postponed this read over and over again.
But there was this day when I needed a change of air (I was reading “A Dance Of Dragons” and needed a break) so I looked at my shelf and somehow this book caught my attention… after 20 pages in, I was sold!
It was perfect for getting me out of my reading slump because of its writing: soft, simple, yet funny and elaborate (I know it may sound contradictory, but if you read it - past and present tense - you'll understand what I mean).
The story is nothing out of the ordinary, being actually really predictable (boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall for each other but none know that and things get messy before they get good)...but everything seems to fit: the pace is good (not too quick but not too slow either), the characters are engaging and the events feel natural (like they're following the "normal" course of things). 
The only aspect I didn't like was how somethings dragged on and were repetitive: I could’ve read this book in one sitting, but because Lincoln’s chapters were so alike, I had to stop.
Overall, it was a breezy, wintery-like read (at least that's how it felt to me) and it can put a smile on your face when you least expect it. 

Ready Player One

Por Mag, em 31.03.16

SYNOPSIS:
I think it's better if you dive into it without knowing a thing. Let the story surprise you and all. However, if you're a curious pea that doesn't like to take risks, keep reading: in the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

REVIEW
(5 STARS):

Starting a review for this book has been hard because there are no words to describe how much I loved it.
"Ready Player One" is the perfect bridge between the 80's and the year 2044, as crazy as it may sound. It doesn't really matter if you don't appreciate/know the 80's culture or if you were born afterwards: this book will melt your nerdy heart. Why? Because it's told by a geek man who knows his sh** and the love he has for it passes over to his writing in a beautiful, passionate way. Besides, this book is educational: not only because it gives you a peek on all the cinematographic/gaming/book/programing/music industry in the eighties, but also because it opens your eyes to the major problems society faces/may face in a "more near than you think" future. It shows us how we may (and most likely "will") end (trust me, it's not pretty) and how one may (but should't) address the issue - creating a virtual reality is definitely not the best solution.
You're probably still stuck on the second line: how doesn't it matter if you like the 80's pop culture? Simple: (1) there's more to this book than that (2) "Ready Player One" gives you the whole package (and with this I mean that if you're not really a gamer, you're probably a bibliophile and if you're not a bibliophile you're probably a mélomane or a cinephile or a otaku or maybe you're just really into programming. This book reaches all types of passions and introduces you to some new ones).
You live this book through the eyes of Wade, a nerd, a gamer and an antisocial teenager, who dedicates his whole life to win the most hard contest ever made over the last few decades. The story is told in retrospective, which is great to help avoiding the heart-attack that would inevitably come with the next action packed chapters. Don't get me wrong, though: there are still a lot of plot-twists that will most definitely make you jump out of your chair. However, because you kind of know how it ends (notice the "kind of"), you'll be fine if you keep the information given at the beginning in mind.
Ernest Cline will blow your mind, that's for sure: not only because his writing is amazing (not too descriptive, but not too shallow either; musical, funny and seductive) but because his imagination is incredible and immersing (you get completely and utterly lost).
If you're looking for a "themed book", something "trendy" that belongs to a specific genre, then this book is not for you. "Ready Player One" is the pioneer of its own theme, it's its own trend, its own genre, it has its own signature - and that is uniqueness.
Once you finish it, you'll wish for the ability to read it for the first time, forever.

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