book log by Airi

book log by Airi https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe my blood sweat and tears combined into this file thing (i use seagulls to rate books lol) en-us 2020-08-31 00:12:32 UTC 2022-06-10 00:47:52 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f956.png Eragon (reread) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/710693477 Very good book as I remember from third grade. The font it still very small though.
I thought the elf girl would be a cool character when she appeared but i was quick to dislike her. She's the typical really annoying character who only talks smack an creates problems and then cries about it and somehow gets away with it?
On the other hand Sylvia the dragon is an absolute legend she's funny and witty and always has the best things to say about people and situations.
Eragon's turning point would be the mentors death, thats when he realizes the severity of the situation and grows much more drastically as a dragon rider AND a character.
I really like the fight scenes near the end where the efls get attacked or something along the lines of that. Its very dramatic and well written, keeps you at the tip of your toes the entire ride up and down. I'm a bit sad that the elf girl Eragon saves is wasted as a love interest for him. I felt that it would've been so much more interesting if she had been a strong supporting character but thats just my opinion. it would've been epic to just have her carry Eragon for an entire fight and have her teach him or something but instead she's just like a "i hate everyone but you" love interest which i don't dislike, but just didn't settle well with the context of their relationship. But maybe i'm forgetting something from the second and third book that gives more context to why they might be good as love interests but until them i do think she was really a waste of a character. I would've loved to see her like first fall in love with eragon but they end up not working out but by doing so she kinda matures and they break up and end up friends again. It's just like....she's a super powerful elf girl and she's super like girlboss ish so idk i feel like its such a waste.
On the other hand (lol) idk how to feel about Eragon....
hmmm he's not a dislikeable character but theres just like something missing from him. I feel like he's such a bland in a way character?? like idk if u hid him and a bunch of other fantasy dragon rider MC's i wouldn't be able to tell him apart. I have no clue if this is a good thing or a bad thing but yeahhh
If only he had like something significant to him. Not something basic like a scar or something but like the way he talks or the way he fights or his favourite foods. I feel like the author rushed the story in a way and him that they didn't really get to stop and just tell us about what he likes and dislikes.

4/10 seagulls defo recommend to people who like dystopian super hardcore fantasy adventure books.]]> 2020-09-01 03:15:11 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/710693477 dont close your eyes (ALSO a re read) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/793329389 ive read this book like eight times because i keep forgetting what happens. The story is good, but it makes me want to rip my hair out when they nis understand each other like a melodrama or soap opera.
Cable is one of my all time favourite Male Supporting characters. It's mainly because every other male side characters. are complete dicks, but besides that he has a lot of development, and you can see it really well.
the storyline is about this girl ( the MC) who had the power to enter peoples dreams. one of the few downsides to this though, is that she can't control who's dreams she enters. if someone near her ever just falls asleep, she gets sucked into their dream. And after be friending someone at her school, she uses her powers to help the police catch criminals. She then uncovers a bunch of secrets about her family and her powers, and even people that used to have powers like hers. its also a little uhm steamy. it also has a sweet side story about her and the dude from school. relationship. Its actually non toxic and they have a great relationship by the end of the book(s). They do go through alot of conflict bu by the end of the day their relationship is fine. Ive read this book cover to cover wa y to many times than i'd like to admit. It's not particularly because i love it so much, just because the plotline is so i guess predictable but also un predictable at the same time???
The story is interesting but not really my personal cup of tea. I mostly read this for the romance part, seeing that this is one of the few books with a actually healthy and functioning straight relationship in a book.
Overall, I liked the book pretty well. And it feels nice to read the last few chapters with the happy couple just being normal.

7.5/10 seagulls i recommend this to people who like a little dark and twisted modern day fantasy with a sprinkle of relationship and love stuff. ]]> 2020-10-01 00:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/793329389 fablehaven (all five) also a reread https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/880746448 I took a liking to the character Seth, who is basically the main character or atleast a side character. I took a liking to him because he moves the plot along quickly but in. a reckless way. The mainly main character Kendra is too cautious which is supposed to be a good thing but in my eyes i find the reckless and witty characters over the smart and rational characters. And even when most of the other characters tell him doing something might as well end the world he still does it and survives somehow. I guess it might be because the author can't just kill off one of the main characters but still, it adds a little risk taking and a little spice to the story in general.
The story line is immaculate just as I remember. The plot twists and turns with each new character and clever betrayals that follow, it effectively keeps you on the tips of your toes as you as a reader along with the main characters start to grow and learn to question everything in this fantastical world that was hidden from them.
Something that did disappointing me even in this re read is the waste of the character Bracken. He had so much potential as a character.
a.) he"s a immortal being, a unicorn who had been trapped in a preserve for centuries and the only things we know about him is that he"s good looking a the fairy queen is his mother.
b.) He does nothing. All he does is break Seth out of jail and then just-is. there.
The author could've done SO MUCH. with this character and create a incricate past and future for him.
The epic battles, that could've occured, the sad scenes about his past and WHY AND HOW he was trapped for like a million years.
Besides that this series is an all time favourite.
But its a book targeted for more younger audiences, so if your a more advanced reader i wouldn't read this, but if your someone who doesn't really read that often its a great series
7.5/10 seagulls i'd recommend this for people who don't really read that often and want to start a light and easy readable series about fantasy and fictional creatures in it. this book was literally my childhood ]]> 2020-11-02 00:57:43 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/880746448 keepers of the lost cities (annual yearly re read) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/896535582 i think this every year when I re read this series, but i will say it again. the series just gets worse and worse as the books get published. it's mostly because the actually interesting characters keep being shipped off to go to a summer camp with the bad group and then comes back in their full peak of an emo phase. (pointing fingers at what happened to Tam smh)
And especially because the series is just repeating the same things over and over again. It should't take this long just to fricking finish it. And the main MC is VERY VERY annoying and clueless, she gets trapped in every single one of. the bad groups traps, and then cries and blames it on some body else. She has no significant development, unlike the other characters who have grown up with normally family issues (Kefee got them daddy issues). And you can see THEM grow, like the Vackers growing independent from their family name, and the twins going back to their parents to talk about what happened in the past. Sophie literally does NOTHING. anytime something bad happens she doesn't own up to it and just causes stress for the rest of the characters.
On the other hand, I absolutely LOVE Kefee. Even though he's not the main character and doesn't have a attack ability, his character type is one of my favourite. I feel for him when he couldn't confess to the MC, and he's hilarious and breaks the tension in the book really well. He has so much development from the first time he appeared to the latest book. He has matured so much and has tied up his troubles with his father, and made up for his mothers mess. He supports the other characters so well, and it very clear that the other characters trust and lean on him alot. He puts on the mask of a funny and troublemaker type of character, but he's actually struggling ALOT. Thanks to the other characters, (and wistfully Sophie) he grows out of that mentality that he grew up with, and learns to express his emotions without fearing being judged and abandoned. Kefee's growth and conflicts are always changing throughout the series and i think that's lovely. He's a really relatable character and as much as he is a comic relief character i think the whole plot with his father and then his mom being the leader of the neverseen and THEN him not knowing if he's really made for being "good" and him being like the sofie of the neverseen and omg there's so much. Obvs i wish he would get a damn break cuz my dude is literally going thru a whole family break up but its SO GOOD. and i'm so attached to him and i really hope he gets his happy ending. (istg if he gets killed off i will stop reading this stupid series) have no clue what happened to Sophie the MC but Kefee is my favourite. I also really liked (peep the past sense) Tam. he was just really edgy and angsty and i thought that was funny so i enjoyed him. Although i think he didnt do anything, i was SO MAD WHEN THE AUTHOR DID HIM LIKE THAT.
I remember when i read the latest book in the series i was so excited for a Kefee ran away part two, BUT THEN
Tam had become some MORE angsty edgy person and stuff. I was so pissed and even though he's supposed to be like a new villain and whatever i'm so sad that he became such a one dimensional annoying character. LIKE HE WAS SUCH A LIKEABLE CHARACTER AND I WISH THE AUTHOR ELABORATED MORE ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS AND STUFF BUT THE AUTHOR LITERALLY RUINED HIM T-T
ugh instead they like ended him off with like "omg he found of the truth of the elves and he's not with the neverseen but also not with the mc" LIKE OKAY SURE BUT WHYYYY TAMMMM BRUHHHHH. Tbh it would've been so much better if it was Fitz or Biana cuz their dad is like in the government so they coul like turn against their family AND we just recently found out that their family also had their own secrets and yada yada so it would've been a great time for them BUT INSTEAD SHE LIKE BASICALLY KILLED OFF TAM NOOOOO AND HIS SISTER I FEEL SO BAD FOR HER ToT
7-6/10 seagulls would recommend you should read this if you liked the school for good and evil.

