I liked this book, especially in the first half. Zevin has a way of allowing her characters to draw you in, and I enjoyed following Sam and Sadie and Marx in their formative years, which eventually led to the creation of Unfair Games.
However, the book is tedious in places and seems disjointed in the latter half. The relationships which developed in the early part of the book do not continue to develop in the latter half, and, as a reader, I found Sam and Sadie's on-again, off-again friendship confusing.
That said, the gamer in me appreciated the references to some classics (also, Ichigo seems like it would have been a fun game), and the book certainly contained some emotional and soul-stirring moments. Go read!
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Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. I am an itinerant marine biologist and conservationist and have worked on different conservation projects in different islands around the world. Currently I work in São Tomé and Príncipe as the Project Manager for an international conservation NGO, developing and managing the conservation programme in-country.
I really enjoy reading, as well as interacting with others who do. I also enjoy bird-watching, star-gazing, and coffee.
I love languages, and my life has been a mosaic of attempts to learn different ones. As of now, I speak around 8, with varying degrees of fluency.
I read when I can, and review intermittently!
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asiem rated The Dictionary of Lost Words: 3 stars
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an …
asiem reviewed Mañana, y mañana, y mañana by Gabrielle Zevin
Una apasionante historia sobre los videojuegos, la amistad y la superación
Un gélido día de …
Review of 'Mañana, y mañana, y mañana' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
asiem rated Hunt for the Shadow Wolf [US Edition]: 3 stars
asiem rated Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers: 2 stars
asiem rated Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries: 3 stars
asiem rated A Little Life: 5 stars
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and …
asiem rated The Forevers: 2 stars
asiem rated Six of Crows: 3 stars
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows Duology, #1)
BOOK ONE of the Six of Crows Duology
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had …
asiem rated Husband Material: 3 stars
asiem rated The Charm Offensive: 3 stars
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them …
asiem reviewed Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (London Calling, #1)
Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend Practically perfect in every way
Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His …
Review of 'Boyfriend Material' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Wow, just wow. There are books which, I think, surreptitiously come along at just the right time in your life, and delight you with their contents, when at any other time they might have not been as effective.
[b:Boyfriend Material|50225678|Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575987260l/50225678.SX50.jpg|73590298] is certainly one such. Although the writing is patchy in parts, it is the heart of the book that really overwhelms you. I'd been in a reading slump for a while, and then BAM! I read this in one sitting, late into the night, and am I glad I did.
I sometimes think that rom-com-y books do a far better job than most of unpacking human nature, with its various quirks and complications, and often get to the heart of the uncertainties we all have when it comes to establishing relationships with others.
I loved the vulnerability of both Luc and Oliver …
Wow, just wow. There are books which, I think, surreptitiously come along at just the right time in your life, and delight you with their contents, when at any other time they might have not been as effective.
[b:Boyfriend Material|50225678|Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575987260l/50225678.SX50.jpg|73590298] is certainly one such. Although the writing is patchy in parts, it is the heart of the book that really overwhelms you. I'd been in a reading slump for a while, and then BAM! I read this in one sitting, late into the night, and am I glad I did.
I sometimes think that rom-com-y books do a far better job than most of unpacking human nature, with its various quirks and complications, and often get to the heart of the uncertainties we all have when it comes to establishing relationships with others.
I loved the vulnerability of both Luc and Oliver throughout, and I empathised with them on many, many counts.
This one is a light but substantial read. Don't miss it.
asiem rated Breaking Dawn: 3 stars
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, #4)
In the fourth and final book in the #1 bestselling teen vampire Twilight Saga, questions will be answered and the …
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight -- Bk. 3.)
Bella must choose between her friendship with Jacob and her relationship with Edward, both vampires, but when Seattle is ravaged …
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, #2)
When the Cullens, including her beloved Edward, leave Forks rather than risk revealing that they are vampires, it is almost …