Review: The Snowman

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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Full disclosure: This is my first Nesbø book, and I've read that this book stands on its own. So no, I haven't read any of its predecessors on the Harry Hole series.

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I genuinely tried to really love this book simply because many of my fellow readers sang praises to it. But it was a difficult tread from start to finish. Maybe I expected too much. For a 500-page crime/thriller, it lacked the suspense I was expecting. It only became remotely exciting towards the last part--when the confrontation happened. The only other thing I loved about this is how Nesbø built the character of the serial killer--thorough and definite. In the end, there is absolutely no doubt surrounding the killer's insanity.

Review: Pines

Pines by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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I honestly don't know how I feel about this book yet. It's definitely a strong start towards a trilogy, but I was expecting....more. As Crouch noted, Pines is inspired by the 90's cult classic Twin Peaks. While I am not entirely familiar with Twin Peaks, I do notice the similarities of the thematic "creepy town" vibe. The novel is a combination of horror and science fiction, and makes for an enthralling and unique read. However, the first book lumbered along and it was incredibly frustrating not knowing anything at all. To be fair, the book ended on a definite note. You're certain that there's a sequel, but you get a sense of satisfaction at the way the first book ended. It can stand on its own.

Would I be continuing with the next books on the series? DEFINITELY, because I'm still expecting Wayward Pines to live up to the good great reviews.

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Review: The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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Tinti writes beautiful prose, but to be completely honest, I struggled with this book. I could not relate to neither Loo nor Hawley. They've been through a lot, particularly Hawley, which makes him so compelling and difficult at the same time. He makes for one of the most interesting characters I've read recently, but he's so complex and doesn't make for an easy read.To be frank, I am not really comfortable with guns--they've always held a sense of danger and violence for me. And this book did not help repress that fear. Because of the characters' and plot's heavy dependence on guns, I'm wary for the entire time I was reading the book.

Halfway through the book, I felt duped. I was expecting this book to be...magical, or at least I would find constant reference to classical myths as one of the blurb said, but I found none of that. So yeah, I guess, it was unmet expectations. I was irritated at how at one point, the story was veering towards the YA genre. If you haven't noticed, I no longer hold contemporary YAs to the highest regard. They don't hold much "believability" and being identifiable for me anymore. (I don't know if it's just because I've grown out of it, or there just aren't any exceptional YAs lately.) So this book shifting towards YA at one point was sigh-inducing.

A redeeming feature for me (by that I meant, the reason why I didn't give this an even lower rating) was towards the end of the book; Bullet Number Eleven was the most beautiful chapter of this book. In hindsight, it may look sloppy, but the build-up towards it was paced well, and it became the quintessential manifestation of Loo and Hawley's relationship.

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Disclaimer: Excerpts below are from the book. Copyright © 2017 by Hannah Tinti:

It was easier to fall back on what he knew than try to change, even though he understood things weren't right anymore.

Changing where you were could change how much you mattered.

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Review: Lily and the Octopus

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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I almost didn't finish this book. Not because I was heartbroken from what was happening to Lily, but because Ted's fixation with the octopus and his bizarre (crazy?) interaction with it was just bewildering. Let me be blunt: the magical realism put me off. I am not a fan of it in books. For me, magical realism is better translated in movies rather than in my mediocre imagination. However, the end (Infinity) brought me to tears. It was written in the most fragile way. That was the only part of the book where I actually felt the "heart" of it, without the confusing imagery and delusions.

Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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Honestly, I wasn't blown away. It wasn't finger-biting neither was it profound nor anything relatively close to addressing any existential crisis I've been having. I enjoyed the book, yes, definitely. It was funny; it was relatable; Clay was an absolute delight (he reminds me of Borgy :p), but the adventures he and his friends have gone through in this book are just so...unbelievable. In addition, the "mystery" of the book was so heavily hyped from the start and shrouded with too much pseudo-mystery. When the denouement came, it was so underwhelming.

I realize that this is fiction--I do. However, most of the details are so conveniently made-up. None seemed so realistic (which actually irked me a bit. I would have loved the idea that there really is an arcane 24-hour bookstore somewhere in the world just waiting for my visit). [spoiler] Google's "Big Box" couldn't even solve the mystery of the Founder's Puzzle. That right there is suspicious.  [/spoiler] A lot of details sounded awry and lacking research, maybe? I know writers can practically make stuff up, but I appreciate verisimilitude, and at least a bit more truth behind even the smallest details. The resolution seemed forced, uncompelling, and shaky. Everything just conveniently aligned for Clay and his friends.

Nevertheless, I really did had a bit of fun with this book. I found myself laughing or smiling at Clay's genuine personality. People were right when they say that this is a feel-good story, but it just wasn't mind-blowing for me--the same way Paper Towns by John Green wasn't inspiring for me. The difference between those two, however, is that with Sloan's, it's light-hearted and I actually liked Sloan's characters (except Kat, I hated her because she's selfish).

I'm not exactly sure what I feel about this book. I've debated with myself whether I'd give it 3 or 4 stars, so I'm playing it safe with 3.5 stars. :)

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