]]> 2020-11-06 02:24:50 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/896535582 Boyfriend material airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/902440492
The witty comebacks and chemistry between Oliver and Lucien is wonderfully weaved. The way Oliver talks seems so well thought out, and he uses so much complex wording while Lucien would just flat out cuss someone out. (including Olivers stupid parents. smh my head)
Okay from the. bat I love Oliver. He's has this dry but really funny sense of humour that I love in books. And the "serious person x player person" trope is an all time FAVOURITE. And on top of that this book has those super awkward second hand embarrassment scenes that are scarily accurate which is to be honest very rare in books absolutely love this.
Reading the last break up and make up chapters was en emotional roller coster and a half. I felt like breaking my kindle in half, but in the end they made up to give us readers a cheesy ending paragraph. Praise the author for this book i absolutely love it.
Putting the citrus and the comedy aside, this book is absolute. gold with handling their relationship and the lessons and bumps they have to go through. Even though i hated every time they broke up because of a misunderstandment so much i felt like taking a break, they always made up and made the relationship more positive, and showed so much growth from that break up further into the book.
The CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT we love to see it. Oliver grows so much as a person, with Lucien's influence. From the start he had always thought that he wasn't trying enough to become this perfect. person for Luc and his other ex's, but with Lucien's influence and some ugly break ups, he realized all he needed was someone who would stay and love him for as he is. And Lucien's growth is......beautiful. Not only did Oliver help him to mend up things with his father, he helped so much with how Lucien should be assessing his thoughts. The bathroom door scene was so beautiful. That was a HUGE turning point for Lucien, because that was when he realized to help a relationship thrive, he needed to talk aloud about what his (im assuming) anxiety was causing him to overthink so he and the partner could work it out together. By doing this they dodged so many issues and i was SO PROUD. so i love this.
8-7/10 seagulls would read this again this book is similar to Red white and Royal Blue so if you liked that book i would strongly recommend this. (deducted points for unnecessary smut SMH)]]> 2020-11-09 00:51:19 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/902440492 Dragonwatch airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/902807382 I didn't hear that the second book came out so I read it at soon as i saw it at the library. I personally don't really agree with the new characters in the story, (knox and the little sister) because they don't really add anything to the story, but because there are still more books to come i will trust in the author to do something with these characters.
Besides this, the usual characters are performing just as i like, and that CLIFFHANGER AT THE END. I love it. even if its technically torture for me , (a reader) i like it because then it makes me motivated to read the third book. The plot is basically the conflict between the caretakers and the dragons, (mainly Celebrant) and its very interesting. But to say the least, i'm still sad that Bracken has done nothing yet. The antagonists this time are much more cunning and read-worthy. This time is the entirety of the dragons, and a "dark" unicorn.
Last series, the antagonists (the sphinx and Granulaus) weren't very interesting to me, and weren't very smart. But this time, the antagonists seem much more interesting so i'm intrigued to what they will do next.
Besides that, i'm looking forward to how the two main characters will become stronger, because so far they haven't really changed. But seeing that the dark unicorn guy is now technically training Seth, i look forward to seeing him become more stronger. And to rival that, I hope Kendra matures and becomes stronger while Seth is away, so once they reunite, against or with, they can both prove their worth to the dragons as the caretakers of Wayward. (Lowkey rooting for Seth but thats just favouritsm)
its gonna be pretty sick to see Seth with cool powers to show off and stuff because he's never really been able to have any of the outstanding powers that Kendra always had. I think him becoming a shadow charmer is kinda the start of the seth era. (no complaints) i always thought that the fact that Seth has done so many crazy things and without any of the ultra rare powers that Kendra has was kind of cool.

]]> 2020-11-09 04:49:44 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/902807382 Trials of Apollo (surprisingly not a re read) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/958454970 Apollo is an extremely likeable character. (at least to my standards) On the front he's portrayed as a foolish and dunce-like god, who uses his status to his advantage and he seems to not think about any of his actions. But, I can tell what type of person he is. he is impulsive and copes with the consequences of his actions by drowning himself in more and more mistakes and thoughtless actions. It's not that he didn't learn from his actions, it's that he gave up on learning from his actions. He puts up the front that he's dumb and thoughtless yet thats what he uses to cover up his hurting. He uses humour and jokes to cover up. (which isn't effective btw) But by doing this hes just digging himself into a deeper hole. Hes like Keefe from KOTLC, i absolutely love him.
The premise of the book is very interesting. A god who fell from the magical realm where gods are, and has to fufill a quest to go back. He's gonna need to grow from his unhealthy coping mechanisms and own up to his stuff. (also he's been in love with a male and female, we love to see it)
I do hope that he doesn't end up together with the freaking 13 YEAR OLD gods. I can smell the authorities coming through. the other character ( i think her name was Meg)
I don;t really like her. It may be because shes young and stupid, but shes just so. CLUELESS and GULLIBLE that it just irritates me. I hope the author does her good and has her develop into a much more better and less irritable character. I see alot of potential in her as a character and a role she can play In Apollos development. I look forward to seeing it. (I hope it happened and the author doesn't betray us with a boring character.
I do hope Meg doesn't become a love interest. iv'e seen way too many great friendships in novels ruined because the author wanted them to date or whatever and in the end it never actually works out so everything about what im seeing in the near future for this book is kinda in the pit of dirt
But i have faith in the author (ive read alot of his books in like 5th grade)
so i know he wont do me like that. (hopefully LMAO)

