Category: Book Reviews

Book review: The Goldfinch

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Hi all!

How are you?

I have been having quite a mixed weeks: some super busy couple of weeks and the latter have been quite chilled which means only one thing: lots of reading!

I’ve been reading such a range of different texts to be honest; mostly fiction, but there’s been a few non-fiction which I have really enjoyed. I’m really trying to finish all the books on my physical tbr before I buy anything new (but I have slipped up a couple of times 🥲)

One of these books is The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. I genuinely can’t remember when I brought this, but I have definitely had it sat on my shelf for at LEAST 4 years 😅 I know, it’s so bad!


I was so conflicted reviewing this. There were parts that I loved, Donna Tart is such a beautiful writer, parts of her prose are sublime and I loved the way the story unfolded through art and it’s peppering throughout the narrative. The backdrop of New York just pulled me in and reignited my desire to go there. And to be honest, the first 200ish pages I was so invested in Theo, his story and where it was going to go. Theo as the protagonist and narrator I didn’t hate, I sort of liked him and yet…

The story dragged SO MUCH. There were so many points during this read I wanted to dnf it but I persevered thinking ‘it must get better, there must be something.’ Now, this wasn’t due to the length, but the boredom of continously reading Theo’s drug and alcohol riddled life events over and over and over…and over again. In all honesty, I must’ve skim read about 250 pages in total and rushed the last 150 pages so that I was done with it.

I felt as though not much happened, especially in the middle 300 pages – Boris and Theo get drunk, again, they don’t go to school, again, they take drugs, again, they throw up…again. Drudgery. Absolutely drudgery. I didn’t like Boris as a character, or what he stood for and represented. I am not someone who feels like they MUST connect with every character, each character should bring a nuance to the story, for better or worse. All of these characters (apart from Hobie and Pippa) did nothing for me. They were bland and one dimensional, bringing nothing to the story. When Theo finally got dragged into the underground drug world, I had become so uninvested in his story – I didn’t care.

Urgh. When will Booker Prize winners stop disappointing me 😢

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book review: Sense and Sensibility

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2025 is the year I have dedicated to reading and re-reading classics. I started the year with Pride and Prejudice because…well do I really have to explain myself 😅

But, whilst I’ve watched tv and film adaptations of Austen’s works, I’ve never actually read them!

So, as part of Canterbury Classics Instagram challenge for 2025, I will be reading ALL of Austen’s novels.

March’s read was Sense and Sensibility. Did I pick this up in April and finish it it May? Yes. But hear me out! Work was busy and I had about 5 books on the go…

How pretty is this cover 😍 I love the Chiltern covers. I think I’m going to collect as many as I can. TK MAXX is definitely the place to go for these! I paid £8 for this copy, and they retail for about £20. Absolute bargain.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

What does it mean to be sensible?

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this and the way it unfolded. I’ll be honest, it took me some time to get into it, and I was confused by the family dynamics initially. It holds very similar themes to Pride and Prejudice: bad boy love interest, to marry for love or to marry for money and plucky strong female leads.

Marianne. I actually adored her. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and her reactions to things, but I loved her character. Open to all of her emotions and feeling them deeply. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go after Willoughby. She is reshaped and redefined by her heartbreak and illness, which makes her a better person and ends up with Colonel Brandon. Hello! The better option of man, in my opinion. She definitely got the better man. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and certain characteristics and over dramatic nature, but she is true to her age and who she is.

Elinor bless her. Always in complete control of her emotions, a complete juxtaposition to her younger sister in pretty much every way. She’s never able to openly discuss her wants and desires, but she is the ultimate big sister: kind, trustworthy and compassionate. I do think she deserved better than Edward. He was not a well developed character, or man, that deserved her. Honestly, I kind of wanted her to end up with Colonel Brandon…

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The bond between the sisters is the core of this novel, I found, not the romantic love. The way they consistently stick up for one another even when they’re fighting. They are both fighing their ‘sensibilities’ and rationale within society trying to make sense of it all. A true sister bond.

Having read this after Pride and Prejudice, I can tell that this was published first:

  • It doesn’t have the same depth of plot or character development (specifically with the men).
  • The pacing isnt great. There are long chunks of the novel where not much really happens, just various visits to family and London.
  • I felt like the ending was rushed.

However, it carries the classic Austen commentary on society and social constructs. She delves into themes or inner turmoil, morality and what it means to have sense and be sensible in a world hindered the growth of women. Austen allows the reader to become immersed in this world through the characters and understand how different people can interact and react to the same situations.

An enjoyable read, if albeit a long one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

xo

Book review: ACOTAR 1 – 3

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Hello!

