tori_storydelver's reviews
625 reviews

I really enjoyed this book a lot, so I was surprised by all the mixed reviews. I was equally surprised to find that I could actually see where most the negative reviewers were coming from. In all reality this book probably deserves a 4 star rating, but like I said, I truly loved reading this book. Even if the plot was predictable and somewhat overdone and the main character was a moron who never really develops much, I love this book!

Neil Gaiman is an excellent writer. The world building in this book outshined anything else by far, but that was really all I needed to keep my interest. I wanted to explore the underground and their tunnels and mysterious markets. I wanted to meet all the quirky side characters (most of which were much more fascinating then the characters he chose to focus on) and learn about the cultures of those who have "slipped through the cracks". I was intrigued the whole way through.

The ending of this book seems to be what most people hate about it the most. I, on the other hand thought it was a cool ending. Everyone is right, the main character doesn't develop throughout the book.

Spoiler

However, (at least the way I interpreted it) at the very end he realizes that he is not ready to settle down and in fact, still has a lot to learn about who he is. There's a whole other world that is far more interesting than the life he thought he would be perfectly content with.

In other words, the book ends with Mayhew taking the first step into developing his character. I think this is a very creative ending, although it may have not been done as effectively as it could have been as it seems to be overlooked by some readers.

This book is horrifying, absolutely terrifying! It shows how easily the human mind can be brainwashed and manipulated, How important it is to actually pay attention to what is going on around you, and how important it is to fight for what you think is right even when it is much easier to just "go with the flow". I think this is a very important book that everyone should read.

That being said, there were parts of this book that really bothered me. The main thing was that the dystopian country this book takes place in has many comparisons to China, only very much so exaggerated. Exaggerated to the point where it felt a little like anti-communism propaganda. Of course, I think communism is far from perfect, but this book shows the worst case scenario of that situation, and made me feel a little uncomfortable while reading it.

I just do not see what people love about this book! It definitely has historical value, and I thought it was an interesting look into gender roles of the past. The character development was great, and watching four sister grow into women is a unique concept for a story. However, it was tiring reading morality lesson after morality lesson. Everything in this book is so sugar-coated and sweet! And I am not one to normally complain about things being nice and sweet. Overall, it was just hard to get through and not very satisfying.

This addition to Little Women is so frustrating! The girls +Laurie end up just giving up on their hobbies/talents/passions. It's almost like they are completely different characters than they were in the first book! I am so frustrated with Jo's character. She seems the most different and I absolutely hate the choices she makes. Although, I must admit I do like what She ends up doing at the very end of the book. Which I can't say about Amy or Laurie. This book, like the first, is so sugar-coated that even when a main character dies you can't help to feel a little warm and fuzzy! I was so angry and dissatisfied throughout the whole book that I do not suggest reading it, unless you plan to continue with the series.

I have been looking forward to reading this book for a long time and finally found the chance. I was horribly disappointed. If this book taught me anything it is that the longer you take telling a story, the more people will like it and believe in it.

A great book for those wishing to find and work with totem animals. If you are already familiar with animal guides a large portion of this book will just cover the basics. However, I thought the exercises/meditations in this book were great and the ones I've tried have been very effective.

I am very happy to add this book to my personal library. If nothing else it is an amazing reference guide. It includes animal "encyclopedias" on mammals, birds, and to a lesser extent insects and reptiles. Although these give detailed symbolism of the animals the author encourages the reader to observe the animals for themselves to draw their own conclusions about what they symbolize. It also includes brief descriptions of mythology from numerous cultures regarding the different animals.

This was a fantastic read! There were definitely problems, especially with the writing. But I can easily look past them because the story was fast-paced, highly enjoyable, and it not only appealed to the geeky side of me, but also completely swept my inner gamer right off her feet! It captured the excitement of a roleplaying game with plenty of justification to know all the useless trivia you've spent hours memorizing simply because it keeps you entertained was well worth it. If you are a gamer and have yet to read this book (no matter what decade you grew up in) what are you doing reading this review!? Turn off your computer and go get this book now! Yes, it is that urgent! There has never been a book that has resonated so deeply with my love of playing video games.

I am amazed at how much research and imagination went into compiling this short guide. Many of the beasts described in this book were only briefly (or not at all) mentioned in the Harry Potter series, yet there is tons of details into these creatures habits and stories surrounding them.