9/10 seagulls would recommend to those who like a very easy level adventure greek mythology with a twist of a mystery in it

]]> 2020-11-25 02:26:44 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/958454970 The Cruel Prince airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1045127603 This book is literally SO GOOD. First of all, I love the setting on its own. The mystical land of the fae, and the two humans that live within it. The royal palaces, the whimsical forests, everything compliments each other quite well.
first off, Cardan. He's portrayed as a total grade A a**hole in the beginning where all we see of him is when he continuously bothers Jude and her sister. But as you read on, you and Jude slowly start to realise that he isn't just a total douchebag. Of course i must admit part of the reason why I like him the most is because he's a whimsical fae prince with a TAIL (love that.) but its also the slightest of the slights of the good I see in him. Once you read the whole trilogy (yes its a trilogy) and you re read the first book, you start to understand Cardan on a much more.....deeper level?
You start to notice the lack of the severity or even the number of times he bothers Jude. Once you realise, you see that most of the harassment was done by his psychopath (now stabbed and buried in Judes backyard) other grade A a**hole friend. The thing he does the most often is stare, (not glare) at Jude for creepy amounts of time, that then the author makes us translate as a threatening "glare" when in actuality it was a stare of curiosity at something he's never been exposed to before. (as in both terms of someone who doesn't listen to him and someone he likes)
Now that I think about it, wasting a well misunderstood and very in depth character like Cardan to a love relationship with Jude was lowkey a waste, this was kinda the whole plot so I can't really get mad at that LOL.
Anyways, Jude. She's a typical main female lead for these kinds of novels. She's the odd one out, because she's a human midst of a land of whimsical forests that whisper in your ear and overly ethereal fae. And then there's the loved cliche, that she's the only one who can stand up to the male lead or the "school bully" type of person.
But a part of her that I quite like is her dry, blunt and lowkey bada** parts. I remember she ate/drank poisons everyday, trained with her sword everyday, stabbed royalty, seduced royalty and so on so forth so she could get what she wanted. I feel like because she was in this world of magic, it seems like she was the weaker one in this story, (which you don't see very often they always have some kind of super power from their now dead long lost royalty parents or whatever)
And the author actually shows the hardwires she went through to stand at the power she was at now. Instead of writing "she trained for years and now is ready to kill Cardan" she writes intricately throughout the whole trilogy of her hardships, the people she had to leave, the things she had to do so she could become powerful. We even saw her moments of failure when her mortality becomes the bane of her (when she gets hypnotised by the weird fruits) and when she get banished by Cardan, therefore setting her back. We see her struggle, which is something I quite appreciate.
Overall very nice book, 8/10 seagulls would recommend to people who liked six of crows and From blood to ash. ]]> 2020-12-29 09:15:14 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1045127603 These Violent Delights airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1234497776 Well...... Lemme just say something
i read this book because i heard it fell right into the category of "enemies to lovers" which is a cliche i really like. This entire book summarized in a sentence would probably "a retelling of romeo and juliet in the roaring 1920's of china"
I would admit maybe the "roaring 1920's wasn't my cup of tea, but overall i didn't really enjoy this book lmao
I will have to admit, the Juliette in this book really was really cool but i just could get into it that much. Maybe its because i enjoy highkey lowkey childish kinds of subjects when it comes to reading english novels, i didn't like it.
Im not really a fan of like historical stuff so maybe thats why. im a huge fan of sci-fi (futuristic stuff) but HARD pass on historical. It feels so melodramatic and all "omg were dying cuz the past sucks *cries*" so meh
don't get me wrong i did really enjoy the writing and plot of the book, it just wasn't to the level where i would unconsciously stay up until 3am reading the book, it was more like i would choose sleep over reading the book.
Which is kind of funny because these kinds of books are my favourite in japanese novels. I enjoy the gritty kinds of mysteries and slice of life kind of stories. For my preference in english novels, it's more on the whimsical gods and goddesses kinds of stories and not so much thereof. I don't really enjoy my tastes to be mixed up between the languages ( if that makes sense) i just think that for each language there are genres that are done better in my perspective.
But putting my preference and bias aside, this book was pretty good. The idea of romeo and juliet in a mafia kind of setting was pretty sick, and this was surprisingly action filled and romance filled.
9.5/10 seagulls. Would recommend to people who like good mafia enemies to lovers kind of book.

]]> 2021-02-24 03:15:16 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1234497776 From Blood and Ash airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1603885372 uhmmmmmmmmmmm
this wasn't that good of a book if i were to be completely honest. The book is a bit incomprensible from the beginning. It kinda felt like i was reading the third book in a book series. The whole plot and characters themselves were difficult to understand. The story line is non existent and the most exciting part of the book was when it ended and i could finally cross it off my tbr. Have i seen worse books? Yes, Shatter Me still (unfortunately) exists. But iv'e also seen so much better of this type of gritty romance fantasy story. The Throne of Glass is basically a carbon copy of this book/series and its written so much better and is ACTUALLY comprensible. Throne of Glass still has the same amount of focus on the main leads romance and partners, and also has the same amount of focus on the plot, the character development and story building. From Blood and Ash has literally no world building, search the entire world and you would find who asked before you could find where it is. Are we just SUPPOSED to figure out who the heck these people are? Like what are you doing at the bar? Why did you decide to become a "maiden" ( or smth like that )? it's all so confusing and unconfirmed and instead of bothering to explain and build the story like an actual author is supposed to do, they instead just *attempt* to fill in the gaps with smut scenes. really? like i have no prejudice against adult books i really couldn't care less, but if your gonna add in smut scenes at least have them MAKE THE STORY GO FORWARDS?!
sure you could argue that it was a big deal for the mc and the male lead to get down dirty because she's a maiden and blah blah blah and she gets betrayed yada yada yada. NO. the author never even cleared up why the mc is even a maiden to begin with. How are we supposed to CARE about the plotty-ness of the smut if we don't even KNOW how its significant to the character and therefore the story itself???