This has definitely been a long time coming…

I recently went through, sorted and cleared out my MANY boxes of books. A woman on a mission, I vowed to get through my physical tbr this year and force myself on a book buying ban (I have already broken this of course🫠). So, I spent a few hours sorting books into piles and came up with a few piles to read.

Whilst sorting, I found A Court Of Thorns and Roses, A Court Of Mist and Fury and A Court Of Wings and Ruin as a trilogy…wrapped in cellophane…with a receipt from 2017. That should give you an indication of how far back my physical tbr goes 😭 But I thought why not, they seem to have had a resurgence lately. About 8 people I work with are reading them, so I thought why not see what all the fuss is about?

Sarah J Maas has worked on creating a universe that is interesting to delve into – all the courts and their personalities – was definitely something that’ll interested me as I read the trilogy and kept me engaged. I did like how she spent time fleshing out these different courts and their High Lords, differences, similarities, unique aspects. With fictional universes, so many times this aspect is rushed, I find, so this was definitely a nice breath of fresh air. A lot of the characters were fleshed out, given somewhat complex personalities. Only so much can be achieved over the course of three books, especially when you have a diverse range of characters.

Freyre

Ah, our protagonist. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her in all honestly. Over the course of the three books, I didn’t feel like her arc progression amounted to much, but maybe she wasn’t meant to. A stable 1st person narrative that allows the reader into the mindset of a girl trying to manage herself in a new and volatile world. It’s a trope that’s been done, of course, time and time again. Set against the backdrop of magic and faeries the strong-willed, fiesty, snarky female didn’t really feel that much different from other fantasy females. I did like seeing the inner conflict and how she dealt with that, the way she loses and then remakes herself in this new world.

Rhysand

I mean. I love me a chaotic good character. Couple that with enemies to lovers…ooh! Rhysand. A white Knight saviour, hidden under the mask of being a prick. I get it. He’s the guy who treats you right, gives you the choices, doesn’t force you into doing something you don’t want. Respectful. But coupled with being messy, willing to be sneaky to get what he needs, all whilst having peoples best interest at heart. I think I would have just liked to see a bit more push and pull between Freyre and Rhysand. Once the mating bond kicked into place, then everything became really easy for them as a couple. No fights or disagreements, really. I think having that would have just added to their relationship.

The inner circle

Definitely very well fleshed out, interesting characters that added richness and depth to the story. Azriel definitely needs a whole arc to himself. Mor…it’s been 500 years, just tell him already. And Cassian, the glue holding them together. Odd love truangle – that wasn’t really a triangle – but was forced to be was odd for me, especially when nothing came from it? It had been teased for two books and then nothing? I delt slightly cheated if i’m honest. I felt like Amren just disappeared from A Court Of Wings and Ruin, appearing sporadically and not really doing much when she arrived.

Writing and pace

The pace of the trilogy was pretty decent. I didn’t really feel like there were any major sections that were unnecessary. The plot itself tied together quite neatly with no plot holes and a somewhat happy ending for all involved. I do think the writing of the courts and the world building could have done with more  “show not tell”. I never felt 100% immersed in the courts. I could envision them well enough, but I wanted to feel like I was there, the smells, the sounds, the fell of the grass and roughness of the bark and ash trees.

I understand why people are raving about this series. For me, it was okay. Nothing special, but an easy read with decent pacing. Would definitely help to get someone out a reading slump if need be.

Overall rating for the trilogy: 3/5

xo

Book Review: Alice

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Hello everyone😊

Hope you’re all having a fab day!

I recently read Alice by Christina Henry and I loved it! I really enjoyed the way in which Henry distorts the story and the characters I grew up reading. The plot we’re accustomed to reading becomes sinister and the story itself takes on a much darker tone, while all the while being imbued with the magical elements that captivated us as children. Our beloved characters are re-imagined and Alice is no longer the wonderous child-like protagonist we know and love. Instead she follows a much darker path.

Henry’s adult interpretation of Carrol’s beloved characters allowed me as a reader and a lover of classical literature, to envision a whole new world for Alice. A world that isn’t fairytale like, but gritty and real. I connected with Alice’s struggle in this novel – her quest to find answers, her need to know more, to find her place – and Henry’s writing ensures the story is easy to follow, the characters relatable and this new world that we find Alice, in fascinating. Henry has appealed to the masses with adding a dystopian spin to the plot (Hunger Games, Maze Runner etc etc), but what sets this apart is the incorporation of well known characters.

One of my issues with the story was the lack of character development for Alice herself. I really would’ve loved to have seen her come into her own and become the rebel with a no-care attitude. At times her character development felt rushed or stilted, but this is a trilogy and I can’t wait to read the next instalment to see where the story and character development goes!

“Beware the claws that catch…”

xo