The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton | Review

Discovered: Goodreads

Status: Read

Purchased: Barnes & Noble

Mode: Hardcover

Goodreads Rating: ***

Summary: 

"On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office-leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist-an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . ." -Goodreads

In-Depth:
I picked up the book thinking it was a historical drama, yet I was pleasantly surprised with the suspense. It was addicting and the buildup was refreshing. Jessie Burton perfectly captured the emotion and chaos of pure shock. I literally dropped the book on one occasion.

Unfortunately, I was left hanging at the end with no closure involving the Miniaturist and her figurines. The revelation of the Miniaturist was definitely a surprise, despite the lack of the fantastical I had presumed. I can see how the Miniaturist was kind of a mirror-figure, rather than a prophetess, who provided a reflection on the lives of women. However, the book's tackle on one-too-many subjects muddied the subject of the Miniaturist herself. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed the family drama and Burton's touch on gender, sexuality, race, social classes, religion, and economy. But I picked up the book based on the premise of the title itself and I was left hanging.  

Book Riot Quarterly Box #BKR04 | Unboxing

Recently, a friend said to me "You read books to get away from everything." A bit flustered, I nodded along since she was kind of correct. But later I realized that there is this stereotype that voracious readers read books in order to escape the "suckiness" of everyday life. This could be partly true, but it is mostly horribly wrong.

Book Riot and Quarterly did an awesome job with this quarter's theme of how books, stories, pictures, words, and all that jazz bring about magic. And personally, the theme helped me address the previously mentioned stereotype. I don't read just to escape from the realities of life; I could do that by meeting up with friends, drinking, etc. There's more to reading than that! I read to tap into the magic most non-readers couldn't dare imagine. This connection I have with authors, stories, sentences, and pictures is a passion, not a past-time. 

So I'm really really excited to jump into this quarterly box! Despite all the magic floating around I feel like this box of goodies will also ground me in understanding, if not fully, the complexities of reading and the lasting effects of books. These days I've been floating from one story to another, maybe I'll even crack the readers' code to immortality. Just kidding, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore references anyone?

  

Without further ado~

#BKR04 in a nutshell

The one and only note from Book Riot! It's also my map to navigate and reference through all the awesomeness.

The first thought that popped into my mind when I flipped through its pages was "Wow book, you really get me!" What We See When We Read is that book I've been searching for without really knowing I've been searching for it. This edition includes personal foot-notes from Peter Mendelsund. Man, I feel special. And there are illustrations! I need more illustrations in my life so this is perfect.

I really like what Book Riot is doing with their Quarterly box genre selections. Last quarter, there were YA, romance, and fantasy books. This quarter The Salinger Contract is a thriller for bibliophiles. I never know what to expect!

These are Literary Quote Prints from Obvious State and I received quotes from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jorge Luis Borges! My parents think I buy way too many prints for myself, but I guess it's alright as long as I didn't pay for these. Wait, I did pay for these! Then why do they feel like presents... #MyPersonalChristmas

Book goodies! Everybody loves good ol' custom-made stickers, buttons, and bookmarks. But wait, that's not just a bookmark! Its a free e-book, or a code to redeem a free e-book, called Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon, a series of essays championing story-telling.

And last but not least, a Read Harder water bottle. Yes Book Riot, I shall. I can't wait to whip this out at work tomorrow.

World After by Susan Ee | Review

Discovered: Goodreads

Status: Read

Purchased: Barnes & Noble Online

Mode: Paperback

Goodreads Rating: ****

Have you once imagined angels as ethereal cherubs, floating on cotton candy clouds? Well, the angels of World After will turn every perception you had upside down. 

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Synopsis:

After dipping her feet in the world of angels, Penryn attempts to recuperate her family with the fledgling human encampment called The Resistance. However the Youngs are too strange even for a group of apocalypse survivors. Paige has become a child-Frankenstein with a questionable appetite and Penryn's close encounter with death has people convinced that she's much closer to the devil. Also, her mother's continued psychotic shenanigans aren't exactly neighborly. Amid rising tensions, people capture Paige thinking she's a monster; however, chaos ensues as the angels' latest science experiment descends upon the encampment. The encampment is in shatters and Paige has disappeared. In order to get Paige back, Penryn must embark on another mission that takes her deeper into the schemes and politics of angels.

In Depth:

World After is fascinating due to its blend of science fiction and horror. Angels running mad-scientist experiments? Maddening! I would've never imagined such a scenario in the angel trope as such scenarios are usually found in science fiction and extraterrestrial books. Yet, the angels of World After are like a different species altogether. They're cold, ruthless, and sterile. Although Susan Ee's take on angels is refreshing, I personally believe she may have strayed a bit too far from the angel trope. If you ignore the small bit about Judgement Day, World After is another novel of extraterrestrial invasion and human experimentation. Fortunately, this issue did not divert my enjoyment from the book. I found the angels' agenda shocking and their politics intricate and surprisingly human.

Revisiting Penryn's POV was also a delight. She is a force to be reckoned with in the YA genre. In World After, her strength, bravery, and sass grew as she was bombarded with more apocalyptic dilemmas and obligations. But Susan Ee painfully reminds us that Penryn is not a robot. She is very human and very young. Her act of locking away her problems behind a steel door shows that she's clearly a girl who was forced to grow up too early.

Yes, Penryn is mature beyond her years but she still has a lot to learn, regarding the complexities of humanity and sisterhood. Don't get me wrong, Penryn is an amazing older sister but after Paige's change, she has a hard time reconciling her sisterly emotions and familial obligations. Her sisterly emotions have not caught up to her post-apocalypse logic as she learns that providing food and shelter are not all there is to being an older sister.

Penryn faces more apocalyptic dilemmas regarding her feelings for Raffe. I'm going to agree with other reviewers and bemoan the lack of Raffe in World After. C'mon, he the YA eye candy! Yet, I do like how Penryn and Raffe's relationship isn't as explosive as other YA couples. In many paranormal romances, characters get together with such eagerness despite the obvious taboo; however, Penryn and Raffe are slow and definitely wary of each other. There is definitely a lot trust building in both Angelfall and World After and I'm sure the character building/romance will be phenomenal once we progress with the series.