and the male lead?? Like the author tried to make him the bad boy with a dark secret and likes to be coy with the mc or smth idk but he's just so insignificant and forgettable that its not even funny. It was easier to re-call the last time i actually passed a math test than his name or literally ANYTHING he contributed to the story line besides being a edge lord and revealing that he was the "big bad demon king" or whatever. Like all he's done at this point is ruin the mc's life. And she was already ruining it perfectly on her own. what's the point of this then?
whatever. Negative things aside ( if i can even do that) the book had a good idea. The whole idea of being a maiden and the bad boy or whatever and the abusive ?church? thing is pretty cool. I'd enjoy reading a corrupt church/religion story. Maybe if i didn't classify this book as Fifty Shades of Gray with a dash of more plot of would have been a good idea.
1/10 seagulls would not recommend

]]> 2021-06-14 00:49:03 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1603885372 Fangirl airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1606300530 BROOOOOOOOOOOOO I JUST REMEMBERED READING THIS
okay so i really liked this book minus some minor issues but not really any actual big deals with the plot and the characters. LOVE the dynamic between the mc and her sister. It kinda begins as a toxic relationship that starts to evolve into a real one. And honestly i could see really well how the mc grew throughout the book. (theres even a rip off series on the show IN this book LMAO)
the mc is just so relatable and real. She anti-social, and has a good relationship with her dad but not the best. She's in college and fell out with her twin sister and all she does is write fanfiction in her free time. Honestly, same. to be fair i kinda forgot the name of her bf LMAO but i very vividly remember the time her twin sister got alcohol poisoning and was hospitalized. Im pretty sure she and her bf drove through the snow from one city to another to go and check up on her. I also feel like she had to learn to let go of her resentment for her dad and mom. With her mom leaving her and her sister pretty early on in life ( as in literally they had a divorce) at first she was mad at her mother for leaving her and her sister and finding out she had started a new family in a different city was infuriating for her. She felt like she had done something wrong as her daughter that had made her leave when in reality she was only five and couldn't really have done anything to prevent or start the whole divorce. not wanting her relationships to end up like her parents had always prevented her from being out there, and finding and meeting with new people. but the bf (still cant remember his name i think it starts with a C) and her kinda work through it. (to be granted it was kinda messy with all the alcohol, sex scandals, and overall *cue sparkles* college *cue ending of sparkles* drama)
but the author is a bit....yeahhhhh
pretty sure she's homophobic and has written a book that was lowkey highkey racist towards asians (her book eleanor and park) Fangirl is probably a book i liked because it was mediocre in a good way. i don't write or rant about the bad things in books that much in the green or purple section because thats all saved for the red section (yikes) but in all honesty i rated it high and say good things about this book because its kind of like a core memory for me in fifth grade. anyways if your curious about why the author is problematic i reckon you do research on your own.
I actually read this book back in like fourth grade or fifth grade and i just kinda forgot about it until now HAHAHAH.
7/10 seagulls]]> 2021-06-15 00:43:47 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1606300530 Ember in the Ashes airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1609009081 LOL
this book was wayyy darker than i remember it when i first read it but whatever. The story took a bit long to like register in my head with the switching perspectives and whatnot but yeah. honestly Elias's perspective was super boring to read alot of the time. Idk maybe its just because Laias perspective is more plotty and stuff happens to her. The plot twist? near the end was really good. Who would've thought ya know? I honestly kinda suspected that something was wrong with the leader of the resistance leader but i thought it would end up being like the mc groups up people to ambush him and get the truth but turns out they were all wrong and he was good and now they ruined the big plan he had to kill the bad people. But turns out i was completely wrong (which is good btw)
Turns out he just didn't want to help her and was trying to intentionally send her off into a mission that would kill her. I kinda feel bad for Laia because this means all her hard work was all just alie and she wasn't getting close to saving her brother. And now her brother is basically in a death camp and is gonna die before she can manage to save him LLOLOL
If i were to choose between the two male leads honestly, i would struggle to choose. I mean...i would choose the resistance guy AHAHAHHAAHHAH
idk but i think the author is gonna have Laia end up with the Mask guy Elias. I think when the resistance guy and her were like in love she kept thinking about Elias? kinda weird bro.
but i am definitely team resistance dude (forgot his name its something like Keenan) but i have a reputation of always rooting for the friend zoned love interest so fat chance
plot wise is very dark. A lot of things about slavery and stuff. Honestly i thought it would be a bit more gruesome with all the build up of the five year old getting her eye plucked out and the main character almost getting raped you would think there would be some more......ya kno?
idk it kinda felt like there was build up to some gruesome scene where we would see the torture that her brother was going through as a shock factor scene but idk man.
omg also. this is kinda random and doesn't really affect anything but i didn't realize that the mc Laia was supposed to be like hot? until super late into the book i was kinda shooketh when i finally realized that she's like hot or something idk. I just thought the males liked her because she was smart and the Lionesses daughter but turns out its just because she's hot. im not really sure if her being hot really has anything to do with the plot? if shes was average and the author made the guys like her because she was smart it might've changed something?
i reaaaally like the "corrupt government" trope and then one character is like in the government and the other is like a rebel (enemies to lovers type of beat) and this is literally that in an actual book soooo
idk i just really like the feeling of "ill betray my entire family and life for you" or like "we can never be together" AHHH LIKE I JUST LOVE TRAGIC LOVE STORIES ITS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE THING. like one of the lovers die but its super sudden and at the moment when you thought they would get their happy ending AHAHHAHA AHHHH (Song of Achillies)

all in all it was a pretty good book. I'd recommend this to people who enjoyed reading Mortal Engines and wanted something along the lines of it but a bit more gruesome and gritty.
9/10 seagulls

