sp1derfairy's reviews
146 reviews

I’m enjoying this so far, but I cant say I really love it. I also just dislike the art style and how the cover art drastically changes the character’s designs (like making Gert skinnier and Alex’s hair not textured). I don’t feel super attached to the characters, but I do enough that I’m still going to keep reading. 

There’s so many different themes in this: of aging, of disillusionment,  of loss, of separation and misunderstandings, of connection, of pain, and of love. The book pushes us to confront ourselves so we can better ourselves 

The title had confused me until I read the last sentence where Yves describes NYC as “the city which the people from heaven had made their home” and it finally clicked for me that ‘another country’ represents people seeking out havens, seeking out something to replace their lives, and something better. We can do this to a point that we idolize these places, and the last sentence foretells this story happening once more, but to Yves (becoming disillusioned with the world). A necessary evil to maturing and how we’re all united in trying to escape it. 

Baldwin’s character building is exceptional and he excels at making you feel for each character and reach an understanding, to a certain degree, with them. 

Struggling to find a way to keep going amidst the suffering that exists is a central theme; as book three’s quote says “how with this rage shall beauty hold a plea/ whose action is no stronger than a flower”.  While it is a severely depressing topic to wrestle with, Baldwin does it in a way that makes me extend a greater degree of appreciation towards the people and things in my life that I do love. It asks us to confront ourselves and open ourselves up to the world, to try and feel the world. 

The book makes us ask ourselves how we keep going and it also gives us an in-depth, discomforting look at the power of love and hatred. Seeing the depictions of the white people in the book lashing against the discomforting truth of racism and how their perspectives are completely altered and how much emotional labor this puts their Black friends or lovers through—because they are already familiar with this darkness in the world—makes me want to be a better ally--a better friend--to the Black people in my life.

This feels like a book I haven’t visited at a time where I have all the life experience for it. I don’t think I fully comprehend the concept of love and hate being so close together, and I’m still so young. It does make me want to read more of Baldwin’s works though, to understand his beliefs, to understand these concepts to a higher degree. I also have a new appreciation for semicolons and emdashes now. 

I love love loved this book so much. It wasn’t something I typically pick up to read and the style was definitely different than I am accustomed to, but I’m so glad my school book club decided to read this because I absolutely adored it. The writing is in an almost straightforward manner that is really relaxing to follow along with and I described some choices Allende makes as going on side quests in a video game, which I found really enjoyable to read through. 

tldr:  it’s so positive about finding love in a world that has shunned you and exiled you and if you’ve seen the worst of mankind finding a way to see the best in it 

I also loved how much I learned in this and it gives me an interest in Pablo Neruda’s writing, who I had never heard of before reading this. I loved the excerpts before each chapter and looking back on it and I loved learning about Spain and Chile’s history in fragments. This book really made me love to learn things. 

The characters and the messaging were just so wonderful as well. Roser and Victor specifically. In the last chapter Allende used the Neruda quote “And yet. / Here are the roots of my dream, / This is the harsh light we love.” I love how it ties into how we go through life and see all of its complexities and can choose how we see mankind, Victor describes how he has seen the worst of mankind and how love has been the thing that has pulled him through, love has been what he devoted his life too, love for others and love for helping others. I loved his and Roser’s love story, it was so sweet and I loved the foundations of it being on an unbreakable tie and duty to one another before any kind of romance because of the necessity for it. 

I loved this book a lot. 

this is my favorite installment of the manga so far i just love getting a look into utena’s psyche and her turmoil really packed a punch. 

I really loved reading this and the art style was cool. The incorporation of a lot of swirls to convey time and how the artist worked with the idea of the guardians was super cool. i loved seeing the differences from the episode and reading the “(gently)…(hopelessly)” part. also LOOOVED seeing rand have more responsibility and more character. 

I really loved this one, but Wanda’s death (and the death of the only Black character) felt unnecessary, but I trust Neil Gaiman with the adaptation and his openness to improve upon previous flaws.

I really enjoyed the scene of Wanda and Death though that was heartwarming.

This is a really great addition to the series. I didn’t mind the detraction from Dream, but that’s also because I liked Barbie and the concept of this story.