book.dreamblog’s Book Reviews!

  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  * Warning: This review contains spoilers* Introduction It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  Oh wait, that's the wrong piece of classic literature. However, my sentiment while reading this book is much the same.  This is going to be a rather controversial review given how beloved this novel is and has been over the course of decades. Though I'm not slamming it or giving it 2 stars, I'm also not going to be giving it a perfect 5 star rating either. So, if you are a Jane Austen die-hard, I would recommend perhaps turning back now. That being said, for those who stayed, I want to make a few things quite clear: I didn't dislike Pride and Prejudice, and I don't think it is a bad book at all. It aged better than a lot of old classics did, and I do understand why so many people hold it in such high regard. I think maybe it just wasn't for me.  Summary and Review The hardest thing about reading this novel is what I f...

  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid *This review contains spoilers*  *Content Warning* This review mentions suicide and terminal illness. Introduction  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is often regarded as one of bookstagram’s darlings. It’s received an outpouring of 5 star reviews from across the book-loving community. And there truly is a lot to like about it, from its old Hollywood aesthetic to its unapologetic cast of LGBT characters, and its complex morally gray protagonist.  But does it live up to the hype? The answer for me is yes and no.  Summary and Review Like I said, there is a lot to love in this book. It has LGBT characters in all the leading roles (featuring a gay man, a lesbian woman, and a bisexual WOC), with a W/W main couple—which is something I love. Most mainstream and popular novels always center around straight characters and couples, and if they feature queer characters, they’re usually just relegated to the backg...

  The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller  *This review contains spoilers*   Content Warning This review mentions rape.  Introduction  First and foremost, I am not the type of person who feels compelled to give highly popular book glowing reviews just because everyone else does. I have no problem giving my honest opinion on them. I'm giving this novel a good review, not because of the hype, but because I genuinely feel it deserves it.  The Song of Achilles is a Greek mythology retelling by Madeline Miller that covers the events of Homer's The Iliad, but instead of being told from Achilles' perspective, it is told by his companion Patroclus. There has been quite a deal of speculation about the nature of Achilles and Patroclus' relationship as written by Homer--were they really cousins? Were they actually lovers? Or were they simply just really close friends? As far as the actual Iliad goes, I don't suppose we'll ever know, but in The Song of Achilles, Mille...

  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab  *This review contains spoilers* The original version of my Addie LaRue book review was posted on my Instagram account (@book.dreamblog) on July 12, 2021.  To kick off my new blog posting format for book reviews, however, I decided that I would post a longer and unedited version of my review here!  Introduction When I first started reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (by V.E. Schwab), I'll admit, I was a bit confused as to what all the hype was about. It seemed a bit slow and prodding, with not much plot happening at the beginning. That isn't to say that I don't appreciate a really well done slow build-up to something, if it feels like it was earned by the end. When I was first getting into Addie, though, I wasn't really getting the impression that the slow pacing of the beginning of the novel was going to be worth it. I was also a bit put-off by Henry's introduction as a POV character because it didn't re...