]]> 2021-06-16 02:42:19 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1609009081 Nothing airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1712059172 hmmmmm the first thing id say is disturbing and gorey. But not to the point where you question where the original plot has gone, but to the point where its a bit alarming and might be disgusting to people. Theres rape and mutilation, not to mention the fact that this book is apparently made for kids to read???? Might have to question the credibility on that one but when i googled the book, a lot of students in the US said that they had to read this book in school.
The whole plot is about this boy who one day out of the blue says that theres no point in life so he would rather stay up in this peach? tree forever because theres no point in life. So then his little friends first decide to harass him by throwing rocks at him hoping he would come down but he doesn't. so they come up with the BRILLIANT idea to show him things they think is a reason to live and whatnot. At first its tame like favourite books, soccer balls etc. But then they start to force eachother to offer up pretty valuable stuff like their new shoes, clothes and toys. THEN IT GETS REALLY MORBID AND THEY END UP GIVING THEIR FINGERS AND STUFF WHICH IS UHHHHH
okay and this is a spoiler for the ending but tHE FACT THAT THEY LIKE BURNED HIS BODY AND KEPT THE FREAKING ASHES IS REALLY CREEPY OMG
oh yeah they also sacrifice someones pet, which is i grant, morbid but not as creepy as the other stuff that goes on in this story
yeah it speaks for itself.
its good but uhh not for everyone. If your okay with really morbid stuff with LIT RALLY CHILDREN
then go ahead and read it. But tbh do i think its worth the morbid-ness? not really. i think there was a better way to execute this like message? but i think the author just really wanted the "shock" factor so people would idk like be interested in the book or something im not too sure if i were to be completely honest.
the plot itself is a meh. I was really confused at the beginning so it kinda led me to make up randoms tuff in my head so it would all make sense but then as i read more like at the end they tell you and your just like "oh so everything ive just read is wrong" and it irritated me.
There aren't really any superb things about this book and my main concern while reading it was if it was illegal to write this morbid stuff about kids?! uhh yeah
3/10 seagulls would not really recommend]]> 2021-09-02 06:08:05 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1712059172 Song of Achilles | not review of book airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1714007696 9/3/2021
This book is in the perspective of Patroclus until the last few chapters.
Spoilers 4 the book ig
Patroclus is reserved from the beginning and especially so after the incident where he pushed the boy. I don't know if its because of his dad being a war king or whatever, he doesn't like to solve things with violence. He rather opts to talk things out or to just simply put conflict to the side and become friends. This works for most of the story (for the most part) but the world was just too cruel. He's willing to die for people he loves, and even for people he doesn't know. I think in this way, he had what Achilles didn't have. He was able to have the empathy and emotional capacity to care for all the people of Greece, and feel the want to protect the weak. Yet Achilles who's literally named "saviour of greece" can't do this. He could fight, but his lack of empathy would be one of his lacking traits as a leader. Patroclus would fight for Achilles, despite his almost pacifist-like thoughts. Patroclus was basically the one last source of empathy, love and normal human emotion for Achilles, so when (spoilers) Patroclus died basically his human sanity died along with him. Patroclus himself thinks he's very weak, which isn't wrong in a way. He cant fight like Achilles, even the centaur says this to him. Yet he is able to feel for the people of greece. when Achilles says he wouldn't fight for the common people of greece, knowing that he and Achilles were in love Patroclus expresses his feelings for the common people. Combining the two of them, Achilles who is strong, strong enough to kill armies, and Patroclus who keeps him human, grounds him and knows Greece. Patroclus is one half of another. so if one or the other died it chaos.
i actually don't know his age LMAOOAOAOAOAOAO]]> 2021-09-03 00:49:07 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1714007696 かがみの孤城 (jpn) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1720630336 9/7/2021
OMG BROOOO
okay so like this series is so good. Its about a girl called kokoro who doesn't go to school, and one day when she was alone in the house her mirror glows. She finds out she's able to She meets six other kids the same age as her, and they all find out that the reason why they have all been gathered there is because they all don't go to school. Following this, the supposed schemer of She tells them that somewhere hidden in the castle was a key, and the person with that key could open a door in the castle and be granted ONE wish. Following this beginning many things happen, including the students in the castle becoming friends, and finding out many other secrets about each other. It's a thriller mystery book and I LOVE IT AHAHAHHAHHAH
OKAY SO FROM ON HERE IS ALL SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK SO IF YOUR INTERESTED DON'T READ LOLOL
OKAY SO
the fact that "the wolf" turns out to be Leon's dead sister was so shocking, until you remember the line "I just wanted to go to school with you "and i'm just- ITS SO SAD
and the fact that first we thought it was because they all didn't go to school, THEN it was that they go to the same school, and THEEEN it was they were in parallel worlds, AND THEN FINALLY THE TRUTH WAS THAT THEIR ALL FROM DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS OMG
He's from like 1985, and his story is so like good. His brother thats a gangster and the fact that he's like so chill, and while everyone else is like getting bullied he's not going to school because he's too smart. This anime called Zatch Bell but that's besides the point LMFAO)
When he dyed his hair in the first book i was a bit tipped off on his character, but i liked him so much i couldn't resist. View of what he looks like in my head so its so funt o read about him.
Whatever, this series is overall 10/10 seagulls PLS read this if you like thriller, mysteries with a hint of fantasy and magical stuff.

]]> 2021-09-07 03:06:24 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1720630336 Six of Crows airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1720731023 Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
so my friend vouched for this book so i read it but uhm
i hated it
it was so confusing, and i thought it would make sense the more i read it but i didn't it was so boring and i go tired of it. Like the main character is supposed to be strong and whatever but then he's like getting kidnapped by this old dude? and i'm just like what? and apparently he's some kid? bruh
and the beginning like chapter with the knight just confused me and i was so perplexed the entire time?? Like there was no establishment of what world or setting we were in, nor the characters OR WHAT THE HELL THE SITUATION WAS
OBVS if the story is supposed to be like that, then it's okay but obviously the author didn't do it properly cuz i still had no idea what was going on the entire time. Like at the beginning the mc is supposed to be having like a conversation? with some important dude who sells stuff but i have no idea wth is going on? and then apparently the mc set his family on fire? like what? and then we have a edgy scene in an alleyway with like a little explaining and then he gets kidnapped and were just left there like huh?
idk it was rlly confusing and the changing perspectives didn't help AT ALL
2/10 seagulls super confused]]> 2021-09-07 03:46:12 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1720731023 The Institute airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1776440334 9/29/2021
tbh i was supposed to read this book like back in like 2019 when it first got released but then i got bored of it and never read it until now LMAO
now that iv'e actually read it, i can say that its a pretty good book. The concept of kids being like trapped in a institute and like being exploited and whatever isnt a new concept? ive seen it alot in sci-fi books in english (not so much in japanese its always a bit different)
but this book was really nice
the characters are very likeable, especially our main protag Luke Ellis (basic asf name tho LMAO) tbh when i started reading it, i thought it would be about like a special institute for super smart kids but turns out its not. And i was so shocked when they killed Luke's parents. LIKE I KINDA KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN EVENTUALLY BUT I WAS SAD
uhh trying to remember the other characters names uhh
omg this is a huge spoiler for the ending BUT
i didn't think Avery would die omg what its such a good idea though
he's technically like ten but his last words were so sad "its nice to have some friends" AJSKKJSBKJSJ NOOOOOOOOO
i didn't think he would be sucha. major character when he was first introduced into the first half. But i grew to like him sm. It's so sad, the fact that he's like 10 and then gets killed and whatever. I didn't really realize how young he was until the scene where he asks to sleep with Luke because he misses his parents and Sha. ABHSJQS
SMHH uhh one thing tho
i don't get the point of Sha making out with Luke in the beginning? I thought it had something to do with her TP powers (like when she kisses them she can telepathy them or smth ya kno) but it like literally had no purpose in the end?? so i was just a bit confused with that and in the end she and Nick end up together so i have no idea why that was there. EXPLAIN
anyways a super good sci-fi 8/10 seagulls

]]> 2021-09-29 01:38:05 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1776440334 ５２ヘルツのクジラたち airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1806752154 10/18/2021
This book is rlly good.
The main characters past with her abusive family and especially with her mom.
my favourite scene was in one of the more early chapters were she and the boy sit outside her house, and she lets him listen to her cassette tapes. The cassette tape is the singing of a whale that sings in a pitch too high for the other whales to hear, and so they live the rest of their long whale life alone, singing in hopes that somebody would hear them. And the main character relates to that feeling of screaming for help but nobody listening. And so she lets the boy listen to her cassette tapes and tells him he's allowed to cry. He's somebody very similar to her in the past, abused physically by his parents and could't even speak properly. It's a great japanese book about the main characters parents, her abusive past, and this mysterious man called "an-san" who is someone that supposedly saved the main character when she was in the position of the whale.
I totally recommended this book to anyone who can read japanese. It's a sad and emotional story that i think everyone should read.
10/10 seagulls
i recommend this to anybody who like "あの日また同じ夢を見ていた"

]]> 2021-10-11 05:51:15 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1806752154 Second Life Ranker airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1835010707 ongoing
Soooo this is a web novel and is translated from korean into english.
Iv'e been reading it for like a year now and it still hasn't ended. I first read the comic like adaptation of the light novel, but then when it went on a hiatus i wanted to know what happened after so i read the novel, which now has 611 chapters (i've read them all) and is still updating. It's an actually really interesting book/web novel and i've never been a super fan of these kinds of stories but tis one was just really good.
its about the main character Yeon-woo who has a twin brother who got killed in this like mysterious tower thing where if you fight through all the floors of the tower you get to become a god or something. And so to like avenge his bro he climbs the tower but because he can use his like brothers knowledge he's super OP and stuff and idk its so addictive LMAOAOAOA
it's definitely a fantasy and adventure and has a lot of like greek mythology essence mixed into it a bit gruesome at times but overall reaaaaalllly good.
The language used in the web novel is surprisingly high level, and the system of the novel is really complex so it might be hard for some beginner. readers. to understand wth is going on if i were to say.
one down side might be how fricking long this novel is, but it's kind of what i expect out of a web novel, so its not too bad. I can't wait to read the ending and to see how it all end out.
8/10 seagulls very much recommend.]]> 2021-10-22 00:49:41 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1835010707 comments here ig airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1890495568 2021-11-15 06:22:24 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1890495568 Story Setting Thing airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1919264383 The book im reading right now is set in the US. the cities and towns they visit are real places, but the actual people and specific houses and shops don't actually exist. The book is a realistic fiction. Its mainly set with the two main characters in their car, because the majority of this book is about their experience on a road trip going to las vegas for a convention. So their never in one place too long, but they. travel through real and existing states in America. Set in modern times, a specific date isn't given, but they have things we use right now, like iphones and laptops. They also talk in modern english, and reference a lot of games in the book to show that its set in somewhere around 2020-21. The whole book is about the two characters going to a gaming convention. They both are fans of the game, and have a online series of them playing the game. They are surrounded by other people who play this game, and are in the "fandom" for the game. h]]> 2021-11-30 01:06:21 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1919264383 Out of Character airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1983141861 -finished reading around like a week before winter break-
I read this book because it was all up in my face on goodreads, and the tags seemed like something i would enjoy. It's a YA LGBTQ+ novel about two high school "friends" who had a split up and met once again, but this time under different circumstances.
I actually, really enjoyed this book. I had a few worries that it would be a bit weird and feel like a book written just for the sake of being LGBT, but it wasn't!
it actually has great character development with both their sexualities and their character as themselves.
Milo i think personally had the best development throughout the book. He started off as someone who feared A LOT of what the toxic people around him thought of him, and knowing that if they had known he was gay, (or was in love with a guy) that they would have negative opinions on him. he very much thought of him being gay as a burden, not as something purely just being a part of himself. this came with i think how he had relied on his family and brother alot. Before this he could use his soccer as a way to feel accomplished, but after he was in the car accident and couldn't play soccer anymore he was faced with his real feelings of not knowing what to do.
i love the type of character that you kind of hate in the beginning, but then learn with them how to be a better person, and in the end they become a good guy.
All in all a very good read. Not really a 10/10 but i think its a very well spoken book, and is a example of positive rep in novels.
7/10 seagulls]]> 2022-01-10 06:00:35 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1983141861 Her Royal Highness airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1983160516 yes
read sometime around winter break
i've been neglecting this book in my kindle since i got it xmas 2020 (oops) but i finally got to reading it.
Its an enjoyable light read about a girl who gets a scholarship to a prestigious school thats frequented by dukes, duchesses, noblemen, noblewomen and everything inbetween. and their children go there too, EVEN including one of our main characters, the daughter of the king and queen. Anyways, this girl goes to this "rich" school and gets roomed with OMG THE PRINCESS?!?!?!??!?!? :OOOOOOO
shocker
and they start off on the wrong foot, with their polar opposite worlds clashing. they become "enemies" and make eachother miserable until they are partnered to participate in a nature wildness survival test thing for their school.
they then bond as friends and maybe even more

it's a bit clichè, but in all the right ways. a classic enemies to lovers relationship thats really fun and enjoyable to read. Its not like theres major, drastic and deep character development, but they do grow as people as they become more closer. Theres this specific scene where the princess hosts a small friendsgiving for the main character because she couldn't fly back to the US to spend thanksgiving with her family and i think it shows how much shes grown from the beginning. Its not a super BIG thing, but it was a small but nice change in her character that i enjoyed reading.
very quaintly? (is that a word) spoken book.
7.5/10 seagulls]]> 2022-01-10 06:17:31 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/1983160516 Solo leveling airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2093162494 yup im on my web novel grind again ahaha
this novel is actually really popular and even has a webtoon or comic remake. it has a very interesting fantasy plot, and it makes you want to cheer on the main character. seeing the main character start from the very bottom and climb their way to the top gives the reader a sense of euphoria that makes you feel like his accomplishments are yours.
but one negative is that this book was first written in korean and translated into english. which shouldn't be too much of a problem usually but sometimes I feel like the english version loses its spark a bit. because i know japanese and ive read english versions of my favourite japanese books, there are just some things you can't really express well in other languages. Its still a good book but im rating it high because i have a gut feeling i haven't been able to experience it in its full capacity, and what the author originally wrote. The book is really popular in japan though, and while i've read the english version (for the sake of this class) im a bit intrigued to how it would be in japanese. Korean and japanese have a lot of similarities (partly due to colonization cough cough) so i think maybe it would be a better experience than reading it in english where there are a lot of differences in both grammar and overall shape.
9/10 seagulls i recommend this story to anyone who's trying to get started on web novels. You can purchase entire books on amazon kindle, or chapter by chapter on a website called Tappytoon who also provides the comic version of the series to people who prefer comics. ]]> 2022-03-14 05:30:07 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2093162494 forgot the title lol airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2093201273 so i hate english mystery books
uhhhhhhhhh yeah
call me biased but i've always LOVED japanese mystery books and hated english ones. I feel like japanese authors convey the type of grittiness and mystery....ness? in books just how i like it. but i bought this series a while back and never ended up reading it, and seeing how one of my goals was to stop reading the same genres i read it.
it takes place in this boarding school somewhere in the uk (i think)
the plot is a bit confusing with all of the switching between perspectives which usually isn't too bad (unless your a books called the six of crows) but the thing is that the time period of the main character changes every time the perspective changes. The first mc is a girl who's supposed to solve the mystery of a unknown man wearing black living under the school (something like that) and the other is a boy who lives in the past, and is kidnapped or something by what we assume is the bad guy we're looking for (by we i mean the girl) anyways this book i can't really remember the details of (hence why i cant recall the title lol) but it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. I still hate english mystery novels, but maybe not just this one.
7/10 seagulls i recommend this to people who enjoy a good school mystery novel with a gritty feeling to everything]]> 2022-03-14 06:05:56 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2093201273 book club thing 1 airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2122507881 how does the author begin to share information on the characters settings and plot?

If i was being honest the author doesn't give us enough information. The book is fast paced which usually isn't that bad of a problem, and is usually good because nobody like a book that takes 10 pages to describe a door opening, but combined with the slightly confusing writing from the author and the lack of introduction of the settings and characters i find it difficult to understand the plot. ]]> 2022-03-31 00:40:45 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2122507881 Eden (Elites Of Eden) airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2135586985 Book club book #1
it gives very much stereotypical dystopian world story vibes. Of course we start with the "its the future and the world was ruined"
“After we destroyed the Earth and almost all living things, we had to retread to this artificial sanctuary. The surface of the Earth is too poisoned to sustain life. The dirt is toxic. No seed would ever grow. Yet here, in this bare room….”
They destroyed the Earth, and now about a million people are in this artificial place. And of course their not aloud to leave this sanctuary because the outside is "toxic" and "uninhabitable" You always find the stereotype in dystopian books that the "outside" world was destroyed or had some war, or was invaded etc and now the last surviving people aren't allowed to cross the border or over the wall or something. In Eden Yarrow isn't supposed leave, because humans would die or something.
Another trope is the lost memories of the past. theres always some flashback of a home, a person something really cloche that the main character sees when their having a headache or something, and it turns out they have some secret sibling or friend or family idk. In Eden this was
SPOILERS
her twin brother Ash, which first of all you aren't allowed to have siblings so off the bat its illegal, and secondly their both alive, and her real name isn't even Yarrow. Its Rowan.
"it will be centuries before the Earth is healed enough for humans to survive outside of Eden."
Their basically told that "the outside world is DESTROYED and it's impossible for humans to live there"
Which also plays into the trope of a "corrupt government"
the government of Eden is lying to everyone by saying that the outside world is all gone and that nature and animals have all disapeared. ]]> 2022-04-08 01:29:51 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2135586985 power dynamic thing airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2140128840 power dynamics effect a lot in the book we read. In Elites of Eden there are many people in the dystopian world that are rulers, and have deceived the people in Eden by abusing their power.
"if you're cruel all the time, then your cruelty loses power. you have to temper it with kindness, affection, empathy. Empathy is especially important. How can you truly hurt someone if you don't understand them deeply and truly?" page 8
even in the very beginning of the book when the main character was going by the name of "yarrow" she talks a lot about how she desires power over people (slightly, not in a maniac i will rule the world way) more in a way where deceiving and using other people will get her what she wants (hence when she uses the guy that likes her)
Even in general in dystopian books the power dynamics between two characters effected both their personality and relationship. When the power dynamic is abused by one of the people in a relationship it becomes toxic. For example the agent in Elites of Eden that acted as Yarrows mother. She (in a way) abused her position as a mother, which is a position that holds this power over their child, who in this case was Yarrow. and sometimes when you have power over someone you also have their trust, which is another thing you can abuse.]]> 2022-04-12 02:09:58 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2140128840 conversation　1 airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2144483526 car accident because they weren't following the law where people shouldn't be driving cars reinforces the fact that the law was right, and robots should be driving
page 9
she realized she was a clone in page 35
stood up to her family / mom for not agreeing with her career and her liking music and what not
her dead friends also kinda having power over her by making her feel guilty about surviving and stuff
people around her have power and whether it be good or bad it effects her
are clones their own person? or are they all just one part of a whole? ]]> 2022-04-15 00:59:13 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2144483526 the yellow wallpaper airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2151542527 the slow descent into madness was really interesting, but also heart breaking at the same time. the way the author wrote the main character's thoughts and feelings made me as the reader really feel what she was feeling. i felt just as crazy and confused when the yellow wallpaper started to morph into faces and places.
this short story was written some time ago during the 1800's, which means the way its written was a bit confusing and hard to understand at first, but once i started getting in i quickly got used to it. besides the bit outdated style its written in it was a comprehensible and interesting short story. i never really read old stories nor short stories so this was very new for me.
its also heartbreaking to find out this story was based off of the authors experience after giving birth to her first child, and experiencing post-maternal depression. its gives a lot of insight on how depression and troubled mental health was treated back in the day, and it was fascinating to read it from the eyes of someone going slowly insane.

8/10 recommended to people who enjoy short stories
be warned that its written in the 1800's so the style might be a bit confusing if your not used to it]]> 2022-04-21 06:12:53 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2151542527 book talk 2 airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2161327569 con-
is a target because people want the information stored inside her head. shes trying to find out why her original body died, and why she has no memory of the past 18 months
major part of the dystopian aspects;
the advancement of technology, which is good in ways like but can be misused and abused . is set in a semi realistic world unlike other books
page 83
everyone wants power

predictions
zhi, the boyfriend we all thought he would have some revive arc. a lot of us also thought the ending with the multiple cons was kinda confusing

page 335
"was immortality an advance"
"the mind and body paradox would be solved again it's inevitable"
even though she destroyed the information about cloning to prevent the abuse of the power, but she said that it inevitable that it would come back. similar to how our world might be taken over by ai.
i think it's a comment on how humans are greedy, and even though the information was destroyed someone would do anything they can to get the information back. because even in this dystopian world people were still thirsty for more information.

the people didn't advance at the same pace as the technology. the society in the book was really similar to the society we have now, so the people weren't "mature" enough for cloning and immortality. if the society were more advanced than the cloning and idea of immortality wouldn't be as much of a problem as it is in a book.

what determines what is a human and what is not?
"clones are not human" then what is the difference between a "real" human and a non real human?

]]> 2022-04-28 01:21:14 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2161327569 elements of dystopia airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2172268175 In the book we're reading right now, there are many elements of dystopia. One of which is a bit laughable, because we're in the midst of one now. the story is based around a virus that was released into the world, which causes mayhem and many problems world wide. (almost like what we have now)
Its also quite disturbing, but in that good dystopian way. Its not like other types of dystopian books we've read, as its not really much about a corrupt government, nor does it have a main kind of "villain" person.
The story follows a heartbroken scientist, who after losing his daughter goes to Siberia to help in research there. But after uncovering a body of a strange girl buried in the snow, he and the other scientists unknowingly release a deadly virus that had been dormant for decades.
“After school she’d study the news, comb the internet for disasters, wars and hate and injustice, write it all down in these color-coded journals. Once, I asked her what she was doing, and she said she was just trying to keep track of it all because it didn’t seem like anybody else noticed or cared that we kept making the same mistakes, that hate in a neighborhood or injustice in a state ran like poison through veins, until another ice shelf collapsed or another animal went extinct. Everything is connected, she’d say. And I’d tell her, You’re only one person and you only have one life.”
This book has a very different tone from the other books we've read, it's a lot more angsty and dark with a lot of ideation about war and violence. It talks a lot about what causes humanity to fall and how. It also has a lot of talk about losing a child, and how a parent would cope with this, how it affects their mental health. These aren't really dystopian aspects per say, but it adds a lot of flavour to the overall story. It adds more personalization and a feeling of intimacy when you read it.

the concept is a lot more different from what we've read before, it's more of a "the world is ending" book rather than "the world has ended". it gives a much more different view into the different genres in dystopian novels, and i think will be a great help in our summit]]> 2022-05-06 01:30:13 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2172268175 book talk three airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2176781842 the story was written in multiple different perspectives. It was good in some sorts but sometimes contributed to unnecessary confusion.

the book didn't really have a huge reveal at the end, like most dystopian books do. we already knew from the beginning where the virus came from.

"he might have a chance"
the amusement park was based on 'their gonna die anyways' but in some cases people had hope, and believed that they would survive the virus and held distrust in the government.

many of the things we read about in this book and past books connect to things we experience. Like this book is a lot more realistic now because we experienced covid. if we had read this in 2019 we would've never believed this to be a realistic dystopian book, but because of covid its almost scary how realistic and close it is to our future. Also how Constance is about abuse of knowledge and robots being really powerful, which isn't a far fetched idea seeing how humanity is improving technology.

pg 103
"the virus wasn't airborne anymore"
it wasn't clear how the virus was transmitted.

the book followed a narrative of the virus affecting people and how they dealt with it, and it was written in a lot. some peoples experience were interesting to read and some not.

page 229
talking about the attack in 1900's in the train station in japan, about these doomsday cults. Talking about the ideas of these doomsday cults are kinda true, in idea. ]]> 2022-05-10 02:30:55 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2176781842 a little life airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2215586852 i read this book because i saw a bunch of reviews of people literally just bawling their eyes out and decided that was a good enough reaction to a book for me to read it. It was long, almost felt like 900 pages but was really 720(holy crap) but it was interesting, and very much sad.
the book follows the story of a group of friends, and how their lives weave in and out with each others, about their pasts and about their relationships. Although the book is supposed to be about all four of them, i think it's quite obvious that Jude is more or less the main character. his story is tragic of course, both in his past and his "present". Most of Judes trauma stems from persistent sexual abuse by those around him, while this was at first done by the adults around him, it morphed into his partners in relationships being the perpetrator. Reading the bits where Jude re encounters his traumatic past was very sad to read, but also very (imo) crucial to knowing his character in the "present" he very early on copes with his sexual trauma with self harm even at the youngest age of 10-12, although cutting himself was only prevalent in his life when the priest introduced it to him.
And the semi big reveal of the truth of how Jude really got the injuries on his legs was shocking, with the story being that he was found by a doctor whom treated his wounds until he started to sexually abuse him and keep him in his basement. The doctor lets Jude go, but on the condition that he "doesn't stop running" in which Jude gets tired and falls over, and the doctor runs over his legs.
And the salt rubbed in the wound is the fact that this whole shebang of Jude's past and trauma is revealed in the dubious chapters named "the happy years" (spoiler alert, it's not happy)
The other characters are present in the story, but not as deeply delved into as Jude is. which is my little bone to pick with this book, as i wish the other characters were more developed. but anyways
yeah it was good
8/10 seagulls]]> 2022-06-09 00:39:20 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2215586852 how i've changed as a reader this year airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2215601574 218 words

idk i guess i read more historical fiction than i used to?

i still hate the stereotypical western historical fiction books that are about the same things and yadda yadda

but i've found an appreciation for non-western historical fiction. so far i've read many historical fiction about chinese history, many taking place in various dynasties. its alot more interesting than western historical fiction, as it has much more colour and variety in them, with a rich feeling of culture and history. and i can also learn a lot about other actually interesting countries that actually have original cultures.

i've also read more japanese books, and i even read some non mystery japanese books (omg)

my goal this year was to try reading more variety of books, and i hope i was able to do that. Although i did still read a lot of the same kinds of books (oops lol) i did put a semi effort into finding books in genres i disliked and giving them a try. I hope next year i can find more interesting historical fiction books that are non-western and learn more about cultures im not that knowledgeable about. I would also like to read more variety of authors in japanese books, as i tend to stick around the same authors and their books.

]]> 2022-06-09 00:55:44 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2215601574 writing airis231_1 https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2216866345 i think i was able to achieve all of my goals. when i wrote my end of the year essay i had in mind constantly that i should find or create a way to use better or more of a variety of punctuation. I've been able to use semicolons and dashes more often in my writing, and have been more conscious of my grammar and punctuation overall.
i was also able to (hopefully) use more sophisticated language in my essays, and maintain a more better formal tone throughout my essays. i tried not to overcomplicate things by using a bunch of complicated words, but instead i replaced words with more sophisticated versions of them.
and finally i think i was able to organize and format my essays better. I was more conscious about how my essay would look from a readers point of view, and how the formatting of my paragraphs could effect the way my points might come across. I tried to always keep in mind that my essays should be organized and visually comprehensible to make an positive first impression when people see my essays. ]]> 2022-06-10 00:47:52 UTC https://padlet.com/airis231_1/gachaizlyfe/wish/2216866345